Business Commons^™

Moving Forward: Automating A Walmart Executive View From Existing Manual Financial Systems, Alexandra Rosen

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Walmart, the largest retail giant globally, is a company that needs no introduction. Headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, it has become synonymous with retail innovation and efficiency. Last summer, I had the unique opportunity to immerse myself in Walmart’s culture and the world of finance and accounting through Walmart's Accounting and Finance Development Program (AFDP) internship. This analysis examines my summer in the program and applies my experience to the importance of in-person office work.

Accounting And Finance Internship Thesis, Peyton Fair

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

During the summer of 2023, I had the opportunity to intern for ten weeks at Walmart Inc. in the Accounting and Finance Development Program (AFDP). The AFDP internship provides participants with hands-on training and experience in various areas of accounting and finance within Walmart. Participants work in various business areas across Walmart US, Walmart International, Sam's Club, and Walmart Inc.

In the summer of 2023, there were 38 AFDP interns representing 18 different universities. The AFDP internship provides opportunities for interns to attend networking events, interact with executives, and receive feedback on their performance through evaluations. This program aims to …

The Effects Of Short-Term Rentals On Communities And How To Legislate Them: An Expanded Literary Review, William Cherry

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

A literary review of the economic and socioeconomic effects of short-term rental properties, specifically the commercialization of the industry based upon other research studies. An in-depth look at how commercialized short-term rentals effect the younger generation, hospitality industry, housing market, communities they reside in, and other externalities. A further review of different legal case studies of short-term rental legislation in major cities across the globe and their varying degrees of effectiveness.

2023 Community Bank Case Study Competition, Joseph Kelly

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

We studied a community bank in Danville, Arkansas named Chambers Bank. This was part of a 2023 Community Bank Case Study Competition, which illustrated the financial analysis, staffing, and training of the bank. We learned about technology implemented into the bank, and how the bank works with customers locally to ensure the best quality care.

My Roman Holiday: Marketing Abroad In The City Of Rome, Emily Whitworth

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis delves into the immersive experience of the Marketing in Rome Summer Program, offered by the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. Led by professors Molly Jensen and Heather Sprandel, the program provides students with a unique opportunity to study global marketing and consumer behavior while crafting marketing plans for small businesses in Rome, Italy. Through a combination of coursework, field research, and practical projects, students explore the intricacies of marketing in a cross-cultural context.

Dreams And Livelihoods In Rural Areas Require Capital, Too: An Investigation Into The Role Of Diminishing Community Banks, Financial Education, And Access To Capital In Rural Areas, Jackson Walton

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Individuals in rural communities face unprecedented economic challenges due to a lack of financial education and a decline in the prevalence of community banks. These problems have continuously grown exponentially without successful attempt at remedy. The community banks that once served as the center of economic activity and prevalence in rural communities are leaving these communities quickly- leaving many without access to lines of credit, personal relationship banking, and without necessary financial education in a world with more financial options than ever. Access to banking and higher financial literacy proficiency rates are almost directly linked to better financial outcomes like …

The Value Of Cryptocurrency In An Efficient Portfolio, Bryn Taylor

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the recent approval of Bitcoin-backed exchange traded-funds, it is now easier than ever for mainstream investors to gain exposure to cryptocurrencies. This paper aims to employ the Markowitz efficient frontier model to determine the potential for cryptocurrency investment to increase the risk-adjusted performance of a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds. The analysis finds that investors can expect a meaningful increase of 4.41% to the risk-adjusted performance of their portfolio when allocating 4.83% of their total investment to cryptocurrency. However, this potential increase is highly sensitive to cryptocurrency returns, volatility, and correlations to stock. As such, whether adding cryptocurrency …

2023 Community Bank Case Study Competition, Alivia Brewer

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Study of Chambers Bank, located in Danville, Arkansas for the 2023 Community Bank Case Study Competition. This paper covers financial analysis, training and technology, as well as staffing.

