Business Commons^™

Two Essays In Empirical Asset Pricing, Abdullah M. Noman

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation consists of two essays. The first essay investigates the ability of prior returns, relative to some aggregate market returns, to predict future returns on industry style portfolios. By pooling time series of returns across industries for the period between July 1969 and June 2012, we find that prior returns differential predicts one month ahead returns negatively, even in the presence of a set of popular state variables. The predictability remains significant and negative for up to 5 month ahead returns. The predictability is shown to be robust to alternative specifications, estimation methodology and industry classifications. A possible explanation …

Analysis Of Investment Strategies: A New Look At Investment Returns, Jose F. Rubio

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1:

Intuition suggests that constraint investment strategies will result in losses due to a limited portfolio allocation. Yet prior research has shown that this is not the case for a particular set of constraint mutual funds so-called Socially Responsible Investing, SRI. In this paper I show that such assets do face loses to portfolio efficiency due to their limited asset universe. I contribute to the literature by employing two techniques to estimate asset performance. First, I estimate a DEA based efficiency score that allows for direct comparison between ex-post efficiency rankings and test the ex-ante relevance of such scores …

Six Sigma, Firm Performance And Returns Predictability In Emerging Real Estate Market, Bora Ozkan

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two essays. First essay investigates Fortune 500 companies that implemented Six Sigma. Since the 1980s, industrial organizations have adopted practices such as Six Sigma to maintain and enhance competitiveness. The purpose of this study is to look at the long run stock price and the operating performance of Fortune 500 companies that were identified to have implemented Six Sigma compared to the overall market performance as well as the performance of industry and size matched firms. Even though our sample firms improved several variables after implementing Six Sigma, their operating performances were not quite close to …

Mobile Museum Of Art, Glenn Bingham

Arts Administration Master's Reports

The following internship report is an investigation of the organizational structure of the Mobile Museum of Art from January 2013 to August 2013. During the internship, I was able to work in several different capacities, from volunteer coordinating, to marketing, to programming. This report analyzes several aspects within these fields, including the organization’s brand, marketing strategies, and educational structure as they shift under new management. Based on my observations, I will offer recommendations for programming, marketing, and volunteer management, and compare the current structure to best practices of other museums and similar organizations. Through this extensive analysis I will also …

Denver Art Museum: Creating Interactive And Educational Experiences In The Museum Setting, Sarah Clinton

Arts Administration Master's Reports

The following report documents my internship at the Denver Art Museum from June to August 2013 in Denver, Colorado. This report is a result of my work with the multiple divisions in the Education Department. I worked in depth with a variety of programs, which facilitated and encouraged new and exciting methods of education to a wide range of audiences. This report will be an in depth examination of the effectiveness of interactive educational programing by first discussing the goals and purposes of each one. There will then be an explanation of the intern’s responsibilities and observations within the department. …

89.9fm Wwno - New Orleans Public Radio: An Internship Report, Hallie Sheck

Arts Administration Master's Reports

This report is the result of multiple positions I held during a period of time with WWNO 89.9 FM, New Orleans Public Radio. The bulk of the information that lent to the analysis of this organization was gathered during a six month long internship, from January 2013 until June of the same year, totaling 480 hours. Before beginning this internship, however, I was hired by the station to be a student worker, and since the completion of the internship, have continued my work as a contracted development and membership assistant. Thus, the scope of this report spans more than two …

The Alabama Ballet: A Master's Examination Report, Alison Heath

Arts Administration Master's Reports

This report investigates the successes and shortcomings of an established and financially stable arts organization, and analyzes the position of the organization within the greater whole of the arts community. Alabama Ballet is a 501(c)(3) taxexempt non-profit organization located in Birmingham, Alabama. Alabama Ballet strives to offer high quality, professional dance in the state of Alabama through dance programming, education programs, and outreach efforts. The exploration and discovery took place during a 480-hour Internship while working as an Administrative Intern within the organization. This report explores the strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for organizational improvement based on studies and knowledge gained …

A Report On The New Orleans Center For Creative Arts, Justin Shiels

Arts Administration Master's Reports

In order to maintain relevance, arts organizations must continuously evolve to fulfill the needs of an ever--‐changing consumer landscape. The following paper documents Justin Shiels’ internship with the New Orleans Center of Creative Art (NOCCA), in furtherance of the degree requirements for the Master of Arts in Arts Administration. NOCCA is a regional, pre--‐professional arts training center that offers students intensive arts and academic instruction. Through analysis of current operations, SWOT analysis, and best practices model, this report will explore the core competencies for established arts organizations and the methods of shifting from a good organization to a great organization.

Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans: A Time Of Transition, Christy A. Hedlund

Arts Administration Master's Reports

As part of the degree requirements for a Master of Arts in Arts Administration, this paper is an analytical discussion of my experience and observations as an intern for the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans, LA from January to June 2013. The Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) is a non-collecting, multidisciplinary arts center dedicated to the presentation, production and promotion of contemporary art.

With a shift in executive leadership, changes in staff, and a plan for rebranding the image of the organization, the CAC finds itself in a period of great transition. This paper will examine the various effects of …

Three Essays In Financial Economics, Ivan F. Julio

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Financial Market Development On Holdings Of Us Assets And Equity Carve-Outs And Macroeconomic Activity, Ravigsida Dorcas Compaore

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The first part of this dissertation examines the impact of financial development on different countries holdings of U.S securities. The difference between the US weight in the global market capitalization and the US weight in developed and developing countries is tested through a panel data analysis. We find that most countries tend to overweight their US debt portfolio which is strongly related to their financial market development. When holdings of US debts and equity are low, financial market development is high; in developing countries, holding less US equity in their portfolio causes country to get better financial development. In developed …

Two Essays On The Efficiency, Diversification, And Performance Of Financial Institutions, Abu Khan

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In the first chapter I investigate the change in operating performance, efficiency and value addition of US bank merger and acquisition after GLBA. I extend the previous research by combining all the previous methodology used in merger literature and added a new methodology namely Expected EVA improvement. I will test whether these performance metrics have similar results or the performance of merger vary depending on the measurements. I will also examine the factors that have significant impact on the change in the banks’ performance.

My results show that industry-adjusted operating performance of merged banks increases significantly after a merger.I also …

Southern Rep (Internship Report), Marlene Thian

Arts Administration Master's Reports

Since its inception in 1986, Southern Rep has maintained a formidable reputation for providing quality artistic programming as a nonprofit theatre company. Despite this status, dwindling government funding for arts in the United States combined with a decline in earned revenue and audience attendance has impacted Southern Rep’s operations. The result is an increased need for development and fundraising activities.

The purpose of this report is to document my internship with Southern Rep from September 4, 2012 through June 5, 2013. My assessment is written from the perspective of an Arts Administrator functioning in a development capacity. By identifying Southern …

Ogden Museum Of Southern Art: An Internship Report, Jane Marie Dawkins

Arts Administration Master's Reports

The following internship report is a documentation of my work with the Ogden Museum of Southern Art from January through April 2013. I worked closely with the Museum departments of Education and Development, as well as the Deputy Director. This report is an analysis of the different business and management methods of the organization and their fidelity to best museum practices. I will analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the museum. I will also touch on the recent history of the Museum; what I observed currently; and the direction I see the museum heading in its future.

From So-So To Sofabulous: Southern Food And Beverage Museum, Jennifer Stierman Edwards

Arts Administration Master's Reports

The Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization opened in 2008 as a “nonprofit living history organization dedicated to the discovery, understanding and celebration of the food, drink and the related culture of the South.” Today, in 2013, it is pushing for a more global scope as The SoFAB Institute, now “dedicated to the discovery, understanding and celebration of the food, drink and culture of the world through the eyes of the South!” The changes in its mission statement reflect its proposed transition. It hopes to evolve from a local tourist …

The New Orleans Ballet Association, Brooke Alicia Barrios

Arts Administration Master's Reports

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the central issues and management structure of the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA), apply them to industry best practices, and make recommendations for improvement. The initial investigation occurred during a 480-hour internship in the Education Department from January-April 2013, under NOBA’s Executive Director and Education Coordinators. The thesis is enhanced through a prior 240-hour practicum in the Development department and position as Site Monitor for the Pre-Professional Program, which provided hands-on experience. The thesis will show a working knowledge of the organization, reflection on its practices, and a look towards the future.

A Report On An Internship With The Wall Street Zhongwen, Jiayin Guo

Arts Administration Master's Reports

The following internship report is based on my experience as administrative assistant to the Principal of Wall Street Zhongwen (hereinafter referred to as “WSZ”) during the spring semester of 2013. Wall Street Zhongwen is a Chinese-language school with a multifaceted mission and staff. It is based in the Financial District of New York City in the heart of Wall Street culture.

I will focus on a critical, descriptive analysis of the organization with a S.W.O.T analysis, best practices of educational institutions comparisons, and recommendations for the development of Wall Street Zhongwen.

