Business Commons^™

Cost Of Capitol: Analyzing Congressional Insider Trading Regulation, Hannah Levy

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The United States Congress has involved itself with the financial regulation of big business for decades. The legislative body has passed a multitude of laws over time which foster greater transparency and trust between individual investors and big business. Until recently, legislators have avoided passing laws which regulate their own financial activity. Recent investigations revealing that dozens of federal lawmakers have violated financial disclosure laws and made stock trades on insider information has successfully angered the public and forced Congress to consider tighter restrictions. But can Americans trust their legislators to effectively regulate themselves? If no legislative action is taken, …

Multinational Corporations Use Of Operational And Financial Hedging For Foreign Exchange Risk – Walmart Global Treasury, Zachary Hassan

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper examines how multinational corporations can leverage different types of hedging tools to avoid foreign exchange risk. We look at two different hedging methods, financial and operational hedging. Weighing the costs benefit relationship of both of these methods we come to a resolution that a balance of both of these methods is most optimal for multinational corporations.

Credit Constraints And Innovation, Jun Li

All Dissertations

This paper examines the effects of credit constraints on aggregate innovation when firms face heterogeneous innovation costs and have differential access to credit. Better credit access affects aggregate innovation through (i) a direct effect by facilitating firms to innovate, (ii) a market share effect by encouraging low-cost firms to expand, and (iii) a value effect that increases competition and deteriorates high-cost firms’ innovation. We first develop a structural model featuring the above three channels. We then contrast this theory with the Chinese firm-level data documenting that Chinese state-owned enterprises are less constrained but face higher innovation costs than their private …

Social Media Marketing Strategies For Small Businesses: A Comprehensive Guide To Success And Growth, Isaac Deel

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses: A Comprehensive Guide to Success and Growth, explores the use of social media marketing strategies for small businesses.The purpose of this study is to identify specific strategies, techniques, and best practices for successful social media marketing. Social media has become a powerful marketing tool for businesses to promote their products and services. However, small businesses face unique challenges in the marketing landscape, including limited resources and low marketing budgets. Social media provides a low-cost, highly effective way for small businesses to reach new audiences and communicate with potential customers. With the right strategies, …

Firm Transparency Of Risk Oversight: An Examination Of Cybersecurity Governance Disclosures, Laurie E. Ereddia

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, I examine factors associated with firm transparency of board oversight using the setting of cybersecurity risk. The SEC requires that, to the extent cybersecurity risks are material, firms must disclose the nature of the board’s role in overseeing the management of that risk, allowing investors to assess how the board is fulfilling its risk oversight duties. Using textual analysis, I identify 2,921 firms that report material cybersecurity risk factors in their annual reports. From these firms’ 2021 proxy statement filings, I hand collect data relating to 12 different elements of cybersecurity board oversight and create an overall …

Investigating The Responses Of Gay Gen Z And Gen Y Men To Homosexual Imagery In Advertising, Lucas G. Thompson

Honors Theses

The LGBTQ+ market is growing and expanding, especially now that younger generations who have a higher percentage of individuals who identify as LGBTQ+, are entering the market. While there exists a growing body of literature regarding gay representation in advertising, little research has explored how younger cohorts of gay men—particularly those in Generations Z and Y—respond to gay representation in conservative environments (in particular. regions where the majority public opinion and/or legislation rejects the normalization of LGBTQ+ identities). To address this question, this study aimed to explore the responses of gay Gen Z and Gen Y men towards their own …

An Analysis Of The Housing Affordability Crisis: Private Equity Or Legislation Issue, Jack Polk

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

The aim of this thesis is to explore the claim that private equity investment is the cause of the modern unaffordability in the single family housing market. Through empirical study and historical research we found that the footprint of institutional investors in this space is insignificant. However, legislative errors which have artificially inflated demand and suppressed supply over the past decade have greatly contributed to the crisis and must be corrected for the long term health of the housing space. These corrections will focus primarily in the alleviation of supply pressures for new development and the continuation of the low …

Company Provided Retirement Plans: Key Distinctions And Impacts For Employers And Employees, Ashley Valentine