Exploring Growth: A Multifaceted Approach To Development In The Stann Creek District Of Belize, Brady A. Voss

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This honors thesis delves into the multifaceted approach to development within the Stann Creek District of Belize, as undertaken by the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) in collaboration with the international non-profit Peacework. Authored by Brady A. Voss under the guidance of Dr. Amy Farmer, this research is a culmination of efforts aimed at enhancing economic growth and sustainability in the region.

The thesis begins by outlining the author's involvement in three primary projects during a summer internship in 2023: assessing market awareness of dragon fruit, estimating the cost of production for habanero peppers, and formulating a business plan for the …

A Triadic View Of Name, Image, And Likeness From The Point Of Athletes, Universities, And Consumers Of College Athletics, William Monroe

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Name, Image, and Likeness is a new era of college athletics that allows student-athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness through personal appearances, social media platforms, commercials, selling merchandise, signing autographs, serving as ambassadors, and leading camps or clinics, among others. In simpler terms, NIL allows student-athletes to be paid to play. Before it was introduced, the NCAA took a strong stance against this but soon flipped its stance once states started passing laws relating to the subject. In the past, athletic departments, coaches, and student-athletes were punished by the NCAA because of bribes as well as athletic departments …

An Analysis Of Bank Willingness To Decrease Deposit Fees, Madison E. Settlage

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Bank deposit fees have been at the forefront of bank criticism for years, as many view them as being too severe and having a disproportionate effect on low-income customers. In recent years, there has been a strong push for declines in these rates. In this paper, I analyze banks willingness to decrease deposit fees using data from bank call reports over the 2017 to 2023 time period. Through statistical analysis, I find that various factors such as 2017 deposit fee level, ROA, total assets, average personal deposits, population, median income, and poverty rates are significant in determining bank fee levels …

Artificial Intelligence In Finance: Transforming Decision-Making And Risk Management For Enhanced Financial Outcomes, Bryce Layn

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The impact of artificial intelligence on the financial sector is evaluated in this study, focusing on its management of financial risk capabilities and its role in creating tailored banking experiences. AI's rapid evolution has brought unprecedented capabilities, raising questions about human adaptability to these developments in finance. The thesis will conduct further research on how AI manages financial risks and navigates regulatory frameworks and potential mismanagement. Multiple companies will be investigated to showcase their diverse capabilities, with each one highlighting unique characteristics and contributions to the AI finance landscape. This Thesis presents a comprehensive summary of the evolving financial industry, …

Yala Designs Marketing Strategy, Anna Buckley

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper dives into the complexities of a sustainable pajama company's social media marketing strategy. This paper also analyzes the strategies of competitors and market leaders in an attempt to formulate suggested strategies based off their success.

Boutique Staffing Firm Internship: How Ai Is Changing The Staffing Industry, Garrett Larsen

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper explores my experience as an Accounting, Finance, and Recruiting Intern for a boutique staffing firm in Memphis, Tennessee during the summer and winter of 2022 and my research on the current uses and future implications of artificial intelligence in the staffing industry. Specifically, it delves into my goals for the internship, my weekly tasks during the internship, and my observations of the internship. Based on my use of artificial intelligence for email marketing during the winter portion of the internship, I research the current uses of AI in the hiring process and the potential uses for the future. …

"The Intersection Of Healthcare And Technology: Reflections And Impact From My Netsmart Internship”, Jacob Anderson

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Internships provide valuable opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in their field of study. As a Solution Delivery Analyst intern at Netsmart, a healthcare technology company, I had the opportunity to work in the human services and post-acute care sector. During my internship, I shadowed the development and implementation of innovative technology solutions aimed at improving patient outcomes and increasing efficiency in healthcare delivery. I will provide a comprehensive overview of my internship experience as a Solution Delivery Analyst at Netsmart. I will discuss a project and tasks that I worked on during my internship, including learning about software …

Comparative Career-Path Growth Of Campus Leaders By Gender, Madison Foster

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Promotions and growth in one’s own field of work are highly sought after by those who wish to see greater achievement, wealth, and personal satisfaction in the workplace. Opinion is divided as to whether or not men and women are paid equally in the United States. One issue less spoken of is the differences in the time and rate of promotions women and men see in their careers. Many studies seek to prove women are receiving less promotions than men, and posit their own hypotheses.

