Digital Commons Network^™

Uncovering Earnings Management In The U.S. Tech Industry: Strategies To Meet Or Just Beat Analyst Eps Expectations, Morgan Schilling

CMC Senior Theses

This paper investigates earnings management practices within the U.S. tech industry, focusing on firms that meet or just beat analyst EPS expectations. I specifically built off the Stubben (2010) model that used discretionary revenue to identify potential mismanagement across multiple industries. The modified model incorporates deferred revenue as well as accounts receivable to identify revenue recognition practices in an industry where subscription based revenue is highly relevant. I hypothesize that tech firms with aggressive revenue recognition strategies, particularly those with higher levels of accounts receivable, are more likely to engage in earnings management in order to meet EPS targets. A …

The Pricing Of Forecast-Based Earnings Uncertainty In Equity Markets, Brenda G. Galvan

CMC Senior Theses

This paper constructs a firm-level measure of earnings forecast uncertainty by adapting the macroeconomic methodology of Jurado et al. (2015) to micro-level financial statement data from Compustat and CRSP. Using a two-stage estimation procedure, I first forecast the scaled year-over-year changes in earnings, defined as the change in income before extraordinary items normalized by firm sales,based on lagged firm fundamentals. I then model the squared forecast errors to extract the unpredictable component of earnings variation, generating a forward-looking, firm-specific measure of ex-ante uncertainty. Empirically, I examine whether this forecast uncertainty measure is priced in equity markets by regressing future stock …

Optimal Capital Allocation Decisions And Investments In The Nba, Anderson Cynkar

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the relationship between salary concentration and winning in the NBA, primarily focusing on how the concentration of payroll among top-earning players influences success. Several concentration metrics were constructed and employed including the use of a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) to measure the share of payroll each player receives across a team. I used fixed effects regressions and clustered standard errors at a team level to control for unobserved factors that remain the same over time. The results revealed a consistent inverted U-shape curve, signaling that an optimal concentration of capital exists for the highest paid player, two highest …

The Counter-Cyclicality Of Earnings Management: Evidence Through 2024, William J. Hall

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and earnings management, extending the analysis of Hillegeist and Lin (2019) using updated data through 2024. Based on 16,635 firm-quarter observations, my study affirms the results found in prior literature and confirms that there is a negative association between the change in GDP and the direction of firms’ earnings management behavior, indicating that earnings management is counter-cyclical. My study also finds that firms manage earnings asymmetrically based on the current macroeconomic state, with firms managing earnings more in economic downturns and less in expansions. My findings suggest that despite major macroeconomic and …

Accounting Aspects Of Appraisals, Raymond A. Weber

Bachelors’ Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explain the application of appraisals to the following specific accounting problems: 1. The Establishment of Plant Accounts 2.The Determination of Invested Capital 3. The Distribution of Departmental Investment

It is important to keep accurate property records in every line of industry; yet property accounts are subject to many inaccuracies, and their correct maintenance offers many perplexing problems to the accountant. This thesis is, therefore, an attempt to point out some of the more common errors which creep into property records, and to show how appraisals may be applied to correct these errors. Particular …

Research Portfolio, Kezia Mariam Abraham

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

When Does Top Management Team Diversity Matter In Large Organizations?, James M. Plecnik, Shan Wang, Frances Fabian

Accounting Faculty Works

Top management teams (TMTs) drive strategic leadership, but there is little clarity on when the composition of these upper echelons most impacts organization performance. Drawing from the categorization-elaboration model, we study an 18-year sample of approximately 4500 organizations and over 32 000 executives and find a positive relationship between TMT functional diversity and organization performance, but only for the smaller organizations. We tested how organization size (and correlates of age/complexity) negatively interacts with functional diversity. Testing for TMT integration proxies, top management tenure counteracted the negative impact of size, making functional diversity beneficial in large organizations as well. Additionally, CEO …

Corruption Perception, Institutional Quality And Stock Prices: Evidence From The Egyptian Capital Market, Rasha Elbolok, Gina Eltabei, Dina Hassouna

Business Administration

This study examines the impact of institutional quality and corruption perception on stock prices in the Egyptian capital market, with a focus on the post-revolution period from to . Using the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) methodology, this study provides empirical evidence on the significant role of macro-political factors and firm-specific variables in shaping stock market dynamics. The findings reveal that institutional quality, characterized by governance efficiency, regulatory frameworks, and the rule of law, positively correlates with stock prices. Similarly, enhanced corruption perception control significantly boosts investor confidence, leading to increased market valuations. Firm-level factors such as Tobin’s Q and …

Risk Factors And Fraud Loss Magnitude: Informing Anti-Fraud Strategies, Robert Elias

