VTechWorks Repository :: Browsing by Author "Garman, E. Thomas"

Browsing by Author "Garman, E. Thomas"

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An analysis of achievement tests for selected Virginia high school business computer applications students
Williams, Arthur S. (Virginia Tech, 1994)
The purpose of this study was to analyze the reliability and validity of three achievement tests, with emphasis given to instructional validity. The tests were used to assess the performance of Business Computer Applications (BCA) students on their achievement of knowledge of computer application software concepts and vocabulary for word processing, spreadsheet, and database. Five concepts and vocabulary categories addressed included: vocabulary, access software, data/text entry, editing, and formatting. Data were also collected from BCA teachers of the students. Teachers were asked to rate each item for the three software types of the achievement test as to whether the concepts and vocabulary corresponding to that item had been taught. A selected sample was used in the study. Classes were divided into three approximately even student groups. Each group completed one of the tests for each software type. Percentage of items correct for the three software types were 53%-word processing, 46%- spreadsheet, and 36%-database. The Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR-20) estimates for the software types were .92--word processing, .92--spreadsheet, and .76--database. Due to a wide dispersion of KR-20 values for items within the 5 concepts and vocabulary categories by software, the items are useful only for group measures. Most of the 8 teachers did not teach a substantial part of the concepts and vocabulary included in the validated test items. This outcome indicates the curriculum related to the items needs to be examined and revised so that teachers can emphasize the most important concepts and vocabulary with their students. Analyses outcomes indicated that 59 of 60 word processing items, 51 of the 59 spreadsheet items, and 45 of the 59 database items were instructionally valid. Teachers selecting items for purposes of examining the achievement of their students related to software concepts and vocabulary cam effectively use items determined to be instructionally valid in this study.
Asking questions and clarifying client statements : basic interviewing techniques for financial counselors
Myhre, David C.; Harrison, Betty C.; Harris, Ruth D.; Garman, E. Thomas (Consumer Debt Counseling Project, Extension Division, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1977-09)
In this module, a number of techniques and methods are presented which will help a financial counselor to identify the problems of clients. More specifically, this module will present skills that a counselor can use to find out what problems clients have that they want to be assisted with.
Books consumerists (and others) should know about : an annotated bibliography
Sharp, Bobby H.; Garman, E. Thomas; Mitchell, Glen H. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Extension Division, 1980-03)
An annotated listing of works of both specific and general topics that may be useful to professionals and lay persons seeking information on these topics.
Common types of financial problems : brief description and suggested solutions
Myhre, David C.; Garman, E. Thomas; Harris, Ruth D.; Harrison, Betty C. (Consumer Debt Counseling Project, Extension Division, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1977)
A casual glance at the bankruptcy statistics of recent years is enough to make one aware that many American individuals and families are having severe financial problems. Looking deeper, one will find that financial problems are not confined to just the few. people filing for bankruptcy.
Consumer preparedness, knowledge, and opinions about practices and regulations of the funeral industry
Kidd, Charlotte (Virginia Tech, 1979-04-05)
The study was designed to ascertain the level of knowledge, opinions, and degree of preparedness of a group of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University faculty and staff concerning selected practices and regulations of the funeral industry. Questionnaires were returned by 226 respondents; this represented 75.00% of the sample. The Consumer Funeral Test was developed for this study and included a knowledge, opinion, and preparedness section. Mean achievement score on the knowledge section was 4.00, representing 57.10% correct. Kuder-Richardson formula twenty reliability estimate equaled 0.14; an expected low figure given the small number of questions (seven). The opinions expressed indicated that the respondents were "conventional" in their feelings; that is, there was a general tendency toward agreement with selected practices and regulations of the funeral industry, that was anticipated according to previous studies and responses by consumers. "Unconventional" would indicate a general tendency toward agreement with the status quo of selected practices and regulations of the funeral industry. The preparedness scores reported by respondents indicated that the greater majority are unprepared for their own funerals. Of the five preparedness questions asked, four received a negative response by 79.80% or more of the respondents. No statistically significant relationship existed between the knowledge, opinions, and preparedness scores. Also, age, education, income, sex, and religion were not related to the opinions and preparedness scores reported. However, a significant relationship existed between the knowledge of selected practices and regulations of the funeral industry and the age, education, and sex of the respondents. Those who were older scored higher; the males scored significantly higher than the females on the knowledge section; and those with more education scored higher.
