Digital Commons Network^™

An Austrian Approach To Accounting Regulation: How Policy Intervention Distorts The Market For Assurance Services, Kyan Howe

Student Scholarship

This thesis applies the causal-realist method of the Austrian School of Economics to the market for assurance services in the United States. The central argument is that post-crisis accounting regulation has systematically distorted the incentive structures of independent public accounting firms in ways regulators do not predict and cannot fully control. Financial crises, properly understood through Austrian Business Cycle Theory, originate in monetary distortions rather than market failure. Post-crisis regulatory responses nonetheless target the profession rather than the underlying distortion, introducing rules that alter the institutional constraints within which auditors exercise professional judgment.

The thesis develops a judgment-based equation of …

Implementing Blockchain Into Accounting Software, Noam Kimbro

Senior Honors Theses

Accounting has been fundamentally reshaped by the use of computational systems and digital information storage. This Honors Thesis seeks to research accounting software and to build upon it through the development of fresh software implementing blockchain into the accounting system. This Honors Thesis Proposal provides preliminary research into the field of accounting to allow for better understanding of the proposed software system. This Honors Thesis will further the body of knowledge by implementing blockchain into accounting data storage to allow transactions to be retroactively verified.

Financial Fraud In Mississippi Public Agencies: Case Studies Of Control Failures And Implications On Civic Engagement, Gracie Sullivan

Honors Theses

This study analyzes the relationship between financial fraud in Mississippi public institutions and its potential impact on civic engagement. While the existing literature explores the mechanics of fraud through frameworks such as the Fraud Triangle and the role of internal controls in preventing misconduct, limited research examines how government corruption influences civic disengagement, particularly in Mississippi. Using a quantitative, comparative research design, this study examines the relationship between major public financial fraud cases and voter turnout in case-linked and comparison counties. These cases include the Mississippi TANF welfare fraud, the Department of Corrections bribery case, and the misuse of funds …

Can Financial Literacy Enhance Esg Disclosures?, Xiaoran Jia, Kiridaran Kanagaretnam, Kiat Bee Jimmy Lee, Chee Yeow Lim

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Using an international sample of firms and two country-level measures of financial literacy, we find robust evidence of a positive relation between financial literacy and firms' Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosures. In cross-sectional analyses, we find that the effect of financial literacy in enhancing ESG disclosures is more prominent in poorer information environments, weaker legal institutions and weaker ESG reporting environments. Lastly, we find that financial literacy also enhances ESG performance. Our study contributes to and extends the literature by providing strong evidence that citizens' financial literacy enhances firms' ESG disclosure and the associated ESG performance.

The Roles Of The Human Resources Management Director And Their Impact On Entrepreneurial Training:An Analytical Study At The Ministry Of Labor And Social Affairs, Ali Abd Al-Salam Abd Al-Daem

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

The research problem lies in the weak level of entrepreneurial training in Iraqi ministries despite the importance of the strategic roles of human resources management. The research gap is represented by the scarcity of empirical studies that measure the relative impact of the roles of the HR manager (according to Ulrich’s model) in activating entrepreneurial training within the Iraqi public sector environment. Accordingly, this study aims to analyze the relationship between the roles of the Human Resources Management Director—as a strategic partner, administrative expert, developmental supporter, and change agent—and their impact on activating entrepreneurial training at the Ministry of Labor …

Blockchain Technology As A Tool To Enhance Information Security Elements In The Government Organizations Sector: An Exploratory Study In The Nineveh Governorate Traffic Directorate, Saif Khalid Zakaria

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

Purpose: The objective of this study is oriented to investigate what are the determinant features of Blockchain Technology (BCT) that contribute in boosting ISE factors in governmental institutions. The research work is grounded on referring to the most popular features of Blockchain (BC) in enhancing the core and supportive (ISE). Research Design/ Methods and approach: The data for this research was based on a crosssectional and correlational survey (95 responses were finally analyzed). The collected data were first analyzed using SPSS v.26 and then through variance based structural equation modeling (SEM; Smart PLS v.4) for assessing validity and …

