This project was generated out of a desire to understand and explore a novel twist on a well-traversed route to happiness. I set out looking for a new perspective on fulfillment and found sustainable, everyday joy through gratitude. In doing so, I created a space where a group of people could practice and share gratitude as a community. Gratitude is familiar to most as a feeling, but putting intention behind gratitude turns it into an action, and even a virtue. In fact, Roman philosopher Cicero says, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others." I created a Facebook community called Marvel at The Ordinary (MATO) applying principles rooted in the Theory of Change to express this greatest virtue. I found both success and earnest support from others in this novel approach to current gratitude practices. Defined by Dr. Robert Emmons, an expert in the science of gratitude, practicing gratitude is a two-step process: "(1.) affirming goodness in one's life, and (2.) recognizing that the sources of this goodness lie at least partially outside of the self." There is substantial research touting the worth of gratitude journaling, in fact, few things have been more repeatedly and empirically vetted than the connection between gratitude and overall happiness and well-being. Yet there is one facet ubiquitously overlooked in current gratitude research: what happens when gratitude journaling is shared with others? With anecdotal evidence, short-form interview analysis, thematic analysis of journaling lexicon, and a case study on the growth and engagement of Marvel at The Ordinary as a social movement, there is reason to believe that a social media-based community centered around gratitude may support and even enhance the practice of gratitude, which is typically practiced in isolation. It was also found that communities of this sort are highly sought after, based on the engagement within and growth of the Facebook group from 50 to 600+ members in a period of 2 months. MATO set out with the aspirations of creating a community which encourages others to gratitude journal, raising awareness about gratitude journaling, and building a community which fosters empathy, optimism, and awareness in an everyday sense. In each of these goals, overwhelming success was found.

The Helping Hand Run is a 5k/10k fun run benefiting Hospice of the Valley's pediatric unit for children with life-limiting illnesses. Chapter members of Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity at Arizona State University initiated this annual event in 2008, and I was the event Chair for the 2016 and 2017 races. In the past this leadership role was notoriously difficult, as there were no pass-along documents. Fraternity brothers held their breath before committee placement results in hopes their name wouldn't be on the "Helping Hand Run Committee" line. Each year the committee started from scratch with no tangible documentation of how previous coordinators pulled off the run. My thesis reads as a partial narrative intermixed with summary; these stories stem from my two years in overseeing the Helping Hand Run and the third year in serving as an informal mentor to the committee after stepping down as Chair. The symbolism of the narrative style is intentional, as my formal preparation for undertaking this leadership role consisted of a 20-minute conversation with the previous event Chair. The purpose of my thesis twofold: exploring how project continuity and pass-along documents contribute to event sustainability and also in assessing how teaming promotes social unity. Through my experience in coordinating the 8th and 9th Helping Hand Runs, I identified and created an opportunity to improve two distinct communities: Alpha Kappa Psi and Hospice of the Valley. This is largely displayed through authoring the Helping Hand Run Project Plan (See Appendix D). This document contains a variety of resources including an introduction of the project, Hospice of the Valley, and event history, descriptions of committee member roles and responsibilities, thank you note templates, contact information, and more. While the Project Plan is helpful, a significant amount of information is now easily accessible to event coordinators on the Helping Hand Run Gmail Google Drive. Combined, the resources found in the Guide and Google Drive is all information I wish I had when being handed the event. With more involvement from my chapter and a solid foundation of documented resources, ultimately my fraternity now has the tools necessary to carry out a more impactful and lucrative event to support local youth in need. Although the Helping Hand Run Project Plan is event-specific, both this tool and the accompanying reflection can be used as a frame of reference for other event planners in terms of important event management information to consider when aiming for project sustainability and continuous improvement.

