Business Commons^™

The Effects Of Local Government Gaap Regulation On Audit Market Concentration, Auditor Specialization, And Audit Fees, Alfred A. Yebba

Dissertations - ALL

This study examines the effects of financial statement disclosure regulation on auditor market concentration and audit fees. I compare auditor industry concentration rates between municipalities reporting under the Single Audit Act in the state of Michigan, which requires all local governments to follow GAAP reporting, with concentration rates in Pennsylvania, which has unregulated reporting. Using both an interstate comparison as well as examining a policy change in the unregulated environment, I find evidence suggesting that auditor concentration is related to disclosure mandates. Through survey data, I then explore the impact of reporting regulation on audit fees. My findings suggest GAAP …

Financing Small Market Baseball: A Case Study Of The Auburn Doubledays, Derek Wohlfarth

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Professional baseball has been played in Auburn, New York, since 1958, but over the last few years, the team has experienced a period of financial losses. The biggest hit was in 2013, when the team lost $125,000. The City of Auburn, which owns the team, no longer has the money to support the franchise, so in order to keep baseball in Auburn, the team must become self-sufficient. Auburn is the second-smallest market in the league, so the community needs to get behind the team in order for it to stay in operation. New management came in for the 2014 season …

Rebranding Hillel At Syracuse University, Marisa Bunis

Honors Capstone Projects - All

My rebranding of Hillel at Syracuse University was a multi-step process. First, I had to understand what rebranding truly meant – what made a successful rebranding, what to avoid during a rebranding, etc. I gained this critical knowledge by reflecting on my education as an advertising major and consulting credible online sources on the topic. The next step was to gain a deeper understanding of my client, Hillel at Syracuse University. I again drew insights from my own experience as a student highly involved in the organization, and I also learned critical information from resources provided to me by Brian …

Map Centered Analysis Of San Francisco Crime Trends, Brittany Moore

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The original purpose of my Capstone was to analyze crime statistics in San Francisco to draw conclusions that could help prevent crime. I chose to analyze crime statistics in my hometown because I believe that using a place that I’m familiar with and engaging in a project that would be addressing a problem that has affected my family would help to motivate me. I’m also deeply passionate about using data analysis skills in ways that will directly improve the human condition. I did this by accessing a dataset online, using R Program Language and creating maps of relationships of crimes …

Instagram: Builiding A Following In Niche Audiences And Captivating Strangers Utilizing Visual Social Media, Maia Henderson

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, are used by advertisers to create brand identity and connect with consumers on a personal level. With the invention of Instagram however, fashion enthusiasts have been able to create their own visual accounts and build a following within a niche community. They don’t have to represent a specific brand or be sponsored, yet they are followed by many because of the quality of their content and by utilizing certain Instagram conventions. There is no known formula about how these accounts become so popular. These “Instafamous” accounts resonate deeply with their followers and …

Viewability: An Exaggerated Crisis, Jared Rosen

Honors Capstone Projects - All

This thesis addresses the ongoing debate surrounding Viewability within the digital advertising industry. Since advertising is the lifeblood of many publishers and sites across the web, it is vital that brands and marketers derive value from this relationship. The Media Rating Council and Making Measurement Make Sense Movement both over exaggerate the value of Viewability in the digital advertising marketplace. By examining a plethora of articles and regulatory standards, I have been able to conclude that Viewability is a soft metric that does not provide media insights into the success of a given campaign. By conducting interviews and reviewing articles …

Race And Gender In Public Relations: A Qualitative Analysis Of The Experiences Of Women And Women Of Color In Pr, Emelia Armstead

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The purpose of this research project was to better understand the state of diversity in the PR industry by examining the unique experience of women and women of color working in PR. Using qualitative coding methods, five blogs by both women of color and White women were coded to determine emergent themes. While some themes were consistent among all authors, other trends emerged only among White women or women of color, respectively. From the personal and professional experiences of these women, these themes offered insights into the effects of both race and gender on the experience of female PR professionals.

