Business Commons^™

The Safest Suburbs In The Mountain West, 2023, Ivan Sun, Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Cities & Metros

This fact sheet presents data from the Smart Asset report, “America’s Safest Suburbs – 2023 Study,” which examines the 370 safest suburbs in the United States and the 35 most affordable safest suburbs. This fact sheet focuses on data for the nine safest suburbs and most affordable safe suburbs in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah ranking among the top 100 safest suburbs in the United States.

Rethinking Eisner V. Macomber, And The Future Of Structural Tax Reform, Alex Zhang

Faculty Articles

In June 2023, the Supreme Court granted the petition for a writ of certiorari in Moore v. United States, ostensibly a challenge to an obscure provision of the 2017 tax legislation. Moore’s real target is the constitutionality of federal wealth and accrual taxation, which policymakers have proposed to combat record inequality and raise revenue for social-welfare reform. At the center of the doctrinal dispute in Moore is a century-old case, Eisner v. Macomber, on which the Moore petitioners and other commentators have relied to argue that Congress has no power to tax wealth or unrealized gains—e.g., appreciation …

Priced Out Of Housing In The Mountain West, 2022, Maryam Raja, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Housing & Real Estate

This fact sheet presents data from the National Association of Home Builder (NAHB) 2022 report on "priced out estimates" and the consequences of increased prices and interest rates on homes. Data are included from NAHB on home affordability for median home prices in five Mountain West states and 25 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs).

Total Taxation: An Examination Of The Total Tax Burden Of Individuals In The West Michigan Area, Connor C. Meech

Honors Projects

Have you ever thought about how much you might pay in tax each year, across all tax types? If you have, a chill probably went down your spine before you gave up thinking about it. When the subject is brought up, most people think primarily of income. The truth of the matter is that income tax is far from the only tax we pay. Throughout the year, Americans may end up also paying sales tax, property tax, fuel taxes, various sin taxes, and estate tax, just to name a few. With so many ways to be taxed, some of which …

Economic Forecast Of Grand Rapids, Mi, Zachary Fillmore

Honors Projects

The purpose of this report is to analyze the current state of the Grand Rapids, MI economy, as well as provide a ten-year forecast of the city’s economic condition. Economic forecasting is the process of predicting the future condition of an economy using the combination of several indicators. The indicators being used for this report will include population growth, economic production, wages, industry specific production trends, unemployment rates, home values, occupancy rates, rent forecasts, education, and tourism. From intensive research and data analysis, a snapshot of the economic condition of Grand Rapids in ten years will be displayed. Additionally, several …

Theater And Covid-19: Examining How The Pandemic Financially Affected Production Crew Members In The Theater Industry, Abigail Jasak

Honors College Theses

Since the beginning of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has severely impacted many aspects of almost every industry worldwide. This paper will cover the financial effect that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on production crew members working within the theater industry. Research will be conducted through literature review, evaluating similar historical events and current discussions throughout the industry, and one-on-one structured interviews with production crew members who were financially impacted by the pandemic. The main goal of this thesis is to examine the different financial situations of production crew members and determine if management and production companies within the industry were …

Investment Patterns In Mountain West States, Counties, And Nevada Cities 2005-2019, Peter Grema, Zachary Walusek, Katie M. Gilbertson, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

The purpose of this fact sheet is to summarize findings on capital flows across Mountain West states and counties, and within Nevada cities. The “Gauging Investment Patterns across the US” report by the Urban Institute present findings of overall volume of capital deployed, racial equity of investments, and income equity for each respective geographic area. The full report further breaks down these three main categories into 18 other metrics.

The Relationship Between Financial Distress And Well-Being: Exploring The Role Of Self-Employment, Jenny Berrill, Damien Cassells, Martha O’Hagan-Luff, André Van Stel

Articles

No abstract provided.

Housing - Las Vegas And The Middle Class, Brookings Mountain West

Brookings Mountain West Special Events

Brookings Mountain West presents an event focusing on housing as part of “Las Vegas and the Middle Class,” a major project exploring public policy initiatives designed to improve the quality of life of the middle class in Las Vegas and to increase the number of people rising to join its ranks. Through independent, non-partisan analysis and policy development, we seek to advance public understanding of the challenges facing the middle class in Las Vegas, as well as barriers to upward mobility.

