Business Commons^™

The Effect Of Ceo Gender On Real Earnings Management, Candice Luciano, Shan Wang

Honors Thesis

Real Earnings Management involves the deviation from normal business practices to manipulate financial statements. Previous research has shown how higher gender diversity in senior management has led to higher earnings quality, and how firms with female CFOs have less earnings management than male CFOs. This paper will build off previous research and further examine whether CEO gender affects real earnings management and if so, its effects on real earnings management. The main hypothesis of the paper is that the gender of the CEO will affect the extent of real earnings management of a firm; firms with male CEOs will see …

Does Mandatory Rotation Of Audit Partners Improve Audit Quality?, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

A study in China by CUHK Business School shows that the mandatory rotation of audit partners can enhance audit quality

Audit plays a significant role in the capital market. High-quality audit reduces the risks of inaccurate information, increases the transparency of the audited entities and thus facilitates financing and investment.

Hospital Cost Accounting: Saving Lives And Saving On Costs, Amanda Whitehouse

Honors Projects in Accounting

Within an industry constantly pursuing accuracy, a cost accounting system that addresses the ongoing concerns of saving money and increasing efficiency is a must. Now more than ever, hospitals require reliable information to combat the conflicting relationship between an increase in spending on new instruments and specialized staff, but a decrease in funding. This project explores potential avenues to find a successful cost accounting method using past research, analysis of hospitals’ current environments, and expert opinions from hospital and healthcare personnel. Each hospital is different based on their environment, surrounding population, type of services provided, and personal demands. This study …

Knowledge, Technical Skills, And Employability Skills Required Of Accounting Graduates: Perceptions Of Certified Public Accountants In Mississippi, Lisa Sandifer

Dissertations

Employers report recent college graduates are not prepared for the workforce and a skills gap exists (O’Bannon, 2016). Research indicates accounting graduates do not have the skills needed when entering the workforce (Altarawneh, 2016). The skills gap is costing companies money (Nanduri, 2017). Employers report extended job vacancies cost U.S. companies close to one million dollars annually (Nanduri, 2017). Also, the skills gap costs the U.S. economy an estimated $160 billion per year (Fisher, 2014).

This research determined the knowledge, technical skills, and employability skills required of accounting graduates in the workforce as perceived by Mississippi CPAs and determined if …

A Note On The New Fasb Rule On "Stranded Income Tax Effects", Robert Bloom

2018 Faculty Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Smart Or Shirking? The Effect Of Aggressive Tax Avoidance On Corporate Repuation, Jennifer Mcgarry

College of Business Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I investigate how news that a company has engaged in aggressive tax avoidance affects the company’s reputation. If the general public believes companies have a responsibility to pay their “fair share” of the national tax burden, then they will likely view aggressive tax avoidance negatively. If instead the public believes companies have a responsibility to shareholders to maximize profits by minimizing tax, then they will likely view aggressive tax avoidance positively. I examine these two possibilities by conducting an experiment. I find that people tend to view aggressive tax avoidance negatively and thus companies suffer reputational damage …

Corporate Governance A Comparative Analysis In India And The Us, Pallak Bhandari

Honors Projects in Accounting

My senior capstone project focuses on the importance of transparency and monitoring within corporate governance, especially in India and the US. To understand corporate governance, I studied the different theories and models of corporate governance as well as sustainability reporting. This research discusses the legal and regulatory environment within India and the US, and through a comprehensive study of the regulatory bodies within the two countries, I determined the best practices of corporate governance. I conducted a comparative analysis across India and the US with focus on 13 elements: insider trading, disclosure and certification of financial statements, remuneration disclosure, code …

Are Prize-Linked Savings Accounts The Solution To Arkansas' Savings Problem?, Mckenzie Wages

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research finds that access to prize-linked savings could improve the financial security of Arkansans. Prize-linked savings (PLS) accounts are nontraditional savings products that offer depositors the chance to win cash prizes instead of a typical interest rate return. Given the low median incomes, high liquid asset poverty rates, and high levels of underbanked and undereducated individuals in Arkansas, there is a need for an innovative savings solution like PLS in the state. PLS accounts capitalize on individuals’ propensity for lottery-like risk-taking to inspire the productive behavior of personal saving. A wide range of individuals, especially those who could stand …