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Employee retirement plans vary from company to company as a result of organizational goals to attract and retain employees and drive overall company performance. This thesis will explore the differences between key retirement plans offered in the United States, including 401(k) plans, pension plans, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP), and profit-sharing. By understanding and evaluating each, a company can determine the ideal structure of retirement plans for the benefits of both their employees and the company’s growth. This review will provide insights on the financial and productivity benefits to employees and employers from offering each of the various retirement options. …

Comparative Career-Path Growth Of Campus Leaders By Gender, Madison Foster

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Promotions and growth in one’s own field of work are highly sought after by those who wish to see greater achievement, wealth, and personal satisfaction in the workplace. Opinion is divided as to whether or not men and women are paid equally in the United States. One issue less spoken of is the differences in the time and rate of promotions women and men see in their careers. Many studies seek to prove women are receiving less promotions than men, and posit their own hypotheses.

Man Vs. Machine: The Future Of Financial Advising, Rylee Driggs

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research evaluates the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the financial advising industry, particularly regarding the demand for human financial advisors within the industry as artificial intelligence rapidly evolves. With the recent launch of ChatGPT, a cutting-edge AI chatbot, the role of financial advisors, which previously seemed mostly exempt from any technological alternatives due to the essential emotional intelligence of a human financial advisor, is potentially at risk for replacement. This research provides an in-depth analysis on the feasibility of artificial intelligence replicating necessary humanlike characteristics of a human financial advisor and utilizes results of an anonymous survey where …

The Opportunities And Challenges Of Automation: Insights From An Internship Experience At Ultrasource Llc, Olivia Madden

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis provides insight into Olivia Madden's time as an intern at UltraSource LLC. UltraSource LLC is a Kansas City company that produces meat manufacturing equipment and operational supplies. Olivia worked as a finance intern, where she was tasked with automating processes for the accounts receivable and payable teams and also did ad hoc projects for the finance department as a whole. These insights are recorded through weekly journal entries describing what was done and what was learned every week.

These insights are translated into research on the opportunities and challenges of automation, and the impact automation has on worker …

Internship Experience At Accenture, Drew Keatts

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper discusses my internship experience at Accenture and all of the things I learned from it. I worked out of Dallas, Texas, and it was a 10-week internship. Some of the things I discuss include financial management, financial analysis, profit margins, and professionalism. I cannot express how amazing this experience was and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work for Accenture. I hope you enjoy my experience and the key takeaways I had from it.

Assessing The Impact Of Impact Investing: Practices, Challenges, And Opportunities Towards The Standardization Of Impact Assessment Mechanisms, Taylor Poe

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research project focuses on gathering information on which impact measurement mechanisms are currently used in the impact investing industry, and how these mechanisms are standardized across various firms, geographic locations, and fund types. The overarching goal of the study is to provide an assessment of the impact investing industry and the use of standardized impact assessment practices. The specific goal of this research study is to collect and present information on the current state of impact measurement standardization. Research is separated into three large components: interviews with industry leaders, findings from social finance conferences, and research of scholarly sources. …

Benefits Of Impact Investments For Financial Advisors And Their Clients, Jacob Eason

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

As society has become more focused on addressing environmental and social issues, interest in impact investing has grown dramatically to a total asset value of $444 billion dollars (Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, 2021). As a result, financial advisors could benefit from incorporating these investments into their service offerings. However, like all financial questions, there is no universal answer for all clients. By exploring existing academic literature, this review seeks to highlight the benefits of impact investments, reveal the downsides, and discover strategies to manage them. Ultimately, this literature review will demonstrate how offering impact investments can be beneficial for both …

A Leadership Laboratory: Exploring The Use Of Case-In-Point Pedagogy To Develop Complex Thinking In Leaders, Erica Corley Jackson

Dissertations

Leadership scholars have identified a growing gap between the complexity of 21^st century organizations and the capabilities of individuals in positions of leadership to adequately address these challenges. This gap has contributed to a so-called complexity crisis—a situation in which the demands placed on those in leadership positions increases “at a rate that significantly outstrips the rate at which” leaders are cognitively developing (Rich-Tolsma & Oliver, 2016, p. 1). One way to respond to this growing need for complex adult thinking is through metacognitive development initiatives. However, finding educational methods to promote metacognitive development has proven to be …