Man Vs. Machine: The Future Of Financial Advising, Rylee Driggs

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research evaluates the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the financial advising industry, particularly regarding the demand for human financial advisors within the industry as artificial intelligence rapidly evolves. With the recent launch of ChatGPT, a cutting-edge AI chatbot, the role of financial advisors, which previously seemed mostly exempt from any technological alternatives due to the essential emotional intelligence of a human financial advisor, is potentially at risk for replacement. This research provides an in-depth analysis on the feasibility of artificial intelligence replicating necessary humanlike characteristics of a human financial advisor and utilizes results of an anonymous survey where …

The Opportunities And Challenges Of Automation: Insights From An Internship Experience At Ultrasource Llc, Olivia Madden

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis provides insight into Olivia Madden's time as an intern at UltraSource LLC. UltraSource LLC is a Kansas City company that produces meat manufacturing equipment and operational supplies. Olivia worked as a finance intern, where she was tasked with automating processes for the accounts receivable and payable teams and also did ad hoc projects for the finance department as a whole. These insights are recorded through weekly journal entries describing what was done and what was learned every week.

These insights are translated into research on the opportunities and challenges of automation, and the impact automation has on worker …

Internship Experience At Accenture, Drew Keatts

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper discusses my internship experience at Accenture and all of the things I learned from it. I worked out of Dallas, Texas, and it was a 10-week internship. Some of the things I discuss include financial management, financial analysis, profit margins, and professionalism. I cannot express how amazing this experience was and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work for Accenture. I hope you enjoy my experience and the key takeaways I had from it.

Assessing The Impact Of Impact Investing: Practices, Challenges, And Opportunities Towards The Standardization Of Impact Assessment Mechanisms, Taylor Poe

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research project focuses on gathering information on which impact measurement mechanisms are currently used in the impact investing industry, and how these mechanisms are standardized across various firms, geographic locations, and fund types. The overarching goal of the study is to provide an assessment of the impact investing industry and the use of standardized impact assessment practices. The specific goal of this research study is to collect and present information on the current state of impact measurement standardization. Research is separated into three large components: interviews with industry leaders, findings from social finance conferences, and research of scholarly sources. …

Benefits Of Impact Investments For Financial Advisors And Their Clients, Jacob Eason

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

As society has become more focused on addressing environmental and social issues, interest in impact investing has grown dramatically to a total asset value of $444 billion dollars (Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, 2021). As a result, financial advisors could benefit from incorporating these investments into their service offerings. However, like all financial questions, there is no universal answer for all clients. By exploring existing academic literature, this review seeks to highlight the benefits of impact investments, reveal the downsides, and discover strategies to manage them. Ultimately, this literature review will demonstrate how offering impact investments can be beneficial for both …

A Walk-Through Corruption On Wall Street, Allison Ciocan

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Wall Street is viewed as the center of global finance. Although surrounded by a vast amount of popularity, Wall Street has had its fair share of unethical scandals. Despite numerous rules and regulations existing with the hopes of suppressing unethical behavior, multiple infamous individuals and companies have discovered ways around these rules which have led to detrimental effects on consumers, employees, companies, and the economy as a whole. Often, corruption can be traced back to one of three reasons. First, the individuals that are employed at big firms could lack morals and good character, which affects overall company culture. Second, …

How The Finance Industry Is Shaped By Technology – A Corporate Experience, Max Pabin

