Digital Commons Network^™

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act: The Most Revolutionary Piece Of Tax Legislation Since The Introduction Of The Income Tax, Alexander Szwakob

Honors Scholar Theses

With taxation of income being the most significant source of revenue, most national governments consider tax evasion prevention to be one of the priorities of their tax agencies. In the United States, tax evasion has been a significant concern of the Internal Revenue Service ever since the modern income tax was instituted with the passing of the Sixteenth Amendment in 1913. Over the following century, Congress enacted numerous measures aimed at curbing the illegal practice, but, as often is the case, both individuals and institutions desiring to not abide by the law found new ways to outsmart the tax authorities. …

The Role Of Cryptography In Security For Electronic Commerce, Ann Murphy, David Murphy

The ITB Journal

Many businesses and consumers are wary of conducting business over the Internet due to a perceived lack of security. Electronic business is subject to a variety of threats such as unauthorised access, misappropriation, alteration and destruction of both data and systems. This paper explores the major security concerns of businesses and users and describes the cryptographic techniques used to reduce such risks.

Continuous Monitoring Of Enterprise Risks: A Delphi Feasibility Study, Robert Baksa

Dissertations

A constantly evolving regulatory environment, increasing market pressure to improve operations, and rapidly changing business conditions are creating the need for ongoing assurance that organizational risks are continually and adequately mitigated. Enterprises are perpetually exposed to fraud, poor decision making and/or other inefficiencies that can lead to significant financial loss and/or increased levels of operating risk. Increasingly, Information Systems are being harnessed to reinvent the risk management process. One promising technology is Continuous Auditing, which seeks to transform the audit process from periodic reviews of a few transactions to a continuous review of all transactions. However, the highly integrated, rapidly …

Coins In The Air: A Literature Review On The Evolving Framework Of Bitcoin And Its Relevance To The Accounting Profession, Javin H. Forrester

Accounting

Bitcoin is an innovative virtual currency, which has gained much commercial traction, yet is widely overlooked by the accounting profession. Due to its parallels with actual currencies and its growing use, accountants should be aware of what bitcoin is, including its risks and benefits, in order to properly leverage its business uses. Of the existing financial instruments, derivatives stand out in their potential to stabilize the bitcoin market. Bitcoin regulation is sparse, but evolving, especially in the face of the emerging bitcoin securities and derivatives markets. The accounting profession is poised to play a major role in facilitating the future …

Financial Fraud Detection By Using Grammar-Based Multiobjective Genetic Programming With Ensemble Learning, Haibing Li

Lingnan Theses

Financial fraud is a criminal act, which violates the law, rules or policy to gain unauthorized financial benefit. As an increasingly serious problem, it has attracted a lot of concerns. The major consequences are loss of billions of dollars each year, investor confidence and corporate reputation. Therefore, a study area called Financial Fraud Detection (FFD) is obligatory, in order to prevent the destructive results caused by financial fraud. In general, traditional modeling approaches are applied and based on pre-defined hypothesis testing of causes and effects for FFD problems. In addition, the evaluation criteria are often based on variable significance level …

Audit Committees And Financial Reporting Quality In Singapore, Kwong Sin Leong, Jiwei Wang, Themin Suwardy, Yuanto Kusnadi

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

No abstract provided.

The Management Of A Turnaround After An Ethical Breach In A Public Institution Of Higher Education, Ashley Stark

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The field of management has built a wealth of literature on turnaround management as well as the effect unethical actions have upon organizations. However, there has been less study on the application of these topics to turnarounds specifically in small, regional, public institutions of higher education. It is important that an institution of higher education that has been affected by an ethical failure execute a turnaround to restore trust and faith in the organization, internally and externally. A small, regional, public institution of higher education in the upper Midwest recently encountered a series of organizational difficulties that negatively influenced its …