Financial Leverage And Firm Performance: An Empirical Review And Analysis, Iqbal Md. M Islam

Journal of Global Business Insights

This paper examines the dual impact of financial leverage on corporate performance by analyzing empirical data across developed and developing nations, industries, and different periods. Leverage can enhance profitability through tax benefits and improved efficiency, but it also maximizes financial risk, making its effects highly context dependent. Theoretical frameworks such as the Trade-off Theory, Modigliani-Miller Theorem, Agency Theory, and Pecking Order Theory offer diverse perspectives on how debt influences firm outcomes. Empirical findings reveal mixed results; moderate leverage may lower capital costs and boost performance, whereas unnecessary debt can lead to financial distress. Disparities emerge between developed and developing economies. …

Sectoral Shockwaves: Examining Bursa Malaysia's Sector Indices Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alyssa April Dellow, Hafizah Bahaludin

International Journal of Management, Finance and Accounting

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is becoming a widespread concern, as it is causing a decline in economies and negatively impacting stock markets worldwide. As the Malaysian government implements the Movement Control Order (MCO) to curb the spread of the deadly virus, the Malaysian stock market is rapidly impacted, becoming volatile and unpredictable throughout the pandemic phase. Thus, this study aims to analyse the structural correlation patterns of the Bursa Malaysia Sectoral Index Series using the threshold network approach. The data utilised in this study are the closing prices of all 13 sectoral indexes, spanning from January 1, 2019, …

Gamification Strategies And Customer Churn Reduction In Entrepreneurial Retail Firms: An Empirical Study Of Millennials, Si Chong En, Oo Yu Hock, Nor Azila Mohd Noor, Zheng Feei Ma, Khairul Nizam Mahmud

International Journal of Management, Finance and Accounting

This study investigates the impact of gamification strategies on customer churn reduction in entrepreneurial retail firms, focusing on Millennial consumers in Malaysia’s Klang Valley. Customer churn threatens profitability, particularly for emerging enterprises, and gamification has emerged as a potential tool to enhance customer engagement and retention. Drawing on the Self-Determination Theory, the study examines three gamified marketing interventions: membership programmes, contest rewards, and personalised discounts as direct predictors of churn reduction. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, using a structured questionnaire distributed to 180 Millennial consumers through purposive sampling. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation …

Strategies For Reducing Fraud In Corporate Organizations, Tarshall Horton Mccauley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Financial statement fraud has been a persistent problem that poses risks to corporations globally. Business leaders are concerned about financial statement fraud due to its potential to weaken financial stability, erode stakeholder confidence, and create conditions that may lead to significant financial distress or organizational collapse. Grounded in the fraud triangle theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research was to explore internal control strategies corporate leaders use to reduce financial statement fraud risk. The participants were 11 financial leaders in North Carolina, the District of Columbia, and Virginia who practiced effective internal controls to minimize financial fraud. Data …

Using Emerging Technologies In The Introductory Managerial Accounting Course To Increase Interest In The Accounting Major And Technology Competencies, Ouadie Akaaboune, Michelle Freeman, Mark Friedman

Faculty Open Access Works

Including technology in the accounting curriculum encourages the adoption of active learning whereby students explore accounting from an individualized manner that better engages students, motivates them to problem solve, and hopefully, allows them to enjoy the learning process and gain more from it. From a curriculum planning standpoint, the introduction of active learning-based technology curriculums also provides information about the perceptions students have about themselves, the accounting profession, and the role technology plays in accounting. Collectively, all this information can be used to guide student interest in accounting as an academic major.

