Accounting Commons^™

Don't Make Me Look Bad: A Study On The Relationship Between Ceo Narcissism And Opinion Shopping, Ali Jon Kooti

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

CEO narcissism has become an urgent growing trend in business and accounting literature lately due to its strategic impact on CEO behavior and decision-making. Similarly, the opportunistic behavior of audit opinion shopping is a well-known concern among U.S. and international regulators and has been the subject of academic research for decades. This study investigates the association between the two. Specifically, this study examines whether narcissistic CEOs, motivated by their need for positive self-image, recognition, and praise, as well as their fear of adverse effects on their status and compensation, engage in opinion shopping in order to avoid receiving an unfavorable …

Market Reaction Test On Banks & Brokers Based On Bitcoin Price History. A Look At National Commercial Banks And Security Broker, Exchanges, And Service Stocks Following The Most Volatile Swings In Bitcoin’S Price., Payton Earl

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines if there is an inverse correlation between Bitcoin’s most volatile price swings and national commercial banks and security brokers, exchanges and service companies performance. Company performance in the dataset is measured by Cumulative Abnormal Returns during 2021 within a two-day period where Bitcoin has had the most significant uptick and downtick events. Using a market-adjusted model for my regression, it is concluded that Bitcoin’s largest uptick event did indeed have an inversely negative effect on traditional banks and trading securities companies, as the Cumulative Abnormal Returns were negative for my 107 observations and the event was statistically …

An Analysis Of Corporate Social Responsibility And Real Earnings Management, Rachel Brassine

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Real earnings management (REM) is costly in the form of intense loan restrictions, increased interest expense, and public scrutiny. Nevertheless, companies still practice REM. Based on agency and stakeholder theories, this research predicts that as a company’s CSR score increases, REM will decrease, and this association will become more negative when a critical mass of females on the board of directors exists and when a board-level CSR committee is present. This study also predicts that when a company offers an executive incentive plan based on CSR metrics, REM will decrease, and the relationship will become more negative with a critical …

Leading Financial Indicators Of Corporate Bankruptcy, Macee Patritti

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Essays On Tax Impacts On Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance And Regional Disparity, Mei Li

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation consists of three chapters that cover topics on tax impacts on corporate finance, regional disparity and corporate governance.

Chapter 1 - How Do Net Operating Loss Carryforwards Affect Tax Impact on Corporate Capital Structure? This paper examines the impact of net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards on the tax implications of corporate capital structure. Leveraging the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), the largest tax reform in four decades, this paper investigates the effect of NOL carryforwards on firms' sensitivity to tax reforms. As NOL carryforwards have become increasingly significant since 2000, but not widely researched due …

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 …

Fixed Assets Accounting: How It Can Impact Employees, Auditors & Shareholders, Zach Markey

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this thesis, I demonstrate how the proper, or improper, accounting of fixed assets can distinctly impact employees, auditors, and shareholders of publicly traded companies. As a foundation for this thesis, I give an overview of fixed assets accounting by explaining its magnitude on the balance sheet and income statement in addition to the differences between financial and tax accounting for fixed assets. Next, I focus on three areas relating to fixed assets accounting that I find the most compelling for this thesis: capital expenditures, auditing and fraud. Each of these subtopics will share studies, procedures, and stories on how …

Financial Advising Experience, Joshua Wittenauer

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Building wealth can be easier with the help of a financial advisor. Wealth consists of assets and savings, and while there are many ways to save, there are some basic steps to get started:

1) Earn enough money to live and have some left over for saving. 2) Control your spending so you can save. 3) Invest your money in different assets – “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Cryptocurrency And The Stock Market, Can We Trust Them?, Natalie Snead

Honors College Theses

Cryptocurrency is a relatively new investment method and currency. Daily, the news media reports about its instability and the perceptions surrounding it. To provide a measure of its perceived stability and trustworthiness, I have conducted a survey of undergraduate and graduate students in various accounting courses. The questions asked in this survey are used to gauge the overall perceptions and opinions of students concerning the stock market and cryptocurrency. The survey uses a five point opinion ranking system, ranging in opinions from 1-5 (strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, and strongly agree). This survey is also used in conjunction with questions …

