Business Commons^™

Planning For Debt: An Analysis Of Drivers Of Financial Knowledge On Individual Debt Strategy, Nicholas A. Hughes

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This study aims to provide insight into the relationships between proven significant drivers of financial knowledge (numeracy, cognitive ability, mathematics anxiety, and financial literacy) and an individual's premeditated strategy to tackle their student loans. From a sample of 160 undergraduate students, we find few significant results that affirm the hypotheses of the study. However, we also determine that several descriptive factors (i.e., general mathematical skill, anticipated level of debt and interest to be repaid, etc.) vary by an extremely wide margin, suggesting that students lack the very skills necessary to calculate and deal with their own loans. Additionally, we find …

Reshoring The Semiconductor Industry Supply Chain: Analysis Of Risks And Capabilities, Makayla Ann Masse

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The importance of supply chain resilience and semiconductor manufacturing has been discussed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and its later disruptions to multiple industries (The White House, 2021). This paper uses frameworks developed by Pettit, Fiksel, and Croxton (2010), Ponomarov and Holcomb (2009), and Rao and Goldsby (2009) to identify the semiconductor industry’s risks, capabilities, and interdependencies through an analysis of 45 prominent semiconductor companies. The analysis was done on multiple levels. On the industry level, risks, and capabilities as well as their co-occurrences were analyzed. On the supply chain level, relationships were mapped using Boston Consulting Group …

The Impact Of Study Abroad As It Relates To Business Students' Career Paths, Madison M. Burgett

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Business schools in the United States are continuously working to provide students with real-world experiences which will help them discern, and prepare for, their future careers. As globalization continues to increase the interconnectedness of the world, and of the companies within it, it is increasingly important that business students are globally aware and culturally competent. The aim of this study is to demonstrate that studying abroad enables business students to discern and prepare for their future careers. To demonstrate this, students and graduates of Butler University’s Lacy School of Business, with graduation years between 2012 and 2022, were surveyed. Those …

Nlr Eats: A Nonprofit To Feed Hungry Kids, Sydney Eagan

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

Organization Description: Dog-Town Eats is a not-for-profit organization set up in North Little Rock, Arkansas, for the purpose of providing nutritious meals to underprivileged children on the weekends. The organization will also strive to provide meals when children are not in school over the summer months.

Specific Concept: Dog-Town Eats would like to purchase a food truck as well as supplies to offer meals. The organization will progressively expand to the areas surrounding North Little Rock and then eventually the entire state of Arkansas.

Market Description: Children who do not have the means of finding and or providing themselves …

The Importance Of Process Documentation In The Workplace, Alisha Chatlani

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper focuses on the benefits of process documentation in the workplace and how individuals can go about creating documentation that best suits their business needs. The author of this paper explains how they went about researching, developing, and creating process documentation for a team at J.B. Hunt Transport Services and the methodology behind the entire process through an internship.

Business Plan: Refuge Coffee, Zachary Lewandowski

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Refuge Coffee will be the premier vendor of high-quality and sustainably sourced specialty coffee in Springdale, Arkansas. Its mission is to improve lives by providing a space that reflects the community—a space in which ideas, beliefs, attitudes, and values can be exchanged, with coffee acting as a common denominator. Refuge Coffee will offer specialty coffee beverages, locally baked goods, and merchandise to consumers. We intend to partner with Canopy NWA, a refugee resettlement organization that aims to welcome and equip refugees with all they need to build new lives, through the means of employment for refugees and the continuous donation …

An Evaluation Of Esg Funds And Their Performance, Mason Hook

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Over the past decade, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) oriented funds have seen a dramatic increase in inflows and many investors have chosen to replace traditional holdings with sustainable ones. Within 5 years, it is projected that ESG exchange traded funds and mutual funds will exceed $53 trillion. Many fund managers claim that ESG funds will outperform traditional funds in the long run. If this claim is accurate, many asset managers would have a fiduciary duty to invest in ESG products. While there is often a non-financial benefit to investing in ESG funds, this paper challenges the claim that they …

Exploring The Impact Of Stock Market Performance On The Real Estate Market, Jake Taylor

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper goes on to analyze the impact of stock market performance on the real estate market. This is done through the analysis of the recent performance of the stock market, real estate market, and key indicators of both markets. The goal of this paper is to inform the reader of potential trends in the real estate market based on key indicators that play a large role in the stock market’s performance in order to make more knowledgeable investments.

