Business Commons^™

For The People: A Collaborative Space Assessment - Budget And Analysis, Devan Harmych

Honors Projects

One of the most important keys to success is community. Within a community, people come together to support each other and help them achieve their hopes and dreams. When looking at the Honors College and the space they utilize within Founders Hall, there is an opportunity present to further expand the community and to design a space to better support students of the future.

Essays In Mutual Funds, Aadhaar Verma

Doctor of Business Administration Dissertations

This dissertation examines mutual fund portfolio formation, the economic forces that determine how fund managers construct their portfolios, and the market effects of fund portfolio disclosures.

In the first chapter of my dissertation, I study how funds modify their portfolios around disclosure dates in order to cater to their investors’ non-financial preferences. Using social norms and investor boycotts surrounding tobacco and firearm sectors as a proxy for non-financial preferences, I find that these stocks experience significant negative returns on portfolio disclosure dates and significant positive returns on the day after the portfolio disclosure. I also find that funds accelerate their …

The Impact Of Target Audit Quality On The Likelihood Of Future Goodwill Impairment, Elizabeth Boyle

Dissertations

US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) require that in an acquisition, the purchaser must record a premium when the purchase price exceeds the fair value of the target’s identifiable net assets (both tangible and intangible). This premium lives on the balance sheet as an intangible asset called goodwill. Goodwill has an indefinite life, but over time it may become impaired due to overpayment of the original acquisition, unrealized synergies, changes in the business, legal issues, etc., and as a result, require a write-down. This impairment not only impacts the acquirer’s balance sheet but can also impact the market value of …

Managing Incomplete Data In The Patient Discharge Summary To Support Correct Hospital Reimbursements, Fadi Naser Eddin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The patient discharge summary is a document that conveys the patient's story to other healthcare practitioners, external users, and, most importantly from a financial perspective, health insurers. A defect or incompleteness in the patient's discharge summary will result in delays in the collection process through denial of the entire or partial reimbursement claim or, in the best-case scenario, delay until the discharge summary issue is resolved. The purpose of this project is to address the issue of the incompleteness of discharge summary from the perspective of healthcare providers, with the goal of understanding, diagnosing, and intervening in the research problem. …

Effect Of Gamification Narrative Quality On Users’ Value Co-Creation Behavior In Context Of B2c Sharing Economy, Ziwen Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

B2C sharing economy is now a major part of the economic system in China and the essence of it is the value co-creation of the users and platforms. However, the means to effectively stimulate users into value co-creation in B2C sharing economy are not well-understood. While gamification marketing is a low cost means to enhance user participation, empirical research of high granularity is lacking. This dissertation seeks to fill the gap by exploring how gamification narrative quality affects users’ value co-creation behavior in the B2C sharing economy model and the underlying mechanism.

Using the bike sharing industry in China as …

Public Budgeting As Moral Dilemma, Ben Wroblewski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Government budget managers are responsible for the proper stewardship of public funds and facilitating the business transactions necessary to meet the public’s needs. Sometimes, during these decisions, managers can experience pressure to make an unethical decision. A better understanding of this issue can help organizations prevent misallocation of funds and adverse effects within the community. The problem is that the general pressure model lacks a framework to explain the decision-making process. Moral utility theory can provide insight into how people weigh or score choices with ethical considerations. This study found that government budget managers included their self-interests when experiencing tension …

Accounting Practicum: Case Studies Compilation And Analysis Fall 2020 And Spring 2021, Margaret Case

Honors Theses

The following thesis consists of twelve explanations on a variety of financial accounting standards. Those of which fall under the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as directed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). In addition with the topics presented are learned material from Intermediate Financial Accounting I and II and multiple other accounting-related classes. Each topic has been analyzed and concluded in conjunction related to the thesis topic. Through the accounting case studies, an understanding of various major accounting principles and their related areas are shown. The case studies were completed with the direction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson under …

Top Legal Executives And Mergers And Acquisitions Process And Outcomes, Suye Wang

Accounting Dissertations

The role of a firm’s in-house top legal executives has become more prominent in recent years due to regulatory changes, increasing litigation, and growing risk and liability in the corporate world. Top legal executives act as trusted advisers to top management and board of directors in strategic decision-making. In this dissertation, I develop a measure of top legal executive influence in the acquiring firm and examine whether the top legal executive’s influence is associated with mergers and acquisitions (M&A) process and outcomes. I find that top legal executive influence is associated with shorter public process length (deal announcement to deal …

