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2014-03-10 Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Staff Congress.

Staff Congress Records

Staff Congress meeting minutes for March 10, 2014.

Online Integrity: Student Authentication In An Online Course, Susan Evans Jennings, M. Gail Weatherly, S. Ann Wilson

Faculty Publications

Distance education has been around for over 100 years and has progressed from print based or correspondence study to radio, television, audio or video recordings, and on to video conferencing and computer mediated instruction (Wang and Gearhart, 2006). In 2000, Dooley and Murphy stated that delivery via the Internet was relatively new and challenging for higher education institutions. Most would agree that even though delivery via the Internet might no longer be considered “relatively new,” it can still be considered challenging.

Broker-Dealers, Institutional Investors, And Fiduciary Duty: Much Ado About Nothing?, Lynn Bai

William & Mary Business Law Review

Under the mandate of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, the SEC is soliciting public opinions on whether broker-dealers should be subject to a fiduciary duty when advising retail and institutional investors. This Article focuses on the advisability of such a proposal for institutional investors. It shows that, first, a fiduciary duty could potentially enhance broker-dealers’ standard of conduct for only a subset of institutional investors who are well capitalized, capable of assessing risks independently, and acknowledge in writing their nonreliance on broker-dealers’ advice. Thus, the benefit of fiduciary duty is much narrower than what …

Why “Good” Followers Go “Bad”: The Power Of Moral Disengagement, Craig E. Johnson

Faculty Publications - College of Business

Moral disengagement answers the question of why “good” followers (those with high personal standards) go “bad” (engage in unethical and illegal activities). In moral disengagement, actors set aside the self-condemnation they would normally experience in order to engage in immoral activities with a clear conscience. Moral disengagement mechanisms encourage individuals to justify harmful behavior, to minimize personal responsibility for harm, and to devalue victims. The follower role makes individuals more vulnerable to moral disengagement. While all followers are susceptible to moral disengagement, some are more vulnerable than others due to such personal antecedents as lack of empathy, rigid and authoritarian …

Should Courts Do Behavioral Analysis Of Boardroom Conduct?, Dale A. Oesterle

Journal of Business & Technology Law

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Online Versus Face-To Face Instruction On Appraisal Student's Morality Levels, Samuel Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The financial markets have been in a state of chaos for a number of years. Some of the chaos was attributed to appraisers bending under unethical pressure exerted by lenders. The purpose of this study was to explore whether mode of instruction affected appraiser morality when participating in a Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) course, as measured by Rest's Defining Issues Test (DIT-2). The research question examined the difference between the effect on the morality schema of continuing appraisal students taking the 7-hour USPAP CE course online versus students taking the course in a face-to-face environment. The research …

Seeing Is Believing: Do Analysts Benefit From Site Visits, Qiang Cheng, Fei Du, Xin Wang, Yutao Wang

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Using the unique data of analysts’ site visits to Chinese listed companies, we examine whether and how analysts’ site visits help improve their forecast performance. We find that the forecast accuracy of analysts improves after they visit the target firms and this improvement still holds after controlling for the concurrent change in the forecast accuracy of analysts who do not conduct site visits. Such an improvement is more pronounced for firms with better corporate governance; for more experienced analysts; and for firms with higher earnings volatility. Moreover, the improvement of forecast accuracy is less pronounced when current site visits are …

Corporate Revenue Miscalculations & The Impact On Stakeholders, Karen Cascini, Alan L. Delfavero, Ryan Bezner

WCBT Faculty Publications

Corporate earnings restatements are regarded as one of the most significant issues in accounting today. While there are various factors that can influence profitability, revenue is the key contributor to a business’ net income. During the 2000s, a multitude of domestic and multinational corporations faced significant issues with their revenue recognition practices. Although the investing public might regard any revenue restatement as laden with possible fraud, this is not always the case. Multinational firms face dual accounting systems, such as U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Currently, similarities and differences between the accounting systems …