Consumers' perceptions of extended service contracts: an empirical analysis
Caudill, Donald W. (Virginia Tech, 1993-06-01)
This study was designed (1) to empirically distinguish between buyers and non-buyers of an extended service contract according to eight groups of variables, and (2) to develop a profile of consumers most likely to purchase extended service contracts. A mail survey was conducted from April 1993 through May 1993 with a randomly selected sample of consumers (N = 991) who had during of October, November, and December 1992 purchased a new television set from a seven-store retail chain. After an initial mailing and two follow-up mailings, 440 questionnaires were returned of the 957 that were received by respondents (34 were returned as undeliverable). This represented a total response rate of 46% (440/957). Thirty-one of the questionnaires were returned blank or less than half complete by respondents unable or unwilling to participate. The final usable return rate was 42.7% (409/957). Regarding distinguishing between buyers and non-buyers of the extended service contract, Chi-Square analysis revealed that demographically and psychographically the two groups are similar. Buyers were more likely to be employed in less prestigious jobs and less likely to read the daily newspaper. Buyers and non-buyers differed considerably regarding motivations, perceptions, and future buying intentions, however. Regarding a profile of consumers most likely to buy an extended service contract in the future (the dependent variable), six independent variables produced an R² of -4470, meaning that 44.7% of the variance in buying an extended service contract in the future could be explained by the linear combination of these predictor variables. The best predictor of the dependent variable was previous experience with extended service contracts. The other Significant variables were "Extended service contracts offer peace of mind," "I know of people who did not buy the extended service contract and later wished they had," "T would advise my friends not to buy extended service contracts," "Extended service contracts are worth the money people pay for them," and "People who take care of their products do not need to buy extended service contracts."
Developing a client's rehabilitative financial plan
Myhre, David C.; Harrison, Betty C.; Harris, Ruth D.; Garman, E. Thomas (Consumer Debt Counseling Project, Extension Division, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1977-09)
This module presents information designed to assist you in becoming more effective in helping clients solve financial problems related to:

How to decrease living expenses

How to increase income

How to adjust debt payments
Differences in income and consumer expenditure patterns between foreign and American graduate students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Guo, Ting (Virginia Tech, 1991-01-05)
The purpose of the study was to determine the differences in the total annual income, total annual and monthly expenditures, and consumer expenditure patterns between American and foreign graduate students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPI & SU). The study was based on a survey entitled "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Graduate Students Demographic and Economic Impact Study" conducted in April, 1989. The sample size used in the analysis was 442, including 373 American and 69 foreign students. The findings from the study showed that (1) the American students had significantly higher total monthly expenditures than did the foreign students; (2) the American students had significantly higher absolute expenditures on tax, auto insurance, gasoline and auto repair, medical, laundry, and gifts and contributions, while the foreign students had significantly higher expenditures for telephone calls~ and (3) the American students had significantly larger percentage expenditure on tax, auto insurance, gasoline and auto repair, and entertainment, while the foreign students had significantly larger percentage expenditures on food, utilities, telephone, and travel.