Altering Overdraft Fee Policies To Promote Consumer Financial Health, Nadia Barbarawi

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to describe the traditional overdraft practices, explain the reaction of the banking industry from the pressure coming from consumers, regulators, and innovative companies to reduce or eliminate overdraft fees to promote consumer financial health.

The Timing Of Insider Trading And Management Forecast Credibility, Xiaozhe Gu

Accounting Dissertations - Archive

In this paper, I study how past insider trading patterns affect management forecast credibility. I first hypothesize and find that, due to litigation concerns, executives are unlikely to use a “pump-and-dump” strategy to maximize trading profits. Instead, they issue more accurate and conservative management earnings forecasts before insider sales. I then document that insider sales after forecasts have signaling content. Specifically, firms where a higher fraction of insider sales occurs shortly after the forecast enjoy higher forecast credibility in the future. This effect is more pronounced when firms are difficult to value and less pronounced when firms show traces of …

How Corporate America Has Been Impacted By Remote Work, Jack Berg

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis evaluates how the new era of remote work has affected organizations and their employers. Specifically, it focuses on the effect remote work has had on productivity and revenue within companies, as well as the mental health and work-life balance implications it has had on employees. Furthermore, this analysis focuses on the history of remote work, how companies have had to adapt in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how remote work will look in post-COVID-19 times. In addition, all possibilities will be assessed to examine how efficient remote work is in the workplace.

Multiple resources were …

Insomnovation – Natural Sleep Solutions Business Plan, Nikolas Limperis

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Currently, 70 million Americans suffer from some sort of sleep issues from trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and daytime drowsiness. However, the sleep solutions on the market today are either highly artificial or only address the symptoms of sleep issues rather than the underlying cause. This is what Insomnovation seeks to address. By providing supplementation to seven key vitamins and minerals, Insomnovation hopes to bring a natural solution to put the issue of sleep disorders to rest.

Sona Oral History With A Focus On Corporate Philanthropy, Caleb Fairchild

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The arts scene of Northwest Arkansas has become increasingly woven into the culture of the ever-progressing region, and one of the longest-lasting players in this field is the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. As a forerunner for so many other fine arts organizations in the area, there is much to learn from the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. SoNA requested that the University of Arkansas record these experiences of past and present alike in the form of an oral history. As SoNA looks to the future, they recognize the many players who helped the organization to both survive and thrive at various …

Financial Planning Through A Pandemic: A Northwestern Mutual – Fayetteville Internship Experience, Grant Hoeldtke

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

For my internship, I worked as a College Financial Representative. As a College Financial Representative, I essentially worked as a full-time financial representative, but without some of the certifications required to offer the full line of products offered by Northwestern Mutual. Throughout the internship, I went through the process of kickstarting my financial advising practice and growing my connections around the Northwest Arkansas and Tulsa areas. I gained experience setting and hosting meetings with potential clients, then creating personalized and customizable financial plans based on the information I received during the client's meeting. Every single meeting and financial plan were …

Theranos: Case Study And Examination Of The Fraud Triangle, Abbey Jennings

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Fraud is a serious issue which carries significant implications. Fraud committed by top level managers is particularly grievous, as it ripples through a firm, harming the company’s shareholders, employees, and credibility, while posing a threat to individuals and society (Zahra, et al.). A common framework in auditing, the fraud triangle, outlines three factors that if present, increase the risk or enable fraud to occur. The three factors are incentive, opportunity, and rationalization to commit fraud (Barlow).

