Business Commons^™

Data Analysis Project For Preferred Credit Inc., Emily Smith, Greta Nesbit, Jack Simonet, Ignacio Sanchez-Romero

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This project focuses on transforming real data within PCI's operations into valuable insights through an approach of coding, data cleaning, and visualization. By leveraging advanced techniques, the project aims to uncover key trends and create visually compelling representations to aid decision-making within the company. The outcome will allow PCI stakeholders the ability to extract valuable insights, optimize processes, and drive initiatives for growth and competitive advantage in the finance industry.

Generational Shift: Millennials And Gen Z Driving Ethical Supply Chains In Corporate America, Parker Brown

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This paper explores how millennials and Generation Z are driving a shift towards ethical supply chains in corporate America. Drawing on examples like Nike and Boohoo, it investigates the influence of these younger generations on consumer trends, emphasizing their preference for products aligned with values such as sustainability and ethically produced products. The paper outlines challenges faced by companies in adopting ethical practices, offers a step-by-step guide for implementing ethical supply chains, and highlights the significance of certifications like Fair Trade and B-Corp in fostering consumer trust and brand reputation. The paper asserts that millennials and Generation Z have reshaped …

Positive Liberty, Negative Liberty, And Marketing Regulations: A Holistic Analysis, Tony Yan, Michael R. Hyman

Global Business Leadership Faculty Publications

Marketing regulations are warranted when unfettered marketing practices compromise many people's positive and negative liberties. We elucidate these liberties’ multifaceted but interdependent connotations for societally justified marketing regulations from a novel framework integrating the social sciences, philosophy, history, and marketing. The limitations of unbalanced or less represented market or government regulation notwithstanding, overcoming marketing imbalances and enhancing personal and societal liberties via pluralistic, well-designed, enforceable, and multilateral regulations can advance a pluralistic democracy's diverse market-related interests. By informing companies and consumers about societally responsible liberties, well-regulated marketing can spur common goods creation.

Marketing Via Shangbangs (Chinese Business Networks), Tony Yan, Michael R. Hyman

Global Business Leadership Faculty Publications

Purpose

This study examines how informal business networks achieve marketing goals in socially uncertain contexts. Drawing from multiple historical sources, Shangbangs, a type of business network that thrived in pre-1949 China, are analyzed.

Design/methodology/approach

The Critical Historical Research Method (CHRM) undergirds a study of Shangbangs’ historicity (i.e. their socio-historically embedded multiplicity, including organizational forms, activities and connotations.

Findings

As informal regional, professional, project-based, special-product-based or mixed marketing networks, Shangbangs relied on “flexible specialization” and coupled multiple business needs to market goods and services, business organizations, specific social values and, when necessary, to debrand business rivals.

Research limitations/implications

This analysis extends …

The Principal–Agent Problem And Its Mitigation: A Critical Historical Analysis, Tony Yan, Michael R. Hyman

Global Business Leadership Faculty Publications

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical historical analysis of the business (mis)behaviors and influencing factors that discourage enduring cooperation between principals and agents, to introduce strategies that embrace the social values, economic motivation and institutional designs historically adopted to curtail dishonest acts in international business and to inform an improved principal–agent theory that reflects principal–agent reciprocity as shaped by social, political, cultural, economic, strategic and ideological forces

Design/methodology/approach

The critical historical research method is used to analyze Chinese compradors and the foreign companies they served in pre-1949 China.

Findings

Business practitioners can extend orthodox principal–agent …

Softly Enhancing Political Legitimacy Via Red Tourism, Tony Yan, Michael R. Hyman

Global Business Leadership Faculty Publications

Political legitimacy-building and tourism studies help to explain how and why China’s governing regime advanced Red Tourism to justify and reinforce its governance and legitimacy. A historical analysis of multilevel Chinese sources shows that the expressivity and value-ladenness that characterize visits to select historical sites permit governing regimes to softly augment their political legitimacy via political identity formation, political meaning framing, and nationalistic mobilization.

