Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Import Competition On Ceo Emotions: Insights From Earnings Conference Calls 2012-2020, Danting Zhu

Honors Theses

Based on our analysis of the transcripts of both the CEO speeches and Q&A sessions from the U.S. S&P 500 and S&P 600 corporations between 2012 and 2020, we have found a substantial correlation between the sentiment expressed in these speeches and the import penetration faced by the firm. We identify 4 main findings: firstly, facing accelerated import competition from China, US firms have expressed more negative sentiments toward topics related to China. Such a deterioration in tone becomes more significant during the Q&A session. Second, large companies, that have closer business relationships with China, have shown larger shifts in …

Professional Shame As Experienced By Pre-Professional Accountants, Grant R. Countess

Honors Theses

While the role of shame in professions is an emerging area of research, it has not been thoroughly studied in accounting’s professional or educational settings. Shame has been explored in engineering and nursing education with powerful implications regarding well-being and learning. This study is primarily driven by the research question, “How do pre-professional accountants experience professional shame?” Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), I interviewed three pre-professional accountants to further understand the lived experiences of shame as accounting interns. I demonstrate the insights from the analysis of these transcripts, which characterize the experience of locating identity as pre-professionals, navigating expectations, experiencing …

The Life Of Una Estudiante Americana: Here Y Allí, Madeline Kastel

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to analyze the differences between studying Spanish at an American university, Western Michigan University, in Kalamazoo, Michigan to that of a study abroad program at La Universidad de Burgos, in Burgos, Spain in three main areas: teaching styles in classes, extracurricular activities and student experiences.

To begin this study, it is important to note the differences in demographics and available public transportation where each study took place: Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA and Burgos, Spain. In Kalamazoo, students have the option to use the city bus system, the Metro, for free, but tend to use their …

Pancake Programming: An Interactive Stack-Based Coding Experience In Virtual Reality, William Adams

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Study Of Public Accounting And Related Economic Concepts, Seth Gerus

Honors Theses

This thesis consists of several case studies relating to different topics within the world of accounting. These cases were completed as assignments within the thesis practicum class taught by Dr. Victoria Dickinson. Each case pertains to a different accounting-related topic, and topics include the fundamentals of accounting as well as recent events in the business world. The thesis also includes a five-week long case competition in which students were put into groups to present Audit, Tax, and Advisory strategies for companies headquartered in the United States. Each of these cases were completed during the course of the Fall 2020 and …

The Shift Towards Social Media And Complimenting Crisis Communication Strategies For Business, Isabella Granara

Honors Theses

The following thesis will surround social media and its impact on crisis communication. It will also aim to compile the most useful strategies businesses can implement when they are struggling with a social media crisis. To do so, the shift towards social media will be discussed, specifically why it poses an issue on businesses when involved in online crises. The topic of social media’s impact on crisis communication, as well as updated social media crisis communication research, will also be a topic in this paper. An incident from 2017 surrounding a United Airlines social media crisis (Chapter 4) will be …

Case Studies Of Various Accounting Concepts, Astha Kandel

Honors Theses

Accountancy students enrolled in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College have an opportunity to choose an honors practicum route instead of writing a regular thesis. The students take two ACCY 420 classes taught by Dr. Victoria Lynn Dickinson as part of the practicum. In those two courses, students gain a better understanding of how accounting works in the real world. The thesis is made up of several cases that cover a variety of accounting theories and methodologies. Students are required to do thorough research while writing the cases and each of those cases is carefully reviewed and evaluated by Dr. …

The Influence Of Emotions On The Application Of Professional Skepticism: An Examination Of Accounting Students’ Perspectives, Jordon Grace Williams

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Analyzing The Adjustment Of American Business Expatriates In China: Professionalism, Culture And Social Support, Ramelle Mueller

Honors Theses

This paper provides a comprehensive literature review of the American expatriate adjustment process to life in China. Additionally, online textual analysis on expatriate forum website was conducted to better understand the expatriate perspective and examines empirically the relevance of multiple factors of the expatriate adjustment process. Overarching factors include; work adjustment, general adjustment and interpersonal adjustment, which serve as the framework for this paper.