Case Study Summary: Johnson & Johnson And Macy's Inc., Cameron Richardson

Honors Theses

This thesis, over a one-year period, covers conclusions derived from research on two different companies: Johnson & Johnson and Macy’s Inc. Through a two-semester course taken within the scope of the honors college alongside Dr. Victoria Dickinson, I, alongside my respective group members for each company, were able to compile a thorough analysis of risks and business strategies the two corporations could identify and implement to manage present and future complications. This analysis followed standard conventions of the accounting profession, as our research was focused on identifying risks and strategies affiliated with audit, tax, and advisory services, modeling how professional …

Fraud And The Audit Expectation Gap, Samuel Pelumi Olatunde

Honors College Theses

This study seeks to explore the expectation gap Georgia Southern University business and non-business majors have toward the work of an auditor. This study aims to assess the understanding of Auditors' responsibility for preventing and detecting fraud. This study will help assess the roles of an auditor, a forensic accountant, and management in fraud detection and prevention. The study will also highlight the importance of equipping students with accounting knowledge relevant to the business environment. The research for the study is conducted through a survey questionnaire and interpreted with Excel software. The hypothesis is that students that are majoring in …

The Effect Of Nondiagnostic Information On Internal Auditor Skepticism: Capturing The Dilution Effect, Joseph Anthony Giordano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Internal auditors assigned to assess internal controls over financial reporting incorporate irrelevant information into their judgment, showing decreased skepticism when irrelevant information contradicts preconceived stereotypes of management, known as the dilution effect and attributed to the representativeness heuristic. Irrelevant information consistent with preconceived stereotypes does not decrease skepticism. In this experiment practicing internal auditors are provided an irrelevant description of the Chief Information Officer portrayed as either gregarious or introverted then subsequently receive relevant internal controls information. When the Chief Information Officer is described as gregarious, counter to common stereotypes, internal auditors assess risk as less likely to occur compared …

Bearer Negotiable Instruments: Addressing A Financial Intelligence Gap And Identifying Criminogenic Weaknesses, Hollis B. Kegg

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Bearer Negotiable Instruments (BNI) are a long-standing category of financial instruments used to transfer large amounts of money in ways that may not be subject to regulation, reporting, tracking, review, or oversight. There is limited information available on BNIs, and no evidence that any studies have been undertaken on BNIs alone, much less reported. Increasingly, BNIs are being used for illegal purposes including money laundering. This study gathers information about their characteristics, nature, purpose, legal status, and numbers. It also focuses on the crime risks associated with BNIs, the crime opportunities they facilitate, and the criminal weaknesses in the financial …

Listed Private Equity Returns: The Forecasting Power Of Premiums And Discounts, Daniel Krasemann

CMC Senior Theses

In this paper, I assess the ability of premiums and discounts to predict future listed private equity returns. I hypothesize that the premiums and discounts of the net asset value of the listed private equity funds with monthly lags hold forecasting power. I use four distinct listed private equity indices and their respective NAV P/D values for my research. To ensure my analysis is realistic in scope, I incorporate a variety of macroeconomic variables that have been proven to influence listed private equity returns. I structure my time-period analysis around the 2008-09 financial crisis. I generally find that a two-month …

A Comparison Of M&T Bank And Citizens Bank Net Income Changes During The Coronavirus Pandemic, Alex R. Glasier

Applied Economics Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic had a tremendous impact on every aspect of life, particularly within the world of banking & finance. All banks saw sharp drops in their stock prices and net income, but my hypothesis is that larger, more established banks maintained more stability during 2020 than smaller banks. This paper analyzes the income statements and balance sheets of M&T Bank (an older, more well-established bank) and Citizens Bank (a less-established bank) during this difficult time.

The first part of my thesis describes similarities and differences between M&T Bank and Citizens Bank. I explain how these similarities and differences may …

Coeur Mining Inc. A Financial Statement Analyis, Justin Czech

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This Financial Statement Analysis of Coeur Mining Inc. looks at the firms, past, present, and future projects, trends, and financial statements in order to come to a conclusion about the firm as a whole, and the stock of the firm. In this analysis, I will discuss the firm as compared to a competitor firm; Compass Minerals Inc. Through this comparison, I will decide the strength and legitimacy of the financial statements of Coeur Mining Inc.

