Browsing by Subject "Value"
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Item A mathematical model of the theory of value: a case of perfect competition(Texas Tech University, 1965-05) Tinney, Robert WNot availableItem Assessing the economic revitalization impact of urban design improvements: the Texas Main Street Program(Texas A&M University, 2007-09-17) Ozdil, Taner RecepThe relationship between urban design and economic activity is seldom studied through empirical studies with a large number of cases due, in part, to the implicit and intangible nature of design. This study was intended to understand, analyze, and evaluate the complex relationship between the design and the economic revitalization of downtown districts with reference to the 78 active Texas Main Street Program districts. First, the design, promotion, organization, and economic restructuring components of the Main Street Program's comprehensive four-point approach were investigated. Next, the economic changes that occurred within those districts were analyzed from 1997-2001. Finally, employment, the number of jobs, the number of business establishments, the number of sales tax permits, the retail sales volume, and the commercial property values were compared for the same time period among three categories of cities: those active in the Main Street Program, those formerly active but now inactive, and those who have not participated. Findings revealed that several positive changes occurred in design, promotion, organization, and economic restructuring components of the four-point approach within the active Texas Main Street districts. It appears that these changes produced several positive outcomes for the physical, social, and economical environment of the active Main Street districts. Moreover, the findings suggests that these changes in the Main Street districts resulted in an increased economic activity, not only within the Main Street district by generating jobs, or producing private and/or public investment, but also across the Main Street city by creating community wide economic activity in most of the variables that were under investigation. The results indicate that the Texas Main Street Program, part of which is urban design oriented, is having a positive effect on economic activity within the active Main Street districts.Item Clinically relevant adipose tissue engineering strategies and market potential(2010-12) Finkbiner, Jenny Jean; Ambler, Tony; Vail, Neal K.This thesis presents a foundation for developing a business case for companies interested in the reconstructive and cosmetic procedure markets. The focus is on reviewing adipose tissue engineering research and proposing technology opportunities that could be applied to challenging soft tissue reconstruction cases and adjacently applied to cosmetic applications. To establish the foundation for this type of program, this thesis includes an evaluation of the reconstructive and cosmetic procedure markets, current practices in these markets and their constraints, as well as a literature review of research in adipose tissue engineering and its potential clinical applications. Additionally it captures the competitive landscape of major players in the reconstructive market as well as up-and-coming players in the adipose tissue engineering field. Technology development opportunities with associated customer and business value are discussed with a recommendation for the development of a detailed business case to evaluate specific product development opportunities in these markets.Item Distribution of new temperature extremes(2006-12) Babanazarov, Bahtiyar; Martin, Clyde F.; Ibragimov, AkifThis thesis is about applying a statistical method called Extreme Value Theory to the weather temperature data.Item Essays on financial and international economics(2009-05-15) Su, XiaojingItem Evaluating the Impacts of Gender, Fatness, Muscling, and Weight on Yield Grade 4 Beef Carcasses.(2010-01-14) Dillon, James T.This study was conducted to assess cutout and value differences in Yield Grade 4 beef carcasses by evaluating impacts of gender, fatness, muscling, and weight. USDA Choice, Yield Grade 4 carcasses (n = 60) were selected according to gender: heifers (n = 20) and steers (n = 40), and weight groups: lightweight heifers (315.5 - 362.9 kg) and steers (362.9 - 408.2 kg), and heavy weight heifers (362.9 - 408.2 kg) steers (408.2 - 453.6 kg). Within weight classes, carcasses were separated according to ribeye area per 45.36 kg of HCW ratio (REAcm2 :100 kg): heifers (>21.76) and (< or equal to 21.76); steers (greater than 20.07) and (less than or equal to 20.07) based on analysis from NBQA-2005 (National Beef Quality Audit - 2005). Data in this study showed that within yield grade 4 carcasses, there are both conformational and value differences associated with different types of yield grade 4's, particularly when sex-class is considered due to the biological differences associated with fat and muscle deposition between genders. As expected, carcasses from heifers had more trimmable fat than steers, and steers had higher yields of certain cuts from the chuck and in bone differences than did heifers. In this demonstration, applied estimated discounts out-weighted the value differences found in cutout values. There were no clear associations in carcass traits that could be used to more accurately sort value differences in Yield Grade 4 carcasses with exception to sex-class. However, the present data suggests a need to establish a prediction equation that predicts carcass value in addition to the current Yield Grade equation. In conclusion, further research is needed incorporating all yield grade carcass types. Standard carcass fabrication styles and fat trim levels consistent with industry are needed to further assign current subprimal and minor cut prices. Additional premium and discount prices are needed for a current industry representation to obtain if premiums and discounts are being applied according to potential profits or losses incurred because of cutability differences found between the different yield grades.Item Exploring value as a source of motivation : the utility of attainment value in explaining undergraduates’ choice of major(2012-08) Elias, Elric Matthew; Schallert, Diane L.; Bentley-Edwards, KeishaValue, a component of expectancy-value theory, has been shown to be predictive of task interest and choice. Attainment value, a component of value, has been defined as the degree to which a task affords the opportunity to confirm or disconfirm salient aspects of one’s self-conception. This paper presents a review of expectancy-value theory generally, and attainment value specifically. Additionally, given that attainment value has received relatively little research attention, the rationale, method, and results of a quantitative study of attainment value is presented.Item ¡Hasta la utopía siempre! : conflicting utopian ideologies in Havana’s late socialist housing market(2012-12) Genova, Jared Michael; Sletto, Bjørn; Kahn, TerryThrough the broader contextualization of ethnographic fieldwork in Havana’s newly reformed housing market, this study theorizes the Cuban late socialist condition through a lens of utopian ideological conflict. A popular narrative of free market utopia has emerged in the face of the state’s recalcitrant ideology of state socialism. The popular narrative is reproduced through growth in the informal economy, while the socialist utopian narrative is maintained by the ubiquity of its bureaucratic