Business Commons^™

Quantitative Appraisal Of Non-Irrigated Cropland In South Dakota, Shelby Riggs

Honors Theses

This appraisal attempts to remove subjectivity from the appraisal process and replace it with quantitative analysis of known data to generate a fair market value of the subject property. Two methods of appraisal were used, the income approach and the comparable sales approach. For the income approach, I used the average cash rent for the region, the current property taxes for the subject property, and a capitalization rate based on Stokes' (2018) capitalization rate formula to arrive at my income-based valuation. For the comparable sales approach, I utilized Stokes' (2018) research in optimization modeling to estimate a market value for …

Strategic Audit Of The Public Accounting Industry With A Focus On Ey, Mary Candela

Honors Theses

Public accounting firms provide valuable assurance services that, because of their place in our economic system and because of strong regulatory requirements, are unlikely to stop being demanded. The industry is facing several issues surrounding stagnation of the client base and difficulty in competition. Finally, the industry is also being rocked by the pace of emerging technologies and will need to adapt to and embrace them in the coming years.

The following uses several strategic frameworks to analyze the industry, the subset of the Big Four accounting firms, and EY. Ultimately, this project develops and understanding of EY’s place in …

Applications Of Varying Leadership Structures For Software Engineering Teams, Elliot Sandfort

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the similarities and differences between applications of managing software engineering teams in Design Studio and the state of the practice. Information about the leadership structure of Design Studio teams was gathered over 3 semesters of Design Studio experiences with two companies: Hudl and TD Ameritrade. Information about leadership concepts in the state of the practice was gathered from experiences and observations with three different companies: Hudl, Garmin, and TD Ameritrade. From these experiences and observations, it can be concluded that the leadership structure of Design Studio is valuable as a student learning experience, and with proper consideration …

Nvidia Corporation: A Strategic Audit, Daric Teske

Honors Theses

NVIDIA is company that has been involved with the production of computer hardware known as a graphics processor units (GPUs) since the turn of the century. Over the past decade, NVIDIA has begun to explore other applications of its proprietary technology, including the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and accelerated computing. Looking from a business perspective, this strategic audit analyzes the history of the company and its current state, as well as industry outlooks to provide a strategic recommendation. Annual reports, market reports, and press releases were all utilized to provide the best perspective of the industry possible. Though NVIDIA …

Effects On Producers Of The Transition To Revenue-Based Federal Crop Insurance Programs, Evan Wiese

Honors Theses

Prior to the passage of each farm bill, there is much debate regarding the programs contained within it. One of these programs is federal crop insurance, which underwent a major shift in the mid-1990’s with the introduction of revenue-based crop insurance rather than yield-based. Revenue-based programs provide insurance of a certain revenue level, rather than a certain yield level, which contributed to their popularity among producers. These revenue-based programs have become a key component of federal crop insurance. From 2014 to 2018, the costs of federal crop insurance were approximately $41 billion, much of this a result of subsidized insurance …

A Strategic Audit Of Tesla, Abigail Hoelzlhammer

Honors Theses

This strategic audit will examine the problems Tesla is currently facing, do a Porter’s Five Forces analysis of the company, review environmental factors affecting Tesla, state Tesla’s current strategy, evaluate their distinguishing resources and competitive advantages, and end with a strategic recommendation along with implementation requirements.

One of Tesla’s vehicles crashed in March 2018 while on autopilot, which caused their stock to drop significantly. They’re also experiencing issues with the production of the new Model 3. The current political situation and growing demand for the parts Tesla needs are environmental factors that are having a negative effect. On the other …

Strategic Audit: Deloitte, Yibing Shen

Honors Theses

The project’s goal is to analyze the current situation and problems faced by Deloitte, and give out recommendation, implementation plan, and contingency plan for Deloitte. The methods to do the project is to research online to get adequate information and make assumptions for the information I cannot gather. The results are: I find out that Deloitte is competitive as one of the big four accounting firms, but it is facing the problem of brand dilution and reputational contagion due to its fast expansion and acquisition; the partner firms are not linked or connected as they expected to be. So the …

Strategic Audit Of Wwe, Henry Recker

Honors Theses

WWE is a media and entertainment company that is known as the most popular professional wrestling promotion in the U.S. It has transformed from one of many regional promotions in the 1980s to the dominant force in “sports entertainment” with a market capitalization of $2.4 billion. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the situation WWE is in both internally and externally, and to develop a strategic recommendation for the company. Analysis tools like SWOT and PEST are used to evaluate the current state of WWE, and strategic alternatives are generated based on WWE’s existing differentiators and distinctive competencies. …

