Business Commons^™

Essays On Networks And Corporate Finance, Tatiana Salikhova

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In my dissertation I explore how personal networks affect firms’ financial decisions. In the first essay, I study how social connections among divisional managers affect the capital allocation to divisions in diversified conglomerates. In contrast to the previous studies, I focus on the horizontal connections or connections formed among managers of the same level of corporate hierarchy. I show that connections among divisional managers lead to higher sensitivity of segment capital spending to segment’s growth opportunities, higher firm-level allocation efficiency and higher firm value. Additionally, firms tend to strategically assign better-connected managers to these segments, and connections help to reduce …

Debt Heterogeneity And Covenants, Yun Lou, Clemens A. Otto

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Coordination failure among owners of heterogeneous debt types increases distress costs. Covenants reduce expected distress costs by lowering the probability of liquidity shortages, increasing liquidation values, and incentivizing creditor monitoring. We predict and find that new debt contracts include more covenants when borrowers' existing debt structures are more heterogeneous. Our findings suggest that covenants are not only used to address creditor-shareholder conflicts but also to reduce the expected costs of coordination failure among creditors. Further, our results indicate a dynamic component missing from static debt structure models: Debt heterogeneity entails additional covenants (i.e., constraints) when raising future debt.

Stock Price Contagion Effects Of Low-Quality Audits At The Individual Audit Partner Level, Ferdinand A. Gul, Chee Yeow Lim, Kun Wang, Yanping Xu

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

We use Chinese audit partner data to show that partners associated with financial reporting fraudinduce share price declines among non-fraudulent firms audited by the same audit partners. In cross-sectionalanalyses, we find that share price declines are more pronounced when low-quality partners (LQPs) failed to issuemodified audit opinions during the period in question and when the LQPs were from one of the Top 10 audit firms.Additional analyses show that investors impose larger penalties on contagion firms when fraudulent firms are largerand the time lapse between sanction and fraud commitment is shorter. The personal characteristics of LQPs (exceptgender) do not cause a …

Opinion Shopping To Avoid Going Concern Audit Opinion And Subsequent Audit Quality, Heesun Chung, Catherine Heyjung Sonu, Yoonseok Zang, Jong-Hag Choi

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Despite regulatory concerns over opinion shopping (OS) behavior, there exists little systematic evidence on the prevalence and consequences of OS to avoid a going concern opinion (GCO). Using Lennox's (2000) framework to identify OS, we find that distressed firms successfully engage in OS to avoid a GCO. Moreover, clients engaging in OS exhibit a higher ex post Type II error rate in audit opinions than clients that do not, and the higher Type II error rate is salient for clients switching auditors for OS but not for clients retaining auditors for OS. We continue to find this asymmetric effect of …

A Strategic Audit Of Tesla, Inc., Cody Mccain

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

After Tesla completed its first every back to back profitable quarters at the end of 2018, sales started to decline in the first quarter of 2019 and many question if the company would every be profitable. Through a strategic audit of Tesla and the electric vehicle industry several key factors have been identified to help improve Tesla’s profitability. Analysis tools used to analyze the company and the industry include Porter’s Five Forces, SWOT Analysis, and PEST Analysis. At the conclusion of the audit there are three recommendations given to help improve Tesla’s strategy. First it is recommended that Tesla focuses …

Navigating The Grey Areas Within Financial Reporting: A Composition Of Case Studies, Annabelle Fortune

Honors Theses

The following thesis consists of a composition of case studies that I wrote under the guidance of Dr. Victoria Dickinson. Over two semesters, Dr. Dickinson advised my peers and me to work through a dozen case studies covering a variety of financial accounting concepts. For most of the cases, we were presented with information and pertinent data about a company, then a series of questions for us to answer would follow. While many of the questions were objective in nature, some of the questions allowed us to be creative and provide our own recommendations to the problems presented. Aside from …

Checklists And Illustrative Financial Statements : Not-For-Profit Entities, April 30, 2019, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

Industry Guides (AAGs), Risk Alerts, and Checklists

No abstract provided.

