Business Commons^™

How Presidential Disapproval Affects Bitcoin Returns: A Product Of The President, Joseph Libretti

Honors Theses

There has been a growing fascination for decentralized electronic assets, and Bitcoin has emerged as the face and leader of the movement. There have been three different presidents coinciding with the growth of Bitcoin. Since the creation of Bitcoin, each president has faced periods of net disapproval, and these periods have been the norm throughout Obama’s, Trump’s, and Biden’s presidencies. There is currently no existing literature on Presidential ratings as a predictor of Bitcoin, however, there has been research on the predictors of Bitcoin and Presidential ratings as a predictor of financial markets. I hypothesized that increases in net disapproval …

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 …

Cartel Practices And Policies In The World War Ii Era, Caleb Yoken

Honors Theses

The goal of this thesis is to examine cartels in the World War II era: how and why they operated, why they existed, and any assistance they may or may not have received from their respective governments. This thesis, in particular, will focus on three countries, the United States, Germany, and Britain. Cartels are typically defined through the lens of monopolized business activity that can deal with anything from petroleum and steel to pharmaceuticals, and take actions to restrict output and raise prices to eliminate their competition. The research finds that cartels that operated in Europe during this era were …

The Impact Of Generational Experiences On Anti-Immigration Sentiments, Pedram Malakian

Honors Theses

Immigration is one of the most important issues in our increasingly globalized world. Every year, millions of people relocate to Europe and United States in an effort to improve the quality of life for themselves and their family. With this increase in immigration, there has been an emergence of anti-immigration sentiments which have in turn allowed far right political parties to gain more power, evident in the British referendum to leave the European Union and Donald Trump’s election as President of the United States. While most works of literature look at the current work status, education level and income of …

The Economics Of Fashion: Do Newcomers To The Industry Have A Chance?, Maha Mian

Honors Theses

New York, Paris, London, and Milan have long established themselves as fashion capitals of the world. These cities have become cluster economies with numerous connections, resources, and buyers close at hand. For this reason, firms often establish themselves in these cities to take full advantage of cluster economies and increase their chances of survival. Thus, a large number of leading international fashion firms reside in these cities. This thesis uses the finances and international market presence of these fashion companies as benchmark values for what it means for another company to be “successful” at becoming a major player in the …

An Empirical Analysis Of Climatic, Geographic, And Cultural Determinants Of International Tourism, Ethan Straus

Honors Theses

Each year, billions of people visit different countries all around the world. For many of those countries, tourism is their primary industry, leading to millions of jobs and dollars in revenue. It is expected that by 2020 total International Tourism Receipts will reach 2 trillion US dollars annually. Currently, tourism employs an estimated 200 million people around the world. With the continued progression of climate change, the tourism industry is facing a newfound threat. Global temperatures and the seal level are both expected to rise significantly by the end of the century. Additionally, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has …

Determining The Effects Of Hospital Consolidation: An Examination Of The Impact Of Hospital M&A On Financial And Quality Metrics, Hailey Perry

Honors Theses

The modern explosion of M&A activity in the United States has generated significant controversy and advocates both for and against hospital consolidation have been quite vocal in presenting their cases. Using mergers and acquisitions reports from Irving Levin Associates as well as financial and quality metrics from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the American Hospital Directory, this study examines the differences between consolidated and unconsolidated hospitals in terms of overall revenue and quality, in addition to prices and costs for specified diagnoses.

Consolidated hospitals undergo significant changes during their transition and oftentimes operate in a manner different …

Do Environmentally Friendly Companies Outperform Environmentally Unfriendly Companies In Financial Markets? An Analysis Of Financial Performance & Corporate Social Responsibility, Katherine E. Quinlan

Honors Theses

Over the last century, the ideology regarding the relationship between humans and the natural world has shifted from a period of major exploitation to a time of conservation and appreciation. Recent catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005, a result of sea level rise and wetland degradation, have really opened the public's eyes to the negative impacts that humans have on the environment, and what will come if we do not change our ways. Implementing sustainability practices has become a norm, if not a necessity, in the corporate world if companies wish to prosper. Using cross-sectional data from Newsweek's …