This event features presentations that examine Las Vegas as a model for understanding issues critical to the growth of …

Should Las Vegas Bet On Homeownership? Trends In Housing Affordability And Homeownership, Jenny Schuetz

Brookings Mountain West Publications

In many parts of the U.S., rents and housing prices are rising faster than household incomes. Low-income families have always been stretched to pay for housing without sacrificing other necessities. In recent years, housing costs have become a larger source of financial stress for middle-income families. While homeownership has been the primary channel for wealth building in the U.S., two recent trends raise questions about whether this is a viable strategy. First, many homeowners suffered severe financial losses due to housing price declines during the Great Recession (2007-2009). Second, homeownership rates for Black and Latino families lag those of white …

The Effect Of Lowering Public Insurance Income Limits On Hospitalizations For Low-Income Children., Jessica L. Bettenhausen, Matt Hall, Jeffrey D. Colvin, Henry T. Puls, Paul J. Chung

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Background and objectives: Thirty million children are currently covered by public insurance; however, the future funding and structure of public insurance are uncertain. Our objective was to determine the number, estimated costs, and demographic characteristics of hospitalizations that would become ineligible for public insurance reimbursement under 3 federal poverty level (FPL) eligibility scenarios.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study using the 2014 State Inpatient Databases, we included all pediatric (age

Results: In 775 460 publicly reimbursed hospitalizations in 14 states, reductions in eligibility limits to 300%, 200%, or 100% of the FPL would have resulted in large numbers of newly …

The Impact Of Microfinance On Poverty Reduction In Egypt: An Empirical Study, Hala Elhadidi

Business Administration

Microfinance has become a critical tool in credit markets for poverty reduction and socioeconomic development. Yet its impact is still questioned and varies from one country to another and from urban to rural areas. This article examines the role of Egyptian microfinance on household income. A cross-sectional survey interviewed 780 established and new clients in Greater Cairo and rural areas in Egypt. The stratified random method was used to collect the data from urban and rural districts. The findings, using multinomial logistics, reveal that microfinance had a positive impact on the household income of women borrowers who spent three years …

The Impact Of Microfinance On Poverty Reduction In Egypt: An Empirical Study, Hala Elhadidi

Business Administration

Microfnance has become a critical tool in credit markets for poverty reduction and socioeconomic development. Yet its impact is still questioned and varies from one country to another and from urban to rural areas. This article examines the role of Egyptian micro nance on household income. A cross-sectional survey interviewed 780 established and new clients in Greater Cairo and rural areas in Egypt. The strati ed random method was used to collect the data from urban and rural districts. The ndings, using multinomial logistics, reveal that micro nance had a positive impact on the household income of women borrowers who …

Influence Of Mediation On Estate Planning Decisions: Evidence From Indian Survey Data, Amarjit Gill, Harvinder S. Mand, John D. Obradovich, Neil Mathur

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Intestate death can lead to the distribution of assets against the personal wishes of the deceased and is a problem in India, as 80% of Indians die without making a last will. Following the concepts of decision theory (i.e., the theory of choice), stewardship theory, agency theory, and signaling theory, the purpose of this study is to examine the influence of meditation on estate planning decisions. This study also seeks to extend previous findings on the influence of religious beliefs on the estate planning decisions of Canadians to that of Indians.

Methods: Employed and self-employed individuals from India were …

Mantras Ambulance Services, Inc. Case 1: A Seller-Side Business Valuation Case, J. R. Jones, P. D. Hutchison, Amy Foshee Holmes

School of Business Faculty Research

“Guess what mom, I’m pregnant!” Marie Wade’s youngest daughter, Kelley, shared the good news that her mom was going to be a grandmother for the second time! Marie was very happy for her daughter, but at the same time, she felt a pang of guilt and reflected on her inability to spend more time with her children and grandchildren. As her business had grown over the years, she found it required more and more of her time on a daily basis.