Bhagavad Gitā & The Art Of Leadership: Old Text, New Context!, Satinder Dhiman

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

Author and scholar Satinder Dhiman focuses upon the pervasive and necessary role of spirituality in values-based leadership. He notes that while the leadership literature is plentiful, the Bhagavad Gītā represents one of the very few writings which explores the core psychological, philosophical, ethical, and spiritual underpinnings of leadership roles. In this article, the author applies hermeneutics to the Gītā to highlight important leadership lessons and to apply such lessons to contemporary organizational leadership. Through selfless work, a true leader eschews an egoistic pursuit of self-aggrandizement to achieve the freedom of serving others. Thus, Dhiman concludes, the Gītā teaches its readers …

Are Cybercrime Laws Keeping Up With The Triple Convergence Of Information, Innovation And Technology?, Ramesh Subramanian, Steven Sedita

Communications of the IIMA

This paper analyzes the emergence and development of cyberlaws. In many coimtries aroxmd the world, cyberlaws are being enacted in order to curb or prosecute cybercriminals. Cybercriminals have very rapidly adlapted to developments in technology, specifically Internet technology, and use its characteristics of transience, anonymity, speed and vast spread to perpetrate various types of crimes. Thus the triple convergence of information, innovation and technology has also aided criminals to practice their nefarious "trade." The paper analyzes how various countries are taking counter measures by enacting cyberlaws. These actions are often slow and reactive rather than proactive. In addition, the laws …

Promoting Professional Skepticism In The Audit Environment, Mary C. Parlee

2015

The objective of this dissertation is to examine professional skepticism in the audit environment and identify methods to promote professional skepticism in an overall effort to improve auditor judgment and decision making. This dissertation is made up of three studies, and each study’s purpose, methodology, and findings are summarized below.

The purpose of the first study is to examine the potential for simple metaphors to prime professional skepticism during an auditor’s professional judgment process. I empirically examine the effectiveness of using metaphors as non-conscious primes to activate a skeptical mindset. The results indicate that priming a skeptical mindset does in …

Adelphia: An Exploratory Case Study Of Corporate Culture And Ethical Judgment, Susan Bishop

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

White collar corporate corruption continues to be prevalent in the United States, costing shareholders billions of dollars annually. This study of the collapse of Coudersport, PA firm, Adelphia Communications, explored how and why leadership of this prominent and successful company made unethical decisions, created an atmosphere of moral disengagement, and led to the downfall of the company. Taped interviews with 10 executives who were employed at the company during the years of its rise and demise (1996-2006) were transcribed, hand coded, and analyzed to explore the ethical culture and leadership practices at Adelphia. These insights offer a possible explanation for …

Network Connections In Reit Markets, George D. Cashman, Stuart L. Gillan, David M. Harrison, Ryan J. Whitby

Finance Faculty Research and Publications

Relationships play a central role across the spectrum of real estate transactions. Whether negotiating prices, securing funding, or acquiring permits, knowing the right people provides multiple channels to facilitate deal making. To better understand the role of relationships in real estate markets, we examine how the connectedness of REIT directors is associated with deal making, growth, and profitability. We find strong evidence that REIT connections are positively associated with both deal making and accounting based measures of profitability, however, those relations do not translate into better market returns or higher valuations. One explanation of these somewhat contradictory results is that …

Conditions Associated With Increased Risk Of Fraud: A Model For Publicly Traded Restaurant Companies, Elizabeth Yost

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The central focus of this dissertation study is to understand the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the factors that contribute to increased risk of fraud in order to determine why fraud may occur despite the imposed regulation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The main premise of the study tests the application of the fraud triangle framework constructs to publicly traded restaurant companies during the time period of 2002-2014, using proxy variables defined through literature. Essentially, the study seeks to identify the factors that may provide the optimal criteria to engage in fraudulent or opportunistic behavior. The fraud triangle theoretical framework …

The Relationship Of Managers' Power Motivations To Personality Pathology, Jewel Darlene Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that managerial leaders have a higher motivational need for power than those in other positions. A leader's personality traits have been shown to affect organizational performance. Leaders who score high in dark traits (undesirable personality attributes shown to predict career derailment across organizations, levels, and positions) could also be more likely to use company resources for personal gain. There is a paucity of research examining the correlation between managerial dark traits and the need for power. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between managers' dark trait scores as measured by the Hogan Development …

Take Your Marketing Online!, Kelly Lucas, Sarah Warlick

Guides, Handbooks and Manuals

No abstract provided.

