Finance and Financial Management Commons^™

Has Electricity Deregulation Eliminated The Nuclear Option?: Rethinking The Coasian Ios For Project-Finance Investments, Stephen Dansky

Theses and Dissertations

Installed electric generation capacity in the United States is expected to grow significantly over the next two decades. This raises concern about climate change as several common methods of electricity generation emit greenhouse gases. Nuclear power, which doesn’t create greenhouse gases while generating electricity, has been heavily promoted by the nuclear industry and a segment of the environmental community ever since it was codified by the United Nation’s 26^th Climate Change Conference of the Parties as an acceptable energy source to fight climate change. However, this dissertation establishes that the increased revenue risk and uncertainty created by the deregulation …

Lululemon Strategic Audit, Tessa Mozingo, Olivia Eno, Molly Mitchell, Connor Morrissey, James Eshleman

Honors Theses

This case study focuses on lululemon, a prominent athleisure apparel company. Our team conducted an audit of the company revolving around strategic business management principles. Our research used publicly available information that included the company’s website, SEC filings, news articles, lululemon’s annual reports, financial statements, IBIS industry reports, and online sources. The goal of this strategic audit is to develop an understanding of lululemon’s business activities and strategies, collect and analyze both internal and external data, and evaluate lululemon based on strategic management concepts.

In this strategic audit, we conduct internal, external, performance, and competitive analyses and an examination of …

An Analysis Of Bank Willingness To Decrease Deposit Fees, Madison E. Settlage

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Bank deposit fees have been at the forefront of bank criticism for years, as many view them as being too severe and having a disproportionate effect on low-income customers. In recent years, there has been a strong push for declines in these rates. In this paper, I analyze banks willingness to decrease deposit fees using data from bank call reports over the 2017 to 2023 time period. Through statistical analysis, I find that various factors such as 2017 deposit fee level, ROA, total assets, average personal deposits, population, median income, and poverty rates are significant in determining bank fee levels …

The Effects Of Covid-19 On The Mobile Payment Banking System, Sydney Mason

Senior Honors Theses

This study includes an examination of the effect of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on electronic payment apps. Ever since the pandemic caused a global shutdown, the banking industry was forced to adjust their usual operations and adopt new technological advancements that would allow for contactless payment. Consumers, worried about contracting the virus through the physical exchange of currency, resorted to utilizing payment apps. This contributed to the increase in electronic payment usage. This research addresses the effect of COVID-19 on three different electronic payment apps, Venmo, PayPal, and Zelle. A comparative longitudinal analysis shows the increase in total transactions from …

Nonprofit Leader Experiences In Sector-Bending After Lean Six Sigma Training: Tension, Concepts, And Changed Behaviors, Beverly Codallos

Dissertations

Government, business, and nonprofit represent three distinct types of organizations governed by different legal frameworks designed to facilitate collective action (DiMaggio & Anheier, 1990). The emergence of hybrid forms and increasing isomorphic pressures in the nonprofit sector (Bromley & Meyer, 2017; McCambridge, 2014) have challenged the traditional separation of organizational forms. This study explored the phenomenon popularized as sector-bending, “a wide variety of approaches, activities, and relationships that are blurring the distinctions between nonprofit and for-profit organizations, either because they are behaving more similarly, operating in the same realms, or both” (Dees & Anderson, 2003, pg. 16). This qualitative study …

Ceo Extraversion And The Cost Of Equity Capital, Biljana Adebambo, Robert M. Bowen, Shavin Malhotra, Pengcheng Zhu

Accounting Faculty Articles and Research

We examine whether CEO extraversion, an important personality trait associated with leadership, is associated with firms' expected cost of equity capital. We measure CEO extraversion using CEOs' speech patterns during the unscripted portion of conference calls. After controlling for multiple CEO and firm-specific variables, we find a strong positive incremental association between CEO extraversion and firms' expected cost of capital. Moreover, cost of equity increases when a more extraverted CEO replaces a less extraverted CEO. In addition, we find that firms with relatively extraverted CEOs take more risk and exhibit lower credit ratings, which is associated with higher cost of …

Mda Services: Yes, You Can Recoup Your Dues With Mda-Endorsed Programs, Reva Darling

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

MDA Services Report highlights how being an organized dentistry member can yield significant financial returns through MDA-endorsed products and services. By leveraging just eight of the 32 endorsed offerings, potential savings of $25,659 are achievable. Key endorsed services include Best Card for credit card processing, iCoreConnect for software needs, Quality Dental Plan for in-office dental plans, The Dentists Supply Company (TDSC.com) for supplies, ProSites for website and e-marketing, D-MMEX Easyrefine for precious metal refining, Eagle Associates for regulatory compliance, and Dental Business Specialists for accounting. Members are urged to explore the range of endorsed programs for comprehensive benefits.