Marie thought to herself that it was 2017, where had all the time gone. All her children were grown, …

Mantras Ambulance Services, Inc. Case 2: A Buyer-Side Business Valuation Case, J. R. Jones, P. D. Hutchison, Amy Foshee Holmes

School of Business Faculty Research

“2017 is going to be an exciting year for your company, Daniel! I just received the requested information from that company that you are interested in buying. I’ll forward the information to you by email attachment, and I will get started on the analysis.” Penny knew that her boss, Daniel, would be anxious to review and discuss the new information on a potential acquisition, so she cleared her desk off to focus on the analysis.

Daniel Gustafson started his company, QRT Ambulance Services, Inc. in 2010. He wanted to quickly expand operations, so his business strategy was to buy existing …

America's Tax System And How To Fix It, Brendan O. Smith

Senior Honors Theses

Abraham Lincoln signed into law the first national income tax on August 5, 1861. Since 1913, the content of the Internal Revenue Code has increased from the 27-page tax law of that year to over 5000 pages today. As time has passed and the length of this document has increased, so has the expense and complexity of abiding by its statutes. The inefficiencies of the current system indicate that something must be done about the United States tax system, but no one has agreed on what to do. Many proposals to correct the problem have been brought forward over the …

Analysis Of Large Mega Millions Rollovers, Suk H. Lee, Ki C. Han, David Y. Suk, Hyun Mo Sung

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

From May 17, 2002 to December 30, 2014, there were 1,318 Mega Millions drawings and 153 were winning drawings. In 148 out of 153 winning drawings, there was no winner(s) in the first drawing and the jackpot prize was rolled over and added to the next drawing. Since the Mega Millions does not have a rollover limit, this process continues until there is an eventual winning ticket. As the jackpot prize approaches $100 million, significantly larger additional cash flows into the lottery. Based on the analysis of 29 large Mega Millions winning drawings (jackpot prize ≥ $100 million), we report …

Beauty Of Business, John Visser

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"There is nothing at all wrong with making money, even a lot of it, if it is done in the process of building healthy organizations, creating jobs, and providing needed goods."

Posting about a Christian perspective on business from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/the-beauty-of-business/

University Of Maine Students' Family Income And Its Relation To Alcoholism, Vincent Loconte

Honors College

This study was designed to address the issue of alcohol abuse among University of Maine students’ families and to look for correlating factors, mainly income. The project used an online, anonymous survey of on-campus students at the University of Maine to examine a possible correlation between (a) having a family member with alcoholism and (b) their family’s social economic status. One purpose of this research study was to find if there is accurate, adequate education or counseling for students who have alcohol abuse problems or family members who are alcoholics. A non-research byproduct of the survey was that, for students …

A Lack Of Material Resources Causes Harsher Moral Judgments, Marko Pitesa, Stefan Thau

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In the research presented here, we tested the idea that a lack of material resources (e.g., low income) causes people to make harsher moral judgments because a lack of material resources is associated with a lower ability to cope with the effects of others' harmful behavior. Consistent with this idea, results from a large cross-cultural survey (Study 1) showed that both a chronic (due to low income) and a situational (due to inflation) lack of material resources were associated with harsher moral judgments. The effect of inflation was stronger for low-income individuals, whom inflation renders relatively more vulnerable. In a …

Are Returns Received By Householders From Electricity Generated By Solar Panels Assessable Income?, John Passant, John A. Mclaren, Parulian Silaen

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

More than one million households in Australia are generating electricity from solar photovoltaic panels installed on their homes and they receive a credit or payment, namely a return in some form for the electricity generated. The focus of this article is on domestic households and the returns they receive from solar panels installed on their roofs. This article contends that such returns in the form of a credit or actual payment to households for electricity generated from solar panels is ordinary income from property and should be treated as assessable income. Where the electricity generated is fed back into the …

Do Low-Skilled Migrants Contribute More To Home Country Income? Evidence From South Asia, Arusha V. Cooray

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

A recursive system is employed to investigate the indirect effect of out-migration on gross domestic product (GDP) through remittances in South Asia, namely Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Out-migration is further disaggregated by skill level and country of destination (Middle East and other), and their effects on GDP through remittances are examined. The results suggest that migration and remittances have an important significant effect on the GDP of the countries under study. Of the skill categories, the unskilled category has the largest robust indirect effect on GDP. The effects of migration on GDP by country of destination suggest …