apparatus. Inspired by postmodern theorist Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation (1994), this thesis theorizes the Cuban state narrative as an ideological simulation, supported only through its strongest simulacrum – the government bureaucracy. Previous work on Cuba has cited the importance of access to government-purchased goods to fuel the informal economy and individual wealth accumulation. This study highlights the reproduction of a narrative of free market utopia in the desire for access to transactions as intermediaries, particularly as the deals increase in hard currency value. The passage of Decreto-Ley Number 288, which authorized the buying and selling of homes has served to rapidly capitalize the market and encourage further development of an informal network of brokers. Greater economic hybridization in the housing sector, among others, is gradually eroding the totalizing nature of the state’s socialist utopia.Item Humble alchemy(2014-05) White, Shalena Bethany; Williams, Jeff, M.F.A.This master's report addresses the conceptual and material investigations that were explored within my artistic research made at the University of Texas at Austin between 2011 and 2014. These works are a confluence of adornment, sculpture and installation art. These pieces incorporate ancient and contemporary metalworking techniques with raw, organic material. The notion of elegant ornamentation is expanded beyond the body into the adornment of architecture. The potential for transformation and reinvention within found elements is explored within this work. The natural resources I work with have gone through a cycle, which is interrupted when the objects are removed from the earth. I see my process in relationship to alchemical concepts of transmutation. Through manipulation, common matter evolves into precious material. The refined, meticulous craftsmanship conveys a sense of reverence and honor towards the common material. This intervention with the material is an act of preservation and veneration. This work explores my sense of intrigue about the extraordinary potential of mundane materials, and investigates conventional notions of material value.Item Interpreting how we value parks through photographs from social media : a case study of Zilker Park in Austin, Texas(2016-05) Osborne, Lauren Rose; Sletto, Bjørn; Paterson, RobertAs social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have grown and evolved, users of these internet technologies have deposited a wealth of diverse data with the potential to inform research on a wide range of topics. In particular, the sharing of photographs of outdoor spaces through social media platforms provides important opportunities for analysis of meaning and significance, especially in terms of how planned landscapes such as public parks are perceived and socially produced. In this study, I chose to analyze photographs of Zilker Park posted on Instagram and Twitter in order to better understand how users value this important park in Austin, Texas. This report presents the content, quantitative, and qualitative analyses I conducted in order to develop a concise understanding of elements that people value most in Zilker Park. Through my research and methodological exploration, I seek to offer a new tool for public participation in park planning that can augment existing engagement methods.Item Item Value, efficiency, and technology in the changing healthcare environment(Texas Tech University, 2009-05) Peterson, Lori T.; Brigham, Keith H.; Ford, Eric W.; Huerta, Timothy R.; Hoover, J. DuaneHealthcare in the United States costs too much, especially compared to other industrialized nations. There are two major components that account for the majority of healthcare costs in the U.S. – hospitalizations and physicians’ fees. The U.S.’s investment in healthcare is nearly double most other industrialized nations; yet, the care quality and number of people covered by insurance significantly lags comparable economies. These trends are neither competitively advantageous in the near term nor sustainable in the long term. Therefore, the dual needs of controlling costs and improving quality are becoming national priorities. However, there is a lack of actionable information for policymakers, managers and professionals seeking to address healthcare cost and quality issues. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the healthcare value proposition in terms of quality, efficiency, and the adoption of the information systems necessary to improve both. Specifically, three papers have been written. The first paper explores how to assess hospitals’ quality and efficiency in order to make performance and value creation comparisons. While organizational-level comparisons are critical to knowing where improvements are needed, a sine qua non for creating actionable interventions is having the patient-level information that aggregates to create the institutional experience. A central tenant to most healthcare policy proposals is to address the need for controlling costs and improving quality is the requirement for every American to have an Electronic Health Record (EHR). However, physicians have been slow to adopt EHR technology for a number of reasons, including cost. Therefore, the failure to systematically collect care processes and outcome information represents a bottleneck for public policy makers’ attempts at improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare. The second of the three papers addresses the need for patient-level information and the required systems for collecting the raw data. Specifically, the second paper in this dissertation measures physician’ EHR adoption rates from 2001 to 2008 and forecasts future rates to assess how long this bottleneck will determine the critical path to an efficient U.S. health system. The third paper delves deeper into the adoption phenomena. Specifically, this paper compares the perceived EHR value streams of those physicians who have adopted the EHR to the perceived value streams of those physicians who are planning to adopt the technology. Understanding the experienced versus anticipated barriers to physician EHR adoption will make removing the information bottleneck a more tractable problem. The three papers in this dissertation examine the value and efficiency in the healthcare delivery process, moving from the macro to micro level. Paper one examines the macro level in a market-by-market analysis of firms to the micro level of individual physician practices. This strategy presents benefits in a threefold manner. First, healthcare faculty in business schools practice as generalists. These papers provide a foundation of the two largest healthcare segments, hospitals and physicians, in terms of building a research stream and teaching expertise for the future. Second, these papers allow for publishing in multiple domains. For example, the organization level examination provides for both strategy and organization theory topics. Analysis of technology adoption looks at both marketing and organizational behavior components of physician behaviors. Third, collectively, these papers provide publication opportunities in both general business literature and healthcare specific outlets. Evidence for the possibility of differing target journals comes via earlier versions of the papers finding acceptance at the Academy of Management and in healthcare journals.Item Web personalization - a typology, instrument, and a test of a predictive model(2009-05-15) Fan, Haiyan