Case Studies For Accountancy, Davis Judd

Honors Theses

This Thesis is a combination of 11 case studies written over the course of my junior year. Roughly half of these case studies were completed by myself. Case study two was completed as a group that included David Dykes, Noah Nix, and Sean Fitzhenry. Case studies six through ten were completed with Avery Andress, Josh Pearson, Olivia Meyer, and Shivani Chaudhary. These studies challenged us to research a public company and provide services for auditing, tax, and consulting. The remaining studies were a variety of research-based cases to better prepare us for the professional world. Some were more personalized to …

Case Studies In Accountancy, Michael Keene

Honors Theses

Case Studies in Accountancy is a compilation of case studies completed in fulfillment of ACCY 420. My cases are titled as followed: A Tale of Two Cities, Financial Statements, Presidential Debate, Tax Cuts and Job Act and Taxodus, Professional Interview, Financial Crisis, Case Competition Amazon Overview, Case Competition Amazon Audit Analyst, Case Competition Amazon Tax Advisor, Case Competition Amazon Advisory Consultant and Case Competition Amazon’s Equity Position. These cases covered a variety of topics in the world of accountancy as well as touching on our personal lives. In the first semester of the course, cases were typically individual before moving …

Accounting Case Studies, Jack Mcinnis

Honors Theses

Accounting Case Studies is a compilation of independent case studies performed during the Honors Accounting 420 class. The case studies consisted of multiple performed individually, and a case competition with an assigned group. The case studies I performed individually consist of an assessment between the two cities I was interested in beginning my career in, a case study about the presidential debate in 2020, an evaluation of the optimal corporate tax, a mentorship interview, and an analysis of the 2008 housing crisis in the United States. My group for the case study included my fellow classmates; Francena Sekul, Caitlyn Henry, …

Colgate-Palmolive Customer Development Finance Internship: A Collection Of Journals Entries & Testimonials Of Professional Development, Braden Byrum

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This is a collection of journal entries and testimonials to professional development that I received from my internship with Colgate-Palmolive on the Walmart team. Over the span of three months it serves as a reflection on my purpose and inflictions throughout my day to day during my internship. The skills developed during this experience are monumental in professional development but also expand into my personal life. These themes are relevant to the life ahead of me and this collection will serve as an endorsement to that.

Analysis Of Accounting: A Series Of Case Studies Examining Relevant Topics And Concepts, Jermaine Barnes Jr

Honors Theses

This thesis is a compilation of various case studies addressing relevant issues and concepts within the field of accounting. It is composed of twelve cases designed to address and analyze numerous topics that are currently relevant to the field of accounting and my future career within this field. The information presented herein addresses a wide range of necessary skills and knowledge applicable to this field, and this information was gathered through analysis and documentation of a multitude of topics, such as the Financial Crisis of 2008, the first presidential debate of the 2020 election, the various demographical trends of cities …

Climate Change And Corporate Behaviors, Lei Lei

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation consists of several chapters that span corporate disclosures on climate change-related impacts, environmental performance, common institutional ownership, and financial analyst coverage.

Chapter 1 This chapter briefly introduces this dissertation, including the motivation and structure.

Chapter 2 In this chapter, I exploit the oral and communicative nature of earnings conference calls to explore whether the discussions on climate change influence corporate environmental performance. I find strong and robust evidence that communications make firms engage more actively in environmentally beneficial investments, and thus, have better environmental profiles. Further evidence shows that mandatory disclosure may unexpectedly crowd out communications, and this …

Balance Sheet Strength: A Retrospective Analysis Of Corporate Liquidity And Solvency And Firm Stock Returns, Andrew Wraith

CMC Senior Theses

The onset COVID-19 Pandemic caused rippling effects throughout the global economy. Social distancing and stay at home orders shifted consumer demand, as the firmwide impact of these same policies led to supply chain shortages. The COVID-19 Pandemic induced a recession in 2020 that was unique from all others in US history. Throughout the beginning months of the Pandemic, firms rushed to raise debt, equity, and lines of credit, as public financing markets experienced increased volatility. How did the markets adapt to this sudden change? I examine the effect on stock returns of firmwide Balance Sheet strength as it changed throughout …

Essays In Mutual Funds, Aadhaar Verma

Doctor of Business Administration Dissertations

This dissertation examines mutual fund portfolio formation, the economic forces that determine how fund managers construct their portfolios, and the market effects of fund portfolio disclosures.