Firm-Specific Information Environment And Analyst Forecast, Wei Hsu

Accounting Dissertations - Archive

I examine how firm-specific private and public information affect analyst forecast revisions. I find that when managers easily beat (struggle to meet) the consensus forecasts in the previous quarter, financial analysts revise their earnings forecasts upward (downward). The revision magnitudes are higher when there is more private information. Similarly, I find that when managers provide upward (downward) earnings guidance, analysts revise their forecasts upward (downward) more when there is more private information. In contrast, the revision magnitudes are lower when there is more public information. Additionally, I find that the magnitudes of analysts’ downward revisions increase with private information prior …

Trump's Tax Plan...Will It Make America Great Again?, William Pollock

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

The research and analysis is presented in order to develop an understanding of the new tax law and its implications to the individual tax payer. To gain perspective on tax reform, a brief history of the origin of tax and its development over time in the United States is given. After a basic understanding of tax and its reform is gained, I go on to present the major changes contained in the law. This paper concentrates on the policy changes to individuals as opposed to businesses. I included charts that I believe support the analysis that is provided. Following the …

Exploring The History And Trends Of Accounting In Canada And The United States, Annie Songeun Lee

Accounting

During my years at University at Albany, I have studied accounting that is based on the United States regulation, GAAP. As I am from British Columbia, Canada, that uses a different standard, IFRS, I wanted to take this opportunity to research the differences between GAAP and IFRS. The purpose of this research paper is to explore the history of accounting in both countries and compare their differences in education, license requirements, fraud scandals, and their solutions. I will also examine the new revenue recognition, the convergence of IFRS and GAAP, and some of the professionals’ opinions on the trend of …

Human Trafficking In The Wake Of Natural Disasters: Is The United States Any Different Than Third World Countries?, Samantha Stout

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research compares the impacts of devastating natural disasters on levels of human trafficking in developed countries to the impacts experienced in third world countries. The two disasters selected for this study were Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana and the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia. Factors selected to measure the impacts of the natural disaster include income level, homelessness, and unemployment rates.

Human trafficking is a crime that touches nearly every country around the world. It is known that human trafficking levels are impacted by factors including poverty levels of regions, political unrest, and even natural disasters. There is …

Acquisitions: Walmart Vs Amazon, Scott Sims

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The retail industry is in the process of undergoing major change. Historically big box brick and mortar strategies have dominated, but this is changing in the age of impatience and instant gratification. As consumers want items more conveniently, online retail has taken hold with no semblance of anticipated decline. At the forefront of this transformation are two industry giants: Walmart and Amazon. Walmart finds itself on the side of brick and mortar with 11,718 physical retail locations worldwide. Amazon is dominating the online retail space with control of a staggering 44% of all US e-commerce sales in 2017. These equally …

Service Based Learning Of Income Taxes, Britny Andersen

Senior Honors Projects

Income tax preparation is best learned through application. Reading the tax law and codification is important, however it is crucial to apply this information to real world situations. By volunteering at the South County Rhode Island Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, I had the opportunity to take my knowledge of income tax law and apply it to income tax returns for people in the local community. While an understanding of income tax laws was important, since I was providing a service to clients, communication skills were also crucial to the entire process.

Interestingly, I was surprised to discover that effective …

The Impact Of The 120/150-Hour Rule On Candidates To Sit For The Certified Public Accountant (Cpa) Exam: A Study On Women, Aubrey Sanders

Honors Theses

To become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), one must first qualify to take the exam and consequently, earn the licensure. While the information on the CPA exam tests the candidates on uniform information, the education eligibility requirements to both sit for and earn licensure vary among the U.S. states and jurisdictions. Currently, thirty-nine of the fifty-four U.S. jurisdictions – including Mississippi – have adopted what has become known as the 120/150 educational credit hour rule. This rule allows candidates to begin taking the exam upon earning 120 credit hours, which is equivalent to a bachelor's degree; however, candidates may not …