Employee Conduct When Administering Government Contracts In The Defense Logistics Agency, Sandra Genevieve Haynes-Michaels

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Office of the Inspector General in the Department of Justice reported cases of government contracting employees accepting bribes totaling over $540 million within a 6-year period. The purpose of this case study was to explore the perceptions of government contracting managers regarding the knowledge needed to mitigate employees' unethical behaviors when administering government contracts. Previous studies on government contracting employees' unethical behaviors focused on employees' behaviors, but lacked data concerning managers' roles in mitigating employees' unethical behaviors. The study's conceptual framework was stakeholder theory. The data were gathered through semistructured interviews conducted with 21 government contracting managers in the …

Narrowing The Gap Of Financial Fraud Detection In Corporations, Solomon Aborbie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders remain exposed to financial and accounting fraud as well as loss of profitability, despite the dictates of the SOX Act of 2002. The most challenging aspect of corporate management is the unexpected nature of an emerging, existing, or an inherent financial risk. Guided by the evolution of fraud theory, this exploratory case study's purpose was to identify and explore the financial management strategies that corporate financial managers need to adequately protect investors. Twenty participants from a population group of corporate auditors of Fortune 1000 corporations within 70 miles of Columbus, Ohio provided input for this study. Data from …

Best Practices To Minimize Data Security Breaches For Increased Business Performance, Fedinand Jaiventume Kongnso

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, businesses have reported over 2,800 data compromises of an estimated 543 million records, with security breaches costing firms approximately $7.2 million annually. Scholars and industry practitioners have indicated a significant impact of security breaches on consumers and organizations. However, there are limited data on the best practices for minimizing the impact of security breaches on organizational performance. The purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to explore best practices technology leaders use to minimize data security breaches for increased business performance. Systems theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. Fourteen participants were interviewed, including …

Form Vs. Function In Rule 10b-5 Class Actions, Amanda M. Rose

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

The Supreme Court’s widely anticipated decision last term in Halliburton Co. v. Erica P. John Fund, Inc. did little to change the fundamental landscape of securities fraud litigation in the United States. Rule 10b-5 class actions premised on the “fraud-on-the-market” presumption of reliance may still be brought, although it is now clear that defendants may present evidence of lack of price distortion to rebut that presumption at the class certification stage. Halliburton does, however, raise a variety of new questions that will keep plaintiffs’ lawyers and defense counsel fighting for years to come. Determining the answers to these questions will …

Fraud And Its Relation To The Hospitality Industry, Nicole Ross

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to analyze and explore the numerous components of fraud, including its relation and presence in the hospitality industry. Additionally, the study contains findings and analyses derived from participation in a professional development series conducted in a classroom setting and two accounting case studies hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and KMPG in Fall 2013. I will dissect fraud down to its various elements and compile a work plan and proposal originating from the findings from the study. The study examines the causes of fraud, people who commit fraud, fraud legislation, and fraud trends. Through primary and secondary …

Quantitative Easing And The U.S. Stock Market: A Decision Tree Analysis, Anastasios G. Malliaris, Mary Malliaris, Ramaprasad Bhar

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The Financial Crisis of 2007-09 caused the U.S. economy to experience a relatively long recession from December 2007 to June 2009. Both the U.S. government and the Federal Reserve undertook expansive fiscal and monetary policies to minimize both the severity and length of the recession. Most notably, the Federal Reserve initiated three rounds of unconventional monetary policies known as Quantitative Easing. These policies were intended to reduce long-term interest rates when the short term federal funds rates had reached the zero lower bound and could not become negative. It was argued that the lowering of longer-term interest rates would help …

Essentials Of Forensic Accounting, Michael A. Crain, William S. Hopwood, Carl Pacini, George R. Young

Guides, Handbooks and Manuals

No abstract provided.

