11289 research outputs found
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IPO Performance and Stochastic Dominance
No full textWe examine the performance of initial public offerings (IPO) using a stochastic dominance approach that captures investors’ preferences for higher moments of the returns distribution. Using a comprehensive sample of 6,671 IPOs in the U.S. from 1980 to 2012, we find no evidence that IPOs underperform size and book-to-market matched portfolios. We find that the market portfolios do not second-order stochastic dominate IPOs with VC-backing, backed by high reputation VCs, low debt IPOs, or those backed by growth capital. We also examine the IPO performance in booms vs. recessions as well as in times of low vs. high sentiment. Overall, our results shed additional light on investor preferences in IPO returns, extend the role that capital backing plays in IPO performance, and highlight the importance of considering higher order moments in performance evaluation
Effective onboarding for C-suites
No full textThis qualitative research explored what constituted effective onboarding for C-suite leaders, particularly CEOs and their direct reports, to support their rapid integration and effectiveness within organizations. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 10 C-suite leaders across multiple sectors, the study aimed to contribute to the fields of organizational development and leadership development by identifying key onboarding practices that facilitate a new leader’s success. The research employed a grounded theory approach, coding and analyzing quotes from participants to derive central themes. Findings indicated that effective onboarding at the C-suite level extended beyond the initial weeks of orientation. Participants emphasized the need for early clarity around governance, strategic intent, and role obligations; intentional stakeholder mapping and relationship handovers; operational readiness; and flexible, co-created onboarding journeys. The study concluded that onboarding at this level should be designed as part of a broader leadership development journey, incorporating coaching, feedback loops, and external networking
When purpose isn’t enough: adapting for-profit retention practices to support early-career professionals in youth- serving nonprofits
No full textThis comparative qualitative study explored how nonprofit and for-profit organizations approach the retention and development of early-career professionals aged 18 to 25. Drawing on Jay Galbraith’s (1995) STAR model of organizational design—encompassing strategy, structure, process, people, and rewards—the study investigated what practices are currently in place and which strategies nonprofits might adopt from for-profit organizations to improve employee engagement and retention. Data were collected through 10 semi-structured interviews with senior leaders from five large, youth-serving nonprofit organizations and five for-profit companies with strong employee retention reputations. The findings revealed six core differences between sectors, with for-profit organizations demonstrating more consistent practices related to employee integration, growth culture, data-driven decision-making, and manager enablement. In contrast, nonprofit organizations often relied on mission alignment but struggled to operationalize values and provide structural clarity for early-career staff. The study concluded that while purpose-driven work is vital, “purpose isn’t enough” without supporting systems that ensure employees feel clear, supported, and positioned for growth. The research offered actionable implications for nonprofits and calls for a shift away from viewing retention challenges as purely financial, emphasizing instead the role of structure, feedback, and local leadership in shaping the early employee experience
Navigating the new normal: a grounded theory study of lessons learned about leadership practices since the pandemic in multimodal workplace settings and the future of work
No full textThe global pandemic has profoundly transformed leadership and the work landscape across multimodal workplace environments (onsite, virtual, and hybrid). As organizations navigated unprecedented disruption, leaders had to respond with agility, empathy, and innovation. This qualitative, grounded theory study explored the transformative impact of post-pandemic changes on leadership practices within the evolving workplace landscape and future work trends. The overarching research question guiding this study was to what extent, if at all, leadership practices have evolved since the global pandemic across onsite, virtual, and hybrid workplace settings, and what skills, strategies, and practices will future leaders need to navigate the future of work? To address this question comprehensively, the study examined three sub-questions. It drew upon semi-structured interviews with 20 U.S.-based leaders representing diverse industries and leadership levels, all of whom held direct reports across multiple workplace modalities. Grounded theory methods were employed to code and analyze the data, yielding eight key findings that revealed substantial shifts in leadership behavior, mindset, and organizational priorities. Notably, the study found that inclusive and emotionally intelligent leadership practices are now essential to sustaining engagement and performance in hybrid and virtual work settings. The study highlights that although the pandemic served as a catalyst, its primary aim was to extract leadership lessons applicable to leading through future disruptions, workplace transformations, and emerging global trends. A central contribution of the study was the development of the PERFORM Leadership Framework, a future-oriented model grounded in people-first, ethical, resilient, flexible, organizationally aligned, relational, and mission-driven leadership practices. The framework was synthesized from empirical findings and foundational leadership theory, offering a research-based guide for navigating future workplace complexities. The findings offer important implications for leadership development, organizational strategy, workforce resiliency, and the cultivation of adaptive, human-centered leadership needed for the future of work. This research ultimately bridges leadership theory and practice, offering a comprehensive foundation for guiding leaders beyond crisis and into the opportunities of a dynamic and interconnected global environment
Black Womb’s Need Love Too! A Preconception Health Research Project for Black Women: Addressing Inequities in Maternal Health
No full textPreconception health knowledge and practices are crucial for ameliorating maternal and child health outcomes, specifically for Black women. Black women are disproportionately affected by poor maternal health outcomes, including high rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. This session will propose strategies to improve preconception health outcomes through targeted interventions and community engagement
Relationship Building Between University Faculty and Hispanic Graduate Students: Do DEIB Initiatives Improve Retention Rates?