In 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of a supposedly groundbreaking health tech company, Theranos, with what …

Target Internship During The Covid Pandemic, Laura Jo Randall

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The coronavirus pandemic has triggered both social and economic changes around the world. Retail companies have been at the forefront of these changes due to widespread supply chain disruptions and supply shortages. Companies have struggled to meet the challenges caused by the pandemic including supply shortages and social distancing. Target Corporation is the eighth largest big box retail chain in the United States (Tanha, 2022). It has faced the challenges with innovation and implementation of new programs this year. During the summer of 2021, I had the pleasure to intern at Target and witness firsthand how this large corporation embraced …

Economic Implications Of State-Wide Covid-19 Response Aggressiveness, Michael Edward Parker

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In this paper, we evaluate how the aggressiveness of each State’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic affected their respective economies from Q2, 2020 through Q2, 2021. In our study, we utilize the scale developed by McCann (2020, 2021), which ranks the least aggressive state response to the most aggressive state response at three different points of the pandemic. Using this methodology, we test the impact of the aggressiveness of each state governments’ response with the resulting economic impact within that State. Namely, we examine how this level of response affected each State’s unemployment rate, gross domestic product growth, and taxable …

Consumer Perceptions Of Cause-Related Marketing: A Comparison Of India And The United States, Kyle Palmer

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The purpose of this study is to analyze consumer perceptions of Cause-Related marketing, as well as perceived level of mercenary intent and the impact of brand/cause fit. Level of mercenary intent is the degree to which consumers believe a company is engaging in Cause-Related Marketing in order to help themselves, or to help the cause. The level of brand/cause fit is the amount of alignment between a company and the cause they are choosing to support. This is a cross cultural study, and the impact of culture will be analyzed between participants from the United States and from India. College …

Investigating Instagram Marketing Strategies For Nonprofit Donor Engagement During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Annabella Cobos

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a profound shift in various industries around the world, the non-profit industry being one of them. In this research the author virtually interviewed four participants with experience in marketing from three non-profit organizations to determine what strategic components of Instagram marketing worked best to influence donations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The changed marketing strategies in the nonprofit industry are the result of changed donor behavior. The results from the interview findings reveal two Instagram marketing strategies were successfully adapted to influence donations during the pandemic: focusing on authentic media to increase …

Creative Processes Among Hrd Professionals, Briana L. Mesick

University Honors Program Senior Projects

Creativity is a required element for training and development (T&D) professionals to create successful learning initiatives. While research has noted how T&D professionals engage in creative practices, little research has been conducted regarding how their creative processes were developed. This study uncovered how T&D professionals first developed their creative processes through 1) their perception of creativity; 2) development of their creative processes when they first started as a T&D professional; 3) application of creativity in developing successful T&D interventions; and 4) use of the creative process to get back on track when facing a difficult project. Focusing on how HRD …

Performance Analysis Of The “Back-Door” Approach To The Public Market, Britney Ramprasad

Financial Analyst

Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) mergers have significantly better market-adjusted 1-month returns than traditional Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), with no significant differences in the 3-month, 6-month, 12-month horizons after controlling for the size and profitability of the firm. This paper examines the performance of SPAC mergers and traditional IPOs. Stock (common share) returns, and accounting measures are the variables used to categorize the performance of SPAC mergers and traditional IPOs. These variables are examined throughout the data sample from January 2013 to September 2020, with a focus on the 1-month, 3-month, 6- month, and 12-month market-adjusted returns and the gross …

The Impact Of Workplace Racial Harassment On Inclusion And Talent Retention, Katherine Kirkinis

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The technology industry is struggling to achieve and retain racial diversity in their talent pools (Pivotal Ventures & McKinsey & Co., 2019; Scott, Klein, & Onovakpuri, 2017). While companies and organizations in recent years have been focused on increasing diversity and decreasing discrimination in the workplace (cf. Cleveland, Shore, Anderson, Huebner, & Sanchez, 2018), organizations do not seem to be making data-driven decisions around diversity and inclusion efforts (Dobbin & Kalev, 2017) and they do not seem to be working ensure positive outcomes for diverse individuals after they are hired (Holvino, Ferdman, & Merrill- Sands, 2004). This study examined the …

Analysis Of The Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals Industry, Siddhant Ramesh

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals industry is stimulated by strong trends across numerous end-markets and categories of products. Advancements in 5G, demand for health-conscious wearable devices, and emerging services for next-generation devices are major prospects for the broader hardware industry through 2022. However, Headwinds such as trade wars, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recession looming, could alter the healthy trends that are noticed. Enterprise spending is seen to keep improving, but consumer spending is encouraged to take a breather in 2022. As such, the outlook for the Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals industry for the next 12 months is …

Colgate-Palmolive Customer Development Finance Internship: A Collection Of Journals Entries & Testimonials Of Professional Development, Braden Byrum

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This is a collection of journal entries and testimonials to professional development that I received from my internship with Colgate-Palmolive on the Walmart team. Over the span of three months it serves as a reflection on my purpose and inflictions throughout my day to day during my internship. The skills developed during this experience are monumental in professional development but also expand into my personal life. These themes are relevant to the life ahead of me and this collection will serve as an endorsement to that.