Towards A Formal Theory Of Humor In Organizations, Richard Joseph Hayes

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Current theories and models of humor conceptualize humor at the individual, dyadic, and organizational level. These theories laid the foundation for research and empirical findings that have established humor’s impact in the workplace. Yet, because these theories are not integrated, they individually do not offer a comprehensive view of humor in the workplace across different levels, hindering the development of multilevel research designs. Additionally, the ambiguity of these narrative theories hampers empirical testing precision. This dissertation expands the literature by introducing a mathematical, multilevel model of humor and tests that theory using computational simulation methods. Synthetic environments reproduced observed correlations …

Climbers’ Risk Perceptions Of Erosion From Flooding At Carderock Recreation Area, Chandler J. Berry

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Through increased temperature, precipitation, frequency of extreme weather, flooding, drought, and fire, climate change will alter where and how people can recreate. Extant research illustrates the effects of climate change on a variety of outdoor recreation activities; however, little research has been completed on the effects of climate change on rock climbing outside of the alpine environment. One such impact found at Carderock Recreation Area is riverine flooding and erosion. This study used a quantitative survey research design to understand how risk perceptions of erosion from flooding are affected by place attachment and the past use history of rock climbers …

Determining The Degree To Which Ideational Behavior Predicts Occupational Identity Achievement In Emerging Adult College Students Preceding Entry Into The Fourth Industrial Revolution Workforce, Carrington M. Faulk

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

As emerging adults transition into the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) workforce, it is essential to understand the factors that predict successful occupational identity achievement, as automation will impact human occupational identity crises. This descriptive cross-sectional study implemented a correlation design to determine the degree to which ideational behavior predicts occupational identity achievement preceding entry into the 4IR workforce. Using a sample of 166 emerging adult college students from a Mid-Atlantic, diverse, four-year university, data were collected using Runco’s Ideational Behavior Scale (RIBS) and Melgosa’s Occupational Identity Achievement subscale (OIA). Results showed that ideational behavior significantly predicted occupational identity achievement ( …

Digital To Phygital: An Analysis Of How A Better Collaboration Between Interior Designers And Mobile App Developers Could Improve The Future Of Retail, Hayden Wyrick

Interior Design Undergraduate Honors Theses

Interior designers and mobile app developers equally play a role in the design of omnichannel retailing spaces (either within the physical or digital realm) where retailers and consumers interact with each other; yet they hardly work in tandem. Omnichannel retailing creates a seamless experience for consumers when interacting with a retailer and allows them to purchase items in a cross-channel setting. Consumer expectations of retailers’ omnichannel approaches are increasing, and therefore this study investigates two of the most successful retailers, Walmart and Amazon, through a qualitative approach of case studies, interviews, and public observations. This study intended to explore the …

B The Change: Why And How B-Corporations Are Entering Our Economy, Jessica Linley

Student Capstone Projects

This qualitative and quantitative study will examine and analyze the practices of fourth-sector businesses and how they interact with and compare to our decades old three-sector economy model. Fourth-sector organizations, also called “B-Corporations” or “For-Benefits” are businesses that have decided to get a certification that allows them to benefit from a social cause. This creates a hybrid model business that takes the consumer aspect of business and combines with the social change aspect of nonprofits to create a new business model in our economy. This study will focus on a well-known B-Corporation, TOMS, and how their business model and success …

An Imc Approach To Building Trust Among Nonprofit Donors, Catherine A. Romaine

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the role of a holistic Integrated Marketing Communications strategy within the nonprofit sector. The research aims to identify the effectiveness of different marketing communication tactics in soliciting donations for nonprofit organizations. It examines the influences and motivations of donors when choosing one organization over another for their monetary contributions. The thesis investigates the impact of specific integrated marketing strategies in building and maintaining relationships with different stakeholders such as donors, volunteers, and employees.

