Business Commons^™

An Analysis Of Accounting Services And Relevant Economic Factors, Lauren Huffstatler, Emma Yates, Jacobi Scruggs, Kolby Husted

Honors Theses

This thesis consists of a collection of six case studies completed during the fall and spring semesters of Honors Accountancy 420 under the guidance and direction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson. These case studies represent an analysis of financial accounting and current economic events relevant to the profession. During the fall semester, Dr. Dickinson formed groups of students to complete four case studies relating to an assigned company. My group was assigned FB Financial Corporation, and we evaluated the company in the areas of risk assessment, audit and risk planning, and tax planning. At the end of the semester, we presented …

Examining Practical Applications Of Accounting Principles, Jay Waits

Honors Theses

This essay provides a thorough analysis of business risk management, emphasizing the complex interactions between operational risk, cybersecurity risk, ESG (environmental, social, and governance) requirements, audit risk, disaster risk, and financial collapse prevention tactics. This study sheds light on the complex issues that contemporary businesses must deal with and provides guidance on practical risk-reduction strategies.

The analysis begins by scrutinizing operational risk, highlighting how internal processes, supply chain disruptions, and external factors can threaten organizational resilience. The essay emphasizes the significance of proactive risk identification, strong controls, and quick response mechanisms in ensuring company continuity by using real-world examples.

Subsequently, …

Exploring Accounting Events And Challenges: Delving Into An Ever Changing Industry, Ravyn Garrett

Honors Theses

This thesis is a result of a class that exists to facilitate discussion between future professionals regarding current events and modern day research in the accounting field as well as the business environment. The thesis course taken consists of a series of case studies that cover varying areas of financial reporting. These cases can vary greatly by topic; some include analyses of business ethics while others involve critically thinking about possible solutions to present day issues. Throughout the cases, my knowledge of the accounting subject continues to grow, and I make several personal discoveries along the way. The writing process …

An Overview Of The Product Development Process For A Lounging Grove Chair: The Rebel Lounge, Gracey Massengill

Honors Theses

This report focuses on the process of completing my senior capstone project for the Center for Manufacturing Excellence with my teammates, Andrew Brady, Carter Doss, Brooke Grissinger, and Karson Wardell. It explains the development, design and manufacturing of the Rebel Lounge Chair, a comfortable, portable and versatile chair made with the University of Mississippi Grove in mind and the prospective customers that would purchase such a chair. The report describes the phases of brainstorming, market research, prototyping, manufacturing process development, and accounting analysis that the Rebel Lounge capstone team went through to create their product.

Due to out-of-the-box brainstorming and …

Accounting Chronicles: Real-World Case Studies, Hannah Coyle

Honors Theses

This thesis compiles case studies exploring accounting principles that intersect with real-world events, from historical incidents to financial crises and contemporary issues. Each study highlights accounting’s significance across diverse economic sectors, emphasizing accounting’s pervasive influence on influential figures, economic trends, and regulatory authorities. Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach including documentaries, articles, financial reports, and academic courses, the research reveals the intricate relationship between accounting practices and global events. Findings underscore the profound impact of economic trends on the accounting profession, showcasing the underlying motivations driving these occurrences and its adaptability to changing global landscapes. Overall, this thesis provides insight into accounting’s …

Refueling The Accounting Pipeline, Crystal Y. Wong

Honors Capstones

Recently, the number of college students majoring in accounting has significantly decreased, creating an accounting pipeline issue and resulting in fewer new accountants entering the industry. This presents a talent shortage while the demand for accountants remains high. The objective of this research study is to identify the potential methods that can be implemented to attract more students to major in accountancy and to contribute insights that may be useful in solving the accounting pipeline issue. Using an anonymous survey distributed to current students in Northern Illinois University’s (NIU) College of Business, I gathered data about factors that influence students’ …

Understanding The Accounting Of Agilysys' Current Business Model And Other Economic Activities, Brick Gore

Honors Theses

Agilysys operates out of the hospitality software industry and has seen a recent incline in volume due to the convenience and advancements of technology. They point of sale systems make it simple to conduct transactions; therefore, while the hospitality companies were negatively impacted during Covid-19, they were still able to sustain. Agilysys is posed a threat from operational risks, such as global climate change and rising interest rates as their products are many times located in luxurious environments; however, their current business model allows them to reduce this risk. From an auditor’s perspective, there are riskier accounts, and without a …

Faculty-Led International Business Seminar In Dublin, Ireland: An Account Of Personal Experiences And Reflection Of The Difference In Work-Life Balance Between Ireland And The United States Of America, Megan Hanigan

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

The study abroad program consisted of four weeks of learning through cultural immersion, tours, classes, travel, and personal experiences. I was granted the opportunity to travel abroad to a foreign country with fellow University of Arkansas students. While abroad, I learned about international business affairs and participated in local Irish activities. The purpose of the study abroad trip was to provide the students in attendance with the chance to immerse in another culture while learning about the differences between office structures in America and Ireland.