Do Board Diversity And Gender Quotas Affect Firm Value? Evidence From California Assembly Bill No. 979, Emily Kelleen Blake, Sepideh Raei, Katarzyna A. Bilicka, Todd Griffith

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

We analyze the stock market reaction and returns for California-headquartered companies following the announcement of AB 979 (California Assembly Bill 979) that was signed into effect on September 30th, 2020. AB 979 requires public firms headquartered in California to meet board gender and diversity quotas by December 31st, 2021. Cumulative abnormal returns in a [-1, +1] event window average a 0.98% abnormal return as benchmarked against all publicly traded firms and a 1.29% abnormal return when benchmarked against our control group (of firms headquartered outside of California). California headquartered firms with exclusively male boards had a larger cumulative abnormal return …

Comparing Actively Managed Mutual Fund Categories To Index Funds Using Linear Regression Forecasting And Portfolio Optimization, Luke Weiner

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The global investment industry offers a wide variety of investment products especially for individual investors. One such product, index funds, which are younger than actively managed mutual funds, have typically outperformed managed funds. Despite this phenomenon, investors have displayed a tendency to continue investing in actively managed funds. Although only a small percentage of actively managed funds outperform index funds, the costs of actively managed funds are significantly higher. Also, managed fund performances are most often determined by their fund category such as growth or real estate. I wanted to answer the following question for individual investors: can we …

A Seminar For Student Leaders To Engage And Retain Members In Student-Led Organizations, Luke Mcpherson

Honors Theses

The challenge of attracting and maintaining members in student-led organizations (SLO) inspired this thesis. Current research literature was used to create a presentation for student leaders. The presentation applied marketing principles as well as best practices suggested by the research. Interviews with four student leaders and two administrators involved in student activities were conducted to interact with the research. Their insights suggested that the strongest factor in attracting students was social, whether personal invitation or a sense of belonging to the group. The strongest deterrent to participation was a perception that the benefits did not outweigh time commitments to school …

An Argument And Model For Garden Corps, Sydney Ellis

Honors Theses

The benefits of community gardening have been thoroughly documented. Despite the value of community gardens, however, these gardens face many barriers that threaten their sustainability. This research investigated the benefits, barriers, and solutions to barriers of community gardening. The author performed literature review and conducted interviews with four community garden coordinators from the Chattanooga area to explore these topics. The author used the insights gained from the interviews to develop a business model for Garden Corps, a nonprofit dedicated to building capacity for community gardens.

Covid-19 And Canine Travelers: Determining Likelihood To Travel With Dogs, Angela Rowan

All Theses

During the Covid-19 pandemic, dog adoption rates skyrocketed, restaurants focused on outdoor seating, and travelers pivoted away from tightly packed planes out of safety concerns. This study surveyed dog owners in the United States to determine whether pet attachment levels could predict dog owners’ likelihood of traveling with their dogs. In addition, it used Um and Crompton’s (1992) facilitators and inhibitors to establish how different factors affect a dog owner’s likelihood of traveling with their dog. These facilitators and inhibitors were split into three dimensions: needs satisfaction, social agreement, and travelability. Finally, this study sought to learn what effect the …

Recipe For Good: Analyzing The Authenticity Of Csr Commitments Among The Leadership Of A Parent Company To Global Restaurant Brands., Lauren E. Reuss

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a form of private self-regulation conducted by businesses; CSR aims to contribute to societal goals of philanthropy, activism, and ethics by improving society, policy, and or the environment. Corporate social responsibility is becoming a greater aspect of modern business, but as it becomes part of the modern discourse, it is right to question whether its efforts are authentic to those driving these initiatives? This case study seeks to understand how the leadership within the parent company of a global foods brand depicts authenticity and communicates its social and environmental efforts to stakeholders. Building on existing …