How Does Tax Avoidance Affect Transparency?, Congcong Li, Mark Ma, Tom Omer, Kunpeng Sun

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

This study examines how tax avoidance affects corporate transparency. Using a large sample ofU.S. firms from 1995 to 2016, we find a significant non-linear effect of tax avoidance ontransparency. That is, when a firm’s tax avoidance is low, an increase in tax avoidance improvestransparency; however, when a firm’s tax avoidance is high, an increase in tax avoidance decreasestransparency. These results are robust to using alternative measures of transparency and taxavoidance and in several additional tests. Overall, the findings suggest that the effect of taxavoidance on transparency depends on the aggressiveness of firms’ tax avoidance behavior. Ourstudy contributes to the literature …

Are Disclosed Auditor Materiality Thresholds Informative Of Firms’ Earnings Quality? – Evidence From The Revised Isa 700 Audit Report, Beng Wee Goh, Kiat Bee Jimmy Lee, Na Li, Dan Li

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Under the Financial ReportingCouncil’s presumption that mandating new disclosure requirement in the auditreport would provide information useful to investors, we examine whether theauditor disclosed materiality threshold is associated with the firm’s earningsquality. We document that a lower threshold of materiality level is associatedwith a higher earnings quality, as measured by lower discretionary accruals,higher accruals quality, and less earnings smoothing. We also find someevidence that the negative association between auditor disclosed materialitythreshold and earnings quality is more pronounced when the auditor is moreindependent, when management’s incentive to manage earnings is higher, and whenthere is lower information uncertainty. Overall, our results are …

Considerations Of Private Companies In Regard To External Auditing Including The Detection And Prevention Of Fraud, Alexandra Sprague

Senior Theses

Fraudulent activities occur in all types of companies. Recently, external auditors have become increasingly important in detecting and preventing these frauds. With their independence, auditors can provide external comfort with their opinion as to the fairness of their client’s financial statements. The goal of this thesis is to express the importance of fraud prevention in private companies, especially smaller private companies, and illustrate how external audits can have an impact in fraud prevention. After conducting interviews with private companies, many reasons were found as to why private companies either conduct or do not conduct an external audit. This research bridges …

The Role Of Forensic Accounting In U.S. Counterterrorism Efforts, Madison Gaither

Honors Theses

The September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center directed international attention to the financial component of terrorist operations. The demand for forensic accounting specialists is increasing rapidly because of a growing intolerance for fraud and terrorist activity. This research paper argues that forensic accountants have and will continue to have a vital role in United States’ counterterrorism efforts in the post-9/11 era by detecting acts of fraud and money laundering. Comprehensive review of relevant literature including books, peer-reviewed articles, government databases, court records and news media reveals that forensic accountants are equipped with special skills and analytical tools that …

Rhetoric In Financial Reporting: Evaluation Of Isa 720, Qingyuan Guo

Honors Theses

Prior research show that many investors rely on other information appearing alongside the audited financial statements in companies’ annual reports to make their economic decisions and falsely assume that the unaudited other information is also audited. Additionally, company management utilizes rhetorical strategies in other information to offer explanations and opinions conveying positive messages about the company value which audited financial data may not indicate. The expectation gap of investors on audit over other information and the concern of management manipulation incentivized the proposal of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) to establish a standard to extend auditors’ responsibility over …

Higher Education Savings And Planning: Tax And Nontax Considerations, F. Philip Manns Jr., Timothy M. Todd

Texas A&M Law Review

Funding higher education is among the critical financial decisions made by individuals and families. There are myriad options. Yet, the conventional wisdom—namely using Section 529 Plans—may not be the optimal vehicle to effectuate this goal. Therefore, this Article discusses various strategies to plan, save, and pay for higher education. It compares various savings methods including gifts, UTMA accounts, Section 529 Plans, trusts, and other vehicles. The analysis explores both tax and non-tax considerations, including the effect of different strategies on financial aid, transaction costs, investor control, income taxes, gift and estate taxes, flexibility, and creditor protection. This Article concludes that …

Omnibus Statement On Standards For Accounting And Review Services - 2018; Statement On Standards For Accounting And Review Services 24, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants. Accounting And Review Services Committee

AICPA Professional Standards

No abstract provided.