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

For this paper, I want to analyze how new technology affects the financial industry for individual clients. My internship at Fidelity Investments provided me with a back-end view of the technology used for clients, while my Chase experience has provided me with an in-depth view of how clients use technology daily. I believe that the financial services industry is being taken over by new technology. This has created a new experience for customers that has made it easier for them to bank, apply for credit, and invest their money. I find this subject to be very interesting as someone who …

Exploring Social Media Sentiment Analysis In Relation To Common Stock, Landon Johnson

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Many institutions, investors, and researchers have sought to gain insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors by leveraging social media. However, trading strategies utilizing social sentiment have been observed to often provide returns roughly equivalent to or less than those of standard market indexes. This observation raises several questions: does the efficacy of social sentiment analysis vary from firm to firm? Are price or volume directly correlated with social sentiment? Does social sentiment display any predictive ability? The following analysis attempted to answer these questions by comparing one week’s worth of data from Twitter users to price and volume data from …

Outperforming The Stock Market Using Market Anomalies, Brett Bennett

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to explore the use of well-researched market anomalies to generate higher risk-adjusted returns than the overall stock market. Four specific market anomalies are examined: the small-firm effect; price reversals; the January effect; and the momentum effect. It focuses on historical evidence, anomaly characteristics, and potential risks. This study also explores the use of anomaly detection techniques, such as machine learning, in identifying market mispricings. It finds that a selective approach, combining market anomalies with traditional investment strategies, is crucial for effective implementation. This study provides insights for investors seeking to capitalize on market anomalies …

Financial Advising Experience, Joshua Wittenauer

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Building wealth can be easier with the help of a financial advisor. Wealth consists of assets and savings, and while there are many ways to save, there are some basic steps to get started:

1) Earn enough money to live and have some left over for saving. 2) Control your spending so you can save. 3) Invest your money in different assets – “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Cost Of Capitol: Analyzing Congressional Insider Trading Regulation, Hannah Levy

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The United States Congress has involved itself with the financial regulation of big business for decades. The legislative body has passed a multitude of laws over time which foster greater transparency and trust between individual investors and big business. Until recently, legislators have avoided passing laws which regulate their own financial activity. Recent investigations revealing that dozens of federal lawmakers have violated financial disclosure laws and made stock trades on insider information has successfully angered the public and forced Congress to consider tighter restrictions. But can Americans trust their legislators to effectively regulate themselves? If no legislative action is taken, …

Multinational Corporations Use Of Operational And Financial Hedging For Foreign Exchange Risk – Walmart Global Treasury, Zachary Hassan

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines how multinational corporations can leverage different types of hedging tools to avoid foreign exchange risk. We look at two different hedging methods, financial and operational hedging. Weighing the costs benefit relationship of both of these methods we come to a resolution that a balance of both of these methods is most optimal for multinational corporations.

An Analysis Of The Housing Affordability Crisis: Private Equity Or Legislation Issue, Jack Polk

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The aim of this thesis is to explore the claim that private equity investment is the cause of the modern unaffordability in the single family housing market. Through empirical study and historical research we found that the footprint of institutional investors in this space is insignificant. However, legislative errors which have artificially inflated demand and suppressed supply over the past decade have greatly contributed to the crisis and must be corrected for the long term health of the housing space. These corrections will focus primarily in the alleviation of supply pressures for new development and the continuation of the low …

Company Provided Retirement Plans: Key Distinctions And Impacts For Employers And Employees, Ashley Valentine

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Employee retirement plans vary from company to company as a result of organizational goals to attract and retain employees and drive overall company performance. This thesis will explore the differences between key retirement plans offered in the United States, including 401(k) plans, pension plans, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP), and profit-sharing. By understanding and evaluating each, a company can determine the ideal structure of retirement plans for the benefits of both their employees and the company’s growth. This review will provide insights on the financial and productivity benefits to employees and employers from offering each of the various retirement options. …