The Effects of Workplace Financial Education on Personal Finances and Work Outcomes
Kim, Jinhee (Virginia Tech, 2000-04-14)
The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of workplace financial education on workers' personal finances and work outcomes and determine relationships among financial management (attitudes, knowledge and behaviors), financial well-being, personal finance-work conflict, and work outcomes with data of white-collar workers in an insurance company in mid-western states. Research questions were (1) What are the profiles of financial attitudes, financial knowledge, financial behaviors, financial well-being, personal finance-work conflict, productivity, absenteeism, work time use, organizational commitment, pay satisfaction, loyalty, and intention to leave?, (2) Do the profiles of financial attitudes, financial knowledge, financial behaviors, and financial well-being differ by the individual characteristics?, (3) Do the profiles of personal finance-work conflict, productivity, absenteeism, work time use, organizational commitment, and pay satisfaction differ by the individual characteristics?, (4) What are the relationships among financial attitudes, financial knowledge, financial behaviors, financial well-being, and work outcomes (productivity, absenteeism, organizational commitment, and pay satisfaction)?, (5) What are the effects of workplace financial education on financial attitudes, financial knowledge, financial behaviors, financial well-being, and work outcomes?, and (6) What are the individual profiles of workplace financial education including participation, value of workplace financial education, reasons for participation and non-participation, desire for financial check-up, and desired topics of workplace financial education? The research design was a pre- and post-assessment survey. A pre-assessment survey was conducted in February and March 1999 before workplace financial education was provided during March 1999. One-and one-half hour workplace financial education workshops were provided at no cost to employer or employees in March 1999. Three months after the workplace financial education was provided, a post-assessment survey was conducted from June through August 1999. A pre-assessment questionnaire was mailed to all 476 workers (five were undeliverable) and 262 responses were utilized for data analysis. In the post-assessment, 482 questionnaires were mailed to workers and five were undeliverable. Usable return rates for the data analysis were 56.0% in the pre-assessment (262/471) and 40.0% in the post-assessment (189/477). Overall, the respondents in this study were somewhat positive toward financial management, were not knowledgeable on financial matters, and were practicing their financial behaviors fairly well. Objective financial well-being measures showed that workers were in fairly good financial condition but the levels of subjective financial well-being were about the mid-point on a scale, when each score was converted into a percentage. The workers reported that they were very productive, did not miss work days frequently, were highly committed to their organization, and they showed fairly high levels of pay satisfaction. Workers were very hesitant to admit to direct questions asking about whether or not their financial concerns interfered with their responsibilities at the workplace while they were not always able to do normal work even though they were present in the office and spent some work time handling financial matters. Some of individual characteristics influenced financial attitude, financial knowledge, financial behavior, financial well-being, personal finance-work outcomes, and work outcomes. The tests of the structural equation model showed that worker's personal finances had direct and indirect effects on work outcomes. The financial well-being had a negative effect on personal finance-work conflict. The financial well-being had direct effects on negative work time use and pay satisfaction. The financial well-being had indirect effects through personal finance-work conflict on absenteeism, negative work time use, and organizational commitment. The t-test results did not show the significant effects of workplace financial education on personal finances and work outcomes between the pre- and the post-assessment.
Ethnicity and Clothing Expenditures of U.S. Households: A Structural Equations Model with Latent Quality Variables
Plassmann, Vandana Shah (Virginia Tech, 2000-08-29)
The main objective of this study was to determine the relationship between household characteristics and the expenditure shares allocated among various categories of women's clothing for U.S. households belonging to different ethnic groups. The study also estimated unobserved latent quality variables based on household characteristics, and examined the effects of the latent quality variables on the expenditure shares for the various apparel categories. A Multiple Indicator-Multiple Cause Model, which is a special case of the general Structural Equations Model, was used to estimate separate Engel equations for 15 expenditure shares for women's clothing categories, for four different ethnic groups. The results of the study showed that household characteristics had a significant impact on the latent quality variables associated with different categories of women's clothing, and the latent quality variables themselves impacted the clothing expenditure shares. Also, for different ethnic groups, household characteristics had differing effects on women's clothing expenditure shares. Of all the characteristics examined, annual total household expenditures and numbers of children and adults in the household had significant effects on the largest numbers of latent quality variables associated with the clothing categories for the four ethnic groups. The socio-economic variables also significantly affected several clothing expenditure shares for the four ethnic groups. These results imply that socio-economic variables impact consumers' quality choices, and presumably prices paid, for women's clothing. The results support the conclusions of Paulin (1998), and Wagner and Soberon-Ferrer (1990), in that different ethnic groups have distinct expenditure patterns possibly due to differences in socio-economic characteristics; such characteristics may signify resources and constraints faced by a household. The distinct expenditure patterns and tastes of the four ethnic groups are reflected in the significantly different effects of annual total expenditures on the expenditure shares for each category of women's clothing, as well as in the significantly different effects of the latent quality variables on several expenditure shares, for the four ethnic groups.
