Legislative Proposals to Modernize Business Development Companies and Expand Investment Opportunities, Testimony Before the House Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises

This testimony discusses proposed legislation to amend the definition of accredited investor. It also discusses proposed legislation designed to reform the regulatory framework for business development companies. Among other things, the regulatory regime for BDCs would change to allow these companies to invest a greater portion of their assets in financial companies, potentially reducing the percentage of assets invested in operating companies.

Sustainable materials: The business case for green chemistry design practices

Product manufacturers face increasing environmental and human health regulations with certain regulations targeting specific chemicals of concern that must be removed from the supply chain. This study examines a green chemistry approach to choosing between flame retardant alternatives in electronic products during the design phase of product development. An aggregated score based on five criteria was generated for each flame retardant. To address subjectivity and cognitive bias concerns probabilistic sensitivity analysis was applied to the weighting factors used to generate the scores to examine the reliability of the results. The highest scoring flame retardants based on the comprehensive green chemistry approach were different from the flame retardants chosen using cost as the primary selection criteria.

Developing Civil Society and a New Leadership Class in Iraq: A Comprehensive Analysis and Business Plan

Following De-Ba'athification, forming a new leadership class will be critical to the success of creating a strong civil society in modern-day Iraq. Implementation of youth educational exchange programs, specifically promoting leadership skills, is a significant part of the solution to stimulating a new generation of leaders. Using the reign of Saddam Hussein and his toppling as a frame of reference, a brief history of Iraq's civil society reveals a need for a new leadership class through the lens of democratic transition and consolidation. After exploring the leadership challenges of post-war nation building, the proposed business plan focuses on implementing a youth leadership program in Iraq, employing a wider participation model, and a lengthier, more involved learning model from existing programs.

A Business Case for Diversity

The use of diversity as a strategic advantage contributes to the success of an organization. The organizations that employ a diverse workforce benefit from the varied perspectives and value that diverse employees offer. The organizations that leverage those employee perspectives can gain a competitive advantage. For many organizations, employee diversity is underutilized. The research of this capstone evaluates the various benefits of diversity strategies. It then compares those with results from a diversity survey and interviews with HR professionals. Ultimately, this capstone concludes that additional research at the employee level and additional quantitative measurement are needed to highlight the ways in which a diversity strategy can increase a company's bottom line and offer a strategic advantage.