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fraud research posits risk factors may be utilized to identify individuals who are predisposed to perpetrate fraud (ACFE 2024). I find perpetrators who exhibit the following risk factors result in statistically higher fraud losses: living beyond their means, excessive pressure to perform within the organization, having excessive control issues regarding their job, are reluctant to take vacations, have a “wheeler-dealer” attitude, or addiction problems. I further find perpetrators who exhibit risk factors which are likely to be observed in a work setting are more likely to result in higher fraud losses. However, perpetrators who exhibit risk factors which are more …

Impact Of International Trade Competitiveness On Unemployment And Poverty Reduction In Ecowas Region, Ikubor Ofili Jude, Yahaya U. Isah, Ojih U. Abraham, Mazeli O. Mark, Abdul Y. Mary

DLSU Business & Economics Review

This study investigates the impact of trade competitiveness on unemployment and poverty in the ECOWAS region. The study relied on POLS, FE, and RE techniques to analyze the impact of export value and trade openness on unemployment and poverty in the ECOWAS region from 2001 to 2020. Annual time series data were sourced from World Bank and World Integrated Trade Solution databases. Major findings from this study show that unemployment responds strongly and favorably to export value and trade openness, whereas poverty responds favorably to trade openness. Further investigation revealed that trade regulatory environment is a determinant of unemployment and …

The Signaling Value Of Input Information: Performance Effects Of Task Difficulty And Effort Sensitivity, Steven D. Smith, William B. Tayler, Tyler F. Thomas, Todd A. Thornock

Faculty Publications

We investigate how the reporting of input information to managers affects employee performance, and how the signaling value of inputs for impression management moderates this effect. We develop theory to predict that the information content of input information (incremental to output measures), and thus its potential for impression management, will depend separately on both the difficulty of the task and the sensitivity of performance to effort. Across three experiments, we predict and find the reporting of input information significantly increases employee effort and performance in difficult relative to easy tasks and in low relative to high effort sensitivity tasks. Our …

Bogging Down Investors: An Unintended Consequence Of Litigation Risk, Siwen Fu, Ke Wang, Liandong Zhang, Liu Zheng

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Securities litigation risk is a well-recognized yet underexplored source of financial reporting complexity or unreadability. This study examines the effect of litigation risk on the readability of corporate financial reports. The 1999 Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) court ruling unexpectedly reduced litigation risk for firms within the Ninth Circuit Court’s jurisdiction. Using a difference-in-differences design centered on the SGI court ruling, we find that, while the readability of financial reports generally declines over the sample period, treated firms in the Ninth Circuit experience a comparatively smaller decline in readability than control firms in other states after the ruling. Put differently, treated …

Eagle Accountant - 2025, Georgia Southern University

Eagle Accountant

• Accounting Advisory Council
• Accreditation & Rankings
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• Students Tackle CPA Pipeline Crisis with “DAD Day” Initiative
• Cover Story: The Mooneys: Rooted in Purpose
• Guest Speakers as a Career Path Initiative
• Fraud Story: The Price of Desperation
• Learning Through Debate
• NASBA Annual Meeting
• Accounting Quiz Bowl
• Faculty Research Spotlight 
• Undergraduate Spotlight
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• Faculty Awards, Service, & Publications 
• Alumni Notes & Obituaries 

Psychological Reactance Theory And Tax Evasion Intentions, Diana Falsetta, Brian C. Spilker

Faculty Publications

This study experimentally examines how tax administration service inefficiencies in the form of tax return processing delays from paper-filed tax returns indirectly affect taxpayer tax evasion intentions through taxpayers’ psychological reactance to the delay. We further consider whether this indirect effect is different when the taxpayer willingly chooses to paper file their tax return versus when the taxpayer is forced to do so. Consistent with Psychological Reactance Theory (PRT), we find that when taxpayers receive delayed refunds, they experience psychological reactance (e.g., anger and frustration with the tax administration) that increases their tax evasion intentions. Further, we find that the …

Financial Literacy As A Predictor For Future Financial Outcomes, Roy Baker Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

John Adams once stated that “All the perplexities, confusions and distresses in America arise not from defects in their constitutions or confederation, not from a wont of honor or virtue, so much as from the downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit, and circulation” (Adams, 1787). Yet the apparent lack of dedication to the financial literacy of the U.S. population seems contrary to one of our Founding Father’s sentiments. Implementation of a financial literacy curriculum at the secondary education level can be described as ad hoc at best. Using delinquency data and the financial literacy programs of all 50 …

Individuals' Trust Of Bank Acquisitions, Christy Mccollum Knight

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recent transactions within the financial services industry have seen an uptick in credit unions acquiring traditional community banks. Between the years 2020 and 2024, there were 64 announced bank mergers and acquisitions by Credit Unions, and this trend is expected to continue (S&P, 2025). As there are fundamental differences between credit unions and traditional community banks, the question arises, “How will consumer confidence and trust be affected by these mergers and acquisitions?”

