Business Commons^™

Realizing Edgar: Eliminating Information Asymmetries Through Artificial Intelligence Analysis Of Sec Filings, Ryan H. Giarusso

Honors Program Theses

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) maintains a publicly-accessible database of all required filings of all publicly traded companies. Known as EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval), this database contains documents ranging from annual reports of major companies to personal disclosures of senior managers. However, the common user and particularly the retail investor are overwhelmed by the deluge of information, not empowered. EDGAR as it currently functions entrenches the information asymmetry between these retail investors and the large financial institutions with which they often trade. With substantial research staffs and budgets coupled to an industry standard of “playing …

The Impact Of Terrorism On Commercial Office Real Estate In Manhattan, Madeline M. O'Donnell

Honors Program Theses

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks (“9/11”) caused major loss of human life, financial resources, and infrastructure. Within hours, over 30 million square feet of real estate in Downtown Manhattan was lost, creating an unprecedented change in supply and demand for real estate in the area. Hundreds of companies were directly affected by the loss of their offices and business fixtures, and were forced to quickly develop plans for how and where to resume work (“A Look at Former World Trade Center Tenants,” 2002). Property owners – many of whom owned the then damaged or nonexistent buildings as ground leases …

The Business Of Fraud, Jessica Marie Berkshire

Honors Program Theses

This paper will focus on fraud within companies in order to discover overarching themes of why, when, and where corporate fraud occurs. Fraud has significant financial, economic, and social implications that negatively impact a company’s business standing. Research will be based on recent frauds that have been tried through the United States Attorney’s office. Correlations will be drawn regarding the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission’s (COSO) framework, which is a foundation for companies who want to improve their internal controls. Based on the comparisons between the COSO framework and recent fraud activity, individual COSO principles can be …

Organizational Culture: An Analysis Of The Aggregate Impact On Financial Performance, Arijan Alagic

Honors Program Theses

Strong organizational culture, although an intangible asset, can produce tangible gains for businesses in the form of stock returns. This study uses Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work for in America to identify companies with strong organizational culture. Of those 100, I used the stock performance of 20 public companies who have (1) been on the list for at least 10 years and (2) have been publicly traded for at least 10 years. Each of the companies is assigned a matching industry sector and the returns are compared to the overall stock market, represented by the S&P 500. From …

The Professional Development Of Students Through Global Experiences, Myle Duong

Honors Program Theses

As globalization increases from advancing technologies and innovation, more businesses are entering the international market. With this, comes a demand for a culturally competent workforce. To possess cross cultural skills, college students must develop Cultural Intelligence. According to the Cultural Intelligence Center, Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is defined as the ability to relate and work effectively in culturally diverse situations. Research shows that college students who go abroad have a higher probability of standing out to employers due to the knowledge and risks associated with going global, and make further efforts to immerse themselves in cultures (10 Benefits to Studying Abroad). …

Cedar Falls Community Main Street: A Gap Analysis Of Customer & Business Owner Perceptions, Cassie Evers

Honors Program Theses

Cedar Falls, Iowa is a small town of approximately 40,000 people, which has a traditional Main Street district, lined by historic buildings filled with shops, restaurants, offices, and apartments alike (“Current Cedar Falls, Iowa Population, Demographics and Stats”). This main street district is managed by an organization called Community Main Street. Cedar Falls Community Main Street (CMS) has done extensive research to gain an understanding of their market by surveying customers. However, they lack information on their business owners and managers’ opinions. This study focused on surveying area business owners to provide valuable information about business leaders’ opinions to Community …

Protests, Pageants, And Publications: Narratives Of Labor Agitators, 1913-1914, Jayme Edmund

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the vast historiography on the American labor movement workers have been treated as noble artisans, brave unionists, martyrs to the cause of unionization, and losers in the triumph of the “free market”. They have not been treated as historians producing their own stories. In crafting their own narratives labor activists acted as historians, reaching beyond recent events to contextualize their struggles and create a narrative that would mobilize both labor and non-labor audiences behind their goals. They offered a vision of the past as leading to present or recent problems and framed unions or labor solidarity as the solution …

Career Development And Trajectories: Women In Senior-Level Management Positions In Nonprofit Organizations And Government Agencies, Jennifer Diane Stevens

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Lighting the way for women today, pioneers like Jane Addams and others have helped women make gallant strides in the field of human and leisure services for the past 50 years. These women took necessary steps towards equality, which ultimately led to changes in attitudes of women, attitudes towards women, and gender roles. Women now make up half of the workforce and are accepted in all sectors today.

However, inequality still exists through transparent barriers that keep women from advancing to senior-level management and decision-making positions. Elements such as family, education, and organizational and personal factors can positively or negatively …

Certified Nonprofit Professionals Early Career Decisions And College Student Loan Debt, Kristina Elizabeth-Ann Kofoot

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the United States today college students graduate with more than $35,000 in student loan debt (Berman, 2015). There is little research as to what the impact of this debt has had on the career choices and trajectories of these graduates particularly those considering entering the nonprofit sector. The nonprofit sector serves millions of people across the United States every year (National Center for Charitable Statistics, 2016). In order to stay current, these organizations need to hire highly qualified professionals. The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA) offers a professional credential to students that enter their program. This credential titled Certified Nonprofit …

Aquatic Managers Of Northeast Iowa : A Description Of Current Practices Of Staff Training And Implementation Detailing Competencies, Frequency, And Evaluation, Tracy N. Carey

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study is to identify and describe how aquatic managers implement aquatic staff training and development. According to the American Society for Training and Development, U.S. organizations spend more than $50 billion annually on employee training. Organizations place an important emphasis on training and development for their employees. Aquatic facilities play an important role in the communities they serve. Operating an aquatic facility has become increasingly more complex in recent years due to new technology with filtration systems, differentiating certifications and facility regulations.

Therefore, aquatic managers must ensure their lifeguards are capable and competent of doing everything …