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IMPACT OF DATA SECURITY BREACH ON LONG-TERM FIRM PERFORMANCE
Data security breaches continue to be a primary concern for businesses. The possibility of losing sensitive customer data and how that might impact their firm is part of what keeps executives up at night. Past research has largely centered around how a data security breach might impact firm performance as measured by cumulative abnormal returns (CAR), or from an investor’s perspective. This research has produced inconsistent results, with some research efforts showing large negative impacts on market value while others show no impact at all. Through this research effort, I explore possible reasons for these inconsistent findings. Under Interpersonal Gossip Theory, such breaches may influence consumer trust, resulting in behavior changes that impact a firm’s sales, profit, etc., and likewise, firm performance. I will discuss the use of accounting ratios to measure firm performance rather than market fluctuations. Systems of measurement such as Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) and Tobin’s q/Total q might provide a more consistent view of firm performance after a data security breach, allowing for an examination over a longer time period rather than just the immediate window surrounding the breach event. Using these ratios, I will discuss the possible differences in consumer and investor perspective and how they might impact firm performance after a confidential data breach
DIGITALLY COLLABORATIVE: AN ANALYSIS OF PEER REVIEW IN FYC CLASSES AND THE AFFORDANCES OF DIGITAL TOOLS
Digital technology has significantly impacted students and their learning environments. Jobs that do not require at least an entry-level understanding of basic computer skills are nearly impossible to find. Online platforms have become integrated into our daily lives and are now essential in the classroom. Students are expected to grasp the functions of technology and its intersection with the curriculum. Universities utilize various online learning technologies in their classrooms. While basic computer literacy and understanding are crucial components of university education, students require additional support when using these platforms in their writing. I will explore how to integrate digital literacy with college students effectively. This thesis will focus on recognizing the advancements in digital literacy that have occurred and their impact on the writing classroom at the university level. I will address the benefits of Canvas and Achieve, which can foster critical thinking among first-year writing students
ADJUNCTS’ LIVED EXPERIENCE OF ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN FLORIDA STATE COLLEGES
This phenomenological study sought to discover the essence of academic freedom as experienced by adjuncts working in Florida State Colleges. It explored the meaning of, constraints on, and reservoirs of (Clausen & Swidler, 2013) adjunct academic freedom in the absence of the traditional academic freedom protection of tenure. Adjunct academic freedom was defined as protection for adjuncts in Florida State Colleges from suffering deliberate reprisals (Eastman & Boyles, 2015) if they engage in controversial or unpopular topics in any aspect of their academic work.
Even though tenure is the traditional protector of faculty academic freedom in the United States, adjuncts in the Florida State Colleges do not have it. In addition, the proportion of faculty who do have this traditional protection is declining as a result of neoliberalism, which has caused a wave of casualization of faculty work. Although non-tenure-track faculty who work less than full time, or adjuncts, are the largest subcategory of contingent faculty, there is a lack of research about adjuncts’ meaning of, and lived experience of, academic freedom in the absence of this traditional protection. This is significant as the shrinking number of tenure-track faculty diminishes academic freedom as a whole (Reichman, 2021; Schrecker, 2010). In this study, snowball techniques and targeted email outreach were used to identify 15 information-rich participants from Florida State Colleges. Data collection consisted of in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted between June and October 2020. To illustrate the phenomenon, a visual aid was developed to serve as a framework depicting the adjunct experience of academic freedom. This framework was related to: (a) the idea of formal protection for academic freedom, (b) the context of neoliberalism, and (c) Clausen and Swidler’s (2013) ideas of constraints and reservoirs of academic freedom. This framework of the phenomenon guided data analysis, which resulted in five findings that flowed from the participants’ interview narratives. These findings were that adjunct academic freedom is
1. Student-oriented
2. Cyclical
3. Rewarding
4. Constrained from the inside out
5. Created up from the bottom
In turn, the findings were examined through the lens of Boyer’s Model of Scholarship, leading to two conclusions that represent the authors’ insights from the findings. The first conclusion of this study was that the initial conceptualization of the adjunct experience of academic freedom needed to be updated with neoliberalism, and its related job insecurity, as its main context. The second conclusion was that, to be applicable to adjuncts, Boyer’s Model of Scholarship needed to be reconceptualized to include this main context. Finally, the findings and conclusions formed the basis for recommendations for policy, practice, and future research related to adjunct academic freedom
THINGS GOIN’ ON: HIERARCHICAL ORDER
