Business Commons^™

Cloud Computing: Does Every Cloud Have A Silver Lining?, Aeson Luiz Dela Cruz

Center for Business Research and Development

Up in the clouds, we go. Ever wondered where pictures uploaded on your Facebook profile are stored? How about files that you keep on your DropBox, that you conveniently access wherever you are and whenever you need them? Perhaps, it is more intriguing to ask where videos you have uploaded in YouTube are being kept. Are you not curious enough to ask why your Google mail can provide additional storage capacity when needed? All the answers to these questions lead us to a single direction—to the clouds.

Exploring The Role Of Instruments In The Transformation Of Logics: The Case Of Socially Responsible Investment, Diane-Laure Arjaliès

Business Publications

The purpose of this article is to explore the role of instruments in the transformation of institutional logics and their associated practices at the micro level. Based on an ethnographic study, this article compares two working groups — one responsible for equity and the other for fixed-income investments — in an asset management company attempting to integrate new demands for socially responsible investment (SRI). These two working groups both sought to change their investment processes through the introduction of Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2434177 Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2434177 2 new calculative devices. The equity group was perceived to be …

A Comparison Of Audit Fee Trends For East Tennessee Based Companies And Similar Companies Based In Similar Regions, William J. Saulsbury

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Research examines audit fee trends for a decade. The research focuses on audit fees of companies in the East Tennessee Area and compares the audit fees of these companies to similar companies based in similar regions of the United States. Possible causes for the fluctuations of audit fees during the decade are also discussed.

The Affordable Care Act And Its Impact On The Professional Tax Preparation Market In Kingsport, Tennessee, Robert S. Forney Jr.

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to test whether the Affordable Care Act will have an effect on the professional tax preparation industry of Kingsport, Tennessee. To accomplish this objective, the researcher collected surveys concerning taxpayers’ initial reaction to the realization that the law affects their 1040. A two proportion test for equality was performed and failed to reject the idea that the ACA will have an effect on the tax preparation industry of Kingsport. Because this study failed to prove that the change in legislation causes a jump in clientele for the professional tax preparation market, the fight for …

Analysis Of Capabilities Attributed To The Fraud Diamond, Austin M. Shelton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the thesis “Analysis of Capabilities Attributed to the Fraud Diamond” research was conducted on fraud and what it takes for a person to commit fraud. The focus of this study was on one aspect of the person committing fraud, the capabilities aspect. This aspect is rather new in the accounting world, being first introduced in 2004. There was an analysis conducted on the six attributes of capabilities.

The six attributes went through statistical testing. This testing was to determine whether there are significant differences between the attributes. Based on the results of the testing, recommendations were given. These recommendations …

Diversifying A Portfolio Using Vix Options, Alec J. Amos

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Ubiquitous investment strategies often include similar forms of diversification – holding stocks of differing industries, exposed to different business cycles, in order to reduce idiosyncratic risk. During the recession, these strategies failed as the markets fell substantially leaving investors exposed to great amounts of systematic, or “un-diversifiable” risk. Throughout this paper, I will examine the effects of diversifying a portfolio using call options on the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) to try and alleviate systematic risk from a portfolio, allowing an investor to capitalize from short-term market fluctuations arising from financial, economic, and geopolitical risks.

The Impact Of Fraud Education On Fraud Detection, Michele Leonard

Accounting

The value of a forensic education is becoming more important as the accounting world moves past the scandals that have caused set backs and distrust in recent years. Exclusively looking at the education aspect is something that has not been explored compared to the previous studies completed valuing experience. As part of an auditor’s duty to serve the public and report material misstatements in companies’ financial statements, having the knowledge needed to properly assess risk and identify fraud is very important. Forensic degrees are at the forefront of accounting education and have become more widespread in programs, courses, and certificates. …

Minorities And Women In Accounting, Alyssa K. Lee

Honors Scholar Theses

Traditionally, the field of public accounting has been dominated by white males. Today, minorities and women have been steadily penetrating the profession. As these diverse groups work together, conflicts in culture and awareness often arise. In this paper, I will discuss some of the origins of these conflicts and their effects on the people involved.

Gender And Career Success In Public Accounting, Jessica L. Rowe

Honors Theses

Public accountants, students, and others evaluated career success and the effect of specific activities on career success. The results suggest that gender bias is not pervasive in public accounting, at least with respect to overall assessments of success, but male and female accountants do appear to weight differently various activities that contribute to career success. This may explain, in part, why women hold fewer public accounting leadership positions than men even though women appear to have an advantage over men when they begin their careers.