The Political Economy Of Automation: Its Effects On Workers Past, Present, And Future, Brendan Klein

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

This paper explores the state of the skill premium between skilled and unskilled labor in light of new forms of automation entering the workforce from 2008-2017. I build off the work started by Goldin and Katz in their book, The Race Between Education and Technology, answering the question: is demand for skilled labor currently outpacing the supply of skilled labor due to new forms of automation? I start with a historical review of the race between demand and supply of skilled labor, along with a study of policy influences on skilled labor supply. I then examine the literature currently published …

Innovation, Culture And The Path To Postmodernism: Finland Vs. Denmark, Jayme Harlander

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

The purpose of this study is to explore the concept of postmodernism as it applies to the innovative process as carried out in the 21st century. In doing so, this study compares and contrasts two countries within a region of the world with differing innovative capacities and then link these differences to their different engagements with the forces that characterize what scholars have terms “postmodernism”. From this study we find that countries that are more closely engaged with these postmodernist forces thrive as 21st century innovators; those that are less engaged –i.e., have trouble transitioning from the old “modernist” ethos—falter …

Creativity And Performance: The Effects Of Working In Groups Versus Working Individually, John Beckius

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

I-O Psychologists are interested in factors that can affect work productivity and performance among an organization’s employees. Some professionals argue that two heads are better than one when it comes to being innovative and coming up with creative solutions, however, others state the opposite given that group settings tend to result in many hindering factors such as conformity and production blocking. In the present study, we attempted to determine whether or not there is a differential impact of working groups and working individuals on creativity and performance. This was measured through a divergent thinking task based on Guilford’s Alternative Uses …

Fortune 500 Ceo Profiles, Lauren Noel

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This research project analyzes data about the Fortune 500 CEOs and presents differences among the male and female CEOs.

Cpas And Advanced Education, Dominick Thompson

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

I conducted a survey of Minnesota CPAs regarding their perceived benefits of obtaining or not obtaining post-undergraduate education, in addition to having their CPA license.

Gpa & Other Factors That Influence Earnings And Success Among Cpas, Quinn Renshaw

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

No abstract provided.

Pawnbroking In Pre-1949 China: ‘Soft Strategies’ For Overcoming A Negative Image, Qiang Yan, Michael R. Hyman

Global Business Leadership Faculty Publications

The means for enhancing the image and business legitimacy of a socially discredited industry—pawnbroking in pre-1949 China—are explored. Previous studies suggest companies operating within such industries cannot solely rely on hard marketing strategies “to maximize sales and profits as they do with soaps and shoes” (Davidson, 2003, p.7). Instead, they must find soft strategies for improving company and industry image and legitimacy.

Cross-Culture Product Hybridization In Pre-Communist China (1912-1949), Qiang Yan, Michael R. Hyman

Global Business Leadership Faculty Publications

Studies on cross-culture marketing often focus on either localization or globalization strategies. Based on data from pre-communist China (1912-1949),product hybridization—defined as a process or strategy that generates symbols, designs, behaviors, and cultural identities that blend local and global elements—emerges as a popular intermediate strategy worthy of further inquiry. After examining the mechanisms and processes underlying this strategy, a schema for classifying product hybridization strategies is developed and illustrated.

How Long Does Savings Last When Retirees Need More Money (Or Less) Than Conventional Wisdom Suggests?, Steven J. Welch

Forum Lectures

Popular convention is to initially withdraw approximately 4% of the retirement savings and increase that dollar amount each year by inflation. But, what if 4% isn't enough? How long will retirement funds last if a newly retired person needs 5%, 6%, or even 10%? Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) suggests that an investor only needs to choose between 2 assets, the risk free rate and an optimal risky portfolio. In this research, five U.S.-based assets are tracked from 1934 until 2015 to see how long they survived independently and in combination with one other asset. Obviously the more a person needs …

Initial Public Offerings (Ipos), Kevin Keller

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

As an investor, the first rule is to never get caught up in your emotions. There are thousands of different (exciting) investment opportunities in today’s world, and some of them tend to be a bit riskier than others. These consist of stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and several others. However, where do most of these investment tools originate? In order for a stock to be publicly traded on the stock exchange, it must undergo what it called an initial public offering (which I will refer to as an IPO). Since the primary objective is to raise …

Student Debt: Impact On Student Choices, Kelsey Cavanaugh

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

In 2010 student loans became the second largest portion of US debt. Today, the estimated total is 1.4 trillion. Over the last decade the average debt per student has increased 56%, which is double the inflation rate for that period. The graduating class of 2014 left college with an average of about $29,000 of debt. Lastly, the number of federal borrowers today is 7.5 million and growing. This presentation examines how student debt affects students’ spending choices after college and what has changed in these patterns over the last decade.