The Auditor’S Application Of Professional Judgment: Evidence From M&A-Related Critical Audit Matters, Xi Ai

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, I examine the extent to which auditor attributes affect the auditor’s decision to communicate a Critical Audit Matter (CAM) in the expanded auditor’s report. I expect the CAM communication decision to be adversely affected by threats to independence and by auditor overconfidence. I focus on a sample of companies that completed material mergers and acquisitions because these are likely to be considered as potential CAMs by meeting the minimal requirements of a CAM (i.e., material accounts or disclosures that involve especially challenging, subjective, or complex auditor judgment). Contrary to expectations, I find that the auditor’s CAM communication …

Financial Feasibility And Factors That Lead To Profitability For Small-Scale Farmers In Rwanda., Saheed Adeniyi Orimadegun

Masters Theses

This study will analyze small-scale poultry farming in the Musanze district of Rwanda. Poultry farming offers a source of protein and economic subsistence for households in this region but studies suggest that the smallholder farmers need training for effective production of broiler for these purposes. To this end, a project - Feed the Future Tworore Inkoko, Twunguke (TI) - funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the African Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) Foundation, and led by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) and Zamura Feeds Ltd., was initiated to help the smallholder broiler farmers …

Budget Gaming: Politics, Ethics, And Compensation, Gretchen Decker

Dissertations

Practitioners are frustrated with the budgeting process, frequently complaining that budgets cause undesirable and political behaviors in the organization (Jensen, 2001). One of the most frequent problems is budget gaming, which critics consider non-value added and frustrating. In a 2010 survey, over 95% of respondents acknowledged that budget gaming exists at least “occasionally” (Libby & Lindsay, 2010). Previous studies indicate budget gaming is frustrating, prevalent, and wasteful (Hansen et al., 2003; Libby & Lindsay, 2007; Neely et al., 2003).

I conducted an experiment to investigate organizational influences (organizational politics, compensation condition, ethics attestation) and their impact on budget gaming. The …

How Does Shareholder Voting Influence Individual Investors’ Investment Decisions?, Yushi Tian

Doctoral Dissertations

Shareholder voting is an important way for investors to participate in corporate governance. In this study, I examine, as individual investors participate in shareholder voting, whether and how their investment decision is affected by the consistency between their own vote and management’s final decision on the voting issue (i.e., opinion consistency) and whether management’ final decision aligns with the majority or minority of investors (i.e., management position). Using ego-defensiveness theory and majority effect, I predict and find that when investors have stronger opinions on the voting issue, they make more positive investment decisions if management’s final decision on the voting …

Audit Firms’ Response To Audit Failures: Evidence From Partner Resource Reallocation, Elizabeth Cowle

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I investigate whether audit firms reallocate partner resources following restatement announcements and, consequently, whether a supply-side response is beneficial in mitigating the previously documented implications of realized audit failures. I find a positive association between prior period restatement announcements and the year-over-year percentage change in the number of engagement partners allocated to a local audit office. Further analysis suggests that a supply-side response is beneficial in mitigating the persistence of low-quality audits and lost market share. However, I also find some evidence suggesting that the reallocation of partner resources can be detrimental to audit quality at offices from which partners …

The Value Of Assurance Over Internal Controls: Evidence From Mergers And Acquisitions, Ryan Courtlin Cating

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I examine the value of assurance over internal controls in the mergers and acquisitions setting. Specifically, I examine the how the existence of an internal control audit mandated under Section 404(b) of SOX affects information asymmetry as proxied for by the likelihood of a company becoming the target of an acquisition. I find that companies with internal control audits are significantly more likely to receive bids than their counterparts that do not have an internal control audit. Upon further investigation, I find that the mechanism by which companies are more likely to become the target of an …

The Use Of Data Analytic Visualizations To Inform The Audit Risk Assessment: The Impact Of Initial Visualization Form And Documentation Focus, Rebecca N. Baaske (Becca)

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although data analytic technologies provide auditors with powerful tools for identifying high-risk areas during an audit (Austin, Carpenter, Christ, and Nielson 2019), they are not a substitute for necessary interpretation and judgment (Brown-Liburd, Issa, and Lombardi 2015). A major barrier for making better use of data analytic techniques and tools is the skillset needed to make necessary interpretations and judgments based on data visualizations within the tool (Appelbaum, Kogan, and Vasarhelvi 2017; Earley 2015; PwC 2015). Default visualizations provided to auditors could be suboptimal in relation to the underlying data, which could limit auditors’ ability to identify anomalies without some …