For decades, the National Football League Draft has served as a corner piece for professional football franchises to climb out of the proverbial basement of the NFL and for all teams to improve their competitive position. Teams, especially those that were not able to find success during the previous season, are able to offer their fans hope, which, in some instances, is all that a fan base has to look forward to. High expectations and tremendous pressure result. Front offices must be thorough and decisive in their scouting and selection-making processes in order to make good on their promises of a brighter future for their team. Over the course of the NFL Draft's tenured existence, teams have used distinctive strategies that aid them in making their selections each year. These are the key to either sustained success or potential failure, depending on the execution on the part of the front offices. For as long as I can recall, I have been fascinated with the NFL Draft. To be sure, the NFL season itself is riveting, but I have always had a deep interest in the process of scouting, evaluating, and ultimately selecting prospects to strengthen a roster. In order to arrive at a greater understanding of the ever-evolving value and dynamics of the NFL Draft, I have chosen to study its past. By examining the history of the NFL Draft, I hope to uncover how franchises have arrived at their selection strategies to bolster the talent on their rosters each year. It is my goal to then apply these strategies to make more educated predictions of my own. Throughout the course of this project, I plan to elucidate the widely perceived value of the draft through both a marketing and leadership strategy lens. I ultimately hope to extract the lessons of the past in order to make more conscious decisions in the future \u2014 both as a young professional and an aspiring NFL General Manager.

Humans have traveled since the dawn of humanity over 200,000 years ago. As time progressed and technology increased, so too did human motivations and drivers for travel. This thesis aims to understand these human motivations and drivers, ultimately answering the question, "Why Travel?" To answer this question, this research starts from the earliest of humans, classifying groups of individuals across time into respective buckets based on a similar motivation. In doing so, four traveler segments were identified: the Survivors, the Inventors, the Adventurers, and the Colonists. Each segment describes an era in time of a specific group of humans, each distinctly aligning with a specific reason for travel. In the early 1800s, the advent of commercial travel altered the future of travel. This began with the invention of the locomotive and was followed by the airplane and automobile. With this onset of commercial travel, transportation arrives to its current state in 2018 with a new type of traveler: the Modern Traveler. This is a turning point in the history of travel, as prior to commercial travel, groups of individuals could be grouped under one specific reason. Post commercial travel, human motivations and drivers become diverse and discrete, with no two individuals sharing the same motivations. To further understand this human desire for travel in a modern sense, a survey was administered to uncover these drivers. The findings revealed one broad reason: humans travel for the experience. With this overarching view of travel, five drivers were also apparent. First, humans travel to visit friends and family. Secondly, family vacations are an important factor in the motivation to travel. Third, humans desire the ability to experience a culture different than their own. Fourth, humans are intrigued by new places and can be motivated to travel by the ability to have new experiences. Fifth and finally, rest and relaxation are a key driver in human travel. With a greater understanding as to "why humans travel," and the drivers behind the "experience" individuals seek through travel, such understandings could be used to segment these individuals into distinct traveler profiles. These segments, the Backpacker, the Solo-Traveler, the Groupie, the Cultural Traveler and the Party Lover, were used to better group motivations for travel. One conclusion can be drawn from this research: travel is diverse and so are travelers. One reason cannot define the motivations of a modern traveler, rather today's traveler is bound by multiple. However, segmenting an individual provides valuable insights into their own diverse traveler persona.

For decades, corporate firms have included corporate responsibility initiatives in their regular business functions in an effort to communicate a priority toward the communities they operate in, rather than just the customers they serve. These actions \u2014 whether implemented through financial or human resources \u2014 have grown to be a common addition to business models across industries. In recent years, however, the simple addition of a community-oriented campaign to a firm's regular business proceedings have become less effective in positioning a firm as a devoted corporate citizen. Today, consumers have access to more information and opportunities for substitutes than ever before, and as they make buying decisions, they are interested in seeing the firms they support orient themselves at the heart of community engagement, rather than interacting with the community through passive support. This study and discussion highlights the trends that several corporate responsibility professionals have seen emerge in recent years regarding their respective employers' corporate responsibility initiatives. Thoughts and reactions from corporate responsibility managers representing financial, education, insurance, and technology companies will be synthesized and analyzed for trends and shared positive and negative experiences related to their common work in initiating corporate responsibility programs at their respective firms. The discussion will also illustrate the specific challenges each of the professionals face daily in implementing successful CR programs within their firms. In aggregate, this discussion will provide a comprehensive look at what exactly firms are doing in today's CR sphere: it will demonstrate what trends are working well, which have yet to be tailored to have the best impact, and what is to come of the corporate firm's relationship with its community.