Knowledge of consumer rights and unfair and deceptive practices: a comparison of older and younger consumers
Jones, Pamela Blythe (Virginia Tech, 1990-04-15)
The problem of this study was to measure older and younger consumers' knowledge or awareness of selected consumer rights and legal protections, and their perceptions of and experience with unfair and deceptive business practices. A 34-item instrument was developed and administered by telephone to a random sample of 1,305 consumers nationwide. The data were examined by analysis of frequencies, Chi-square, and analysis of variance. The findings revealed (p<.01) that consumer knowledge was related to the age and marital status of the respondent. Married consumers and consumers aged 25-49 were the most knowledgeable about the eight consumer laws and legal protections. Consumer experiences with unfair and deceptive business practices were related to age, marital status, and gender. Younger, married, and female consumers had experienced three or more of the unfair and deceptive business practices. Married consumers and consumers aged 25-74 are more perceptive than consumers aged 75 and over in correctly identifying a business practice as unfair or illegal. The gender of the respondent does not always influence their perceptions of whether or not a particular business practice is fair. Significant differences existed between the knowledge score means and the age and marital status of the respondent. Significant differences existed between the experience score means and the age, marital status, and gender of the respondent.
Making and using a financial plan
Monroe, Sarah D.; Garman, E. Thomas; Barclay, Nancy A. (1980-11)
Adequate financial plans and records can help families become more responsible consumers and help protect against financial problems.
Making and using a financial plan : a learning module
Monroe, Sarah D.; Garman, E. Thomas; Barclay, Nancy A. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 1977-07)
A needs assessment to determine the content and format of a national certification examination for financial counselors
Sturgeon, Jean A. (Virginia Tech, 1988-05-05)
This study was designed to determine (1) the level of priority that employees of nonprofit counseling agencies affiliated with the National Foundation for Consumer Credit (NFCC) feel the topics of credit, personal finance, investments, counseling, and consumer education should be given on a national certification examination for financial counselors, and (2) to determine the viewpoints of NFCC counselors concerning the format of a national certification examination. Data were collected with a 162-item questionnaire from 281 individuals employed by nonprofit counseling agencies affiliated with the NFCC; this represented an 83% response rate. Respondents were asked to prioritize 138-items on a scale of 1 for low priority to 5 for high priority. The items were distributed unevenly among the five topic areas. The overall mean priority score of all five topic areas was 3.6. Credit and counseling both received the highest individual topic mean priority score of 4.1.
Observing non-verbal behavior and active listening : two basic skills for financial counselors
Myhre, David C.; Harrison, Betty C.; Harris, Ruth D.; Garman, E. Thomas (Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, 1977)
Modules designed to fill the need for learning materials in the field of family financial counseling.