Empirical Examination Of Quantitative Easing In Monetary Policy And Earning Management Of Financial Markets And Institutions, Ali Ashraf

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In the first chapter, I analyze the impact of changes in aggregate holding in special asset purchase programs by Federal Reserve Systems (FED) as an alternate monetary policy at aggregate level. Later, to complement the analysis of monetary impact at aggregate level, I also analyze the impact of monetary actions at bank stock level with a set of 186 banks. First, for the overall sample period, expected monetary shock has positive effect on bank stock return; however, unexpected shock component has otherwise negative impact. Second, during both conventional and QE regime, monetary shocks are not significant in explaining weekly stock …

European Stock Market Contagion During Sovereign Debt Crisis And The Effects Of Macroeconomic Announcements On The Correlations Of Gold,Dollar And Stock Returns, Ziyu Li

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The first part of this dissertation examines the presence of the financial contagion across European stock markets with respect to the Greece sovereign debt crisis by estimating the time-varying conditional correlations of stock returns between Greece and other European countries over 2001 to 2012. We find that the correlations vary over time and reach the peaks in the late 2008 during theU.S.subprime crisis, and in the beginning of 2010 of the height of European debt crisis. Further, the correlations between stock index returns of Greece and Spain, France, Ireland, Netherlands are significantly increased by Greek sovereign credit rating downgrade announcements. …

Essay 1:Imf Lending And The Emerging Markets' Governance Structure. Essay 2: Specialization Constructs Among Business Incubators, Bridgette M. Bain

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to observe and analyze whether the value system and political structure of a nation, gauged through its legal configuration, impacts its response to IMF debt and consequently impacts its GDP growth rates. This paper also analyzes whether involvement in the fund through a loan relationship affects the country’s real interest rate, inflation, exchange rate and import and export volume and whether this relationship is causal in that we can explain a nation’s loan relationship with the Fund through observance of the aforementioned variables. In this paper, we observe 34 emerging markets as defined by …

Two Essays In Financial Economics, Eric J. Osmer

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two essays: the first investigates informed trading in the Chinese stock exchanges, and the second examines the persistency of correlation of currency future prices.

For the first essay, using a sample of Chinese firms dual-listed in both the China mainland stock exchange and the Hong Kong stock exchange, I investigate the two types of informed trading - insider trading and trading derived from better analysis in the A-and H-share markets. The results suggest that H-shares have relatively more informed trading based on better analysis. In addition, the results from the firm size regression can also be …

Examining Exchange Rate Exposure, Hedging And Executive Compensation In Us Manufacturing Industry, Mohammad N. Rahman

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In essay one, my primary objective is to see the sensitivity of foreign exchange rate risk on firm performance in US manufacturing industry and examine if the hedging help reduce the foreign exchange rate risk. I am particularly interested in manufacturing industry because of the nature of business operation of manufacturing firms. Manufacturing firms in US are not only exposed to foreign exchange fluctuation from sales and revenue but also are exposed to foreign exchange rate risk for procurement, placement and investment. I find that the firms with extreme foreign exchange rate risk exposure exhibit lower daily return and firms …

Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans (Cac): Past, Present, And A Vision Towards The Future, Jennifer L. Francino

Arts Administration Master's Reports

Today’s arts nonprofits are navigating a challenging landscape where competition for funding and audiences is on the rise. To intensify this issue, rates of participation in the arts have declined and funders have raised the bar requiring that nonprofits demonstrate higher levels of accountability concerning results and mission achievement. These conditions have caused nonprofits to assess their leadership, community relevancy, program effectiveness, and management practices. Consequently, audience engagement has become a prominent topic in the field, with a growing body of research and varying perspectives. Arts nonprofits are experimenting with an array of strategies and activities to increase participation. New …

The New Orleans Museum Of Art: Connecting A Cultural Legacy To The Community Through Interpretation And Audience Engagement, L. Sullivan

Arts Administration Master's Reports

The following report is the result of an internship with the oldest fine art institute in the city of New Orleans. I had the opportunity to work at the New Orleans Museum of Art within the Department of Interpretation and Audience Engagement. Over the course of this internship, I observed the staff of this prolific organization create and facilitate educational experiences and public programming relating to special exhibitions and the permanent collection while appealing to all ages and supporting the Museum’s mission. This report seeks to summarize the history of the institution, outline particular programs, and to define the importance …

San Antonio Museum Of Art: Addressing The Needs Of Cultural Consumers In The 21st Century, Katherine Hoffpauir Marquette

Arts Administration Master's Reports

In January of 2012, I began an internship with the San Antonio Museum of Art. At the time, the Education Department was engrossed in an audience research study, designed to strengthen the Museum’s understanding of its constituents. This study was my entry-point into the organization and where all my efforts were focused over the course of my internship. This paper includes: an organizational summary; an account of my internship experiences; a SWOT analysis; a review of industry best practices; and recommendations based on observations acquired over the course of my internship.