This research article studies the implementation of Cuddly …

Regulatory Influence, Corporate Governance And Esg Transparency: Evidence From Emerging Economies, Wafaa Salah

Business Administration

In response to the increasing global demand for sustainable practices, the Egyptian Financial Regulatory Authority [1] issued decree 107 in 2021, mandating that Egyptian listed non-financial firms with issued capital of at least EGP 100 million disclose their ESG practices annually, thereby aligning their practices with international sustainability standards. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of leverage and independence of audit committees on the level of ESG disclosure. Also, it is to examine the moderating effect of Decree 107 on the relationship between leverage and ESG disclosure. A panel data analysis is employed using a balanced …

Applying Total Quality Management And Auditor Size Theories To Audit Quality: Evidence From Tanzanian Auditing Firms, Freddy Chaula, Henry Zeno Chalu, Paul Ambege

Business Management Review

Amid mixed global findings on the determinants of audit quality, particularly in emerging markets, the role of engagement team competence and audit firm size remains underexplored. This study investigates the relationship between engagement team competence, audit firm size, and audit quality in Tanzanian auditing firms. The hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM based on data obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 147 Tanzanian audit partners. Audit firm size (β = 0.309, p < 0.01) and engagement team competence (β = 0.567, p < 0.01) were found to have significant positive effects on audit quality. These results suggest that audit quality is significantly enhanced by audit firm size and engagement team competence, thus supporting total quality management and auditor size theories. These findings highlight the need for regulators to strengthen auditor competence and to support the growth of small auditing firms, thereby enhancing their capacity, resources, and the overall audit quality. For auditing firms, the findings underscore the need to develop engagement team competence through initiatives such as professional training, mentoring, and knowledge-sharing programs. Additionally, firms should expand their capacity to strengthen audit quality. While focused on the Tanzanian context, the findings offer broader insights for improving audit quality in developing economies.

The Impact Of Premium Income And Claim Expenses On Property Insurance Underwriting Results, Debrina Vita Ferezagia, Marta Yuniar, Finisha S. Hardanto

Jurnal Administrasi Bisnis Terapan

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study is to examine the influence of premium income and claim expenses on the underwriting outcomes of property insurance. Property insurance is a form of insurance that provides protection for property against potential hazards, including fire, theft, and damage caused by natural catastrophes. The data were analyzed utilizing IBM SPSS Statistics 25. The data indicates that both premium income and claim expenses have a substantial influence on underwriting results. However, it is important to note that only premium income has a substantial influence on underwriting performance, accounting for an effective contribution of 83.3%. The coefficient …

Financial Ratios And Stock Volatility: Empirical Evidence From The Banking Sector, Rahma Tri Benita

Journal of Accounting Auditing and Business

Banking stock price volatility is closely related to company performance and fundamental indicators. This study analyzes the short-term and long-term relationships between financial ratios and stock price volatility in the banking sector. Based on the results of the long-term correlation, the Price to Earnings Ratio (P/E) and Dividend Yield (DY) variables are proven to be dominant factors influencing volatility because they are directly related to stock price movements. In the short-term correlation between state-owned banks, there is an inverse relationship between Price to Book and ROE, and Debt to Equity has a significant negative effect on Return on Assets and …

Analysis Of The Determinants Of Cash Holdings And The Implications For Local Government Spending Effectiveness In West Java, Ismail Marzuki Randos, Nia Suciyati

Journal of Accounting Auditing and Business

Cash management is fundamental to sustaining uninterrupted local service delivery and supporting credible budget execution. In West Java, municipal cash holdings exhibited fluctuations over 2019–2023, with only a limited number of districts/cities consistently maintaining cash holdings ratios above the operational sufficiency threshold. This study examines (i) the determinants of cash holdings Capacity and (ii) the relationship between cash holdings and expenditure effectiveness. Cash Holdings Capacity is classified as sufficient when the cash holdings ratio exceeds 100%, whereas Expenditure Effectiveness is classified as effective when the effectiveness ratio exceeds 90%. The quantitative analysis applies binary logistic regression to 27 districts/cities in …

Audit Expectation Gap Factors And Stakeholders’ Confidence In Nigerian Quoted Firms, Abdul-Azeez Adeniyi Alao, Okikijesu Olaide Olaniyan, Olumayowa Ayorinde Jacob