The NBA has experienced success because of its ability to adapt and reform business operations to reflect dynamic economic conditions. This critical analysis uses the Collective Bargaining Agreement to explore the NBA operational structure, examine the current state of affairs, and propose solutions to fundamental issues. Included is an in-depth investigation into correcting team financial reporting and fixing market inequality across the league. Most notably, a proposal to restructure the current revenue sharing system is presented. By progressing the system to correlate winning with team financial performance, there is potential to improve competition and alleviate existing conflict. This will produce a better overall product for the NBA that drives more consumer interest, yields more revenue, and supports stronger international growth opportunity.

The "Dutch Dukeout" is a memorial, community engagement venture founded by Scott Fitzgerald and Sam Minton. The event was also supported and facilitated through the help of a third party member, Dylan Bryant. The "Dutch Dukeout" will continue annually, as an opportunity for Brophy College Preparatory alumni and current students to come together and connect. This venture also exists to celebrate and honor the life and legacy of Fr. Harry "Dutch" Olivier, a former, prominent faculty member of Brophy. Additionally, the "Dutch Dukeout" aims to raise money to support the Brophy Scholarship Foundation, a resource for current Brophy students to offset the financial burden it costs to attend the prominent college preparatory. Foremost, the "Dutch Dukeout" flag football tournament provides a powerful way for Brophy Alumni to reconnect with their school. By communicating and participating with graduates from various classes, alumni have an opportunity to provide valuable life lessons and share personal stories with the youth, as well as bond over their shared experience at Brophy. For a school that is able to continually develop community leaders and social activists, the "Dutch Dukeout" provides a platform for collaboration and inspiration for everyone who participates. By raising money to support the Brophy Scholarship Foundation and providing an opportunity for alumni to engage in their community, the "Dutch Dukeout" is an event that truly embodies Fr. Olivier's values and beliefs. This thesis report documents the ideas, work and efforts that were completed to launch and then ensure the success and longevity of the venture. It also serves as an example for future social entrepreneurs who aim to make a difference in communities of their own.

Ford Motor Company has remained a staple U.S. auto manufacturer in both the American and worldwide markets, ranking 2nd only behind General Motors on the Fortune 500. Ford Motor Company is currently faced with an industry wide shortage of automotive technicians. Successfully addressing this issue and taking action is crucial for Ford to remain competitive in its ability to efficiently service customers' vehicles. Ford must have a comprehensive strategy to interest students in automotive service careers as well as improve their current recruiting tactics. In order to create this plan, I conducted an external analysis of the service technician market as well as internal analysis of Ford Motor Company. It is vital for Ford Motor Company to be aware of the external environmental trends in the technician market. The changing demographic of the technician workforce presents a quickly approaching hurdle for dealers to hire millennial technicians to replace their retiring master technicians. The societal education shift away from vocational training has drastically reduced the number of high school students interested technical careers but opens the opportunity for Ford to create awareness about opportunities in the industry. Ford must also modernize their current recruiting tactics to appeal to millennial candidates through social media and online job postings. This plan will focus on maximizing Ford's strengths in the market including their industry leading number of students receiving Ford TCEP training and excellent field operations teams. Ford will also have to improve current dealership recruiting standards and combat competitors offering higher starting hourly salaries for entry level technicians. My strategy will also explore opportunities for Ford to expand the number of schools with TCEP curriculum, hire a larger percentage of TCEP students at dealerships, and improve high school awareness about the benefits of pursuing a career in the automotive service industry. My technician recruiting marketing plan is intended to be utilized as an integrated effort between Ford Corporate and its network of retail dealerships.

