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Theses/Dissertations

2020

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Full-Text Articles in Accounting

Otter Tail Corporation, Heather Strese Dec 2020

Otter Tail Corporation, Heather Strese

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

In my valuation model I gathered Otter Tail Corporation’s financial statements, historical and industry data, public information and ratio analysis from Mergent Online, Yahoo Finance and Otter Tail Corporation’s 2018 annual report. I discount the expected free cash flows at the WACC and estimate that Otter Tail Corporation’s stock is price is at USD 56.36 per share as of November 1st, 2019, given the small difference between my estimated price per share and the current price per share in the market, and consistent with the EV/EBITDA multiple, I recommend a HOLD on the stock of the company.

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Institutional Factors Affecting Candidate Performance On The Cpa Exam, Jovondra A. Coffey Dec 2020

Institutional Factors Affecting Candidate Performance On The Cpa Exam, Jovondra A. Coffey

Honors College Theses

This study examines whether the existence and type of an academic institution’s accreditation and Beta Alpha Psi honor society chapter affect the performance of candidates from those institutions on the Uniform CPA exam. There are three accreditations this study will examine: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). This paper reviews the processes to obtain these accreditations and whether certain accreditations are associated with candidate success on the CPA exam. It also studies whether Beta Alpha Psi chapters have had an impact on …

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Insider Trading Enforcement And The Private Information Environment: Evidence From The Newman Ruling, Andrew T. Pierce Dec 2020

Insider Trading Enforcement And The Private Information Environment: Evidence From The Newman Ruling, Andrew T. Pierce

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I exploit a shock to U.S. insider trading law to investigate whether a reduction in the enforceability of tipper-tippee insider trading restrictions leads to changes in information parity among investors and the efficiency of price discovery. The December 2014 Federal Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in US v. Newman constrained enforcement by restricting the types of exchanges between managers and investors that trigger tipper-tippee insider trading liability. Following Newman, I find that Second Circuit hedge funds experienced a significant increase in their stock picking ability of Second Circuit stocks in terms of preempting future earnings announcement returns and future …

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An Analysis Of Robotic Process Automation For Accountants, Olivia Sturgill Dec 2020

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 …

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The Impact Of Fake News On Company Value: Evidence From Tesla And Galena Biopharma, David D. Parsons Dec 2020

The Impact Of Fake News On Company Value: Evidence From Tesla And Galena Biopharma, David D. Parsons

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

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Development Of Next-Generation, Fast, Accurate, Transferable, And Polarizable Force-Fields For Heterogenous Material Simulations, Adam E. Hogan Nov 2020

Development Of Next-Generation, Fast, Accurate, Transferable, And Polarizable Force-Fields For Heterogenous Material Simulations, Adam E. Hogan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Theoretical modeling is extremely useful in guiding to experiment; however quantitatively accurate modeling of energy-relevant small molecule sorption at the heterogeneous interfaces present in metal-organic materials (MOMs) is currently challenging. MOMs are an emerging class of materials consisting of inorganic clusters and organic linkers that offer great potential in the areas of gas storage, gas separation, and catalysis due to the possibility of large surface areas, complex heterogeneous surfaces, and rational designability. Efficient chemical separations involving these materials could reduce the US’s total energy consumption by approximately 10 to 15%. In this dissertation, the parameterization of small molecules and metal …

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Who Rises To The Top: An Investigation Of The Essential Skills Necessary For Partners Of Non-Big 4 Public Accounting Firms, Amanda K. Thompson-Abbott Nov 2020

Who Rises To The Top: An Investigation Of The Essential Skills Necessary For Partners Of Non-Big 4 Public Accounting Firms, Amanda K. Thompson-Abbott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The public accounting industry will face several challenges in the upcoming years. One challenge is an aging workforce that will be retiring in large numbers. This shift will result in a shortage of partner-ready candidates. The second challenge involves rapid technological disruption that is predicted to change the skill sets needed for success. Both issues underscore the need to recruit and retain talent in the public accounting profession. Academic research has focused primarily on Big 4 firms, so this paper focused on non-Big 4 firms. This study used exploratory research to examine two questions: “What skills does it take to …