Interdisciplinary Perspectives On Corruption, David Jancsics

Publications and Research

Corruption has become one of the most popular topics in the social scientific disciplines. However, there is a lack of interdisciplinary communication about corruption. Models developed by different academic disciplines are often isolated from each other. The purpose of this paper is to review several major approaches to corruption and draw them closer to each other. Most studies of corruption fall into three major categories: (i) rational-actor models where corruption is viewed as resulting from cost/benefit analysis of individual actors; (ii) structural models that focus on external forces that determine corruption; and (iii) relational models that emphasize social interactions and …

Can Using The Internal Audit Function As A Training Ground For Management Deter Internal Auditor Fraud Reporting?, Christopher K. Eller

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effects of using the internal audit function as a training ground for management and fraud magnitude on internal auditor fraud reporting decisions. Using a 2x2 between-participants experiment, the current study manipulates the use of the internal audit function as a management training ground (used as a training ground vs. not used as a training ground) and fraud magnitude (large fraud, defined as 30 percent of net income vs. small fraud, defined as one percent of net income). The results indicate that internal auditors may be less likely to report a fraud to their superior when the …

Fraudsters, Churches, Economy, And The Expectations Gap: Applying Trends Of Occupational Fraud To An Assurance Engagement Team Plan And Fraud-Prevention Client Proposal, Jenny Trout

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to present an overview of fraud, including concepts, trends, and controls to in turn, develop an effective assurance work plan as well as a fraud-prevention proposal to a potential client. When KPMG collected data from 348 of their company fraud investigations in 2011, an average of 87 percent were male (3). Around thirty-two percent of fraudsters usually worked in a finance role which gave them access to assets and financial statements. According to Donald Cressy's research, it takes all three elements to be considered fraud: a triangle of motivation, opportunity, and rationalization. However, in …

Too Much Of A Good Thing? The Effect Of Internal Control Monitoring System Alerts On User Perceptions Of Task-Technology Fit, Julia Kokina

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Anecdotal and field study evidence points to both positive and negative effects of alerts produced by technology-enabled internal control monitoring systems (ICMS) (Alles et al. 2006, 2008; Debreceny et al. 2003, 2005; Perols and Murthy 2012). An important unanswered question is how those alerts impact users who process them and decide whether any corrective action should be taken. In this study I surveyed financial executives and accounting professionals to examine the impact of alerts on user perceptions of task-technology fit (TTF) (Goodhue and Thompson 1995). Alerts generated by ICMS can bring to the attention of company leadership indications of errors, …

Three Essays On Auditor Industry Specialization, Ankita Singhvi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation consists of three separate but related essays examining auditor changes, auditor industry specialization and audit fee premiums.

The first essay investigates whether audit committee characteristics affect the types of auditor changes from an industry specialist auditor to a non-industry specialist auditor or the reverse. I examine whether selection of an external auditor is affected by audit committee characteristics such as: 1) number of meetings, 2) number of members on the audit committee, 3) proportion of auditing experts and, 4) proportion of financial experts. The findings show that a greater proportion of auditing experts on the audit committee positively …

Introduction: Speaking Up For Justice, Suffering Injustice: Whistleblower Protection And The Need For Reform, Dana L. Gold

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Financial Literacy After Sarbanes-Oxley: Building It; Sustaining It, Edwin I. Malet

Journal of Executive Education

The core theme of the article is that financial literacy is a challenging goal, but an achievable one. Contrary to popular belief, finance is a diverse subject and the meaning of “financial literacy” varies on a business-by-business, job-by-job basis. Practically speaking, “financial literacy” is interwoven with “business literacy”, i.e., understanding the transactions, processes, markets, stakeholders, etc., that together comprise a business. This makes it hard to deploy generic educational solutions. Some managers need more than others. Some need different than others. My recommendation is not to look for a universal definition of literacy, but rather to treat your company as …

Managers Use Of Fas No. 115 For Investment Securities To Manipulate Earnings, Jacob Given, Dr. T. Jeff Wilks

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The United States is currently facing a perceived crisis in our financial reporting system. In recent years, a large increase in the number of financial frauds reported and subsequent business failures have led to concerns in both the public and private sectors as to the legitimacy of corporations published financial statements. These concerns have led to new regulations from regulatory agencies and oversight boards as well as legislation from the US Congress. The substance of these new regulations and legislation focus on the need for management, investors, regulators and auditors to become more involved in preventing and detecting financial statement …

Nonverbal Cues Auditors Can Use To Detect Deceit, Brandon B. Buhler, Dr. W. Jeff Wilks

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over the past few years, investors in Corporate America have witnessed a rise in financial fraud. With escalating frauds in the business world, investors are more determined to gain assurance from the auditors of the financial statements. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 also increased legislative pressures on auditors to detect fraud.