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 …

Taking Flight Or Taking A Pass? Exploring Factors Influencing Consumer Willingness To Pay For Evtol Travel, David C. Ison

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry is experiencing significant growth due to technological advancements and increasing demand for efficient travel experiences. The market is expected to reach $45 billion by 2030, with major players like Joby, Archer, Beta, and Wisk dominating. This study aimed to assess public willingness to pay for AAM services using eVTOLs, using Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform. The survey yielded a response rate of 85.8%, with 1,622 completed surveys. The study found that younger urban consumers were more willing to pay higher prices for AAM electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft trips than older participants, possibly …

Justifying The Cost Of Implementing Contactless Travel In Non-Primary Airports: A European Perspective, Sumeet Hassan Anwar Mr., Humna Asad Miss

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the aviation industry faces an unprecedented push towards digital transformation. This paper delves into the economic, operational, and safety imperatives of implementing contactless travel solutions in Europe's non-primary airports. By juxtaposing the substantial upfront costs against the long-term operational savings and improved passenger experience, the study presents a compelling financial justification for such investments. Drawing on case studies and current trends, the research demonstrates that, despite initial expenditures, the adoption of contactless technology is a prudent strategy that aligns with evolving consumer preferences and the heightened need for efficiency and safety. The paper …

Development Of A Safety Performance Decision-Making Tool For Flight Training Organizations, Marisa Aguiar Ph.D., Carolina L. Anderson Ph.D., Dothang Truong Ph.D., Gregory S. Woo Ph.D., Kenneth Byrnes Ph.D.

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

The purpose of the research was to create and validate a safety performance decision-making tool to transform a reactive safety model into a predictive, decision-making tool, specific to flight training organizations, to increase safety and aid in operational decision-making. Using Monte Carlo simulation, the study conducted simulation runs based on operational ranges to simulate the operating conditions with varying levels of controllable resources in terms of personnel (Aviation Maintenance Technicians and Instructor Pilots) and expenditures (active flight students and available aircraft). Four What-if Scenarios were conducted by manipulating the controllable inputs. Changes to the controllable inputs are reflected by variations …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Corporate Finance, Kenneth S. Bigel

Open Touro Created

Corporate Finance is a comprehensive guide covering the three fundamental topics in Corporate Finance, including Capital Budgeting under Certainty, Capital Structure Theory, and Short-term Financial Management and Operating Leverage. In-depth explanations of topics and terms are provided as well as key illustration in the manner of problem sets and solutions, tables, and diagrams. Review problems are also included so that students can conduct self-assessments. This text will be continually updated in order to provide novel information and enhance students’ experiences.

Spacs And The Macroeconomy: An Empirical Examination Of Real Interest Rates' Impact On Spacs, Ryan A. Jacobs

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

Special Purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) are an alternative way private entities enter public markets through reverse merger of a publicly listed pool of capital. Price discovery is more transparent than the traditional IPO process, as valuations are negotiated between the SPAC Sponsor and the firm’s management team before shareholders approve through a shareholder vote. I conducted an OLS regression test for a relationship between SPAC activity, using capital invested in SPAC IPOs as a proxy, and various macroeconomic variables. I did not find evidence of a linear relationship. I examined the impact of the real interest rates on monthly pre-merger …

Pengaruh Soft Total Quality Management Terhadap Kinerja Ukm Di Dki Jakarta: Pendekatan Balanced Scorecard, Aufa Yarzqi Zihni, Helman Arif

Jurnal Manajemen dan Usahawan Indonesia

This study aims to analyse the effect of Soft Total Quality Management (Soft TQM) on SME performance in Jakarta, both from financial and non-financial perspectives. We used a balanced scorecard (BSC) approach and collected 135 datasets through online surveys to the business owners/manager. Data analysis was carried out by Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) method. The results of the data analysis showed that soft TQM has a negative and not significant effect on SMEs financial perspective, however there is a positive and significant effect on SMEs non-financial perspective. This study also discovered that innovation and leaning perspective mediates the impact of …

Leadership Behaviors, Practices, And Sytles In Mergers And Acquisitions In The U.S. Technology-Based Organizations: A Qualitative Study, Susan E. Glover