Globalization And The Sex Trafficking Industry: Examination Of Effects On Regional Value Chain Operations, Mary R. Gilbertson

Honors Theses, 1963-2015

The purpose of this paper is to examine sex trafficking as a profitable, international, and illegal industry. One goal of this paper is to explain what sex trafficking is and how it differs from other industries. Sex trafficking is an underground activity and its growth worldwide since the 1980s has had a destructive impact on global societies and economies. Beyond this, the study wants to show that, aside from moral and socio-cultural implications, that sex trafficking is indeed an industry, with a structure not so different from other industries. Understanding sex trafficking as an industry is critical to understanding how …

German Federal Employment Agency: A Summer Internship Experience, Jessica D. Raboin

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

The Federal Employment Agency is the largest provider of labor market services in Germany, with over 700 agencies, an institute for employment research, international placement services, a university, leadership academy, and family benefits office, among other subdivisions. The agency is publicly-funded and has several integral responsibilities that are outlined in my poster. My interest in career counseling, labor market management and social services spurred my interest in independently arranging an internship for summer 2014 with an agency near Munich, Germany.

F-35 And Military Spending, Colin J. Charpentier

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

How does the F-35 Lightning II multirole fighter compare to current military airplanes in terms of costs and capabilities? This is a comparison study based around the F-35 and five other planes. The F-35 is chosen because of its status as an ongoing project and due to its controversy as a plane. This study looks at all values. It is completely numeric based allowing for objective analysis. These planes chosen for study are the F-16 C/D, F/A-18 E/F, F-22A, AV-8B Harrier II, and A-10C. These planes are chosen because the F-35 is meant to replace them in the case of …

Accounting Fraud Motivation, Yuquan (Frank) Yu

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Accounting fraud is a hot topic in the 21st century. What are the common themes of these accounting scandals?

Happiness & Accounting/Finance Careers, Jacob Shrode

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

The research question I chose was "Do happiness levels vary among graduates with accounting majors who have chosen different career paths?" The method I used to get my data was a survey. Overall, the average happiness score from my survey was 4.72/6 (see table 4). The average happiness score in the U.S. is only 4.30. I did a t-test for this and got a p value of .00. With this, I can say that there is substantial evidence to suggest that people who graduate with accounting/finance majors tend to be significantly happier than the average U.S. person.

#Handsonlearning: Lessons From Student "Takeover" Of Csb/Sju Social Media, Tiffany Clements, Kelly Berg

Forum Lectures

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, CSB and SJU communication students "took over" CSB/SJU institutional profiles on Instagram and Vine for six weeks in the spring of 2014. Students in the Communication Department's New Media Applications and Analysis course planned, prepared and shared photos and video for their assigned profile. Groups were responsible for setting goals for their takeover, creating a profile of a target audience and applying lessons learned about effective branding through visual communication.

In this presentation, Associate Professor Kelly Berg and CSB/SJU Social Media Specialist Tiffany Clements discuss learning outcomes from the collaboration and takeaways for future Communications and …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The Affordable Care Act’S Effects On Small Businesses, Alyssa K. Mason

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

No abstract provided.

Moral Imagination And Entrepreneurship, Ryan Wojciechowski

Honors Theses, 1963-2015

The power of storytelling has long been a means to teach ethical lessons. In modern days, stories come through the forms of oral narrations, movie watching, novel reading, as well as many other mediums. It could be said that stories are more than just a plot that is received by a person; rather, stories are an experience that causes an emotional interaction with the receiver. Science has shown that mirror neurons in the brain respond empathetically to the characters of these fictional stories. Empathy and perspective-taking are two of the defining features of Moral Imagination, an ethical theory first developed …

Is Manager Gender Important In The Performance Of Mutual Funds?, Steven Welch, Yunqing Wang

Accounting and Finance Faculty Publications

We investigate whether there are differences in characteristics and performance of mutual funds caused by the manager’s gender. Through examining a large sample of U.S. domestic equity mutual fund, we find some evidence that suggests female managers have a lower risk tolerance than males. This leads to the observation that females tend to hold a higher total number of assets (stocks) and fewer assets in their top 10 holdings than do male managers. We then analyze performance within funds over time in order to evaluate the impact of changes in management’s gender composition on funds’ performance. We find some evidence …

Which Students Trade The Most? – Five Years Of Evidence From Simulations In An Introductory Investments Course, Steven Welch

Accounting and Finance Faculty Publications

In investment literature, overconfidence among male investors has been shown bytheir relatively high trading frequency in spite of the evidence that more trading reduces returns by way of transactions costs. In this study, given the assumption that modern, college-educated students taking an investments class should be better educated than the average investor, we posit that female and male students should not have a significant difference between them in (over)confidence, and therefore, trading frequency. We also introduce a new concept of whether domestic or international students trade more frequently, and posit some possible explanations for the results.