The First Sign: Detecting Future Financial Fraud From The Ipo Prospectus, Lisa Spadaccini Anderson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I examine whether it is possible to predict future financial statement fraud using disclosure content prior to the fraud. Specifically, I employ a machine learning algorithm to construct a unique measure based on the lexical cues embedded within a firm’s first public disclosure, the Management’s Discussion and Analysis section of the S-1 filing, during the Initial Public Offering process. I use this measure to predict whether a firm that is not already committing fraud will commit fraud within five years of the Initial Public Offering (IPO) that results in an Accounting or Enforcement Release (AAER). I find …

He Said, She Said: Investor Reactions To Ceo Gender And Earnings Guidance Disclosure In The Presence Of Shareholder Activism, Scott C. Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study addresses concerns from the SEC and examines the trend of shareholder activism and its impact on financial players. Specifically, I examine how the nature of the shareholder activism (Profitability-focused versus Environmental/Social-focused) interacts with CEO gender to create perceptions of match or mismatch within nonprofessional investors, in terms of perceived ability to address the shareholder activism. Drawing on role-congruity theory, I predict and find that when a perceived match exists, investment willingness is increased, with the greatest differences occurring when the CEO does not disclose earnings guidance information. Given recent trends that show increased disclosure of earnings guidance in …

The Effects Of Critical Audit Matter Recurrence And Reporting Treatment On Investors’ Information Processing, Judgments, And Decisions, Hilda E. Carrillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A new auditor reporting standard requires auditors to disclose critical audit matters (CAMs) in the auditor’s report. CAMs highlight accounts or disclosures that involved especially challenging, subjective, or complex auditor judgment. As one of few audit-related disclosures, CAMs act as an important signal of qualitative aspects of recognized (i.e., items shown on the face of the financial statements) or disclosed (i.e., items shown in the footnotes of the financial statements) financial statement items. While certain accounts or disclosures will consistently rise to the level of a CAM, other accounts or disclosures may only rise to the level of a CAM …

Base Erosion And Profit Shifting In Continental Africa And Beyond, Nathan Olsen

Honors Theses

Base erosion and profit shifting has become the latest burden on countries’ tax revenue collection agencies the world over. Recent studies have found how it occurs in the both the developed and developing world, but these same studies haven’t answered the question of why in the developing world. This thesis tries to answer that question concerning Africa, which is a continent full of developing nations. Using Base Erosion, Profit Shifting, and Developing Countries (Crivelli et. al, 2015) which outlines how the international economy is interconnected through a tax base spillover estimation, this paper turns its attention towards the developing nations …

Contracting In Direct Asset Sales, Xin Yuan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Using a unique, hand-collected dataset of direct asset sales agreements in the SEC filings, I provide the first large-sample evidence on how contracting mechanisms are used to mitigate information frictions in these important transactions. The conflict of interests is unique because the scarcity of asset-specific financial information makes target assets difficult to value and monitor, especially when such transactions are usually consummated in a short period. I first show an extensive use of representations and warranties, covenants, and special payment arrangements in these contracts when severe information asymmetry exists between buyers and sellers. Importantly, further results suggest that these contracting …

Quid Pro Quo? The Sec Oversight Enforcement And Corporate Lobbying, Daeun Lee

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Due to the private nature of its internal investigations, research on the SEC oversight enforcement is limited. By distinguishing between enforcement staff’ decision to open an investigation (investigation decision) and commissioners’ authorization of an enforcement action (enforcement decision), this study is the first to examine how these two decisions interplay to overcome the political capture while fulfilling the SEC’s mission to protect investors. First, I do not find evidence that investigation decision is influenced by firms’ political connections, whereas enforcement decision is affected by firms’ lobbying efforts. Collectively, my results imply that there exists a misalignment …

How Does The Market View Share Repurchases: Five Possible Book Values In The Fama-French 3 Factor Model, Jaime Peters

Dissertations

Share repurchase activity has grown significantly over the past twenty years and has emerged as the most popular technique for returning cash to shareholders. Current U.S. generally accepted accounting principles treat share repurchases as a return of capital to shareholders, recording the repurchased shares at market prices and offsetting them against contributed capital accounts. This treatment reduces the recorded book value of the equity of companies. Of course, companies can reissue these shares to fulfill stock option contracts, as consideration in acquisitions, and/or in secondary offerings. These economically relevant uses of repurchased shares suggest that the market may treat share …

An Exploration Of Accounting Topics Through A Series Of Case Studies, Joshua Pearson