Brand Translation And Country Of Origin Advertising In The Jeans Market In Latin America, Elson Stewart

Honors Theses

As more firms decide to operate globally as a means of survival and growth, they must be prepared to understand the language and culture of their new target markets. This study aims to examine why firms may or may not translate their brand name and use country of origin advertising. Furthermore, this study aims to explain if economic and demographic factors have any effect on whether or not American firms may use certain marketing strategies. Findings in this study suggest that American firms are likely to be more active in Latin American countries with higher GDP PPP per capita, English …

A Look Into Electronic Word-Of-Mouth: The Willingness Of Consumers To Write Online Reviews, Michelle Le

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the willingness of a consumer to write an online review in relation to their love for a brand, their attachment to a brand and their satisfaction with shopping online for that brand. There are limited empirical studies that investigate the impact of Brand Love, Brand Attachment, and Electronic Shopping Experience Satisfaction on online reviews. Brand Love is the extent of emotional attachment that a content consumer feels for a certain brand or trade name whereas Brand Attachment measures the degree or strength to which consumers connects themselves with a brand. Lastly, a …

Rhetoric In Financial Reporting: Evaluation Of Isa 720, Qingyuan Guo

Honors Theses

Prior research show that many investors rely on other information appearing alongside the audited financial statements in companies’ annual reports to make their economic decisions and falsely assume that the unaudited other information is also audited. Additionally, company management utilizes rhetorical strategies in other information to offer explanations and opinions conveying positive messages about the company value which audited financial data may not indicate. The expectation gap of investors on audit over other information and the concern of management manipulation incentivized the proposal of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) to establish a standard to extend auditors’ responsibility over …

An Academic Study Of Wian (What’S-In-A-Name?), Emily Hickman

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Cult Of Cultural Consumption In The United States: How Class Stratification Shapes The Social Realms Of Consumer Brand Perception, Nelligan Rose Boff

Honors Theses

An individual’s social position shapes taste culture as it pertains to fashion and branding. The purpose of this research is to develop more knowledge on who or what social factors are driving consumer’s perception of the brands they want, or don’t want to buy. The perspective of consumption seems to transcend self-interest alone and this thesis aims to analyze the extension of that transcendence. Brands are not merely relating to consumers through a relationship of functional need, but also interfere and are driven by social relationships between consumers. There is evidence that suggest that consumers might interact with brands that …

Tanzanian Art: Attracting Tourism And Constructing A Packaged African Image, Ben Washburn

Honors Theses

Over the past thirty-or-so years, there has been a large increase of tourism in East Africa. In the coastal town Bagamoyo of Tanzania, many young men have made a career out of the tourist-industry – by producing tourist art. In this paper, I analyze the lives of local artists in Bagamoyo, as well as argue that they brand their art in particular ways that align with their ideas of tourist expectations and preconceived ideas of Africa. I argue that these artists practice different types of branding – primarily depicting Africa as primitive and wild, as they see producing art as …

Mitigation Of Preventable Medical Errors Via The Use Of Human Resources And Human Factors, Callender Creel

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to discuss historical and current rates of preventable medical errors (PMEs), their causes, and methods used to reduce them. I will also provide recommendations that I believe can help reduce the number of injuries and deaths that result from them. Data and information used in this thesis were drawn from a variety of sources. While the large majority was sourced from articles in academic journals, government health reports, Federal Flight Administration documents, phone interviews, and personal experiences in the medical field also provided invaluable information. To summarize, there are two major types of preventable …

Television Advertising And Children, Vince Delange

Honors Theses

Thesis begins by examining the learning and cognitive processes and development of children, followed by a history of advertising to children, then explores the traditional concerns with advertising to children. The author discusses research findings and makes recommendations regarding advertising to children.