Business Commons^™

Electronic Reverse Auctions: Spawning Procurement Innovation In The Context Of Arab Culture, Timothy G. Hawkins, Michael J. Gravier

Marketing Department Faculty Journal Articles

Government e-procurement initiatives have the potential to transform local institutions, but few studies have been published of strategies for implementing specific e-procurement tools, particularly involving procurement by a foreign government adapting to local culture in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA). This case describes procurement at a forward operating base (FOB) in Kuwait in support of operations in Iraq. The government procurers had to deal with a phenomenon unique to the MENA region: wasta. Wasta is a form of social capital that bestows power, influence, and connection to those who possess it, similar to guanxi in China. This study explores the …

Size Variables In Audit Fee Models: An Examination Of The Effects Of Alternative Mathematical Transformations, Charles Cullinan, Hui Du, Xiaochuan Zheng

Accounting Department Faculty Journal Articles

We consider the mathematical transformations used for assets of different valuation complexity in audit fee models. These mathematical transformations (such as logs and square roots) relate to the non-linear relationship between client size and audit fees. We use closed-end mutual fund audits to examine this question because virtually all fund assets are reported at fair value. We find that more complexly valued assets are less likely to follow the traditional log transformation because the presence of these assets has a stronger relationship with audit fees that is not fully captured by the coefficient on the logged variable alone. The significance …

Consumer Purchasing: When Does Corporate Social Responsibility Matter?, Abigail Blecker

Honors Projects in Marketing

Almost all companies engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, and often times consumers are unaware of this. As societal pressures on companies and organizations to be more responsible increases, so have the practices companies have undertaken. My research will examine the potential impact a company’s CSR information and practices have on a consumer’s purchasing intentions. It will answer the following two questions: Does CSR information have the ability to change a person’s purchase intentions in high and low involvement purchasing scenarios? Will a person’s individual level of social responsibility cause differences in purchase intentions among different purchasing scenarios? Exposure …

Green Advertising And Millennials, Stephanie Davidson

Honors Projects in Marketing

This study investigates the responsiveness of Millennials to green versus non-green framed automobile print ads. A 2x2 factorial design was used in which specific advertising frames were manipulated to measure ad attitudes, purchase intentions, and skepticism for a high involvement product (i.e., an automobile). Results showed that highly-environmentally-concerned participants have more positive ad attitudes and greater purchase intentions after viewing a green ad than after viewing a non-green ad. These differences were not evident however for participants who exhibited low-environmental-concern. The results also showed that participants who are more environmentally concerned are less skeptical about green ads than those who …

How Health Claims On Product Packaging Influence Consumer Perceptions And Purchase Decisions, Taylor Vanasse

Honors Projects in Marketing

The goal of this investigation was to expand upon research from the field of consumer behavior, with a specific focus on food product packaging and health claims. It specifically focused on how these health claims impact consumer perceptions and purchase decisions related to everyday food items. Students at Bryant University were asked to take part in a study which measured their overall health knowledge and nutritional interest. They were then presented with different variations of a product packaging label to assess its impact on their attitude towards a product. Findings indicated that both females and those who score highest on …

Cooking And The Books: A Guide To Restaurant Accounting, Lena Lambrou

Honors Projects in Accounting

The restaurant industry is known for particularly low profit margins; this project aims to understand where restaurants spend money and how expenses can be allocated for in this fast-paced environment. Through research of various cost accounting methods and the adaptability of those methods to restaurant culture, activity based costing (ABC) provided the most useful data for the restaurant. This project focuses on small business restaurants, specifically those that serve pizza. The backbone of experimentation for applying these accounting processes is a local pizza restaurant, in which the managers are unaware of how food cost and operating expenses could be combined …

The Magic Behind Success: What Can Business Leaders Learn From Magicians Regarding Creativity And Communication?, John Logan

Honors Projects in Communication

The following research demonstrates the connection between the art of magic and the world of business. More specifically, it explores the overlap between the innovation and communication techniques magicians use when creating new ideas, developing a routine, performing, and a parallel comparison on what it takes to run a successful business. The capstone will first look at what the "magician" is including the types of tricks they perform. It will then analyze the entrepreneurial magicians and their creative process behind developing new routines. Finally, it will examine the verbal and non-verbal communication techniques magicians use to connect with their audience …

Global Economic Expansion And The Prevalence Of Militarized Interstate Disputes, Lucas Hahn

Honors Projects in Economics

Over the past several decades the entire world has experienced both the positive and negative effects of globalization. The question that this report will address is whether or not global economic expansion has led to a decline in the prevalence of militarized interstate disputes (MIDs) and what factors influence the prevalence of MIDs. This report will take an in-depth look at Thomas Friedman’s “Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention”. It also includes a quantitative analysis in which regression techniques were used to see how different economic factors influence the prevalence of MIDs, while also introducing a previously unused independent variable …

Make Your Mark!, Sheila Heen, Pam Peeke, M.D., Carla Hall, Heather Abbott

Women's Summit Presented by Bryant University

Welcome! Kristin Chenoweth’s song “I was here” speaks volumes when it comes to our theme for the 2016 Women’s Summit – Make Your Mark! The words struck a chord with me, especially, “You will notice me. I’ll be leaving my mark like initials carved in an old oak tree. Just wait and see. I want to do something that matters, say something different, something that sets the whole world on its ear.”

Last year, our opening keynote speaker, Sallie Krawcheck, told us that women want to engage in work that allows them to find meaning and purpose in their professional …

Acquisitions Of Bankrupt And Distressed Firms, Elena Precourt, Henry Oppenheimer

Accounting Department Faculty Journal Articles

In this paper we focus on acquisitions of bankrupt firms and firms that recently emerged from Chapter 11 and compare these firms with acquired distressed firms to determine whether or not transaction timing plays a role in the outcomes of the mergers. We analyze deal premiums (or lack thereof) and evaluate post-merger operating cash flows to determine whether or not timing of the transactions impacts their effectiveness and success. We also evaluate targets and their acquirers’ stock price reactions to the announcements of acquisitions. We find that distressed targets sell their assets at a premium or at a discount smaller …

The Archway Investment Fund, Annual Report 2016, Bryant University, Archway Investment Fund

Archway Investment Fund

The Archway Investment Fund, led by Professor Asli Ascioglu, is a series of two classes, consisting of a semester focused on Securities Analysis, and a semester of Portfolio Management. The students begin as Securities Analysts, where they gain a foundational knowledge for investment management and financial analysis.