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Leaders guide and shape the success of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to meet an organization’s goals and objectives. In this study, I explored the role of leadership during M&A and the effect of different leadership behaviors, practices, and styles (BPS) on different organizational cultures during M&A. This study explored the contribution of leadership BPS on M&A outcomes within an organization with a robust and innovative culture. I focused on the human capital investment strategies of M&A integration concerning different leadership BPS utilized to improve the success rate of M&A goals and objectives. I concentrated on technology-based organizations because they are …

Effectiveness Of Virtual Onboarding, Shanker Menon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During the COVID pandemic that began in 2020, interest in onboarding efficacy increased with going virtual. This survey research study focused on the effectiveness of virtual onboarding by comparing it with face-to-face (traditional) and hybrid onboarding. It spanned 12 different business sectors and involved 730 respondents, including executives, managers, technical personnel, and non-managerial staff. This exploratory study investigated the influence of the onboarding process on important organizational variables, including turnover intention and perception of self-performance. In addition, the study investigated the perception of success of the onboarding process. Results indicated that hybrid onboarding was the most effective followed by virtual …

Linking Green Innovation, Corporate Environmental Performance With Financing Constraints: A Sustainable Transition Towards Environmental Protection, Syeda Fizza Abbas, Iqra Tariq, Fareeha Waseem

Business Review

Purpose: Accessing different sources of finance becomes difficult when companies fail to take action towards environmental protection. Motivated by the theoretical propositions of stakeholder theory, this research investigates the impact of green innovation (GI) and corporate environmental performance (CEP) on financing constraints (FC) in the context of the most polluting industries of an emerging economy.

Methodology: The sample is based on 33 companies from the cement, chemical and fertilizer sectors of Pakistan for the period of 2017 to 2020. For data analysis, random effects and VCE Robust regressions models have been employed to explore the link between GI, CEP and …

The Role Of Intercultural Communication In Recruiting And Retaining Student-Athletes: A Phenomenological Study On Understanding The Sociocultural Aspects Of Building Non-Revenue Teams In Intercollegiate Sport, Eva Rouser

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Recruiting and retaining student-athletes at NCAA Division I and II member institutions is difficult. However, the coaches of non-revenue-producing sport have developed communication measures to assist in successfully fielding teams of culturally unique individuals that build an ingroup culture to compete despite limiting factors. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine the lived experience of non-revenue-producing sporting coaches’ intercultural communication methodical variations in interactions with student-athletes as each coach adapts exchanges to serve as relationship-building elements to balance cultural norms with the acceptance of unfamiliar cultural behaviors. Relevant themes emerged from the data gathered during participant interviews, …

For Love Or Money: Investor Motivations In Equity-Based Crowdfunding, Jason C. Cherubini

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Crowdfunding is an increasingly popular method for entrepreneurial ventures to raise financing from a large number of small supporters (the “crowd”) instead of raising it through a small number of larger supporters. Crowdfunding is normally conducted through online platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, where the entrepreneurial venture runs a campaign directly seeking support from individual funders. Most of the research into crowdfunding to date has been focused on what elements of the crowdfunding campaign lead to eventual successful funding, especially in the rewards-based crowdfunding space. The comparatively new equity-based crowdfunding has not been as heavily researched and is technically …

Cultural Distance And Momentum Effect—The Case Of Cross-Listed Companies In The United States, Ling Liu

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

This paper examines the momentum effect in U.S. cross-listed companies, exploring the relationship between cultural distance and momentum portfolio formation, and how cultural distance affects momentum portfolio returns for US cross-listed firms. The study selects cross-listed companies from January 2001 to December 2022 and create momentum portfolios (Chui, Timan, & Wei, 2010) to test the momentum effect of cross-listed companies in the United States. The cultural distance for cross-listed companies is then calculated using the within-group cultural diversity method (Frijns, Dodd, & Cimerova, 2016) and the Hofstede (2001) dimensional method to find the momentum effect in cultural distance sorted groups. …

Supply Chain Finance: Exploring The State Of Adoption With Small Business Suppliers In U.S. Defense Procurement Contracts, James C. Phelps Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Innovative supply chain finance (SCF) practices offer alternative approaches to relief of cash flow distress for suppliers in an extended enterprise by enhancing access to and affordability of working capital. Adopting optional SCF instruments can be especially beneficial for small–medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are more acutely affected when credit conditions tighten. This explorative research described the state of buyer-led SCF adoption in defense procurement contracts used to produce highly technical weapons systems. A case study research design with embedded units across four groups of intermediaries was employed to compare the state of SCF adoption between a defense and a commercial …

Two Essays On Investor Sentiment, Amin Amoulashkarian

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

The body of literature on investor sentiment underlines its impact on future stock returns, with general consensus that investor sentiments and future returns are negatively correlated (Baker and Wurgler, 2006; Brown and Cliff, 2004). This extends to the notion that a bullish investor would expect returns to be above average, while a bearish investor anticipates below-average returns (Brown and Cliff, 2004).