Small And Mighty: An Analysis Of Foundational Aspects Of Small Family Firms And Their Corporate Social Responsibility, Ashlyn Crosby

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis investigates the foundational aspects of small family firms to understand how their unique characteristics create differences among various types of firms. This review examines five key business components: operations, longevity, innovation, succession, and decision-making within these firms. The analysis in this report focuses on businesses that operate within the United States. When considering the American economic model, it is also vital to consider the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of small businesses and, due to its emergence as an integral aspect of contemporary business practices, the impact on society, the environment, and stakeholders. While CSR is frequently associated with …

How Did The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act Of 2017 Effect Small Businesses?, Jackson Pittman

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 marked a significant overhaul of the United States tax system, promising to stimulate economic growth and enhance the competitiveness of American businesses. Amidst its broad-reaching reforms, the TCJA introduced several provisions directly impacting small businesses, aiming to alleviate their tax burdens and foster entrepreneurial activity. This thesis endeavors to evaluate the multifaceted effects of the TCJA on small businesses, examining its implications for their financial performance, investment behavior, and overall economic contribution.

Preliminary findings suggest that the TCJA has produced a generally positive result for small businesses. On one hand, reduced …

Financial Literacy And Ipo Underpricing, Xiaoran Jia, Kiridaran G. Kanagaretnam, Chee Yeow Lim, Gerald J. Lobo

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Using an international sample of IPO firms and two country-level measures of financial literacy, we find strong evidence that financial literacy is negatively associated with IPO underpricing. In cross-sectional analyses, we find that the effect of financial literacy in reducing IPO underpricing is more pronounced when the information environment is less transparent. Employing path analysis, we document that information friction, firm transparency, and stock market participation are mechanisms that mediate this relationship. Our study contributes to and extends the literature by providing strong evidence that citizens' financial literacy has an important and consistent influence on IPO underpricing.

The Governance Of Director Compensation, Lily Fang, Sterling Huang

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

The average total compensation of directors in U.S.-listed companies was $342,030 in 2020, 5.06 times the median household income. Directors set their own pay, giving rise to potential self-dealing. We argue and document that in the presence of self-dealing, external mechanisms such as legal standards act as effective means of governance. Following a landmark Delaware court ruling that subjected director pay to a more stringent legal standard, Delaware-incorporated firms reduced director compensation relative to non-Delaware firms and experienced positive and non-transient stock price reactions. Our results indicate that proper governance of director compensation enhances firm value.

Industry Peer Information And The Equity Valuation Accuracy Of Firms Emerging From Chapter 11, Bingxu Fang, Sasan Saiy

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Valuation plays a central role in determining Chapter 11 reorganization outcomes. However, obtaining accurate valuation estimates of reorganized firms is challenging because of limited firm-specific market-based information and the oft-conflicting incentives of claimholders. We examine the role of industry peer information in reducing misvaluations and its implications for unintended interclaimant wealth transfers and postreorganization performance. First, we find that the availability of relevant industry peer information is negatively associated with equity valuation errors for firms emerging from Chapter 11. Cross-sectional results suggest that the relation between industry peer information and valuation errors varies substantially with debtors’ information environment and case …

What Impact Did The Tcja Tax Cuts Have On The Manufacturing Sector?, Ryan Parker

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

Throughout this paper I will examine positive effects the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 had on the manufacturing sector. To do this I begin by outlining the key provisions in the TCJA that directly benefit the manufacturing sector. This includes the corporate tax rate reduction from 35 percent to 21 percent, the changes to the repatriation tax for foreign funds, and the treatment for capital assets. I then analyze key metrics including pre-tax income, income tax provision, dividends, changes in retained earnings, and spending on property plant and equipment. I will show the interactions between the increase in …

Enhancing Audit Quality Through Artificial Intelligence: An External Auditing Perspective, Jonah Mitan

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

The evolving landscape of the audit profession has been significantly influenced by the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, marking a pivotal shift in audit methodologies, the auditors' roles, and the overarching quality of audits. This thesis delves into the breadth of AI's impact on the industry through a comprehensive review of academic literature, professional publications, and industry insights, highlighting the transformative effects of AI on audit processes. AI-driven tools, including machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing can expedite laborious audit tasks, enhancing data analytics capabilities, and enabling more accurate risk assessment and fraud detection. AI technologies …