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An Analysis Of The Antecedents And Consequences Of Robotic Process Automation In Accounting Functions., Aharon Yoki Nov 2020

An Analysis Of The Antecedents And Consequences Of Robotic Process Automation In Accounting Functions., Aharon Yoki

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Robotic Process Automation (“RPA”) is a recently emergent technology that has exploded in popularity as firms seek to capitalize upon the marketing promise of cost reduction and improved efficiency. Yet, with this expansion of RPA, very little is known about the firms’ initial drivers, perceptions during implementation, and how outcomes align with initial expectations. RPA could displace and dramatically change the workforce, but it is unclear how employees will respond to the continuing spread of RPA. This study seeks to fill that important gap in the scholarly literature with an exploratory mixed-methods study. The first chapter is an extensive literature …

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Do User-Generated Ratings Affect Hotel Valuations? – An Analysis Of The Chicago Hotel Market, Shailesh Patel Nov 2020

Do User-Generated Ratings Affect Hotel Valuations? – An Analysis Of The Chicago Hotel Market, Shailesh Patel

Dissertations

Today’s travelers are increasingly relying on aggregated online opinions to make purchase decisions. One of the sectors most impacted by these online reviews is the hospitality industry, where consumer review websites such as TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Bookings.com play a critical role in influencing consumer's choice of hotel and the price they will pay for the room. Recently, there have been studies investigating the various aspects of user-generated online reviews and ratings. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of user-generated ratings on hotel valuations. Our paper does this using regression analysis to study the impact of TripAdvisor …

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What Is The Research Standard For Tenure And Promotion At U.S. Accounting Research Institutions Outside Of The Top 200?, Rodney Carmack Aug 2020

What Is The Research Standard For Tenure And Promotion At U.S. Accounting Research Institutions Outside Of The Top 200?, Rodney Carmack

Dissertations

Prior studies provide benchmarking data for faculty promoted at the Top 75 U.S. Accounting Research Institutions (e.g., Glover et al. 2006 and Glover et al. 2012). The data from these studies help the academic accounting market operate more effectively and efficiently. The data are valuable for less seasoned scholars as they set goals for their research output, and for professors as they evaluate candidates’ cases for tenure both at their schools and on behalf of other universities. This paper extends Glover et al. (2012) to consider programs outside of the Top 200 U.S. Accounting Research Institutions (Glover, Prawitt, & Wood, …

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The Effect Of Investor Sentiment On Earnings Management, Lin Chen Aug 2020

The Effect Of Investor Sentiment On Earnings Management, Lin Chen

Accounting Dissertations

The association between investor sentiment and corporate reporting decisions/outcomes has been recently examined in the accounting and finance literature. As an important outcome of corporate reporting decisions, earnings management (EM) may be affected by investor sentiment. In this dissertation, I examine two research questions. The first is whether investor sentiment is associated with the propensity of firms’ engaging in the two primary forms of EM: accrual earnings management (AEM) and real earnings management (REM). The second question is whether firms’ internal governance strength and external audit quality would moderate the association between investor sentiment and AEM as well as REM. …

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Determinants And Consequences Of Management Forecasts Of Key Performance Indicators: Evidence From The Airline Industry, Andrew Joseph Doucet Aug 2020

Determinants And Consequences Of Management Forecasts Of Key Performance Indicators: Evidence From The Airline Industry, Andrew Joseph Doucet

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, I examine the determinants and consequences of quarterly management guidance of key performance indicators (KPIs). I use a novel dataset of 457 firm-quarter observations in the airline industry and hand-collect information on the existence and properties of quarterly KPI guidance. Specifically, I collect data on quarterly KPI guidance for three KPIs used in airline the industry: available seat miles, revenue per available seat mile, and cost per available seat mile. Consistent with managers using quarterly KPI guidance to reduce analyst uncertainty, I find that managers are more likely to provide quarterly KPI guidance when initial analyst earnings …