Evidence On The Convergence Of Per Capita Income: A Comparison Of Founder Members Of The Association Of South East Asian Nations And The South Asian Association Of Regional Cooperation, Kankesu Jayanthakumaran, Shao-Wei Lee

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

This paper investigates the per capita income convergence patterns of a set of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries. We obtained a time-series analysis for stochastic convergence by applying unit-root tests in the presence of two endogenously-determined structural breaks. We then supplemented the results by tests that produced evidence for b convergence. The evidence shows that the relative per capita income series of ASEAN-5 countries were consistent with stochastic convergence and b convergence, but this was not found for SAARC-5 countries. For the ASEAN-5 countries, the structural breaks associated with …

Relationship Of Demographic Traits And Situational Factor Determinants With The Tech Readiness Of Self-Service Consumers, Jon M. Martin

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2013

Over the past 20 years, self-service technology (SST) has become prevalent as a service delivery option. To ensure that SST options reach full potential, firms need to understand what customer traits and situational factors are related to the propensity to use SSTs. From a subset of data and independent determinants from an original dissertation model on SST adoption, this study uses linear regression to examine: H1) the relationship between: H1) consumers’ tech readiness (TR) and the consumer demographics of age (AG), gender (GN), income (IN), education (ED), and ethnicity (ET) (H1), and H2) the relationship between consumer’s tech readiness and …

Living Arrangements And Income Poverty, Joan R. Rodgers

Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)

Australians' living arrangements have changed over the last several decades. Greater proportions of households contain only one person, a couple or a single-parent family. Such demographic trends have implications for poverty, which is identified at the household level. This paper explores the relationship between the depth of poverty and household type using longitudinal, unit-record data. Lone persons and single parents are the poorest. Poverty increases significantly at the beginning of a spell of living alone regardless of previous living arrangements but especially for people leaving the household of their parent(s). Except for the elderly, poverty decreases significantly at the end …

Warding Off Longevity Risks: Ensuring Sustainable Income For Retirement, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Greying populations are no longer a challenge reserved just for developed economies. The “silver tsunami” is starting to make its way towards developing nations too. But are governments, insurance companies, banks and individuals preparing themselves sufficiently? Buying annuities is one means to which people can plan for their retirement needs. Yet, take-up rates remain low. As the "tsunami" approaches, should regulators take forceful action to kick start the take-up of such instruments to prepare their economies for the impending economic mayhem?

Differences In Online Social Media Mavens: The Gender Gap, Tyra Mitchell, Deborah H. Lester, R. Keith Tudor, Dolly D. Loyd

Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings 2010

Consumer Behavior experts have acknowledged the significant impact market mavens play in the dissemination and acceptance of new products in the market place. The emergence of online social media mavens has only recently been recognized. Based on traditional patterns of behavior and Internet usage it could be assumed the predictable demographics of the social media maven would be male, young, educated and with an above average income. This study investigated these traditional assumptions and discovered unique differences in online social media mavens. In order to determine potential Social Media Mavens, this research looked beyond usage of social media and instead …

Retirement Planning: Most People Don’T Know How Nor Even Think About It, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Worldwide, individuals are being asked to make more of their own savings and investment decisions, especially for retirement. In the US and Europe, for example, company-managed pension plans are giving way to those where employees are in charge of their own retirement money. In Singapore too, the government is encouraging individuals to take a more active role in their own retirement planning. Research by Wharton insurance and risk management professor Olivia Mitchell and Singapore Management University finance professor Benedict Koh shows, however, that people are not well-equipped to handle such investment decisions.

Singapore’S Cpf Retirement Scheme: Delivering More Bang For The Buck, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Singapore’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) is one of Asia’s oldest and best known defined contribution retirement schemes. As the country rapidly ages, government policymakers are paying close attention to whether its citizens and residents are saving enough for retirement. Benedict Koh, Olivia Mitchell and associates recently prepared two working papers which examine the CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS) as well as its potential to adequately support members in retirement.