Financial Reporting: A Comprehensive Evaluation Of Accounting Methods And Applications, Parker Morgan

Honors Theses

This paper serves as a collection of the case studies assigned by Dr. Victoria Dickinson throughout the Professional Research and Development Thesis Program. Each of the twelve case studies presented within this thesis pertains to a different topic or problem regarding the application of accounting standards, financial reporting, or accounting methods. Additionally, this report displays the application of accounting problems to real-life situations, thus incorporating various subjects, such as investments, economics, accounting, and risk advisory. By promoting the use of group-related assignments, this course stimulated teamwork and classroom collaboration. Because of this, students were able to enhance their communication and …

The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act Hurts Single Parents With Children Pursuing A College Education, Michelle S. Freeman, Alyssa Reed

ETSU Faculty Works

This article highlights some instances where the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) increased taxes for single parents at the moment their children are pursuing a college education. The article further recaps education credits that were saved (but not increased) by the TCJA and a deduction that was lost. The authors also discuss an implication of the TCJA that could cause the burden on families sending children to college to increase further. Finally, the article captures items that legislators could enact to relieve the additional burden on families with students pursuing a college education.

A Survey Of Financial Accounting Reporting, Charles Upton

Honors Theses

This thesis takes a survey of key accounting issues and concepts addressed in financial accounting reporting. Accountancy majors of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College were given a chance to complete their thesis before their internship of senior year by taking two classes over junior year. This thesis was constructed under the guidance of Dr. Vicki Dickinson in this discussed class. The thesis itself is a compilation of twelve different accounting cases, and each case studies various area of financial reporting.

Honors Accounting Thesis, Robert Loeb

Honors Theses

This thesis consists of nine case studies that involved analyzing the financial statements of both domestic and international companies. These analyses examined a number of accounting related issues and key management decisions regarding accounting policies. The cases required the consideration of management’s responsibility to report accurately and completely the financial results of operations in regard to accounting policy decisions pertaining to financial statement presentation, bad debt expense recognition, and capital asset depreciation. In addition, the cases explored other current topics in accounting such as the convergence of U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles with International Financial Reporting Standards and the implementation …

The Impact Of Audit Engagement Partner Disclosure On Audit Outcomes In The United States, J. Alan Bell

PhD in Business Administration Dissertations

ABSTRACT

THE IMPACT OF AUDIT ENGAGEMENT PARTNER DISCLOSURE ON AUDIT OUTCOMES IN THE UNITED STATES

by

James Alan Bell

This study is motivated by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) mandate requiring the public disclosure of the audit engagement partner’s identity. Prior to the ruling, the audit engagement partner (AEP) was known only to the company’s management, audit committee, audit firm, and regulators. The PCAOB maintains that disclosure of the AEP will increase the partner’s sense of accountability; and increase transparency in the audit process; leading to improved audit quality; and improved financial reporting quality; thereby improving the credibility …

Ann Hopkins Papers., Beth S. Harris

Finding Aids: Guides to the Collections

This is a collection of personal and professional papers related to the Hopkins v. Price Waterhouse (Wash., D.C. Federal District Court) and Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins (U. S. Supreme Court) cases. The final decision capped a seven-year battle against Hopkins’ employer for gender discrimination and her final victory in 1990 helped to expand workplace discrimination laws to include gender stereotyping.

The collection date ranges from 1967-2001 and includes correspondence, court documents, materials related to the book So Ordered: Making Partner the Hard Way (University of Massachusetts Press, c1996), newspaper and periodical publications, photographs, and a scrapbook.

Additional personal correspondence (1965-1989) …

Book Review: Seeds Of Greatness By Denis Waitley, Jennifer Maynard

Marriott Student Review

Book review of Seeds of Greatness by Denis Waitley, personal anecdotes and summaries of research on the secrets to success in life and in the business world.