No full textThe presentation focuses on understanding how to improve the retention rates of Hispanic graduate students in higher education. It emphasizes diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging programs and their impact on these students
Probing freeze out sensitivity in nuclear collisions using exact solutions of fluid dynamics
Full text linkOne of the primary goals in the field of high-energy nuclear collisions is to create and study a novel phase of matter known as quark-gluon plasma (QGP), a substance which can be extremely well described by fluid dynamics. However, two different criteria are often used to identify the point of freeze out, which defines when the fluid dynamical simulation of a nuclear collision should be terminated: either when the QGP fluid has cooled below a given temperature, or when it has reached a certain Knudsen number (a quantity that estimates how well the system can be modeled by a fluid). Moreover, whereas the former is more convenient to use in simulations, the latter is more physically realistic.
This study investigates how the choice of freeze-out surface, defined by either constant temperature or constant Knudsen number, may influence the predictions of one’s fluid dynamical model. Using an exact solution of the fluid dynamical equations to model the nuclear collision, we identify both freeze-out surfaces and employ them to make predictions for two sets of widely studied observables in nuclear collisions: the “spectra”, which count the number of particles produced by the collision as a function of particle momentum, and the “HBT radii”, which roughly reflect the size and shape of the system. We find that the choice of freeze-out criterion may have measurable consequences for both sets of observables and thus may also affect our understanding of the QGP and the collisions which create it
Synthesis, Purification, and Electrochemical Analysis of Platinum Chloride Complexes with Varying Steric and Electronic Properties
No full textA series of platinum chloride complexes were synthesized with varying steric and electronic properties. New synthetic and purification methods were developed to improve percent yield and shorten reaction times. After successful purification, the d8, diamagnetic platinum complexes were characterized using a variety of methods including, 1H, 13C, and 19F NMR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray crystallography. Across all electronic and steric variations in ketoimine structure, all complexes were found to be four-coordinate, square planar platinum (II) chloride complexes. Further analysis of the electronic properties of both the ketoimines and platinum complexes were studied with cyclic voltammetry. In both the ligands and the platinum complexes differences were observed in redox potentials between electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups in ketoimine substituent groups. Absorbance spectroscopy and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations of the platinum complexes were also utilized to demonstrate how variations in ketoimine substituent groups affected molecular orbital energies and observed electronic transitions
Wildlife Coexistence in Urbanized Communities
No full textAs global urbanization rapidly increases, a greater number of species are at risk of habitat degradation and fragmentation. Particularly in the Santa Monica Mountains, modern infrastructure has spread into regions otherwise inaccessible, causing native species to adapt to the changing landscape or fall victim to it. Wildlife rehabilitation is a method that many developing countries utilize to promote and maintain coexistence between wildlife and residents. The California Wildlife Center located in Calabasas is a certified rehabilitation location that services all of Los Angeles county. Injured or abandoned wildlife are admitted courtesy of residents, if deemed safe, as well as through emergency calls in which employees of the clinic pick up the patient at the indicated location. Once admitted, the patient undergoes veterinary evaluation. Hopeful candidates then enter the process of rehabilitation which includes a daily medication regime, timed feeding intervals, enrichment activities, and husbandry. Success is contingent on the patient’s ability to complete the program and therefore be released back into their respective environment. Resource availability is an indirect factor that also impacts success. Centers like the one in Calabasas rely primarily on private grants that are competitive and few. This research aimed to analyze how resource availability is affecting rehabilitation success for locations that service a large region. Using current as well as past records, preliminary statistical analysis revealed a correlation between success and origin location. There was also a correlation between success and species type, particularly for California ground squirrels, Otospermophilus beecheyi, in the Santa Monica Mountains
Engineering in Action: The Development of an Original and Sophisticated Buzz-Wire Apparatus for Dexterity Assessment
No full textA buzz-wire (or loop and wire) test is a ‘steady hand’ dexterity task whereby an individual attempts to guide a metal loop along a convoluted length of wire (as fast as possible) without touching the metal loop to the wire. While various buzz-wire apparatuses are commercially available, most are not technologically sophisticated or advanced in terms of task difficulty. For example, most wires are two-dimensional as opposed to three-dimensional. Likewise, most are not built with high quality materials or data procurement software in mind. While a few high- quality/research-grade buzz-wires have been described within the empirical literature, such apparatuses have been developed in ‘one-off’ or ‘small batch’ scenarios (e.g., independent researchers have developed and used their own buzz-wire for their regional study). Thus, as sophisticated buzz-wires are not commercially available, researchers must be proactive and innovative in developing their own apparatus. Therefore, using engineering principles, the purpose of this creative endeavor was to develop (a) a robust, three-dimensional buzz-wire and (b) a highly-accurate software program that would automate the capture of numerous buzz-wire performance metrics (e.g., wire hits, task duration). This presentation will detail the developmental process for said buzz-wire and software. The prototype/apparatus will also be presented