The first essay proposes a model to examine the influence of unexpected volatility of investor sentiment on the equity risk premium. Assumptions underpinning the model include risk-averse investors, homogeneous expectations regarding asset returns and price changes, and sentiment-influenced expectations …

Budgeting And Cataloging Enhancement For Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises Towards Sustainable Development Goals, Velicia Faustine Halim, Hasnul Suhaimi

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

This paper describes a business coaching activity for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in chemical and waste management industries. Based on the analysis results, there was a lack of budgeting practice and suboptimal catalog marketing that comprised the majority of existing problems in SMEs. This research aims to assist the SME in improving its budgeting practice and product catalog. The method used is a qualitative method based on a business coaching approach. The research instruments adopted included in-depth individual interviews (IDI). The collected data was then processed and analyzed, starting with generating the SME's business process and service blueprint, followed …

The Effect Of Sustainability Information Disclosure On The Cost Of Equity Capital: An Empirical Analysis Based On Gartner Top 50 Supply Chain Rankings, Lingyu Li, Xianrong Zheng, Shuxi Wang

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

While disclosing financial information has been widely proved to reduce the financing cost of a company, the impact of non-financial information, such as sustainability information, disclosing on the financing cost of the company is still in debate. The goal of this paper is to explore the impact of disclosing sustainability-related information on the cost of equity for firms. The paper first introduces the concept of sustainability information disclosure, and then exhibits its benefit through exploring its impact on reducing a firm’s financing cost. It uses the Gartner supply chain top 50 rankings to construct the experiment environment to test for …

The Administrative, Financial, And Technological Requirements For The Success Of The Financial Technology Industry In The Arab Countries, Yusuf Abu Fara, Sharif Abukarsh

Journal of the Arab American University مجلة الجامعة العربية الامريكية للبحوث

This study aimed at identifying the requirements of the success of financial technology industry in the Arab countries. The use of technology in financial transactions began a long time ago; for example, the ATM technology has been in services since 1967. Recently, the use of technology has expanded significantly in many financial areas. In recent years (especially since 2014), the term financial technology has spread as a new term in the world of finance and business. The financial technology has significant and clear effects on the methods of providing financial services and payment processes, virtual currencies and others. It also …

Assessing Diversification Of S&P500 And Cdx Indexes, Jeffrey A. Palma

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

In this paper, I conduct a study of comovement between equity and corporate bonds using S&P500 and Investment Grade and High Yield CDX Indexes to evaluate the diversification benefits of holding these assets in portfolios. I assess comovement and diversification potential using DCC-GARCH and copulas. This approach allows for a review of equity and credit linkages through multiple lenses and evaluation of how these relationships have evolved over time. In general, I find only modest potential for diversification between equity and CDX markets and strong evidence of increased comovement over time.

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 …

Essays In Behavioral Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, And Higher Purpose, Kingsley Wabara

Olin Business School Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Does individual financial risk-taking behavior indeed vary by gender? If yes, how exactly? Moreover, what happens when individuals with differential tendencies (e.g., risk-taking, sense of higher purpose, et cetera) come together in small groups such as the corporate board to decide on financial risk-taking or conduct intense board oversight? What role does group or board structure play in all of these? In effect, how does the within-group power and influence asymmetry affect the manifestation of the individual tendencies in boards’ decisions, corporate behavior, and financial outcomes? The lack of conclusive answers to these questions is at the core of several …

Financial Literacy In College Today: Is It Needed?, Jasper Tatsuya Lem

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Californians are facing several financial crises, headlined by 4.5 million Californians falling below the poverty line, a 4.2% unemployment rate, and the fall of Silicon Valley Bank in early March 2023. In the face of these perilous circumstances, it is worth asking if California’s education system could be improved to accommodate more financial literacy classes. Currently, the Golden State does not mandate a financial literacy course in any level of education, kindergarten through senior year of college. Previous research indicates that financial literacy courses would be more effective if mandated in college courses rather than high school. However, there has …