Honors Theses

This thesis contains 12 case studies about various accounting and financial issues. The cases follow as: A Tale of Two Cities, Conceptual Overview of Assets, Excel Course, Taxodus: Playing the Global Tax Avoidance Game, Business Interview, Case Competition-Overview, Case Competition-Audit, Case Competition-Tax, Case Competition-Advisory, Case Competition-Earnings, Stock Price, and Analysis, and Financial Crisis of 2008. Other than the cases labeled case competition, none of these cases are meant to build off each other and should be taken by themselves. The series of case competition cases are part of a larger group case where each group chose a Fortune 500 company, …

Douglas Dynamics, Inc. A Financial Analysis And Valuation Report, Jessicca Lhotak

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Douglas Dynamics, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is one of the many construction machinery companies in the industry. Their headquarters is located in Milwaukee, WI, but they sell products in the United States, Canada, Northern Europe, and Asia. The company consist of two segments, a Work Truck Attachment, and a Work Truck Solutions. Having these two segments allow the company to reach into different markets, but the main market is snow and ice management. They have been able to stay ahead of the competition by acquiring other construction machinery businesses and innovating their current products. In the beginning of …

Accounting Implications Derived From Consumer Big Data, Benjamin E. Boehrns

Honors Thesis

Consumer big data is changing the traditional framework of business by providing an unprecedented amount of information regarding consumer behaviors. Technological advances of the twenty-first century have enabled businesses to collect these behaviors within automated processes. The ease of data creation has led to companies creating, storing, and analyzing voluminous subsets of data in order to achieve a higher degree of competitive advantage. These datasets not only derive value from the physical information technology systems that provides the storage and the ability of analysis, but also contains an intrinsic value that is rarely captured within traditional accounting methods. The unique …

Tax Reform Throughout U.S. History And The Economic Impact, Jacob Christopher Michel

Honors Thesis

The three largest tax reforms in recent years, The 1986 Tax Reform Act (TRA of 1986), The Bush Tax Cuts Act, and The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), differed in the treatment of taxable income through capital gains tax rate, depreciation treatment, limitation of losses, standard deduction, and the marginal rates in general. These provisions were studied to provide insight into how they affected various stakeholders. The TRA of 1986 and the Bush Tax Cuts Act have data determining whether they benefitted high-income taxpayers to the highest extent. The low-income taxpayers were also given tax breaks, however, not to …

It Usage In Auditing And The Impact Of Covid-19, Olivia Beechem

Undergraduate Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the world as we know it, and the audit field is no exception. The transition for a majority of public accounting firms and their clients to remote work amidst a global pandemic sparked my interest in the already rapidly evolving field of audit IT usage, which continually affects audit quality and efficiency. My research expands on existing studies completed on this topic prior to COVID-19 and includes three main research objectives. First, my research examines the usage and perceived importance of common types of IT audit applications, such as CAATs and data analytics, as …

Honors Accounting Thesis, David Falkenheiner

Honors Theses

During the fall and spring semesters of the 2019-2020 University of Mississippi school year, I had the privilege of taking Dr. Vicki Dickinson’s Honors Accounting class and benefit from it greatly. This course was based around challenging its participants throughout various aspects of not only accounting coursework but real scenarios that arise as an accounting professional. Dr. Dickinson did an outstanding job at preparing her students not only for their internship experience in the spring of their senior year but also for interviewing for those positions. This class gives its participants a drastic advantage over the normal accounting undergraduate through …

A Survey Of Financial Accounting Reporting, James H. Robbins

Honors Theses

This thesis takes a survey of key accounting issues and concepts addressed in financial accounting reporting. Accountancy majors of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College were given an opportunity to complete their thesis before their internship during senior year by taking two classes over junior year. This thesis was constructed under the guidance of Dr. Vicki Dickinson. The thesis itself is a compilation of twelve different cases, and each case studies various areas of the accounting and business environment.

The Impact Of Ceo Compensation Incentives On Financial Reporting Choices: Evidence From Potential Ghost Revenues Created In Mergers And Acquisitions, Jason A. Ashby

Doctoral Dissertations

When an acquirer purchases a target and assumes the target’s deferred revenue liability, accounting standards codification 805 requires that the acquirer recognize the target’s deferred revenue at its estimated fair value as of the acquisition date. If the target’s deferred revenue book value exceeds its fair value, the portion of deferred revenue written down will never be recognized as revenue for the acquirer under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). In this study, I investigate the impact of chief executive officers’ (CEOs’) compensation incentives on the fair value measurement of deferred revenue liabilities in acquisitions. If a larger proportion of CEO …