Fair Labor Practices: Are Workers Truly Protected?, Xiaofei Xie

Honors Theses

Private businesses often claim that they employ fair labor practices and care about employees' well being. However, firms may face contradictory situations since fair labor practices can result in cost increases and lower profit. In this thesis, I examine historic and contemporary workers’ conditions and fair labor practices. Workers’ conditions during the Industrial Revolution and the basis of relevant Marxist theories are examined. Contemporary labor practices are also examined and a secondary analysis of data on worker attitudes in two major companies is conducted. Results and discussion suggest that although progresses in worker conditions have been made, there still needs …

An Internet Of Things (Iot) Robotic Light Switch, Arsal Habib

Honors Theses

The purpose of this project was to design and build an Internet of Things (IoT) Robotic Light Switch. This light switch would act as a complementary device to existing toggle switches and equip them with typical smart device features such as remote control (via Wi-Fi), digital voice assistant control, motion-sensing and integration with other smart home solutions (such as IFTTT). All these features would be supported by a dedicated web page that would also be able to view the usage statistics of the device. This device is aimed at offering users an extremely easy-to-install home automation solution that needs no …

The Effect Of Color In Advertising Among Low And High Self-Monitors, Anne Reardon

Honors Theses

Prior research on self-monitoring has indicated high self-monitors will moderate their behavior based upon their environment, whereas low self-monitors listen to internal cues to make behavioral decisions. Within the consumer research, there appears to be individual differences in product evaluation. Self-monitoring orientation has emerged as one explanation for variance in product assessment. High self-monitors have indicated to be more receptive to image-based advertising. Conversely low-monitors have shown to be drawn to quality-based advertisements. Thus, other attributes such as product design, specifically color, appear to be moderators in product assessment among high and low self-monitors. The current research examined the possible …

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 …

Mediating A Claims To Rights: The Role Of Activism In The Successes Of India's Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Vinita Kusupati

Honors Theses

This anthropological study aims to understand the role of activists in the day to day operation of the rights based policy, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), in India. MNREGA promises 100 days of employment to each household that makes a demand for such employment, providing an employment safety net for the large population of the Indian rural poor. Historically, government and local corruption in official and unofficial policy implementation structures have interfered with the efficiency of social relief and reform initiatives in India. Such systems of operation also impact the functioning of MNREGA. However, unlike previous …

Detection And Depletion Of Digital Cameras: An Exploration Into Protecting Personal Privacy In The Modern World, Jessica Sanford

Honors Theses

As all forms of technology become more integrated into our daily lives, personal privacy has become a major concern. Everyday devices, such as mobile phones, have surveillance capabilities simply by having a digital camera as part of the device. And while privacy and secrecy seem to go hand in hand, it is not always the case that one does not care about privacy because they have nothing to hide. For example, everything from unflattering photographs to being unknowingly and perhaps criminally surveilled, are ample reasons to desire some means of combatting the not so candid presence of digital cameras in …

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 …

Targeted Online Advertisements: Effectiveness As A Function Of Need-For-Cognition, Katherine Dorothy Drebin

Honors Theses

Previous research has suggested that targeted online advertising is more effective when users have a preexisting interest in a product or service. While technology now allows marketers to track the demographics and behaviors of potential customers, the current research examines online ad-perception at an individual level, specifically focused on differences in need-for-cognition. Participants were asked to read a short online news article and were randomly assigned to view a webpage containing either gender-neutral or gender-targeted advertisements. While it was predicted that advertisement recall would be stronger for targeted than non-targeted advertisements, no such association was found. Additionally, advertisement recall did …

The Origins And Evolution Of Corporate Sponsored Film, Clara Boesch

Honors Theses

Though possibly one of the most extensive genres in cinematic history, corporate sponsored films have been largely untouched by both historians and film critics. This thesis explores the origins and evolution of corporate-sponsored film resulting from the technological and economic climate of the nation from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. It references the works of a few specialists in the field such as Rick Prelinger and Walter Klein, among others, as well as contemporary publications such as the trade journal Business Screen. In addition, it critically analyzes corporate-sponsored films from the pre-and post‐war periods to identify the …