Assessing The Fraud Risk Assessment: How Audit Firms Are Applying The Recommendations In Sas 99, Jacob Given, Dr. T. Jeff Wilks

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The United States is currently facing a perceived crisis in our financial reporting system. In recent years, a large increase in the number of financial frauds reported and subsequent business failures have led to concerns in both the public and private sectors as to the legitimacy of corporations published financial statements. These concerns have led to new regulations from regulatory agencies and oversight boards as well as legislation from the US Congress. The substance of these new regulations and legislation focus on the need for management, investors, regulators and auditors to become more involved in preventing and detecting financial statement …

Nonverbal Cues Auditors Can Use To Detect Deceit, Brandon B. Buhler, Dr. W. Jeff Wilks

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over the past few years, investors in Corporate America have witnessed a rise in financial fraud. With escalating frauds in the business world, investors are more determined to gain assurance from the auditors of the financial statements. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 also increased legislative pressures on auditors to detect fraud.

An Affair Not To Remember? It Might Help To Change Your Name, Man Cyndi Zhang, Xiaowei Luo

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

While a growing body of research has examined how organizations respond to institutional change, less examined is how institutional change can create opportunities for organizations to manage their public image. We propose that institutional change allows firms to leverage the ambiguity around the motive for image management and thus minimize audience’s unfavorable attribution of the motive. Specifically, we focus on an organization’s name change as a means of image management. From the audience’s standpoint, an organization could change its name as a result of having responded to institutional change, or to convey new strategic directions, or to manipulate the public …

A Categorical Data Analysis On Financial Failures In Vietnam, 2007-2013, Quan Hoang Vuong, Nancy K. Napier, Tri Dung Tran, Hong Kong T. Nguyen

International Business Program

In this paper, we examined 256 cases of financial failure and fraud occuring during the recent Vietnam’s chaotic years from 2007 to 2013, employing methods of categorical data analysis. Reported results suggest that the rent-seeking approach, or resource-based orientation, alone does not help explain the outcome of a business intention while the association between Orientation and Approach is the best-fit predictor. Rampant financial collapse not only increases the cost of funds but also erodes trust in the economy. Entrepreneurship development and creativity capacity building are necessary to improve socio-economic conditions and the environment. This work also introduces intuitive and cognitive …

The Effect Of Compliance With Section 404 Of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act On Small Cap Technology Company's Stock Prices, Joshua Weaver

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper analyzes the effect of compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, also referred to as SOX, on small market cap technology firms using a comparable company analysis model. The comparable company analysis model is used to calculate and compare the average intrinsic values of 45 small and 45 large cap technology companies from the periods of January 1, 1999 to January 1, 2001 (Pre SOX era) and January 1, 2007 to January 1, 2009 (Post SOX era). The purpose of looking at large cap technology firms as a benchmark is to compare how different sized firms within …

My Favorite Professor: Usu Grad Nick Bahr Recalls Working On Research Projects With Dr. Chad Albrecht, Usu Jon M. Huntsman School Of Business

Jon M. Huntsman School of Business News Collection

My experience with Dr. Chad Albrecht was life changing in a literal sense. I was privileged to collaborate with him on several research projects while working on my undergraduate degree at USU.

