Business Commons^™

Diverse Analyses Of Accounting: A Series Of Case Studies, Hannah Harris

Honors Theses

This thesis consists of a diverse variety of case studies surrounded accounting and accounting-related issues. The first five cases span a broad range of topics, such as 9/11 and COVID-19 and their effects on the accounting industry. The last five cases, which were completed as a team, provide an in-depth analysis of Goldman Sachs, mostly through the team’s study of their 2020 and 2021 financial statements. These cases provide an overview of the company and the team’s suggested improvements in each line of service—audit, tax, advisory, and risk advisory. Through these cases, I was provided a much deeper insight into …

The Implementation Of An Authenticity Clause In Social Media Influencers' Contracts, Sarah Tonos

Honors Theses

In the age of social media influencers turning social media platforms into jobs– monetizing pictures of their cats, dancing for dollars, or even making a mockery of themselves for fame and money, the question of whom to trust or distrust has become increasingly important among consumers. As more brands are starting to collaborate with influencers, it is essential to acknowledge the current relationship among all parties involved, including the Federal Trade Commission. There is currently a blurred line among trust, distrust, authenticity, and reliability during sponsorships. The common question among consumers is whether social media influencers believe in the brand …

The Impact Of Wine Nutrition And Ingredient Labeling On Consumers’ Attitudes And Purchase Intentions, Kara Tate

Honors Theses

Current TTB regulations do not require that US wine producers display nutrition and ingredient labeling on their wine labels. However, recent attempts at passing legislation to mandate that such information be provided on labels in the EU suggests that US policy makers will soon follow suit. Research on how this addition would impact consumers has been scarce and has been primarily conducted in Europe, but what is available suggests that consumers are unaware of the nutritional values in a glass of wine and many do not look at the back label when selecting a bottle to purchase. We conducted a …

The 2017 Tax Cuts And Jobs Act: Analyzing Its Financial Impact On Division I Universities, Judge Nash Mcwithey

Honors Theses

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has had a substantial impact in the United States since its inception in 2017. This tax code overhaul has had a profound effect on the way Division I universities operate their athletic department operations and fundraising efforts. By creating new channels of federal tax revenues and eliminating deductions, such as the “80/20” premium seating deduction that has been used by universities, athletic programs have already begun to see a shift in how they must operate. This modification is done in order to avoid any major repercussions from the new tax code. This thesis discusses …

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 …

Permissions Between Creators And Users: An Investigation Of Particulars In Privacy Policies For Mobile Apps, Abbigail Griffith

Honors Theses

Mobile apps create a space for users to share information with other users and, in doing so, the creators of the applications. Generally, the greater amount of sharing information that occurs between users and creators enhances the experience of the apps for both parties. However, the extent to which mobile apps use this information can cause concerns with users about privacy due to the unknown practices of mobile apps relevant to data collection, data sharing, and data storage.

Documents, such as privacy policies, exist in attempts to moderate these concerns. Additionally, mobile apps offer in-app features for the same reasons. …

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 …

What The Sarbanes-Oxley Act Does Not Include: An Examination Of The Importance Of Audit Firm Rotation, Audit Firm Credibility And Tone At The Top, Nicole Damaschi

Honors Theses

This thesis is an examination of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) that was passed in response to a wave of accounting frauds, including Enron and WorldCom. Paul Sarbanes and Michael Oxley established SOX in an attempt to restore investors' confidence in the financial statements of publicly traded companies. However, there are critical elements of financial reporting that it fails to address, like audit firm rotation, audit firm credibility and management's tone at the top. Mandatory audit firm rotation and credible audit firms are believed to result in high-quality audits while management's tone at the top is reflected through the honesty and …

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, …

A Comparative Analysis Of Human Rights Laws In The United States And Australia, Emily F. Chalifoux

Honors Theses

Discrimination does not make good business sense; it causes tension and a decrease in productivity. Even though human rights laws vary from country to country, conforming with these laws makes business more cohesive and productive. Some of the many benefits include:

• Increase the pool of potential employees and, therefore, the chances of getting the best person for the job,

• Build morale and productivity of employees

• Minimize complaints, disruptions and legal wrangles, leaving employees to focus on their work, and

• Add to the bottom line and build the company's reputation in the community.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze …

The Potential Effects Of The Trans-Atlantic Common Aviation Area On Shannon Airport, Ireland, Daniel James Centilli

Honors Theses

The Trans-Atlantic Aviation Area is a proposed liberalization of the air services agreements known as bilateral agreements between the United States of America and the member states of the European Union. The new agreement would replace the restrictive bilateral and Open Skies bilateral agreements between the United States and the EU with a single comprehensive agreement. The emergence of true open skies between the US and EU creates many economic opportunities and some economic threats. One such threat is the situation faced by the Shannon Airport, Ireland. Under the current US/Ireland bilateral, Shannon's existence is protected by requiring US carriers …

A Comparative Study Of The Truth In Lending Act, Robert R. Riggins

Honors Theses

Consumer credit probably began in the United States early in the nineteenth century, but it has only in recent years acquired such a position of social and economic imminence. Today, credit is an integral part of our life style and the volume of consumer credit sales reaches monumental proportions.

Though credit use has benefits, the unwise use of credit has serious ramifications. Little can be done to protect the consumer from himself, so attention must focus on protecting the consumer-borrower from the lender. The full-disclosure facet of the Act assures consumer-borrowers that they will be informed as to the real …