Accounting Commons^™

Etsu's Accounting Program: Creating Cpas, Christopher Jones

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the goal of many aspiring accountants. Universities and colleges prepare students to gain the necessary skills to pass this certification exam; however, the CPA exam is increasingly difficult, and students continuously struggle trying to pass all four parts of the CPA exam. The goal of this research project is to gain a better understanding of how ETSU can better prepare students to become CPA exam ready, since this certification leads to increased job opportunities, pay, etc. A survey was sent out to 90 previous graduate students at ETSU with both multiple choice and …

Implications Of Emerging Technologies On The Accounting Profession, Collin Peace

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Automation recently implemented for some and awaiting to be implemented for others is set to revolutionize the field of accounting, as well as the roles and responsibilities of those who work in it. This study will present and analyze the impacts of current emerging technologies on the accounting profession through first-hand interviews with current accounting professionals. Secondary data obtained will provide the reader with the proper context and background of these technologies, while the primary data acquired from the interviews will explain the implications such technologies will have or are currently having in their respective companies/firms. The results of this …

Technology In Accounting: A Qualitative Study Of Undergraduate Preparedness, Alyssa Dingus

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Throughout history, technology has had a major impact on every profession and how certain tasks are performed. In recent years, technology has accelerated at an astonishing rate causing a total shift in the valuable skillsets of young professionals. Accounting is no exception to this shift and, as technology continues to advance, emerging accounting professionals will no longer be expected to enter the workforce only with basic pen-and-paper accounting knowledge. Instead, they will also be expected to possess analytical skills and be prepared to apply and learn the newest technology on the market. However, the traditional accounting curriculum does not focus …

An Analysis Of Robotic Process Automation For Accountants, Olivia Sturgill

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective of this thesis paper is to answer the question: is robotic process automation efficient/beneficial and should accountants consider its implementation? For accountants, robotic process automation is a software that “perform[s] tasks such as processing sales and financial transactions, managing data, communicating between different systems, and access management, as well as monitoring and reporting” (Seasongood, 2016). In order to determine whether or not RPA should be implemented, a survey was found that had over 500 responses from varying companies currently using RPA. A statistical analysis will be performed in order to determine if any statistical significances exist between questions …

Inversed Learning In An Intermediate Accounting Course, Ashley B. Bentley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students enrolled in accounting courses often struggle because of the complexity of the topic. Accounting instructors have searched for effective means of fostering student success, but the learning process continues to change. Critical thinking and problem solving abilities are vital for students and future professionals. Thus, teaching should not be limited to the transmission of information. By moving the dissemination of basic knowledge outside the classroom inversed learning allows class time for deep dives into complex topics and hands-on activities. Students who are actively involved in learning tend to be more successful in the classroom.

The purpose of this study …

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of Ethics Instruction To Accounting Students At East Tennessee State University, Elizabeth Brackins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Strong ethics are critical to the success of each member of the business world, especially accountants. Because the work of accountants is utilized by both internal and external users and can have such widespread effect on the business community, it is imperative that this work is performed with the utmost accuracy, integrity and morality. The foundation for strong ethics begins before the accountant enters the workforce, and many colleges require dedicated ethics courses for accounting majors. The purpose of this project is to analyze the effectiveness of the ethics instruction, specifically in the absence of a required dedicated ethics course, …

An Overview Of A Failed Thesis, Avery Lewis

Undergraduate Honors Theses

An overview of a project based thesis that did not have the support or funding to be carried out to completion. The project was based around starting up a summer recruitment program for the East Tennessee State University Music Department. The program would consist of various summer events for high school students used to recruit for the department as well as encourage music and fine arts degrees.

A High-Level Overview Of How The New Accounting Standard Update On Revenue Recognition Impacts The United States Healthcare System, Leslie Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In May of 2014 the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued a long-awaited joint updated standard on revenue recognition, ASU 2014-09 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers. While almost all entities will be affected to some extent by the new standard, particularly the changes in required disclosures, this research seeks to examine the impact the new standard will specifically have on the healthcare industry. By highlighting areas of significant challenge a better understanding will be gained of the impact health care service entities will experience as they transition to a new standard.

A Study Of The Potential Implementation Obstacles Of The Expected Loss Model In East Tennessee, Baylee Mann

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has recently introduced a new Accounting Standards Update (ASU) that will require financial institutions to measure their loan losses using a new Expected Loss Model (ELM) that emphasizes forward looking financial decisions. Numerous financial journals hypothesize that large financial institutions will face difficulties when implementing the new ASU. This research explores the potential implementation issues that small, local financial institutions, specifically Eastman Credit Union (ECU), will encounter as they begin the implementation process.

The Effects Of Players’ Salary Level And A Salary Cap On The Revenue Of Professional Soccer Teams In The United States And England, Tyler Watson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis serves as an examination of the relationship between players’ salaries and teams’ revenues for the American Major League Soccer and English Premier League. Historically, the salary cap imposed on teams playing in Major League Soccer has been heavily criticized of holding the league back. Comparisons have been made to leagues such as the English Premier League which assert that the limitation keeping Major League Soccer from attaining similar success is the presence of the salary cap. Data was gathered from the twenty teams in Major League Soccer and the twenty teams in the English Premier League for each …

Continuing Professional Education For Licensed Accountants In Tennessee, Brian J. Lucas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accounting is a professional occupation that is continually evolving and requires a dedication to continuing education to meet the legal demands of new regulations and to maintain professional competency. Continuing Professional Education (CPE) is required by state boards for certified public accountants (CPA) to meet these requirements and to maintain professional competence. CPAs are responsible for complying with all applicable CPE requirements, rules, and regulations of state boards of accountancy, as well as those of other professional organizations.