Codification Of Statements On Standards For Accounting And Review Services, Numbers 1-24, As Of May 2018, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

AICPA Professional Standards

No abstract provided.

Audit And Ai: Can Artificial Intelligence Restore Public Trust?, Lucas Blackwell

Senior Honors Theses

Due to the fallout from a series of corporate fraud scandals in the late 2000s, the auditing world has lost much of the public trust that is very important to the profession. Much of the value of an audit opinion is determined by the trust the public places in the auditors behind the opinion. Without trust in the auditors, the audit opinion has very little value. The recent increase in the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) in many industries presents a solution to the problem of auditors. Increased usage of AI in the audit process has the potential to better …

A Study Of The Potential Implementation Obstacles Of The Expected Loss Model In East Tennessee, Baylee Mann

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has recently introduced a new Accounting Standards Update (ASU) that will require financial institutions to measure their loan losses using a new Expected Loss Model (ELM) that emphasizes forward looking financial decisions. Numerous financial journals hypothesize that large financial institutions will face difficulties when implementing the new ASU. This research explores the potential implementation issues that small, local financial institutions, specifically Eastman Credit Union (ECU), will encounter as they begin the implementation process.

The Effects Of Players’ Salary Level And A Salary Cap On The Revenue Of Professional Soccer Teams In The United States And England, Tyler Watson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis serves as an examination of the relationship between players’ salaries and teams’ revenues for the American Major League Soccer and English Premier League. Historically, the salary cap imposed on teams playing in Major League Soccer has been heavily criticized of holding the league back. Comparisons have been made to leagues such as the English Premier League which assert that the limitation keeping Major League Soccer from attaining similar success is the presence of the salary cap. Data was gathered from the twenty teams in Major League Soccer and the twenty teams in the English Premier League for each …

A High-Level Overview Of How The New Accounting Standard Update On Revenue Recognition Impacts The United States Healthcare System, Leslie Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In May of 2014 the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued a long-awaited joint updated standard on revenue recognition, ASU 2014-09 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers. While almost all entities will be affected to some extent by the new standard, particularly the changes in required disclosures, this research seeks to examine the impact the new standard will specifically have on the healthcare industry. By highlighting areas of significant challenge a better understanding will be gained of the impact health care service entities will experience as they transition to a new standard.

The Cost Viability Of Gs Employees Versus Military Personnel, Elena Chavez

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

The main objective of this thesis is to analyze the cost viability of federal government employees versus military personnel with a focus on the security guards at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. This analysis seeks cost viability from two perspectives. The first perspective is the cost of each personnel to the Army through total compensation value analysis. The second perspective is the cost viability to work as a federal employee versus enlisting in the Army. This perspective was analyzed through gross, disposable, and discretionary income analysis. The analysis was designed to shed light on the disparity in pay between the two types …

Minority Entrepreneurship: How Access To Capital And Strategic Decisions Affect Success, Thea Winston

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

Many researchers have discovered that entrepreneurship is a source of financial freedom that if done successfully will ensure wealth for generations. With that idea in mind, minorities have seized that opportunity in record numbers with hopes that they will become prosperous. However, in addition to the increased success rate of minority-owned businesses, there is a rise in the failure rate of minority-owned businesses specifically in the African-American community. In this thesis, we will conduct a case study of three entrepreneurs at different stages that supports the theory that access to capital and strategic decisions affect the success of minority entrepreneurs. …

Technology Advancement Influence In Accounting And Information System Fields, Shannon Gordon

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research serves to relate the accounting and information technology fields. The information in the research documents changes in the accounting and information technology fields, and how the fields are expected to change in the coming years. The research also discuss the relationship between the accounting and information technology fields. The topics on the ideal accounting candidates for employers and the expectation gap between graduates skills and employers’ expectations are also discussed. Careers in accounting and information systems and also similar and different basic skills of both fields are documented in the research.

The changes in accounting are influenced by …