Are These Game Changers? Developments In The Law Affecting Virtual Currencies, Prepaid Payroll Cards, Online Tribal Lending, And Payday Lenders, Sarah Jane Hughes, Stephen T. Middlebrook

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In the year since our last survey, there have been significant legal developments in the areas of virtual currencies, prepaid payroll cards, online tribal lending, and payday lending. What connects some of these topics is an increasingly common strategy by federal banking regulators to influence and control the actions of entities that are not directly subject to their supervision through the relationships such entities have with regulated financial institutions. These developments also demonstrate robust state legislative and regulatory action relating to the provision of electronic payments and financial services, and document class actions alleging violations of federal and state laws. …

The Duty To Manage Risk, A. Christine Hurt

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Conducting A Fraud Examination On Your Fraud Examination Students, Robert J. Dosch

Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Technology

The purpose of this paper is to discuss a fraud examination that occurred during a fraud examination course. The examination was not what one would first imagine. It was not an examination conducted by the students as part of the course requirements. Instead, it was an examination performed by the instructor on his students.

This paper will note how the investigation of the students relates to common components of frauds, attributes of the perpetrators, investigation methods utilized, the final resolution of this investigation, and what I might do different in future investigations.

Special Considerations In Auditing Financial Instruments, September 1, 2014; Audit Guide, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

Industry Guides (AAGs), Risk Alerts, and Checklists

No abstract provided.

The Deterrence Effects Of Vicarious Punishments On Corporate Financial Fraud, Daphne W. Yiu, Yuehua Xu, William P. Wan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study extends the research on corporate financial fraud by developing a new perspective on the deterrence effects of vicarious punishments premised on social learning theory. We posit that firms vicariously learn about punishments from their peers by picking up modeling cues, environmental cues, and social cues in the inhibitive learning process, thus being deterred from committing future fraudulence. Using a matched sample of 604 observations of Chinese listed firms between 2002 and 2008, our findings show that an observing firm is deterred from committing fraud if the peers in its industry are caught and punished. We further find that …

Medicare Fraud In The United States: Can It Ever Be Stopped?, Chelsea Hill, Alex Hunter, Leslie Johnson, Alberto Coustasse

Management Faculty Research

The majority of the United States health care fraud has been focused on the major public program, Medicare. The yearly financial loss from Medicare fraud has been estimated at about $54 billion. The purpose of this research study was to explore the current state of Medicare fraud in the United States, identify current policies and laws that foster Medicare fraud, and determine the financial impact of Medicare fraud. The methodology for this study was a literature review. Research was conducted using a scholarly online database search and government Web sites. The number of individuals charged with criminal fraud increased from …

Bureaupathology And Organizational Fraud Prevention: Case Studies Of Fraud Hotlines, Chelsea Ann Binns

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examined the effect of organizational bureaucracy on fraud hotline performance. Fraud hotlines are used to receive anonymous fraud tips from employees in all sectors to prevent and detect fraud. This work contributes to the research on fraud hotlines, which today is very light. This work also examined individual hotline performance against organization theory, which is absent in the literature. The literature also doesn't include studies using social media data to determine organizational climate. This work contributes to that literature by providing a collective case study examination of the fraud hotlines in six organizations. Their hotline performance was examined …

Essays On Mergers And Acquisitions, Marcin Krolikowski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation includes two essays that examine mergers and acquisitions. In the first essay we examine how pay-for-performance influences the quality of merger decisions before and after Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX). Pay-for performance has a significant positive effect on acquirer returns of 0.9% pre-SOX and 1.1% post-SOX around the three day event window. Bidders with high pay-for-performance pay a 23.3% lower merger premium in listed target acquisitions. The positive effect of pay-for-performance is more important for public target acquisitions overall, for small acquirers pre-SOX, and for large acquirers post-SOX. In the long-run, bidders with high pre-merger pay-for-performance experience 27.6% higher returns after …