This dissertation investigated how consumer trust would be affected by their propensity to trust others (Disposition to Trust), their perception of the financial services industry (Institution-Based Trust), their …

Essays On Application Of Machine Learning To Financial Statement Fraud, Lin Xia

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation is composed of two studies, both of which revolve around the application of machine learning to financial statement fraud. The first study entitled, “Complementary Role of Algorithm and Theory for Financial Statement Fraud” investigates the nature of relationship of theory building research and machine learning algorithms. Recent research on financial statement fraud has seen an increase in the use of machine learning techniques. While some machine learning based studies build on variables from causal inference research, others claim that machine learning algorithms work better with raw accounting variables and thus cast doubt on the role of …

Foreign Tax Holiday Participation And U.S. Job And Investment Loss, Zackery D. Fox, Linda Krull, Scott G. Rane

Faculty Publications

We investigate whether foreign tax holiday participation among U.S. multinational companies is associated with offshoring U.S. jobs and other domestic investment activities. We find that foreign tax holiday participation is associated with (1) an increase in offshoring U.S. jobs and (2) a decrease in domestic investment, as proxied by changes in the number of employees, capital expenditures, and R&D activity. Furthermore, we find evidence suggesting that the association between targeted, temporary tax incentives provided by foreign tax holidays and firms’ domestic activities is stronger among firms with a smaller foreign presence and is distinct from the impact of foreign statutory …

The Development Of A Rag-Based Artificial Intelligence Research Assistant (Aira), Hamid Vakilzadeh, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Disclosure Benchmarking By Lawyers: Evidence Fromthe Ipo Setting, Michael S. Drake, Jeff Mcmullin, Kenneth Merkley, Chase Potter, John Treu

Faculty Publications

Lawyers play an important advisory role in drafting financial reports, yet empirical evidence documenting the influence of external legal counsel on this process remains sparse. This study focuses on a specific aspect of lawyers’ drafting process: the practice of reviewing disclosures previously filed by other issuers—a practice termed “disclosure benchmarking.” Using initial public offering (IPO) disclosures as the setting, we find that disclosure benchmarking is associated with amore efficient Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) review process. We further find that it is associated with several measures of disclosure quality, including disclosures that are less likely to be revised in subsequent …

Timing Is Everything: Congruence, Controllability, And Performance Measure Weighting, Hayden T. Gunnell, Gary Hecht, William B. Tayler, Kristy L. Towry

Faculty Publications

We investigate whether the weights managers place on performance measures for performancebased compensation depend on whether weights are determined at the beginning or end of the performance period. We propose that managers frame the weighting decision differently depending on timing. Specifically, prior to employee effort, managers frame the decision as intended to align employee effort to firm objectives, whereas after employees have exerted effort, managers frame the weighting decision as intended to evaluate employee effort. Thus, we expect, and find, that managers weight measures that are more congruent with firm objectives more heavily when weightings are determined ex ante (before …

Qualitative Characteristic Of Financial Statement Information And Implementation Psak 73 : Case Study In The Advertising Services Pt Abc, Hasnawati Hasnawati, Marsdenia Marsdenia, Trie Wiesty Cindy Salsabila

Jurnal Vokasi Indonesia

The quality of information presented in the financial statement is the most important thing for stakeholders in the business decision-making context. There has been a significant change in lease accounting practices due to changes in lease accounting standards for all business entities in countries that adopt IFRS. In 2017 the IASB published IFRS 16 Leases as new guidance on leases replacing IAS 17. DSAK IAI made adjustments related to IAS 17 to become PSAK 30, then based on the changes that emerged PSAK 30 was revoked and adjustments were made to IFRS 16 to become PSAK 73. These changes were …

Accounting Firm Professionals’ Perceptions Of Internal Control And User Issues Associated With Quickbooks, Dena Breece, William Thomas, Daniel Parisian

The North American Accounting Studies

With increased Certified Public Accountants eligible to retire and challenges with hiring quality accounting staff, organizations must be increasingly aware of the likelihood of accounting information system internal control problems and possible solutions to address these issues. With the ongoing desire for sound financial reporting and fraudulent activity on the rise, organizations should also prioritize understanding the existence and differences of system internal controls. This study examines accounting firm professionals’ perceptions or beliefs on potential internal control problems and solutions in utilizing Intuit QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online to gain insight on whether problems and solutions exist and any differences …

Do Intangible Assets Impact Financial Statement Comparability? A Case Study Of Washington State Hospitals, Andrew Brajcich, Dan Friesner, Matthew Q. Mcpherson