Determinants Of A Winning Season For Intercollegiate Football Based On Revenues And Expenses, Burke L. Ellzey

Honors Theses

The athletic departments of many colleges and universities serve as a significant source of revenue to the university. For most colleges and universities, football is the most popular program in the athletic department. The purpose of this research is to analyze different categories of revenues and expenses of each athletic department to investigate how these factors affect the winning percentage of the specific football team. In addition, BCS and non-BCS teams are compared to see how the BCS title affects these categories of revenues and expenses. Multiple regressions are run with the winning percentage being the dependent variable with the …

Bankruptcy Prediction, Gold, And The Great Auto Bailout, Katelin E. Byrd

Honors Theses

With recent economic instability, bankruptcy prediction is a tool that is useful to companies and researchers who are interested in the financial stability of an industry or company. This thesis studies bankruptcy prediction during the most recent recession that occurred in the United States for General Motors with Ford as a comparison company and compares the possibility of bankruptcy to the price of gold per ounce for the corresponding year. The multiple discriminant analysis model was used to complete this research. This model uses financial ratios to predict bankruptcy. This research yielded an inverse relationship between the price of gold …

Donor And Grantor Reactions To Ceo Compensation In Nonprofit Organizations, Stacey Renee Kaden

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonprofit organizations often rely on donations and grants to accomplish their mission. This study examines whether nonprofit organizations with high CEO compensation receive less in donor and grantor support compared to nonprofit organizations with lower CEO compensation. I find strong evidence that both donors and grantors give less to organizations that spend a larger percentage of total expenses on total CEO compensation. I also find that the reactions of donors and grantors differ based on the type of CEO compensation. While donors and grantors react to CEO base compensation, grantors also react to other CEO compensation and nontaxable benefits.

In …

Influence Of National Culture On Accounting Conservatism And Risk-Taking In The Banking Industry, Kanagaretn Kiridaran, Chee Yeow Lim, Gerald J. Lobo

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Using an international sample of banks and country-level indices for individualism and uncertainty avoidance as proxies for national culture, we study how differences in culture across countries affect accounting conservatism and bank risk-taking. Consistent with expectations, our cross-country analysis indicates that individualism is negatively (positively) related to conservatism (risk-taking) and uncertainty avoidance is positively (negatively) related to conservatism (risk-taking). We also find that cultures that encourage higher risk-taking experienced more bank failures and bank troubles during the recent financial crisis.

Construction Contractors, May 1, 2014; Audit And Accounting Guide, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

Industry Guides (AAGs), Risk Alerts, and Checklists

No abstract provided.

Property And Liability Insurance Entities, May 1, 2014; Audit And Accounting Guide, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

Industry Guides (AAGs), Risk Alerts, and Checklists

No abstract provided.

Investment Companies, May 1, 2014; Audit And Accounting Guide, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

Industry Guides (AAGs), Risk Alerts, and Checklists

No abstract provided.

Lost In Translation: Impediments To The Homogenous Interpretation Of Ifrs Translations, Addison N. Scott

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

In order to satisfy the financial needs of an increasingly globalized world, regulators and accounting professionals have pursued the harmonization of national accounting standards through International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). These standards have been adopted in more than 100 countries and are currently available in 47 languages. When financial information is prepared in accordance with IFRS, users of that information may assume that the application of the accounting rules is consistent across countries. In actuality, many differences in interpretation and application can occur because of the difficulties inherent in translating the standards from one language to another. Inconsistent application of …

2nd Isca Productivity Scorecard And Benchmarking Survey Report For The Accountancy Sector In Singapore, Sze Yee Chan, Clarence Goh, Kay Zin

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

As the national accountancy body, the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) is pleased to publish this secondProductivity Scorecard and Benchmarking Survey Report. This builds upon our inaugural scorecard and benchmarking reportlast year and, more importantly, is in line with our efforts to play a role in the national drive to restructure our economy byraising the productivity of companies in Singapore and helping them move up the value chain.

Bank Accounting Conservatism And Bank Loan Pricing, Chu Yeong Lim, Edward Lee, Asad Kausar, Martin Walker

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

This paper studies the effects of bank accounting conservatism on the pricing of syndicated bank loans. We provide evidence that banks timelier in loss recognition charge higher spreads. We go onto consider what happens to the relationship between spreads and timeliness in loss recognition during the financial crisis. During the crisis, banks timelier in loss recognition increase their spreads to a lesser extent than banks less timely in loss recognition. These findings are broadly consistent with the argument that conditional accounting conservatism serves a governance role. The policy implication is that banks timelier in loss recognition exhibit more prudent and …

Is Sin Always A Sin? The Interaction Effect Of Social Norms And Financial Incentives On Market Participants’ Behavior, Yanju Liu, Hai Lu, Kevin Veenstra

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Using alcohol, tobacco, and gaming consumption data and people’s attitudes toward these sin products to proxy for social norm acceptance levels, we show a strong interaction effect between social norms and financial incentives, which significantly influence the behavior of market participants. Specifically, institutional investors’ shareholdings and analyst coverage of sin companies increase with the degree of social norm acceptance. The association between shareholdings/coverage and social norm acceptance is less pronounced for firms with higher future expected performance. Our results show that social norms and financial incentives have a powerful interaction effect in determining the behavior of market participants, suggesting that …

Short Sellers And Corporate Disclosures, Qiang Cheng, Xia Chen, Ting Luo, Heng Yue