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Building Professional Development Through The Research Of Financial Accounting, Amanda Starrett Aug 2020

Building Professional Development Through The Research Of Financial Accounting, Amanda Starrett

Honors Theses

The following work is compiled from twelve cases assigned by Dr. Victoria Dickinson over the course of an academic year. The program used in creating this work was designed to enhance students’ professionalism and enhance their exposure to real world examples of accounting methods. Each case provided different outlooks on accounting standards and provided the opportunity to examine specific issues regarding financial statements. Public accountants face a wide variety of problems when working with clients; learning from real world situations, students are able to create a better understanding of what challenges may await them in their future careers. By the …

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Financial Accounting Topics: Cases And Analysis, Charles Boatright Aug 2020

Financial Accounting Topics: Cases And Analysis, Charles Boatright

Honors Theses

This thesis consists of twelve individual case studies that analyze issues and topics related to the current financial accounting landscape. These cases take a practical and professional look at financial accounting the real current world, using technical understanding that has been gained throughout the coursework of the Bachelors of Accountancy major as well as professional skepticism and judgement to assess the situations. All of these cases were facilitated by the Patterson School of Accountancy over a year long period. These cases pertain to recent accounting changes such as pensions, the financial implications of recent scandals such as the BP oil …

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A Comprehensive Analysis Of Accounting Topics Through Case Studies, Grant M. Rudow Jul 2020

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Accounting Topics Through Case Studies, Grant M. Rudow

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a combination of twelve accounting case studies that were presented as curriculum in the Accounting 420 class. Each case contains a different topic and demonstrates a deep analysis in accounting theory and the current industry, in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles set by the Financial Accounting Standards Board. This thesis demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of core accounting principles and standards, and their relation to academia and industry practice. The case studies were completed under the direction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson in fulfillment of the requirements for The University of Mississippi, Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors …

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Narrative Feedback In Subjective Performance Evaluations: Do Ratings Change The Narrative?, Kyle Stubbs Jul 2020

Narrative Feedback In Subjective Performance Evaluations: Do Ratings Change The Narrative?, Kyle Stubbs

Doctoral Dissertations

Several high-profile companies are leading the charge to remove subjective performance ratings from their performance management processes leaving only narrative evaluations. Using two experiments, I investigate the effects of the ratings on narrative evaluations supervisors provide. In chapter 1, I test theory on supervisor goal attainment to learn how simultaneously providing a performance rating affects the narrative evaluation supervisors provide to employees. In supervisors’ seeking of honesty and social cost reduction goals, I predicted the favorability of narrative evaluations to depend on the presence of ratings and the purpose of the performance evaluation. I used psychological licensing and process accountability …

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Earnings Management Of Leaders And Laggards, Candice Roche Boucree Jul 2020

Earnings Management Of Leaders And Laggards, Candice Roche Boucree

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, I examine whether earnings management varies by a firm’s life-cycle stage relative to its industry life-cycle stage. This relationship, measured as Leaders, Match, or Laggards, concerns strategic groups with different operating strategies. Leaders (Laggards) employ a pioneering (an imperfect imitation) strategy. Overall, I find evidence that Leaders engage in less earnings management than do Match firms. Specifically, Leaders (Laggards) engage in less (more) accruals-based earnings management (AEM) than do Match firms, and Leaders engage in less real-activities earnings management (RAM) than do Match firms. Within firm life-cycle stages, I find additional evidence …

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Auditor Information Spillovers And Company Operating Performance: Evidence From Targeted Auditor Switches, Tyler Kleppe Jul 2020

Auditor Information Spillovers And Company Operating Performance: Evidence From Targeted Auditor Switches, Tyler Kleppe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I examine whether companies realize operational benefits from making “targeted auditor switches” (i.e., engaging a new auditor recently dismissed by a competitor company). While prior work provides evidence consistent with companies perceiving that auditor information spillovers are costly, there is sparse extant evidence as to whether auditors actually do transfer operational information across companies. I find that companies that switch to a competitor’s former auditor realize significant subsequent improvements in operating performance, and I provide evidence that the association between targeted auditor switches and improvements in operating performance varies predictably with several across- and within-market factors. In …