Calls For Papers And Other Announcements

Accounting Historians Notebook

Accounting Historians Notebook; INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE SOKOLOV READING “ACCOUNTING: VIEW FROM THE PAST INTO THE FUTURE” in commemoration of Professor Yaroslav V. Sokolov 75th anniversary; CPE WORKSHOP: ACCOUNTING HISTORY BOOT CAMP;Accounting History; Bordeaux University and Kedge Business School International Symposium October 4, 2013 Bordeaux, France; Academy of Accounting Historians 2013 40th Anniversary Conference October 17-19, 2013 • Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA; Accounting History Review: Histories of Accounting and the Hospital; Accounting History Review: Accounting and the First World War; Accounting History Review: Accounting and Charities in Historical Perspective;14th World Congress of Accounting Historians, Pescara, Italy;

Can Ethical Business Behavior Be Legislated?, Emily C. Owens

Senior Honors Theses and Projects - Management

Throughout the history of the United States, there have been landmark business laws established with the intent to shape business practices and procedures in a way that we as a country deem ethical. In this paper I discuss some of the most important landmark acts passed by U.S. lawmakers in order to establish standards for ethical business practices and values that we strive to maintain and improve upon in corporate America today. My research question is, "Can ethical business behavior be legislated?" There are five dominant themes that emerge from this study. First, it is often a corporate scandal or …

Common Sense And Civic Virtue: Institutional Investors, Responsible Ownership, And The Democratic Ideal, Marcy Murninghan

New England Journal of Public Policy

On matters of governance, the people’s good is the highest law, as Cicero said two millennia ago. Unfortunately, these days personal greed has trumped the people’s good, enflaming the current governance crisis affecting our public, nonprofit, and private spheres. The spate of corporate governance scandals over the past several years jeopardizes equity investments, harms beneficiaries, and weakens global capital markets. The remedy is not just more laws and regulation but revitalization of the system of corporate checks and balances that already exists. To get better corporate governance, corporate shareowners, especially institutional investors, need to assert their rights and responsibilities more …

Preventing Money Laundering: Key To A Better World, Brenda Martinez

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Money laundering has developed over recent decades and has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon. Virtually every country in the world is affected by money laundering. The methodology of money laundering exists in every fraud scheme. It involves the concealed transfer of assets by masking them in the ordinary normalcy of financial transactions. Money laundering is a criminal enterprise, with the emphasis on the business aspect. The attraction of perpetrators into the money laundering business is profit with little perceived risks. This paper discusses money laundering, how to define it, its origins, the cycle, its effects, prevention methods, and what the …

Bringing Darkness To Light: The Influence Of Auditor Quality And Audit Committee Expertise On The Timeliness Of Financial Statement Restatement Disclosures, Jaime Schmidt, Michael S. Wilkins

School of Business Faculty Research

This study investigates whether auditor quality and audit committee expertise are associated with improved financial reporting timeliness as measured by the duration of a financial statement restatement’s ‘‘dark period.’’ The restatement dark period represents the length of time between a company’s discovery that it will need to restate financial data and the subsequent disclosure of the restatement’s effect on earnings. For a sample of dark restatements disclosed between 2004 and 2009, we find that companies that engage Big 4 auditors have shorter dark periods than companies that do not engage Big 4 auditors. We also find that companies with more …

Queuepay.Com: Building A System For Cardholders' Transaction Security, Jose Ramon Gonzalez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was to apply the skills learned in the MBA program to help develop a solution to a problem that costs billions of dollars every year in fraudulent related losses arising from the use of payment cards such as debit cards, credit cards, charge cards or prepaid cards. The project analyzes the industry of payment cards, the emergence of the problem, and builds a prototype that addresses the problem. Queuepay.com is designed to provide services to its cardholders that will significantly reduce the risk of fraud.

The Role Of Creativity In The Ethical Orientation Of Oregon Cpas, John D. Porter

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Agency theory is the theoretical foundation upon which to explain the practice of accounting and the behavior of individual CPAs. Recent accounting scandals, however, cast doubt on agency theory's adequacy for that purpose. This research explored the impact of individual characteristics of CPAs, primarily creativity, had relative to explaining their ethical orientation. The data generated herein from a sample of Oregon CPAs was not persuasive with respect to the study hypotheses, however, it did suggest a statistically significant inverse relationship between creativity and ethical idealism. It also suggested an alarming level of CPAs whose self-assessed creativity measure did not include …