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

We examine how short sellers affect corporate disclosures using a natural experiment. From May 2005 to July 2007, the SEC implemented a pilot program by randomly selecting one third of Russell 3000 stocks and removing the short sale price tests for these stocks (referred to as pilot firms), leading to lower short-selling constraint, without changing the requirement for other firms (referred to as control firms). We compare the change in corporate disclosures between the pilot firms and the control firms during this period. We find that compared to the control firms, the pilot firms are more likely to issue good …

Causes And Consequences Of Corporate Asset Exchanges By Listed Companies In China, Fang Lou, Jiwei Wang, Hongqi Yuan

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

China's listed companies often exchange corporate assets with their parent companies. We find that listed companies that have been incompletely restructured from former state-owned enterprises and in sound financial condition tend to exchange higher quality assets for lower quality assets (i.e., tunneling). However, when there is a need to avoid reporting a loss and to raise additional capital, listed companies tend to exchange lower quality assets for higher quality assets (i.e., propping). We also find that the market reacts indifferently to asset exchange announcements. Finally, we find asset exchanges motivated by a tunneling (propping) incentive to be associated with poorer …

Checklists & Illustrative Financial Statements, Not-For-Profit Entities, April 30, 2014, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

Industry Guides (AAGs), Risk Alerts, and Checklists

No abstract provided.

Autopsy Of The Banking Crisis: Examining The Impact Of Director Characteristics On Bank Failures, Gregory L. Prescott

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

The catastrophic impact of the recent financial crisis on the banking industry reverberated throughout the United States and had contagion effects worldwide. Congressional inquiries, media scrutiny, and the public alleged failure of the boards of directors to effectively discharge their governance responsibilities. The objective of this study was to investigate how certain characteristics of directors on a bank‘s board are related to bank failure—specifically whether the presence of directors with banking industry–specific experience and accounting expertise is related to a bank‘s likelihood of failure. The study also examined how board director tenure is related to bank failure.

I employed a …

Capital Gains Tax And Its Effect On Investment, Andrew Long

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Recently, there has been controversy surrounding the capital gains tax. During his state of the union address, President Obama mentioned the case of Debbie Bosanek as a clear indication that the tax is unfair. Debbie is the secretary of Warren Buffet, and happens to pay fewer taxes than her boss. The primary reason for this is through capital gains. The tax rate on long-term capital gains (assets that have been held for over a year), is less than the tax on regular income, with most people paying about 15% on gains (the highest earners now pay 20%).

Legislature on and …

An Analysis Of International Corporate Tax Reform, Travis D. Gohman

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

This research paper will focus on the current discussion in Washington D.C. regarding the reform of international taxation by the U.S. government. In recent years, multinational companies have been accumulating an ever-increasing amount of undistributed foreign earnings. Critics see this as a loophole to avoid U.S. taxation. Corporations view this as purely a smart business decision since it increases their bottom lines. The primary reason for this trend of not repatriating for foreign earnings is that the U.S. has the highest corporate tax rate of 35 percent. Therefore, with fewer foreign earnings making their way back into the U.S., the …

Lease Accounting Convergence Project: What Are The Impacts Of The New Accounting Standards?, Kevin Jirik

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Current US GAAP lease accounting standards, with its four part test, and two forms of accounting for leases has existed since the 1970s. Due to cases such as WorldCom and Enron, where the assigning of other assets to remote bankruptcy entities has caused some of the world's largest bankruptcies and misleading financials. The SEC called for elimination of all off sheet financial arrangements to change the guidelines of financial reporting to better reflect the economic transaction and not distort it. The new proposal has created a Right-of-Use model where new assets and liabilities will be created to represent the value …

Shadow It And Data Credibility: The Impact Of Shadow Systems In An Erp Environment, Noah Myers, Dr. David Wood

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In recent years, companies have increasingly turned to large software solutions known as ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems to centralize and streamline their accounting information systems. However, this centralization has caused tension with end users because of the system’s rigid structure and unfamiliarity to employees. While ERP’s are often implemented to enhance internal control procedures, in practice, users often circumvent the controls by removing data from the system and manipulating it separately in spreadsheet software. This practice has become commonly known as Shadow IT in the business press.

The Effectiveness Internal Auditing Has To Help Improving Companies, Kelsey Miller

Honors Theses

Internal auditing is an independent consulting activity done within the company to insure and improve a company’s operation. The thesis is going to look at, if internal auditing has good effectiveness and efficiency in helping improve companies. Can internal auditing help a company stay on the right track? In the past, there has been much fraud, lies, scandals made by big companies, like Enron and Worldcom. These upsets have cost investors billions of dollars when the share prices of affected companies collapsed. Internal auditing should be able to know what is going on in the company and create ways to …

Why Do Companies Begin Issuing Earnings Guidance?, Artem Davletshin, Dr. Ted Christensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

One of the key voluntary disclosures managers can provide to investors is an earnings forecast prior to the end of the accounting period.