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How Much Does Imprecision In Accounting Measurement Enhance Value?, Ying Liang Jun 2020

How Much Does Imprecision In Accounting Measurement Enhance Value?, Ying Liang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Theory on real effects suggests that more precise accounting does not necessarily improve investment efficiency. However, with investment efficiency mostly unobservable, empirical assessment of the theory is rare. This paper develops an empirical framework based on Kanodia et al. (2005) to structurally estimate the effect of imprecision in accounting measurement on investment efficiency. My estimates suggest that imprecision in accounting measurement has mitigated over-investment in capital expenditures and R&D by 28.6% and 4.9%, respectively. On average, firms still over-invest relative to the first-best full-information benchmark. In counterfactual analyses, my estimates suggest that the optimal investment efficiency could be achieved by …

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The Fundamentals Of Financial Accounting: A Compilation Of Case Studies, Grace Anne Harlan May 2020

The Fundamentals Of Financial Accounting: A Compilation Of Case Studies, Grace Anne Harlan

Honors Theses

Financial accounting encompasses many topics such as different accounting methods, ethical practices, financial reporting, and more. Dr. Victoria Dickinson assigned students twelve case studies, each covering a different category of financial reporting, including case studies about accounting methods, accounting standards, and financial statements. The cases are designed to help students understand real examples, think critically to solve problems, and develop strong research and collaboration skills. At the conclusion of this course, students had an improved technical knowledge of accounting and a better understanding of the importance of proper financial accounting methods. The knowledge learned will continue to benefit students in …

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An Analysis Of Fraud In The Context Of Depreciation Manipulation, Sydney G. Jackson May 2020

An Analysis Of Fraud In The Context Of Depreciation Manipulation, Sydney G. Jackson

University Honors Theses

Accounting scandals such as Waste Management and Hertz Global Holding's shatter investor confidence, destroy employee retirement plans, and negatively impact the U.S. economy as a whole. By having a clear understanding of the internal and external forces that drive the motivation of fraud, accountants and businesses are better able to prep and set proper internal controls. As proper internal controls prevent fraud, this thesis will explore catching fraud through financial implications, by focusing specifically on the fraud committed through depreciation. In this paper, I will examine prior research related to fraud motivation and consequences. As an analysis of fraud in …

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A Compilation Of Accounting Case Studies, Richard Brohaugh May 2020

A Compilation Of Accounting Case Studies, Richard Brohaugh

Honors Theses

This thesis compiles twelve case studies provided by Dr. Victoria Dickinson. Each of these cases, which were performed over the course of the 2018-2019 academic year, presented accounting problems that used both fictional and real-world situations to provide an experiential approach to learning. These cases presented numerous types of business problems and challenged me to better understand the various dimensions of accountancy, ranging from data analytics to banking and finance. The procedures used to gather solutions and data for each of the cases were unique, but for each case, I was able to learn how to research potential issues and …

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The Super Bowl And Individual State Income Taxes, Benjamin T. Cosby May 2020

The Super Bowl And Individual State Income Taxes, Benjamin T. Cosby

Honors College Theses

Every year the NFL Super Bowl is held in a different state. Due to the differing state income tax rates, there appears to be an incentive for the NFL Super Bowl to be held in some states over others. Over the past 21 years, the Super Bowl has occurred more often in low tax states, but after analyzing the relationships between state income tax rates, average state temperatures, and the states in which the Super Bowl has been held, it appears that average state temperature is a more important factor in determining the location of the Super Bowl, not state …

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A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Accounting Environment And Procedures Through A Series Of Case Studies, Ryan Mccarty May 2020

A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Accounting Environment And Procedures Through A Series Of Case Studies, Ryan Mccarty