The purpose of this study was to determine the opinions of CPAs about the current requirements for CPE and to determine their …

How Healthcare Accounting Adapts To Lean Practices, Caitlin R. Duke

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Healthcare has recently begun a push towards more lean practices and management. Healthcare accounting, in an effort to reflect business practices, must change to accurately reflect reality. This research seeks to explore how healthcare providers improve their accounting systems to keep up with an ever-changing lean environment. By examining both healthcare and accounting literature, this comprehensive literature review seeks to answer the question, “How does healthcare accounting adapt to lean philosophies?”.

A Study Of Ethics For Accounting Students At East Tennessee State University, Jordan Warhurst

Undergraduate Honors Theses

What is being done to stop the increase of accounting scandals and frauds? This study focuses on ethics teaching for accounting students at the undergraduate level. This study asks the question, "have students increased in their use of professional judgement as defined by the AICPA code of Professional Conduct?"

International Financial Reporting Standards Implementation In Canada: The Impact Of Ifrs Conversion On Canadian Public Banking Enterprises, Arina V. Gibson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of the research is developing an understanding of the effect that International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) had, if any, on Canadian Publicly Accountable Enterprises (PAEs), specifically their external financial reporting compared to Canadian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (Canadian GAAP). The focus of this research is the analysis of reported financial ratios of Canadian Banking companies for the year ended December 31, 2010, which will be tested for the statistically-significant differences between Canadian GAAP and IFRS. The research is designed to examine what impact on liquidity, leverage, profitability, and cash flows the change from Canadian GAAP to IFRS has, …

A Comparison Of Audit Fee Trends For East Tennessee Based Companies And Similar Companies Based In Similar Regions, William J. Saulsbury

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Research examines audit fee trends for a decade. The research focuses on audit fees of companies in the East Tennessee Area and compares the audit fees of these companies to similar companies based in similar regions of the United States. Possible causes for the fluctuations of audit fees during the decade are also discussed.

Analysis Of Capabilities Attributed To The Fraud Diamond, Austin M. Shelton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the thesis “Analysis of Capabilities Attributed to the Fraud Diamond” research was conducted on fraud and what it takes for a person to commit fraud. The focus of this study was on one aspect of the person committing fraud, the capabilities aspect. This aspect is rather new in the accounting world, being first introduced in 2004. There was an analysis conducted on the six attributes of capabilities.

The six attributes went through statistical testing. This testing was to determine whether there are significant differences between the attributes. Based on the results of the testing, recommendations were given. These recommendations …

The Affordable Care Act And Its Impact On The Professional Tax Preparation Market In Kingsport, Tennessee, Robert S. Forney Jr.

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to test whether the Affordable Care Act will have an effect on the professional tax preparation industry of Kingsport, Tennessee. To accomplish this objective, the researcher collected surveys concerning taxpayers’ initial reaction to the realization that the law affects their 1040. A two proportion test for equality was performed and failed to reject the idea that the ACA will have an effect on the tax preparation industry of Kingsport. Because this study failed to prove that the change in legislation causes a jump in clientele for the professional tax preparation market, the fight for …

Continuous Auditing: Technology Involved, Yohann Pierre Junior D. Aboa

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study will concentrate on the latest factor causing changes in the domain of accountancy: technological advances. With a great deal of creativity and ingenuity, accountants around the world were able to find solutions to one of the problems that arose: increased fraudulent behavior. These, at times, involved a level of technology that was still not fully understood by all its users. This paper is going to focus on one of the ways that technology was applied to react to these changes: continuous auditing and monitoring. The idea of continuously auditing/monitoring the events and transactions of companies is not a …

The Effect Of Ifrs On The Financial Ratios Of Canadian Public Mining Companies., Heath Aaron Mcconnell

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to add to the body of research concerning International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). To accomplish this objective, it will examine whether Canada’s adoption of IFRS, which replaced Canadian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), appears to affect the reported financial performance of Canadian public mining companies. Financial information for 2010 from the audited financial statements, as stated under IFRS and Canadian GAAP, were used to compute selected financial ratios. These financial ratios were tested to determine if statistically significant differences in their dispersion and central tendency resulted from adopting IFRS. It was found that no …

Causes And Treatment Of Foreclosure: A Review Of The Obama Administration's Home Affordable Modification Program., Savannah Perkins

Undergraduate Honors Theses

After the recent housing bubble burst, foreclosures ran rampant across the United States. Focused concentrations occurred in Florida, California, Nevada, Utah, and other states. Despite government intervention through many foreclosure mitigation plans, the housing market is still incredibly volatile today. With many plans proving ineffective, the Obama Administration has its hopes set on the Making Home Affordable program (MHA), which is broken down into the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the Home Affordable Modification Program on overall and individual mortgage servicer levels by assessing changes …

Energy-Efficiency Programs: A Supplemental Guide For Small Manufacturing Businesses., Brittany E. Coleman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research was focused on small manufacturing businesses and energy-efficiency programs on the federal, state, and local levels. Small manufacturing businesses have many types of energy-efficiency programs available to them from several different sources. Sources of information for these programs provide technical explanations that are difficult to understand. In addition, different qualifications are required for participation in different programs. The intention of this research was to form a manual for small manufacturing businesses that are energy-intensive. The purpose of the manual is to make the information about energy-efficiency programs more accessible and comprehendible for owners and managers of small manufacturing …