The "Dutch Dukeout" is a memorial, community engagement venture founded by Scott Fitzgerald and Sam Minton. The event was also supported and facilitated through the help of a third party member, Dylan Bryant. The "Dutch Dukeout" will continue annually, as an opportunity for Brophy College Preparatory alumni and current students to come together and connect. This venture also exists to celebrate and honor the life and legacy of Fr. Harry "Dutch" Olivier, a former, prominent faculty member of Brophy. Additionally, the "Dutch Dukeout" aims to raise money to support the Brophy Scholarship Foundation, a resource for current Brophy students to offset the financial burden it costs to attend the prominent college preparatory. Foremost, the "Dutch Dukeout" flag football tournament provides a powerful way for Brophy Alumni to reconnect with their school. By communicating and participating with graduates from various classes, alumni have an opportunity to provide valuable life lessons and share personal stories with the youth, as well as bond over their shared experience at Brophy. For a school that is able to continually develop community leaders and social activists, the "Dutch Dukeout" provides a platform for collaboration and inspiration for everyone who participates. By raising money to support the Brophy Scholarship Foundation and providing an opportunity for alumni to engage in their community, the "Dutch Dukeout" is an event that truly embodies Fr. Olivier's values and beliefs. This thesis report documents the ideas, work and efforts that were completed to launch and then ensure the success and longevity of the venture. It also serves as an example for future social entrepreneurs who aim to make a difference in communities of their own.

It is important to examine training programs for in-store associates in the specialty retail industry. The retail industry is strong right now, and growth is expected to be at 7% over the next 10 years. In the retail industry, the Internet poses a credible threat to brick and mortar stores, as many customers now prefer to shop online. To compensate for this, storefronts need to provide an increasingly exceptional in-store experience to drive sales and maintain customer relationships. Creating excellent training programs for in-store associates is the best way in which to improve the relationship between the customer and the associate and create an excellent store experience. Strong associate training programs have numerous benefits to the overarching organization. An employee that feels confident and competent in their job is more engaged at work. Engaged employees are less likely to quit than average, which means a strong training program can save a company turnover costs and loss of institutional knowledge. Additionally, an engaged associate is more likely to exert extra discretionary effort, which increases operational efficiency. Ultimately, an engaged employee will strengthen the service profit chain and create a better overall experience for the customer. When creating a training program it is important to take into account the learning preferences of the company's associates. Millennial learners prefer working in groups, integrated technology, and lessons that are applicable to real life. Generation X learners are self-sufficient and view time as a luxury. They expect material to be straightforward and concise. Additionally, when creating a training program it is important to benchmark programs within and outside of the operating industry. REI has a comprehensive training program that focuses on connecting employees to the mission of the company as well as in-depth product knowledge. Macy's recently overhauled its training program to include more face time with managers and semi-annual refresher trainings. Ritz-Carlton, a step outside of the retail industry, provides legendary training where employees receive over 250 hours of training in the first year alone. Ritz-Carlton employees are highly engaged and autonomous in their work, which leads to an excellent hotel experience. Using my internship as a field study, I share some important results from work with a Fortune 400 specialty retailer headquartered in the Phoenix Valley. Here I examine the associate and customer relationship with the aim of improving the in-store experience. Through benchmarking, associate interviews, and data analysis I am able to recommend a long-term vision for training at the organization where up-to-date product information is accessible in the aisle and overall knowledge well rounded through buddy shift programs and cross-training. My overall recommendation for the specialty retail industry is to take a holistic approach to training. I advocate looking at training programs from multiple perspectives including learning preferences, employee motivations, and corporate culture. Additionally, holistic training means that a company educates and trains associates in all areas of the business through cross-training and buddy shifts. Holistic training will create an engaged work force and improve the customer experience.