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a culmination of twelve case studies completed throughout the academic year of 2018-2019 under the direction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson, as a requirement of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and completion of the ACCY 420 course. Each case study is independent of the next, and is an in-depth response to questions and theories that are found outside of this document. Each analysis is accomplished by myself alone and through the studies of Financial, Managerial, and Cost accounting courses in my career at the University of Mississippi. The thesis is intended to analyze accounting procedures and …

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A Compilation Of Case Studies On Modern Issues And Applications Of Accounting, Tyler Butler May 2020

A Compilation Of Case Studies On Modern Issues And Applications Of Accounting, Tyler Butler

Honors Theses

Over the academic year spanning from 2018 to 2019, I attained knowledge of the accounting profession and applications of accounting techniques that have arisen from modern needs in the professional world. Having since spent the summer working as an accountant for a private construction company, I have been able to apply the knowledge in a real-world setting. For the thesis requirement, I thoroughly completed case studies on a variety of topics related to accounting. Each of the sections have been completed in case format with attention to readability and thoughtful presentation of information. Every case began with a problem to …

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A Compilation Of Case Studies Focusing On Financial Reporting Issues, Haydn Brown May 2020

A Compilation Of Case Studies Focusing On Financial Reporting Issues, Haydn Brown

Honors Theses

The following thesis is a compilation of case studies that focuses on various financial reporting and accounting topics. Each case addresses different topics using real world examples of specific companies. The thesis demonstrates the understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and was completed under the supervision of Victoria Dickinson to satisfy the requirements for the University of Mississippi, Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, and Patterson School of Accountancy, and ACCY 420 course in the 2018-2019 academic year.

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A Study Of Financial Reporting Principles Through Analysis Of Case Studies, Daniel Cooper Hoskins May 2020

A Study Of Financial Reporting Principles Through Analysis Of Case Studies, Daniel Cooper Hoskins

Honors Theses

The following thesis provides twelve solutions to case studies on various financial accounting standards. These standards are in agreement with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as set forth by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). In conjunction with the topics learned in Intermediate Financial Accounting I and II, each case focuses on a separate area of financial reporting. Each area is then applied and analyzed within a specific company. The thesis displays understanding of major accounting principles, financial statement preparation and analysis, and current topics in accounting. The case studies were completed with the direction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson under …

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Case Studies Of Accounting Concepts And Principles, Jones Albritton May 2020

Case Studies Of Accounting Concepts And Principles, Jones Albritton

Honors Theses

The following thesis contains solutions to case studies performed on various accounting standards in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, GAAP. Each case study focuses on a different area of financial reporting with some focusing on the principles and others on the documentation. The case studies were done in conjunction with topics learned during the Intermediate Financial Accounting class. The thesis shows understanding of accounting and financial reporting principles as well as current accounting topics in accordance with GAAP. The case studies were performed under the guidance of Victoria Dickenson and the Patterson School of Accounting in the Accy 420 …

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A Case By Case Study Of Accounting Fundamentals, Shane Ferrero May 2020

A Case By Case Study Of Accounting Fundamentals, Shane Ferrero

Honors Theses

Accountancy attempts to capture and record business activities with a treatment as reflective of economic realities as possible. The dynamic nature of the business world results in accounting standards being an evolving set of rules with various considerations necessary. The case studies examined for the purpose of this thesis looked into many of these considerations to exemplify how the field of accounting manages to recognize and manage complicated business transactions. For the purposes of gathering cases, case studies were sourced from academia from the University of Mississippi as well as other institutions. The dissection of the case studies provided a …

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Topics In Accountancy, Kara Kennedy May 2020

Topics In Accountancy, Kara Kennedy

Honors Theses

For my thesis, I conducted a thorough analysis of the accounting field and profession through the lens of historical case study examples. In a classroom environment, I researched and debated case topics together with fellow accountancy students under the guidance of our thesis advisor, Dr. Dickinson. Case topics included analysis of broader areas, such as the current conceptual accounting framework or the analysis of accounting careers, along with analysis of more specific areas, such as the sale of debt securities or the appropriate capitalization of costs. Most cases required the evaluation of relevant financial statements in order to gain valuable …

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