When Market Forces Backfire: Mandatory Esg Disclosure And Corporate Innovation, Andi Zhang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Mandatory ESG disclosure makes it possible to incorporate ESG information into stock prices, incentivizing firms to “do good”. This channel, however, may lead to suboptimal investments, according to disclosure theories. This study investigates the changes in firms’ investment in innovation activities following the staggered introduction of mandatory ESG disclosure around the world. Using a sample of corporate patents filed by listed firms across 58 countries from 2000 to 2022, I find that the introduction of mandatory ESG disclosure is associated with less corporate innovation. The effect is mainly driven by countries that mandate ESG disclosure within corporate financial reports, when …

Examining The Career Path Of Certified Public Accountants In Audit And Tax Services: Perceptions Of Accounting Graduates' Competencies, Steven Mulhollen

Dissertations

Accounting professionals claim there is a deficiency of individuals with the appropriate competencies to enter the accounting workforce (Pasewark, 2021; Richardson, 2020; Sandifer, 2018; Thomson, 2017). Also, recent trends indicate a need to increase the number of qualified accounting professionals who can pass the Certified Public Accounting Exam (CPA Exam) and enter the public accounting workforce (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants [AICPA], 2021a; Dawkins, 2023). This quantitative, causal-comparative study expands existing studies by analyzing the impact of CPA's chosen career path of audit or tax on their perception of the required and attained accounting competencies. This study contributes to …

2024 Brings Many New Opportunities For Your Clients’ Tax Savings, Michelle Freeman, Shelby Follis

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt:

With the April 15 tax filing season deadline behind us, there are several conversations that practitioners still need to have with their clients about new tax savings opportunities for 2024. Helping your clients take advantage of some of these new opportunities, as well as reminding them of tax savings options that are often forgotten, are value-added services you can provide that will keep them returning for your advice [...]

Study On The Influencing Factors And Performance Effects Of Donation Behavior Of Chinese Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Ling Zhou

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy, in tandem with the continuous evolution of the Chinese economy and society, there has been a mounting demand for enterprises to shoulder and fulfill social responsibilities. Corporate social donations have emerged as a crucial avenue for enterprises to discharge their societal duties. These donations support public welfare in education and healthcare, enhance enterprise image and brand value, foster consumer trust, and drive sustainable development and innovation.

Introduced in the 1990s in China, corporate social responsibility rapidly advanced, yet research on SMEs’ social donations remains scarce. Despite their economic significance, SMEs face …

Budgeting For The Moon: A Comparative Analysis Of Public Support And Financial Performance In The Apollo And Artemis Eras, Christian Chlebowski

University Scholar Projects

The Artemis program aims to land mankind on the lunar surface for the first time in over fifty years in a vastly changed social and economic climate. In this study, I examine existing literature to contextualize and compare the origins, Congressional authorization and appropriations processes, and public accountability mechanisms of the Apollo program (1961-1972) and the Artemis program (2017-present). I utilize multivariate regression models to examine Congressional responsiveness to public opinions of lunar exploration programs. I find that Congress appears to be responsive to constituent attitudes regarding space exploration, particularly during the Apollo era. I also examine the relationship between …

Research On The Impact Of Ai Technology Adoption On Organizational Resilience Of Service Enterprises, Jianlin Deng

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In a time of frequent global economic fluctuations, understanding how service enterprises can sustain stability amid fluctuating environments, and even thrive during crises, has become a significant research focus within the current economic context. Advancements in the digital economy provide service enterprises with new digital technology support, leading to their reduced operational costs and heightened efficiency. Among them, artificial intelligence (AI) technology is highly praised by service enterprises. AI technology is extensively integrated into service enterprises’ daily operations and management decision-making. However, limited research has been conducted on how AI technology can assist these enterprises in navigating external environmental disruptions. …

Fundamental Reporting Differences In Nonprofit Operating Models, Angelica G. Castro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Not all nonprofit organizations rely on donations to achieve their social mission. Some nonprofit organizations, which Dart (2004) classifies as social enterprises, generate revenue through commercial transactions. This study identifies significant operating, monitoring, and efficiency differences between traditional fundraisers and social enterprises. Using panel data and fixed effects regressions, I find that social enterprises report more revenue persistence and better program ratios - a common metric for evaluating nonprofit performance - than traditional fundraisers. I also find that social enterprises are less likely to audit their financial statements than traditional fundraisers. Furthermore, when evaluating operating efficiency, social enterprises appear to …