In the first chapter of my dissertation, I study how funds modify their portfolios around disclosure dates in order to cater to their investors’ non-financial preferences. Using social norms and investor boycotts surrounding tobacco and firearm sectors as a proxy for non-financial preferences, I find that these stocks experience significant negative returns on portfolio disclosure dates and significant positive returns on the day after the portfolio disclosure. I also find that funds accelerate their …

The Impact Of Target Audit Quality On The Likelihood Of Future Goodwill Impairment, Elizabeth Boyle

Dissertations

US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) require that in an acquisition, the purchaser must record a premium when the purchase price exceeds the fair value of the target’s identifiable net assets (both tangible and intangible). This premium lives on the balance sheet as an intangible asset called goodwill. Goodwill has an indefinite life, but over time it may become impaired due to overpayment of the original acquisition, unrealized synergies, changes in the business, legal issues, etc., and as a result, require a write-down. This impairment not only impacts the acquirer’s balance sheet but can also impact the market value of …

Budget Gaming: Politics, Ethics, And Compensation, Gretchen Decker

Dissertations

Practitioners are frustrated with the budgeting process, frequently complaining that budgets cause undesirable and political behaviors in the organization (Jensen, 2001). One of the most frequent problems is budget gaming, which critics consider non-value added and frustrating. In a 2010 survey, over 95% of respondents acknowledged that budget gaming exists at least “occasionally” (Libby & Lindsay, 2010). Previous studies indicate budget gaming is frustrating, prevalent, and wasteful (Hansen et al., 2003; Libby & Lindsay, 2007; Neely et al., 2003).

I conducted an experiment to investigate organizational influences (organizational politics, compensation condition, ethics attestation) and their impact on budget gaming. The …

The First Sign: Detecting Future Financial Fraud From The Ipo Prospectus, Lisa Spadaccini Anderson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I examine whether it is possible to predict future financial statement fraud using disclosure content prior to the fraud. Specifically, I employ a machine learning algorithm to construct a unique measure based on the lexical cues embedded within a firm’s first public disclosure, the Management’s Discussion and Analysis section of the S-1 filing, during the Initial Public Offering process. I use this measure to predict whether a firm that is not already committing fraud will commit fraud within five years of the Initial Public Offering (IPO) that results in an Accounting or Enforcement Release (AAER). I find …

Base Erosion And Profit Shifting In Continental Africa And Beyond, Nathan Olsen

Honors Theses

Base erosion and profit shifting has become the latest burden on countries’ tax revenue collection agencies the world over. Recent studies have found how it occurs in the both the developed and developing world, but these same studies haven’t answered the question of why in the developing world. This thesis tries to answer that question concerning Africa, which is a continent full of developing nations. Using Base Erosion, Profit Shifting, and Developing Countries (Crivelli et. al, 2015) which outlines how the international economy is interconnected through a tax base spillover estimation, this paper turns its attention towards the developing nations …

Contracting In Direct Asset Sales, Xin Yuan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Using a unique, hand-collected dataset of direct asset sales agreements in the SEC filings, I provide the first large-sample evidence on how contracting mechanisms are used to mitigate information frictions in these important transactions. The conflict of interests is unique because the scarcity of asset-specific financial information makes target assets difficult to value and monitor, especially when such transactions are usually consummated in a short period. I first show an extensive use of representations and warranties, covenants, and special payment arrangements in these contracts when severe information asymmetry exists between buyers and sellers. Importantly, further results suggest that these contracting …

Firm-Level Analysis Of The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act On Capital Expenditures, Mason Westphal

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigates the firm-level consequences to capital expenditure levels from the passing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). It theorized that favorable tax provisions in the TCJA would cause firms to increase their levels of capital expenditures. To test this hypothesis, the study analyzed the capital expenditure levels of public firms from 1986-2019 controlling for factors such as national gross domestic product (GDP) growth and used a dummy variable of reporting periods after 2018 to represent the effects of the TCJA. In contrast to the original hypothesis, the results demonstrate that the TCJA had a …