The North American Accounting Studies

Firms are becoming increasingly reliant on intangible assets to create value and differentiate themselves from their peers. Intangible assets are typically reported in the balance sheet using general categories such as “goodwill” or “other intangible assets.” Intangible assets are often unique in their attributes and productive lifespans, which makes them challenging to accurately and precisely record in accounting statements. While the assets themselves provide unique value creation opportunities, it is unclear whether specific intangible assets impact assessments of financial statement comparability. This study investigates whether the existence of various types of intangible assets leads to differences in financial statement comparability …

Behavioral Accounting As A Catalyst In The Organizational Transformation Process Toward Sustainability, Ni Wayan Yellow Prinsis Dayani, I Gusti Ayu Nyoman Budiasih

Jurnal Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia

This research investigates the role of behavioral accounting as a catalyst in the organizational transformation process towards sustainability using phenomenological methods. The study aims to explore how behavioral accounting identifies individual behavioral factors, designs efficient sustainability systems, and enhances organizational commitment to sustainable practices. The research employs observation, secondary data analysis, and semi-structured interviews with organizational internal team, analyzed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings indicate that behavioral accounting contributes to organizational sustainability by enhancing transparency in accounting information, thereby minimizing the risk of fund misuse and ensuring efficient resource allocation. This research supports behavioral accounting as pivotal in shaping …

Fraud Mitigation By Embodying Maqashid Sharia Values And Islamic Work Ethics, Farah Nurani Qorny, Sugiyarti Fatma Laela, Ahmad Levi Fachrul Avivy

Jurnal Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia

This research examines how the fraud square influences fraud, and investigates whether implementing tahdzib al-fard (educating individuals), part of Maqashid Sharia values, and Islamic Work Ethics (IWE), can reduce employee involvement in fraud. The study uses a quantitative approach with questionnaires for data collection, with 257 civil servants in Banten Province agencies, Indonesia, as study samples. The data were further tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The study reveals that pressure, opportunity and rationalization have a positive relationship with fraud, while integrity has no impact on fraud deterrence. Tahdzib al-fard significantly influences employee perceptions and attitudes towards dealing …

The Role Of Cost Of Capital In The Link Between Esg Reporting And Firm Performance, Emmanuel Dwomor, Emmanuel Mensah

Jurnal Akuntansi dan Keuangan Indonesia

The attention surrounding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors within the corporate realm has grown significantly, as evidence mounts regarding their influence on firm performance. This research explores the connection between ESG reporting and firm performance from emerging economies’ perspective, with the cost of capital acting as a mediator to enhance our understanding of how capital providers perceive the risk profile of ESG-compliant firms and thereby reward them through a reduction in the costs they demand on their invested capital. The study sourced annual reports data on a sample of 146 emerging market firms across 59 industries spanning 2019 to …

Evaluating The Perceived Benefits Of Education In Revenue Cycle Management And The Impact On Medical Claims Reimbursement, Jessica L. Miller

Student Dissertations

Efficient Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) is essential for healthcare organizations to ensure timely and accurate reimbursement for medical claims. The research problem was the significant inadequacies in RCM process in medical billing that has resulted in financial burdens imposed on providers, patients, and the organizations that provide medical services. There are clearly identified educational gaps in RCM that contribute to claim denials, delays, and revenue loss, underscoring the need for robust training programs. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived impact of education in RCM on medical claim reimbursement outcomes within the U.S. healthcare system. The study …

Transforming Accounting With Artificial Intelligence, Aidan M. Morneault

Business Analytics Student Projects and Publications

The accounting field is evolving quickly with the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and BNN is taking on this challenge. This report explores how BNN incorporates AI tools like Microsoft’s CoPilot and Caseware into its operations to streamline audits, enhance efficiency, and ensure compliance. This report will also cover how the industry handles this new technology, but still have a focus on BNN. While AI has brought significant benefits such as reducing costs, speeding up data processing, and moving towards real-time audits, it also presents challenges. These challenges include trust in AI outputs, high implementation costs, and workforce training. To …

Innovating Under Pressure? Regulatory Intensity And Corporate Innovation, Christy Mak

Honors Projects in Finance

We investigate the impact of regulatory intensity on innovation outcomes. We examine U.S. publicly listed firms, utilizing a novel firm-level measure of exposure to all federal regulations. The study reveals that highly regulated companies tend to exhibit lower patent value, a reduction in patent filings, and a decrease in patent citations. The results suggest additional costs imposed on firms burdened by heavy regulations. Furthermore, financial distress and political connections mitigate this negative effect. Overall, the paper uncovers a previously undiscovered connection between regulation at an aggregate level and innovation, emphasizing circumstances where regulations may impose costs that outweigh potential benefits.