Effects Of The World Trade Center Attacks And Hurricane Sandy: Manhattan Commercial Real Estate Market, Michael Miceli

Honors Theses

Two rare and uncontrollable events that recently took place in Manhattan were the attacks on the World Trade Center and Hurricane Sandy. Both of these catastrophic events affected the commercial real estate market in Manhattan in several ways. Using quarterly time-series data between 1996 and 2013 collected from Brookfield Office Properties, this paper utilizes regression analysis to investigate the effects of these events on vacancy rate, absorption rate and rent in Manhattan. The regression analyses control for location and building type such as Midtown, Downtown and Classes A,B,C, as well as economic factors such as unemployment rate and the S&P …

Incentive To Innovate: Dynamic Optimization Strategy In The Case Of A Symmetric Duopoly, Jigme Norbu

Honors Theses

Technological dominance and spillovers play important roles in a firm’s decision to investment in innovated products. It is intuitive to think that a firm which is technologically ahead will dominate the market for innovated products. However, the question of the spillover advantage a firm gets when they are technologically behind makes the decision to invest in new technology more complex. Therefore, in this paper, I consider the investment in new product and cost of doing research, along with capital and level of technology, to be primary factors affecting a firm’s profit. I ask, when is it a good time to …

The Effect Of Gross Profitability On Share Price Appreciation, Philip Barr

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between gross profitability and share price appreciation. Dimensional Fund Advisors, an investment firm managing $338 billion, builds portfolios based on a number of different metrics and added gross profitability as a factor in early 2013. Profitable firms may be systematically undervalued and, therefore, gross profitability should predict future share price appreciation. Gross profitability is a firm’s gross profit multiplied by its asset turnover. A high gross profitability may signal a firm’s pricing power or quality in comparison with other businesses. Investors may neglect profitable firms and overpay for “lottery stocks” …

Unionization And Income Inequality: The Impact Of Labor Union Participation On Income Inequality In The United States, Terence Finnigan

Honors Theses

Using Current Population Survey data in the period from 1996 -2011, this paper analyzes the relationship between labor union participation and income inequality in each of the 50 U.S. states. Since the 1970s the income gap in the United States has grown steadily and today the United States is the most unequal of all OECD countries (with the exception of Mexico and Turkey). In the past ten years alone, the disposable income for middle class families in the United States has shrank by a figure of 4 percent. In addition to rising income inequality, labor union participation has been on …

Intra-Firm Trade From U.S. Multinational Enterprises To Emerging Market Economies: An Assessment Of The Impact Of The Global Recession And Intellectual Property Rights, Trang Nguyen

Honors Theses

The level of US intra-firm imports from Emerging Markets, EM, (i.e., imports of MNEs from their foreign affiliates) has increased from 149 billion USD in 2002 to 347 billion USD in 2012. A similar magnitude is observed for US arm’s length imports (i.e., imports of MNEs from third parties in foreign countries). This thesis estimates the responsiveness of US intra-firm and arm’s length imports to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection indicators, “Doing Business” indicators, and to the Global Recession. I use two panel data sets, one covering 332 industries (3-digit NAICS) and 43 emerging countries from 2002 to 2012, the …

Labor And Individual Differences: Their Influence On Product Value Perception, Trang Thi Thuy Nguyen

Honors Theses

The current research examined the impact of self-monitoring propensity on the “IKEA Effect”, in which labor induces greater liking for the products of one's labor, and as a result overvaluation of one’s creation. Whereas there was some research, such as those on toolkits or the “IKEA Effect”, which investigated valuation of self-created or self-build products, there is still little on personality traits influencing such valuations. In the experiment, students evaluated their self-assembled origami crane, cranes made by other participants, or cranes made by someone with high experience doing origami. The valuations made by the groups in different conditions are then …

The Effect Of Educational Debt On The Probability Of Homeownership For College Graduates: An Empirical Analysis, Cole Ikkala