Personal Financial Wellness and Worker Job Productivity
Joo, So-hyun (Virginia Tech, 1998-04-15)
The problem that was examined in this research was to develop and test a conceptual model that describes the relationship between personal financial wellness and worker job productivity. The research questions were (1) what is the personal financial wellness profile?; (2) how does the personal financial wellness profile differ by the demographic characteristics?; (3) what is the relationship between financial stressors and personal financial wellness profile?; (4) what is the relationship between personal financial wellness and financial stress level?; (5) what is the worker job productivity profile?; (6) what is the relationship between personal financial wellness and worker job productivity?; (7) what is the relationship between financial stress and worker job productivity?; and (8) what financial education programs do employees want in the future? In order to test a part of the conceptual model, a survey research design was undertaken. A questionnaire was developed and pre-tested. A mail survey (N=474) of white-collar clerical workers of a large employer located in mid-eastern state was conducted during January, February, and March of 1998. From a random sample of 447 (27 out of original 474 were undeliverable), 288 questionnaires were returned (64.4%). Seventeen questionnaires were determined unusable resulting in a 60.4% usable return rate (271/447). In terms of subjective perception, as a group, the respondents were not financially well. In the behavioral assessment, the respondents reported above a mid-point score. On overall financial wellness scales, the respondents were not satisfied with their financial situation. Personal financial wellness was influenced by some of the demographic characteristics and financial stressors. The lower levels of personal financial wellness were related to the financial stress level. Those who have high levels of personal financial wellness reported better performance ratings, less absenteeism, and less work time used for personal financial matters. Workers are interested in comprehensive financial education programs which include retirement education, better use of employee benefits, money management, credit management, and consumer protection. Some workers are not financially well because they have financial problems. If employers can improve personal financial wellness of workers, such as through financial education, it may increase productivity, because personal financial wellness is related to worker productivity.
Preference of selected Virginia citizens for information and education in personal financial management
Board, Barbara A. (Virginia Tech, 1992-11-07)
This study gained insights into preferences of selected citizens of Virginia for information and education in personal financial management. Quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated. The quantitative data used were collected by Porter (1990) by a mail survey. The Porter database (N=506) was sorted to identify those respondents (n=50) with addresses located in the Central District of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service. The resulting Central District database was then sorted to identify those respondents with characteristics similar to the participants in the qualitative data collection. This resulted in 12 respondents. The respondents' (n=12) responses to four questions on the Porter survey were reported. The qualitative data were collected from five focus groups (N=35) conducted in the Central District in October, 1991. The focus group participants were primarily the financial decision maker of the household, between the ages of 19 to 49, had annual gross incomes between $10,000 and $29,000, and had an educational level of at least a high school degree, but did not have a four year college degree. An 11 question interview guide was used in the focus groups to gain insights into the 4 closed-ended questions on the Porter survey.
Testing a model of financial well-being
Porter, Nancy M. (Virginia Tech, 1990)
This study was designed to empirically test a conceptual model and measurement of financial well-being as a function of (a) personal characteristics; (b) objective attributes, quantitative indicators of the financial domain and financial management behaviors of respondents; (c) perceived attributes, subjectively assessed life conditions and perceptions of financial situation; and (d) evaluations of financial situation using various reference points as standards of comparison. Two sub-problems were investigated in the study: (a) Which group of attributes, personal characteristics, objective attributes, perceived attributes, or evaluated attributes, significantly explains variance in perceived financial well-being?; and (b) Which individual attributes significantly explain variance in perceived financial well-being? A mail survey was conducted from October of 1989 through January of 1990 with a randomly selected sample of Virginia citizens (N = 1,500). After an initial mailing and two follow-up mailings, 529 questionnaires were returned of the 1,450 that were received by respondents, providing a 36.5% total return rate (529/1,450). Twenty-three questionnaires were blank or unusable, yielding a useable return rate of 34.9% (506/1,450). Demographic characteristics of the sample were similar to those of the population of Virginia citizens. Financial well-being, as measured by an adaptation of Cantril's (1965) 11-point self-anchoring striving scale, was the dependent variable. All of the independent variables regressed on the dependent variable produced an R 2 of .71, which was statistically significant (p < .01). Removing each group of attributes individually from the regression equation resulted in a significant (p < .01) decrease in the resulting adjusted R2s as computed by F ratios. All attribute groups were determined to be essential to the measurement of financial wellbeing. Individual variables with a significant t ratio (p < .05) were the Perceived Attribute Index, Index of Well-Being, and full-time employment status. The results of the study supported the conceptual model. Results clearly verified the measurement of financial well-being as a function of personal characteristics, objective attributes, perceived attributes, and evaluated attributes.