Strategic Audit On Tesla, Zitong Li

Honors Theses

This paper evaluation the current situation that Tesla, Inc is in. Specifically, this paper provides a detailed analysis of the external and internal problems and strengths of Tesla and its current and past strategy that led to its success today. In conclusion, Tesla’s main advantages are its charging and battery technology and a strong brand name. The problem Tesla faces includes production bottlenecks, shortage of cash, high cost and competitions. Based on these analyses, the direction that Tesla should go for is to expand its market share and increase profitability. Several strategies are proposed to help achieve these goals. One …

Marketing Process At The Nebraska Repertory Theatre, Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Promote Avenue Q, Bridget Fleischer

Honors Theses

When producing a stage show, whether on Broadway or the local playhouse, every decision must be made with marketing in mind. Arranging television spots, designing flyers, analyzing market research; promotion is only one area of marketing considerations. Theater is a business. Artistic merit is important to consider, but no show will be made without a customer value proposition in mind. Because of this, it is especially fortunate to be able to market a wide-appeal musical that holds artistic merit. This creative project outlines the inner workings of the Nebraska Repertory Theatre, including the production, casting, and promotion that went into …

Strategic Business Audit Of Nelnet, Matthew Kachek

Honors Theses

This thesis serves as a strategic audit for the company Nelnet. This covers Nelnet’s background, structure, and financial situation. Changes in Nelnet’s core student loan business has created uncertainty in their future. Multiple analyses, both internal and external, are performed and examined to determine Nelnet’s position as a company and within the marketplace. A strategic recommendation to continue growth in new technologies is presented in response to these analyses along with implementation details and alternatives.

A Strategic Audit Of Tesla, Inc.: Electrifying Our Future Or About To Run Out Of Energy?, Chloe Dana

Honors Theses

Tesla, Inc.’s stock had reached its peak during September of 2017. However, due to manufacturing delays of its new Model 3 sport sedan, cash flow issues, and a recent fatal autopilot accident, investors and consumers are questioning the firm’s long-term stability. Although Tesla has created technology that makes it easier for consumers to harness and utilize electricity to power their homes and vehicles, many wonder if the company’s stock price is about to figuratively run out of energy. The following will be a strategic analysis, illustrating the firm’s Current Strategy & Background Information, Situational Analysis & Issue Summary, Strategy Recommendations …

Google Strategic Audit, Margaret Witzenburg

Honors Theses

This thesis fulfills the requirement for the strategic audit in MNGT 475H/RAIK 476. It discusses Google's competitors and the rest of the technology industry along with how Google fits into it all. It's a red ocean industry, so Google must continually innovate to maintain its competitive advantage. In addition to a summary of the current strategy and how Google competes, the thesis explores alternative strategies for Google to pursue given their strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities and threats in the industry. It includes a timeline, potential budget, and contingency plan for the best strategy.

A Strategic Audit Of Medtronic Plc, Jozzy Carter

Honors Theses

Humans will always have a need for healthcare, and as the world continues to innovate in the tech space, consumers will demand advances in medicine and medical devices. Medtronic is at the forefront of this innovation but faces intense competition in the medical technologies industry. This poses the question: what can Medtronic do to continue its growth and stay competitive in this space? This paper offers an analysis of Medtronic as a medical device company by offering insight to its competitive advantage, financials, business mix, and value chain. It also analyzes the forces that affect Medtronic using SWOT, PEST, and …

Strategic Audit Of Spreetail, Aryn Huck

Honors Theses

This report investigates the history and current situation of Spreetail, a local ecommerce company in Lincoln, Nebraska. The company faces several challenges going forward, including determining how to best compete with large companies in the same market such as Amazon. This report looks at Spreetail’s current standing using tools such as SWOT and PEST analyses and examines the company’s competitive analysis. Spreetail is recommended to speed up its rebranding process to maintain the benefits of the more fitting name and rebranding efforts already underway.

Citigroup Strategic Audit, Kurt Cronican

Honors Theses

An overview and analysis of the strategies, management, and financials of Citigroup. As well, this project concludes with a recommendation to restructure Citigroup's current holdings to take advantage of their position in the global market. The analysis also recommends cost-cutting measures and management due to their current strategy and financial information.

Adobe Systems Inc. Strategic Analysis And Recommendation, David Cao

Honors Theses

Adobe Systems Inc. is a dominant company in the software and creative industry. To provide a strategic recommendation for continued growth in the number of Creative Cloud subscribers, a strategic analysis was performed. This analysis comprised of looking at Adobe’s current market segments and market offerings, performing a SWOT analysis, performing a PEST analysis, examining Porter’s Five Forces regarding Adobe, and clarifying Adobe’s core competencies and competitive advantages. After this analysis, the strategic recommendation was made for Adobe to expand is Creative Cloud subscription options and increase its efforts in the education market. This plan if successful puts Adobe on …