Business Commons^™

Assessing Leadership In Business – Finance: A Critical Investigation Of Jamie Dimon, Kelly Finn

Honors Scholar Theses

Jamie Dimon became the CEO of J.P. Morgan Chase over a decade ago at age 49. Since, Jamie has earned his place as the world’s top, longest-reigning Wall Street leader. That said, Jamie Dimon was not always as successful as his title and reputation might suggest. In 1998, he was fired from his position as CEO of Citigroup by his own decade-long mentor, Sandy Weill (Dealbook, 2014). It is precisely Jamie’s ability to overcome this major career obstacle that threatened his reputation and career success. The way he handled his own firing with professionalism, strategy, and resiliency enabled his rebound …

Assessing Leadership In Business – Marketing: A Critical Investigation Of Reed Hastings, Nolan Mcandrew

Honors Scholar Theses

Understanding what makes a good leader is a topic of ongoing interest in the practice of business. Research to-date has distinguished between being a manager and being a leader and has also established a set of principles to consider in assessing leadership. In this thesis, I draw upon principles of leadership, including emotional intelligence; vision creation; inspiring others; leading in good and difficult times; fostering, developing and recognizing others; and creating a winning culture to offer a critical assessment of Reed Hastings as a leader within the business arena.

Creative Micro-Entrepreneurship In Practice: Exploring Digital Tools For Small Creative Businesses, Olivia Messina

Honors Scholar Theses

For the scope of this thesis, my focus is on independently owned businesses

run by “creative micro-entrepreneurs.” I’m using this term, coined by the digital

selling platform Etsy, to encompass artists, craftspeople, and others who sell artistic

goods and services they have made themselves. In addition to being part of this

community personally, I also think that it is important for these small businesses to

have the resources they need to thrive in our rapidly changing economy. Selling

online, clothing & accessories businesses, and cooking & baking businesses are

among the top 5 “side hustles” for Millennials, making creative small …

An Assessment Of Affirmative Action In Business, Jordan A. Kennedy

Honors Scholar Theses

Affirmative action has become an inevitable aspect of the employment hiring process. It has been put into place to assist in eradicating the institutionalized discrimination that inherently exists in such practices. On the surface, affirmative action may appear to be something that is beneficial to both the hiring institution and the individual; it seems to be a win-win situation because the business is creating a more diverse workplace and the individual is getting a job that they desired. However, the way that affirmative action is practiced may prevent its overall effectiveness. For example, there are several fundamental flaws with this …

Usage Of Derivatives In Business Today, Duston J. Hodgkins

Honors Scholar Theses

Derivatives were created as a method of hedging risks. Yet in today's society, derivatives have taken on many new roles, and with it have systemically changed the way the financial industry operates. Warren Buffett called these powerful tools "financial weapons of mass destruction." No longer do these tools simply mitigate risks; instead, they are creating new and potentially lethal risks. How did their usage shift from risk management? This thesis delves into what actions occurred over the past half century that drove derivatives usage to what is facing the market today. Through the exploration of major successes and failures of …

Accounting For Goodwill Pre&Post Sfas 142 And The Implications For Earnings Management, Liang Jian Wu

Honors Scholar Theses

This thesis explores how impairment charges driven by management assessment have led to the possibility of earnings management under the SFAS 142 standard. The goal of carrying out this research is to help the user understand the implications behind allowing management to judge impairment charges (US GAAP) versus pre SFAS 142 when intangibles such as a goodwill were amortized (currently IFRS).

How has SFAS 142 opened the door for earnings management? If there is evidence to prove this assumption, then what factors drive management's impairment decisions. This information is pertinent to investors when analyzing a potential investment as goodwill can …

The Process Of Starting A Business, Joyce Aparicio

Honors Scholar Theses

Many students are inspired to start their own business venture after taking some courses in school or simply just taking an idea and turning it into a business. The beginning process is usually most difficult in terms of establishing a functioning business, getting the right connections, and avoiding discouragement to follow through with the business. That is why many businesses fall into the categories of starting, failing along the process, or failing to get started. There is a lot to be learned from the process of starting a business venture.

In addressing this issue, some of the questions this research …