Staggered Boards And Human Capital Disclosure, Xue Yang

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This article examines the effects of staggered boards on human capital management (HCM) disclosure quality. I find that firms with staggered boards exhibit significantly better HCM disclosure scores than non-staggered boards. Additionally, firms that transition from staggered boards to non-staggered boards are shown to experience significant decreases in their HCM disclosure scores. These results are robust to the exclusion of firms that switch to or from staggered boards to non-staggered boards, propensity score matching, and alternative disclosure quality measures. While various cross-sections and the usefulness of HCM disclosure information for analyst forecasts are explored, the results were not significant.

Who Benefits From Detailed Income Tax Disclosure?, Jack Badger

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, I investigate the costs and benefits of providing detailed income tax footnotes. Specifically, I examine whether the level of specificity in a firm’s income tax footnote is associated with the value relevance of income tax numbers, analysts’ effective tax rate (ETR) forecasting ability, and uncertain tax benefit (UTB) settlements. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) launched, and finalized, the Income Tax Disclosure Project to address concerns regarding the amount of boilerplate and generic information in firm’s income tax footnotes. Firms argue that the complex and dynamic nature of income taxes will render these disclosures confusing for investors …

An Examination Of The Incentives To Issue Spring-Loaded Equity Awards, Kory Davis Maag

Doctoral Dissertations

A spring-loaded equity award is an award granted to an employee while the firm possesses non-public, positive information that is released shortly after the equity award is granted. Generally, shareholders oppose these awards, but firms see them as valid rewards for executives. In my study, I examine factors associated with the issuance of spring-loaded awards. I identify potential spring-loaded awards (SLAs) issued to Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) by examining returns shortly following the grant date of equity awards to CEOs. I assign awards to differing levels of potential to be spring-loaded based on these returns. I find that firms are …

The Effect Of Remote Work On Career Success In The Accounting Profession, Erin Bynum

Honors Theses

This study analyzed the results of career success assessments of hypothetical public accountants working remotely and in a traditional office setting to determine if remote work affects assessments by partners, managers, and staff accountants. Subjects were randomly assigned resumes that included indications of either remote work or traditional in-office work. Resumes were otherwise identical. After an initial assessment of an assigned hypothetical accountant, subjects were asked to recommend activities that would increase the likelihood of future career success. Subjects were then told that the hypothetical accountant engaged in the recommended activity and were provided a description of a high or …

Paying To Reduce Disparity: Financially Incentivizing Workforce Diversity And Its Effects On Managers’ Promotion Decisions And Employees’ Effort, Bret S. Sheeley

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Disparities in employee representation persist in higher-level organizational positions despite recent attention to workforce diversity and its associated benefits. In response, companies have begun integrating diversity initiatives with varying degrees of specificity (hereafter, “initiative specificity”) into their managers’ compensation packages to increase underrepresented employees’ representation in higher-level organizational positions. This study uses an experiment to examine how offering managers financial incentives to accomplish diversity initiatives (hereafter, “diversity incentives”) and initiative specificity interact to influence managers’ promotion decisions and employees’ effort choices in a promotion setting.

The results suggest that as underrepresented employees’ pre-promotion efforts increase relative to overrepresented employees’ efforts, …

The Application Of Common Accounting Principles To The Marketplace Simulation, James Anthony Thomas

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Navigating Uncertainty In Tax Strategy Surrounding The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act Sunset, Tate Smith

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Throughout history, taxpayers have relied on tax strategies to reduce the proportion of income that is deemed taxable by the government. Today's tax environment is no exception, and with the changes surrounding the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) Sunset, taxpayers need to prepare their tax plans. In 2025, much of the current tax legislation for individual taxpayers will potentially revert to the pre-TCJA legislation. Preparing a strategy during this time period will be difficult because when the current legislation sunsets in 2025 many of the legislation changes will depend on which political party controls the presidency.

This paper seeks …

Essays In Accounting And Financial Institutions, Hanmeng Wang

Olin Business School Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Financial institutions, e.g., mutual funds and banks, are important entities in the capital markets. They make decisions based on accounting information. Further, their activities influence information production on the firm side, because interests are aligned between institutional investors and firms either through contracting or through market price pressure. Within this context, my dissertation focuses on the interactions between financial institutions and firms. In Chapter 1, I study how institutional investors’ myopia affects firms’ voluntary disclosures. This research question is motivated by the concurrent debate in accounting theory about whether myopia leads to more or less voluntary disclosures. I explore the …