Honors Theses

With the average tuition of both public and private institutions on the rise, students are graduating from college with a higher burden of debt than ever before. In turn this is adversely affecting their post-graduation decisions, specifically the purchasing of their first home. With the simultaneous increase of educational debt levels and tightening of lending constraints for mortgages, it is hypothesized that first-time homeownership is being delayed. The purpose of this study is to analyze what exactly is delaying graduates from purchasing a home, the outstanding total educational debt amount or the monthly educational debt repayment amounts. Both can hinder …

Competing Life Insurance Purchasing Strategies: Whole Life Versus Buy Term Invest The Differences, Jordon Hastings

Honors Theses

Financial experts have been conflicted for decades in regards to the most effective strategy for purchasing life insurance. Specifically, is buying an expensive whole life insurance policy the most appropriate solution, or is purchasing cheap term insurance and investing the rest of the money in a side fund more effective? These strategies were compared side by side across a variety of scenarios with varying account allocations, time horizons and tax treatments. Based on our results, buying term and investing the difference is the most appropriate solution across the majority of the scenarios that were tested. This was due mainly to …

Government Policy And Moral Hazard In The 2007-2009 Financial Crisis, Ariana Abrams

Honors Theses

The US government has invested over $3 trillion in financial assistance programs and bailouts for ailing companies affected by the 2007-2009 financial crisis. This paper analyzes the different government policy efforts in response to the collapse of the U.S. financial sector and whether these efforts increased the risk of moral hazard for small, medium, and large banks. Moral hazard occurs when a company has an incentive to take greater risks than it otherwise would, because the company gains all the benefits from excessive risk-taking, but does not bear all of the losses. I measure moral hazard through the debt-to-equity ratio, …

Route To Persuasion In The Elaboration Likelihood Model: The Role Of Self-Esteem, Hilary Salander

Honors Theses

The current study aimed to explore the relationship between the two routes to persuasion proposed in the Elaboration Likelihood Model of persuasion, the central route and the peripheral route, and an individual’s self-esteem. It was hypothesized that individuals with low self-esteem would be more likely to follow the peripheral route to persuasion due to a lack of cognitive resources needed to enter the central route, while those high in self-esteem were thought to be more likely to follow the central route. Participants were first asked to fill out a series of three short questionnaires, one of which was the Rosenberg …

Discovery Of Timbuktu: Geopolitical Rivalries And Myths, Katherine Van Meter

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the exploration and discovery of Timbuktu primarily focusing on the travels and narrative of René Caillié the first European to publish his successful journey to Timbucku in 1828. Timbuktu since the thirteenth century had become a romantic mystery for Europeans and stimulated massive interest in its discovery by major geographical Societies. Through a mixture of primary and secondary sources I am able to analyze the geopolitical rivalries and myths surrounding Timbuktu that would instigate the travels of twenty-five English, fourteen Frenchmen, two Americans and one German which the majority of resulted in death. Examining Caillié’s published narrative …

Bartenders Know Best: An In-Depth Analysis Of The Impact Of Tourism On Local Barbadian Culture, Pearl E. Jurist-Schoen

Honors Theses

The purpose of my thesis is, through my own field research, to analyze the impact of tourism on local Barbadian culture. Caribbean tourism draws strong criticisms from anthropologists due to the region’s geographical location and environmental landscape, its history of colonialism, and the economic vulnerabilities that result from the wealth discrepancy between the local people and the tourists that vacation there. On the very small and densely populated island of Barbados, nearly every person is impacted by tourism. The focus of my ethnography is the cultural exchanges between guests and hosts, most specifically bartenders. A bar harbors many important elements …

The Military-Industrial Complex: Tracing The Effects Of Defense Production On General Electrics Growth Wwii-1970, Jeffrey Lounsbury

Honors Theses

This thesis examines General Electric's role within the Military-Industrial Complex from World War II to 1970, with a particular focus on how defense work affected General Electric’s growth during this period. The study relies heavily on two General Electric publications, the company's annual reports and The General Electric Monogram, and is also based on a number of secondary sources. For purposes of analysis, this thesis has been divided into three periods: WWII-1952, 1953-1961, and 1962-1970. Each section details General Electric's work as a defense contractor, indicates what portion of the company's total sales was from defense production, and describes how …