Business Commons^™

Management Fee Provisions And Performance In The U.S. Mutual Fund Industry, Brett Anthony Averso

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper examines the extent to which generous portfolio management compensation is commensurate to long-term mutual fund performance, over the course of five to ten years. If the relationship between the compensation provision and historical performance exists, the maximum percent management fees as disclosed on the fund prospectuses could be employed as a covariance factor for a model of portfolio pricing. The results indicate that there is relationship between portfolio net assets and this compensation provision. The results do not support the hypothesis that a relationship exists between the size of the maximum percent management fee and long term fund …

The $1.2 Trillion United States Tax Expenditures In 2011: A Deeper Look Into Corporate Tax Expenditures, Chante Sommerville

Honors Scholar Theses

The $1.2 trillion U.S. tax expenditures in 2011: A Deeper look into the Corporate Tax Expenditures examines U.S. Federal government revenue losses attributed to tax expenditures. This paper will discuss the rationale, functions, and benefits of the 173 tax expenditures within the U.S. Tax Code. Specifically, this paper will concentrate on three significant provisions that benefit corporations predominantly: accelerated depreciation of machinery and equipment, deferral of income from controlled foreign corporations, and deduction for US production activities. The U.S. tax expenditures in 2011: A Deeper look into the Corporate Tax Expenditures solely aims to inform readers about one perspective to …

Factors Of High-End Retail Marketing: A Study Of Growth Opportunities For Clothing Retailers In The American Women’S Apparel Industry, Jeremy Trungdzu Bui

Honors Scholar Theses

The purpose of this study is to assess current market conditions and to research growth opportunities for high-end American apparel retailers, with a focus women’s apparel, in the face of challenging economic conditions. Marketing factors will be discussed and will include manufacturing opportunities, brand development, and online retailing practices. The objective is to examine, understand, and intersect marketing strategies with new growth opportunities so that American apparel retailers can appeal to women consumers. Furthermore, recommendations for future growth will be offered as a result of the analysis of several high-end apparel retailers.

Foreign Investment And Equity Valuation Differences In Emerging Markets, Daniel N. Beardsley

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper will focus on emerging markets, with an emphasis on Brazil, Russia, India, and China (i.e, the BRIC countries). Specifically, I will explore foreign investment trends related to these economies.

I will also explore valuation trends for emerging market-based equities. For instance, are valuation differences between emerging market-based and developed market-based equities statistically significant? What role does country risk play in the valuation of equities based in certain emerging markets? The discussion of these topics will include the use of relevant examples and effective statistical testing.

Participatory Approaches To Purchasing Decisions Within The Healthcare System, Alana Dorris

Honors Scholar Theses

The main purpose of this study was to use sociotechnical and Macroergonomic principles to better understand purchasing policies and procedures at a large hospital. The study hypothesized (H1), that most purchasing is done through GPOs rather than manufacturers directly, and that GPOs are cost effective but impede innovation. It also hypothesized (H2), that this hospital, representative of the current healthcare purchasing process at most hospitals, has limitations to the amount of end-user participation in the purchasing decision process.

Too Small To Forget: An Analysis Of The Changing Banking Industry And The Continuing Importance Of Smaller Institutions, Michael A. Flaherty

Honors Scholar Theses

Since the early 1980s, the United States banking industry has undergone a variety of structural changes. In 1980, there were over 14,000 banking institutions; now, there are about 6,000 institutions remaining. In addition to the declining number of institutions, industry assets have become more highly concentrated in several very large institutions. For example, the percentage of industry assets held by banks with $10 billion or more in assets (adjusted for inflation) has increased from about 46% in 1992 to 80% in 2012.

Many of the structural changes came in response to a changing regulatory environment. Banking regulations began to shift …

Financial Regulation And The Crisis Of 2008, Aniello Franzese

Honors Scholar Theses

The effects of the global financial crisis that began in the United States during the year 2008 are still being felt today, and the full long term impact of the crisis remains unknown. However, causes of the crisis and strategies for reform of the global financial regulatory system have already been analyzed in depth by various scholars and institutions. By studying the existing literature this paper examines the regulatory and economic environment present in the United States at the onset of the crisis, the regulatory response of the United States government presented within the Dodd-Frank Act, and discusses possibilities for …

The Financial Crisis Of 2008: The Greatest Downturn In The U.S. Economy Since The Great Depression, Eric Vaheb

Honors Scholar Theses

An in-depth look into the housing bubble and financial meltdown of the U.S. economy during the years from 2007-2009. This paper deep dives into the historical issues beneath the surface that helped exacerbate the market conditions during the late 2000s.

From Empire To Independence: The Curious Case Of The Baltic States 1917-1922, Dovile O. Vilkauskaite

Honors Scholar Theses

Many historians have looked at the interim period of the Baltic States between World War I and World War II, and their independence movements. However, there are few substantial works that look at the complex and interrelated histories of how Russian and American foreign policy shaped the Baltic independence movements and subsequently gained international recognition. This paper will try to address how and why the Baltic States were able to gain and maintain their independence by external forces and then gain formal recognition by the United States in 1922. To gain my results, I analyzed some of Lenin’s translated writings …