Journal of Accounting Auditing and Business

The Audit Expectation Gap (AEG) has emerged as a demanding concern in the auditing profession, with far-reaching implications for corporate governance, financial reporting, and stakeholder trust; hence, this study investigated the effect of the AEG factors on the stakeholders’ confidence in Nigerian quoted firms. The study employed a cross-sectional survey research design, while a total of one hundred and three (103) valid responses were used for the analysis. The data was analysed via the regression analysis with the aid of the Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) at a 5 per cent level of significance. The findings revealed that …

An Examination Of Firm-Level Differences In Form Ap Amendment Filings Across Big Four Audit Firms, Benjamin Black

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Awareness And Decision-Making In Cryptocurrency Investment Among Students In Guwahati: A Comprehensive Study, Rituparna Roy Dr, Anupam Chanda Dr, Bidangsha Basumatary

The Indonesian Capital Market Review

This study investigates the awareness and decision-making processes related to cryptocurrency investment among students in Guwahati, Assam. Cryptocurrency, a form of digital money designed for online transactions without government or bank oversight, has initiated significant shifts in the global financial sector. The decentralization of cryptocurrencies offers transparency, security, and efficiency, challenging traditional financial systems. Despite the growing global interest in cryptocurrencies, their adoption faces barriers such as limited technological expertise, regulatory uncertainty, and security concerns. These issues are particularly pronounced among students, a demographic increasingly interested in digital currencies but often lacking foundational financial knowledge. The research aims to fill …

Prosocial Ceos And Accounting Manipulation, Mei Feng, Weili Ge, Zhejia Ling, Wei Ting Loh

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

This paper examines the association between chief executive officers’ (CEOs’) prosocial tendency and their firms’ likelihood of accounting manipulation. We measure CEOs’ prosocial tendency based on their involvement with charitable organizations. We find that prosocial CEOs are less likely to engage in accounting manipulation, as proxied by material non-reliance restatements and SEC or DOJ enforcement actions. The effect is more pronounced when CEOs are involved with charities that directly aim to improve the welfare of others and when they face stronger incentives to misreport. These results continue to hold in analyses of changes in CEOs’ prosocial tendency around turnover events. …

The Impact Of Asu 2023-08 On Reported Profitability Of Cryptocurrency-Exposed Firms, William C. Graff

CMC Senior Theses

This study investigates the performance of corporate cryptocurrency holdings in the context of recent accounting regulation changes. It specifically examines how adopting Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2023-08 has affected firms with material cryptocurrency exposure. Using a panel of U.S. public firms from 2019–2025, I classified 138 companies as having material crypto exposure if cryptocurrency comprised more than 0.01 percent of total assets, which was manually calculated. Of these firms, 67 were exposed to the rule change (under GAAP), 66 were not, and 5 were excluded from final calculations due to a lack of relevant information.

Results showed statistically significant effects …

Impact Of Attention And Yield Curve On Term Structure Of Equity, Matthew C. Aved

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines the term structure of equity and specifically focuses on the impact of term spread and market attention. The paper builds on prior work that developed the concept by adding behavioral explanations for differences between the short-term and long-term returns while also attempting to link the term structure of equity and the bond yield curve. The study examines these influences by running t-tests and regressions on dividend strip and S&P 500 return data (1996-2017) and attention data collected by Bloomberg (2010-2017). The results provide some insight into how these variables influence short-term and long-term returns; however, limited instances …

Auditor Independence And Its Impact On Debt Financing Outcomes, Harry Zhou

CMC Senior Theses

This study investigates whether perceived auditor independence, proxied through proportions of non-audit service fees and client dependence of the auditor, is associated with the outcome of debt contracts. While prior research examines how these proxies relate to auditor independence itself, and other strands of literature assess how audit quality influences debt contracting, few studies evaluate whether lenders interpret auditor independence signals in ways consistent with auditors. This study aims to contribute to the broader literature by examining the auditor independence proxies and its direct relationship to debt contract structure holistically. Two OLS models were employed to investigate the relationship between …

A Strategic Analysis Of Project Learn Of Summit County, Alex Kennedy, Tyler Hutchinson, Haley Guest, Zach D. Thomas, Lizzie Sisler

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our group is working with Project Learn of Summit County, a GED and ESL assistance program located in the Akron Public Library. Our group will be performing a strategic analysis and providing them with a strategic plan, to be presented to them at the end of the term. We aim to increase awareness for the program, point out areas of growth, and increase functionality.