More Than Just A Game: From Regional Sports Rivalry To Separatist Politics, Ruitong Zhou

Honors Capstone Projects - All

In the Capstone, I will explore one of the most intense football clashes in history: El Clásico (The Classic), which refers to a match-up between Real Madrid C.F. and FC Barcelona. When these most successful football clubs meet on the field for 90 minutes of intense action, it soon becomes very clear that this is much more than just a game or just sports. The field can be seen as a battleground, and the game could be a substitute for war between two ideologies, cultures, and social classes. This rivalry has a real and profound political tone, which goes back …

The Role Of Investor Relations In Crisis Communications, Rebecca Leigh Warren

Honors Capstone Projects - All

By the end of the 2000s, Domino’s Pizza Inc. was facing decreasing sales and a dwindling stock price, as consumers were frequently disappointed in the quality of the chain’s food. In April 2009, the pizza giant was faced with a sudden crisis when a YouTube video surfaced showing employees contaminating food with bodily functions.

This study will focus on the events following the crisis. Specifically, the study will examine Dominos’ unique pivot towards a transparent communications strategy in hopes of revitalizing its business model and its share price.

The methodology used to explore Domino’s new communications approach includes an in-depth …

Graphtracker: A User Opt-In Approach To Web Tracking, Kevin Daniel Aziz

Honors Capstone Projects - All

The web is a collection of interconnected documents and sites. A user will often jump not just from one site to another, but from one site to two or three others. How we explore the web is just as important as what we explore and what we discover as a result. In computer science, graphs are used to represent relationships between entities. By applying this concept to web tracking, graphs can capture the relationships between the sites we visit. We are building GraphTracker to tackle the difficult problem of tracking a user’s web activity. GraphTracker builds a “browsing graph” to …

Examining The Relationship Between Ethical Strategies And Consumer Perceptions In The New Age Of Social Technology, Anabelle Uy

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Technology’s growing influence on the daily lives of individuals in modern society is ubiquitous. The increased demand for transparency in business has affected not only consumer perception but the ethical strategies of firms as well. Today, consumer trends illustrate the importance of ethically sourced products and services. They use the platform of technology to gather and disseminate company information and discuss their satisfaction, or lack thereof, with the ethical strategies of firms. This higher value placed on ethical practices and transparency has transformed our previous viewpoint of conventional business. Firms must be able to meet the demands of consumers to …

Technology Transfer And The Instrumentality Of Bayh-Dole: A Comparative Study Of Patent And Publishing Data, 1973-2007, Ethan M. Rothschild

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Technology transfer is the process by which universities and other higher education institutions (HEIs) channel discovered knowledge and innovations into commercialization. Increasing commercialization has been a feature of HEIs in the United States, especially, for the last several decades. A turning point can be seen with the passage of what is known as the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980. This landmark piece of legislation allowed universities to keep licensing rights from federally funded projects, an institutional ownership model that spurred innovation. HEIs with medical schools are especially affected due to the lucrative nature of biotechnology.

One such measure of innovation and, …

The Rising Power Of The Renminbi As A Trade Currency In The Asean Countries, Brian Cheung

Honors Capstone Projects - All

This paper looks at the renminbi as a trade settlement currency in the countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The paper first looks at the trade picture in ASEAN, and how the old trade dynamics with the United States were broken down during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. In the ensuing power vacuum, China started to replace the United States as a trade partner, growing today to become even larger of a trade partner than the U.S ever was. The following section explores the role of the growth of the renminbi in use as a trade …

Incorporating Google Glass With Emergency Medical Services, Davis Cho

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Technology's integration into the Emergency Medical Field has been lifesaving. Quicker response time, treatment, and transport to the hospital have been possible through the help of new technology. Telemedicine is not new, but the way it is communicated is evolving. What is unique about using Google Glass for EMS is it would not restrict the user's mobility or function, which is incredibly important for First Responders who might need two hands to do compressions for CPR. My Capstone Project will give First Responders, such as Paramedics and EMTs, an extra set of hands through utilizing Google Glass.