Book Review: The Innovator's Method, Jennifer Ann Goldsberry

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

Take The Busy Out Of Business, Sarah Romney

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

The Genius Of Good Questions, Matthew Erickson

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

Beginning Of The New Smartphone Era, Braden Terry

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

Executive Spotlight: Whitney Johnson, Andrea Cabrera

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

The Futurist, Ryan Stenquist

Marriott Student Review

Ubiquitous self-driving cars, robot workers, and massive political shifts may seem far away and irrelevant to our day to day lifestyles. However, Mr. Schenker proves that these changes are fast-approaching and come as timely responses to the problems and opportunities of today.

Buzzwords, Michaela Tanne

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

Cultural Intelligence In Business Settings, Tanner Wegrowski

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

Why Following Your Passion Might Not Be Right For You, Hunter Muse

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

Editor’S Letter, Marianna Richardson

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

Full Issue: Uncharted (Volume 3: Issue 1), Marianna Richardson

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

Strategic Audit: Target Corporation, Andee Capell

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Target Corporation is a notable publicly traded discount retailer in the United States. In recent years they have gone through significant changes including a new CEO Brian Cornell and the closing of their Canadian stores. With change comes a new strategy, which includes growing stores in the United States. In order to be able to continue to grow Target should consider multiple strategic options. Using internal and external analysis, while examining Target’s profitability ratios recommendations were made to proceed with their growth both in profit and capacity. After recommendations are made implementation and contingency plans can be made.

Cooperation In Community Colleges, Frederic S. Gore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the mounting pressures on institutions of higher education to do more with limited resources, the opportunity to collaborate with other colleges has emerged as a viable tool to create efficiencies and obtain valuable knowledge otherwise unattainable by an institution, even if that collaboration takes place with a competing institution. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are critical to managing student information and college operations, but can be challenging for colleges to implement. Consortia present a unique solution to colleges to address gaps in their expertise and skills needed to achieve a successful ERP implementation. This study explores the factors that …

Directed Gifts, Love Offerings And The Uncertain Guidance Of Irs Publication 526 For Donors And Donees To Non-Profit Organizations: Literature Review, Victoria Liggett

Honors College Theses

Love offerings are donations given to an identified beneficiary of a non-profit organization. It can be challenging for tax experts to make accurate tax assessments based on such offerings and enormously difficult for the layperson. This is exacerbated by the unclear directives of the IRS, which include the sometimes nearly inscrutable guidelines of IRS Publication 526. The lack of clarity makes this a hazard for accountants and attorneys involved in tax preparation. Against this backdrop, this paper provides a literature review exploring the history of the issues, current guidelines as decided by court cases, and research done with regards to …

Two Essays On The Impact Of Cybersecurity Risk Management Examinations On Investor Perceptions And Decisions, Rebecca R. Perols

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation is to investigate the impact of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ (AICPA) recently adopted cybersecurity risk management examination on investor perceptions and decisions. The dissertation implements a two-essay approach.

Essay 1 examines the effect of voluntary disclosures of joint or separate provisioning of cybersecurity risk management examinations on investor perceptions and decisions, and whether these effects differ when a subsequent cybersecurity incident occurs. Conducting a 2 x 2 between-participants experiment, I find that the negative signal of a subsequent cybersecurity incident reverses investors’ positive perceptions of auditor competence and increases investors’ sensitivity to …

"Profitability" Analysis, Ekta Chugh

Honors Projects in Accounting

The United States has a very unique healthcare system. The different layers of variance from care coordination, case management to utilization in all parts of healthcare makes the system really complex. With the continuous evolution in the healthcare system including changes in healthcare laws and payment methods, the profitability and financial sustainability of hospitals have become aspects of utmost importance not only to the hospitals but also to the people in general. My senior thesis focuses on the determination of the financial sustainability of hospitals. To understand that, I conducted a comparative analysis of profitability among different departments in a …