Design Thinking For Corporate Social Responsibility Program Proposal Creation, Michelle "Mindy" D. Danovaro

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study used action research to explore how the use of design thinking engaged employees in the creation of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program proposal in a small- to medium-enterprises (SME) in the Sacramento region of California. The purpose of the study was to assess whether employee participation in a design thinking exercise could improve employee perception of engagement, inclusion, and reciprocity during the CSR program proposal creation. The study was grounded in social exchange theory, stakeholder theory, and design thinking methodologies. The iterative research process followed action research cycles (i.e., plan, act, observe, and reflect) integrated with …

Information Discovery, Interpretation, And Analysis By Institutional Investors Around Earnings Announcements, Sami Keskek, Abdullah Kumas

Accounting Faculty Publications

This study examines how institutional investors allocate trading across the earnings an- nouncement cycle and whether industry trading concentration strengthens that activity. The analysis is motivated by two complementary ideas: public disclosures can increase the value of investors’ prior information, and even sophisticated investors face costly information processing. These perspectives imply that institutional trading need not be concentrated only before disclosure and may be strongest after earnings announcements, when investors combine newly released public information with prior firm- and industry-specific signals. Using daily institutional trading data from Ancerno, we find that institutional net trading is positively related to earnings surprises …

Partisan Local Media And Corporate Voluntary Disclosures: Evidence From Sinclair Acquisitions, Ming Li

Theses and Dissertations

I investigate the impact of local media’s political orientation on firms’ voluntary disclosure, exploiting the acquisitions of local TV stations by Sinclair Broadcast Group, a conservative media conglomerate. Drawing on the media bias theory and implementing a staggered difference‐in‐differences design, I find that the local partisan media affects management earnings forecasts. Specifically, Conservative-leaning CEOs in designated market areas (DMAs) affected by Sinclair’s acquisitions forecast more optimistically, increasing forecast frequency and inflating forecasted earnings. The impact is stronger if the DMAs are more Liberal-leaning before the acquisitions and when firms have weaker corporate governance. I also find that the stock market …

Lease Capitalization And Financial Flexibility: An Empirical Investigation Of Asc 842’S Impact On Liquidity In The Us Telecommunications Industry, Caleb J. Martin

Doctor of Business Administration Dissertations

Measures of liquidity are some of the most important financial ratios to analyze when measuring a firm’s overall financial health and its ability to pay both creditors and dividends. The US telecommunications industry is an industry that has become synonymous with dividends, mergers, and acquisitions, all of which are possible due to industry wide and firm specific liquidity. With the implementation of ASC 842 and the new standard of placing operational leases on the balance sheet, additional research may be warranted to determine the effect ASC 842 may have on firm liquidity. This study investigated whether there was evidence to …

The Investor Perspective Of Materiality, Sam Lessinger

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Often auditors are asked to adopt the reasonable investor perspective in their materiality evaluations however, there is no consensus regarding what investors deem to be material. This can lead to confusion in the markets. In fact, past studies have shown how taking an investor perspective can backfire and may result in more leniency and fewer misstatements being deemed material by auditors. This leniency can, potentially, result in financial statements that mislead investors. The aim of this paper is to address the reasonable investor perspective to achieve a more complete understanding of an investor’s viewpoint. This study also incorporates the effect …

Predicting Anomalies, Boone Bowles, Adam V. Reed, Matthew C. Ringgenberg

Faculty Publications

We show that stock returns exhibit predictable patterns before the publication of anomaly trading signals. Moreover, anomaly trading signals derived from financial data are themselves predictable, making it possible to trade before financial statements are released. A trading strategy based on predicted anomaly signals earns an annualized return of 2.80% in the quarter before the signal is released. In recent periods, this return predictability is concentrated in signals that are harder to forecast, and returns are increasingly earned several quarters before signals are released. Our findings suggest anomalies are more anomalous than previously recognized.