U.S. aggregate demand for clothing and shoes, 1929-1994: Effects of changes in price, nondurables expenditures, and demographics
Kim, Kisung (Virginia Tech, 1998-01-30)
The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the changes in total nondurables expenditures, prices, and demographics on the U.S. aggregate demand for clothing categories and shoes. In particular, this study focused on identifying and parameterizing the effects of such changes. To this purpose, a demand system for two clothing categories, shoes, and other nondurable commodities for the U.S. was estimated using aggregate time-series data sets (1929-1994), and a second-stage budgeting model was developed and estimated. The basis for the demand model was the Almost Ideal Demand System model, which was modified to account for the demographic effects. Demographic variables included in the final model were age distribution of the U.S. population (median age and variance), proportion of non-White population in the total U.S. population, and labor force participation rate of U.S. women. The main data sources were documents published by the Bureau of the Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Bureau of Economic Analysis in the U.S. Department of Commerce. The results indicate that the total nondurables expenditures is a significant variable in determining consumers' nondurables expenditure allocation on clothing categories and shoes. The estimated total expenditure elasticities suggest that the clothing categories and shoes are expenditure elastic, ranging from 1.1019 to 1.4944. Most own and cross prices appear to be significant variables in determining the consumer budget allocations for clothing categories and shoes. The median age and non-White population variables evidence as significant variables that affect the U.S. aggregate nondurables expenditure allocation on men’s and boys’ clothing and on shoes. Women’s labor force participation rate evidences as a significant variable that affects the U.S. aggregate nondurables expenditure allocation on women’s and children’s clothing. The estimated own-price elasticities of demand for clothing categories and shoes indicate that all the clothing categories and shoes are inelastic (i.e., -0.3908 to -0.9175). The estimated crossprice elasticities of clothing categories, shoes and other nondurable goods show substitution and complementary relationships between the categories. The demand elasticities with respect to the demographic variables were also estimated.
US apparel imports from China in the context of MFA IV
Foster, Helen Cecilia (Virginia Tech, 1990-12-05)
The purpose of this research was to analyze US apparel trade building up to and following the MFA IV renewal in 1986, so as to gain insight into the reasons for US apparel industry support of the new fiber inclusions, and to gauge effects of MFA IV on US apparel imports overall and specifically from the PRC. The study focused on the period 1978 - 1988. Total imports from all suppliers (World) were examined by country of origin: China (PRC), and rest of world (ROW); fiber content: MFA IV-fiber or all fibers and whether knitted or woven construction. The imports were then examined to determine the impact of economic variables such as the exchange rate, and US personal apparel consumption expenditure (PCE). Imports were found to have increased from 1978 to 1987 and then to have declined in all categories except one from 1987 to 1988. The MFA IV, implemented in August 1986 was believed to have caused a reduction of import volumes after an initial lag period (expected in international trade). However, other factors were implicated in the trade reduction primarily the fall of the dollar. The dollar was strong through the early 1980s until its peak in 1985, it then declined for the rest of the study. The one category which continued to increase after the trade restriction was items of MFA IV woven apparel. The reason for this continued increase is not clear but it is believed to be the absence of specific restriction, i.e., pure silk had not been included in bilateral agreements so it is possible that suppliers were switching the product mix to increasing quantities of the less restricted group. Also this would have been the case if the items were coming from new and/or unrestricted suppliers. In conclusion, it is felt that the apparel import rate or increase was the primary concern and the factor that determined action not the actual volume of imports as the MFA IV-fibers were increasingly used in apparel production.

Browsing by Author "Garman, E. Thomas"

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