Things Goin\u27 On: Hierarchical Order is a series of mixed media works examining power dynamics and structured relationships within human life. This body of work explores social class, gender roles, and systemic power structures through a combination of found textiles, altered objects, and diverse rendering techniques. Each piece investigates how individuals are positioned within broader social and natural systems. The works collectively encourage reflection on the universal and historical role of power dynamics in shaping human experiences and interactions
Mock Battles: A Time and Place for Conflict
Mock battles are a category of ritual widely recognized by cultural anthropologists, and yet the term as used stands as a wide umbrella covering an incredibly disparate range of human behaviors. Ethnographers have applied the label of “mock battle” both to events incorporating actual bodily harm—most famously, the Andean Tinku—and to non-violent theatrical performances such as the Moros dances popular throughout Spain and Mexico. To better understand the particular social functions of these rituals, I distinguish between two separate but interrelated “genres” of mock battle: the Civil War type, in which communities schedule limited outbursts of cathartic physical violence; and the Conquest Reenactment type, in which communities stage performances narrating the transition out of previous conflict into contemporary peace
From Company to Crown: The 1858 Government of India Act in the British Press
In the aftermath of the Indian Mutiny and the perceived failures of the British East India Company, the British Parliament passed the 1858 Government of India Act, which liquidated the Company and placed India under direct rule by the Crown. The historiography on the Company’s end and the Raj’s beginning has not given adequate attention to the Act itself, portraying it as an uncontroversial measure used to change India’s governing body. This article addresses the controversial nature of the Act. By examining geographically and politically dispersed newspaper articles from when the Act was being considered in Parliament, this research shows that the 1858 Government of India Act was contested, and there was no uniform reaction to the Act’s introduction or passage through Parliament
PERCEPTIONS OF EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS
This study examined the influence of self-monitoring on cognitive performance under stereotype threat in an online academic setting. One hundred thirty-two Black and Hispanic participants completed a series of GRE-style questions following exposure to either a stereotype threat or control condition (Steele & Aronson, 1995). Participants also completed measures of self-monitoring (Gangestad & Snyder, 2000), academic motivation (Pintrich & De Groot, 1990), cognitive load (Kirschner, 2002), self-esteem (Crocker et al., 2003), and ethnic identity. Using multiple regression and mediation analyses conducted in Jamovi, self-monitoring emerged as the strongest and most consistent predictor of test performance. Academic motivation partially mediated this relationship, while cognitive load was positively associated with performance but did not function as a mediator. Neither self-esteem nor ethnic identity significantly mediated performance outcomes. The experimental condition and its interaction with self-monitoring were not significant. Findings suggest that self-monitoring and motivation are central to performance in stereotype-relevant academic tasks
EXPLORING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ USE OF MENTAL HEALTH APPLICATIONS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY
This phenomenological dissertation explored undergraduate students\u27 lived experiences of using mental health mobile apps, AI, and other technology to manage mental health symptoms. The research focused on exploring three research questions: (a) perceptions of app effectiveness, usability, and features; (b) barriers and integration into mental health care routines; and (c) influences of privacy, peer influence, cultural backgrounds, and personal beliefs on app use.
Data were collected via purposive sampling through semi-structured interviews (N=12), each consisting of 15 open-ended questions, with students using a mental health app to improve their mental health. The interpretive data analysis was conducted by synthesizing participants’ responses via inductive coding and using a thematic analysis approach. Four primary themes and seven subthemes encapsulating students’ perspectives on mental health apps emerged.
Participants reported that the mental health apps aided in management and coping with symptoms like depression, stress, and anxiety. However, some students noted limited depth in journaling features, generic motivational notifications, and limited usefulness for severe issues. Participants perceived mental health apps as complementary to traditional mental health services, valuing their accessibility and convenience of having immediate access to information, but hoped for more evidence-based mental health apps. In addition to adherence challenges when engaging in mental health apps, some participants cited friction when discussing the limited personalization options affecting the adoption and integration of these technologies.
This study identified intrinsic motivation as a critical factor regarding app integration into mental health routines. Some participants reported consistent use, while others struggled with prioritizing their mental health rather than avoiding it. These differences align with Self-Determination Theory, emphasizing intrinsic motivation as essential for sustained behavior (Ryan & Deci, 2000). This suggests that a mental health apps’ effectiveness, in terms of engagement, depends on alignment with the students’ internal drives. Several factors, such as the variability of help-seeking behaviors, the importance of personalization (or lack thereof), the need for meaningful motivation within the mHealth apps, and the ongoing privacy concerns, reflect modern technology and mHealth app trends