Through a literature review of successful nonprofits and missteps within the sector, this thesis identifies various factors that contribute to nonprofit marketing success, including …

The Economic Impact Of The Cruise Ship Industry On Destination Port Countries During Covid-19, Katherine Snowberger

Honors College Theses

The travel and tourism industry was the fastest-growing industry in 2019. With more discretionary income available, many people spent their time traveling and exploring new cultures. One major sector of the travel and tourism industry is the cruise industry. In this sector of the industry, the clientele pays a flat fee to cover room, food, travel, and entertainment, which allows them to explore new and exciting ports of call. These port destinations rely heavily on tourism income to support their communities and infrastructure. This economic study aims to show how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted destination port cities and how …

Rso Longevity Fund, Martin Fitzgerald Walker

Honors Theses

The reason for this research is to create a solution for fraternity and sororities as well as registered RSO’s on campus to allow them to create a fund that can provide a steady stream of income that will be used to pay national expenses, chapter expenses and fund future programs and events which may include scholarships or initiatives that the organizations feel the need to support.

Throughout my research I look to solve problems such as: How to Generate the Funds to support the renewable investment, how to manage the fund and who within the organization should manage and spend …

Cryptocurrency And The Stock Market, Can We Trust Them?, Natalie Snead

Honors College Theses

Cryptocurrency is a relatively new investment method and currency. Daily, the news media reports about its instability and the perceptions surrounding it. To provide a measure of its perceived stability and trustworthiness, I have conducted a survey of undergraduate and graduate students in various accounting courses. The questions asked in this survey are used to gauge the overall perceptions and opinions of students concerning the stock market and cryptocurrency. The survey uses a five point opinion ranking system, ranging in opinions from 1-5 (strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, and strongly agree). This survey is also used in conjunction with questions …

The Cultural Impact On International Marketing: Understanding How Different Cultures Influence Advertising Perception And Strategies, Nathaniel Roffman

Honors Projects

This case study evaluates the effectiveness of standardized international marketing campaigns versus globalized international marketing campaigns in the context of two multinational corporations, McDonald's and Burger King, both operating in the United Kingdom. The study compares the outcomes of a standardized marketing approach, which uses the same marketing messages and materials across all regions, to a globalized approach that considers local cultural differences and modifies the marketing messages accordingly. The study analyzes the impact of each approach on brand recognition, and customer engagement, as well as the benefits and challenges associated with each strategy. Additionally, the study examines the importance …

Lucky’S Legacy: Determining An Effective Relationship Between Music And Business Management Principles, Jacob Joseph

Honors Projects

The Recognition-Conversation-Reflection (hereafter “RCR”) framework is modeled after popular change management frameworks for accomplishing projects and goals, utilizing concepts found often in business management and strategy. While traditionally these ideas are found in the workplace, they also serve as complex practices that can be used in various contexts. The music industry is composed of a plethora of professions exploring vast genres and interpretations of melody around the world. Despite its diverse perspectives, music is rooted in performance involving ensembles of varying capacities. With the complexities of the RCR framework and the diversity of the music industry, the question I looked …

Catholicism Online: How The Church Is Communicating In The Visual Field, Alexandra Barfield

Honors Theses

ABSTRACT

Given the rise and importance of social media in the last two decades, religious institutions, especially the Roman Catholic Church, have an important place online to fulfill their mission and belief of spreading the Gospel message. Communicating this message on social media and with contemporary marketing practices is an opportunity and a challenge for churches, Catholics, and apostolates alike. In this study, I analyze a variety of Catholic-related Instagram accounts and interview individuals involved in Church management and content creation. This primary research is prefaced with secondary research exploring the status of the Catholic Church in the United States, …

The Impact Of Instagram Usage On Body-Esteem In Young Women In College, Kirsten Etzinger

Honors Projects

Instagram as a platform is increasing in popularity, especially among young women. Young women may use Instagram to keep up with their peers, follow trends, or as a way to express themselves. However, it is evident that young women can be negatively affected by the content they are exposed to on Instagram. This study examines the impact that increased Instagram usage can have on body-esteem in young women in college by evaluating their degree of Instagram usage, motivation to use social media for body comparison, and feelings of body-esteem. An online survey was conducted with BGSU college-age female students and …

Fafsa Completion Trends And How State Initiatives Impact High School Student Fafsa Completion Rates, Joseph Cecil

Honors Theses

Eight states currently have policies in place that make FAFSA completion mandatory/highly incentivized at some level (Granville, 2022, and Hughes, 2022). Texas, Louisiana, and Illinois were early adopters, and were then followed by Alabama; These four states have shown significant increases in state wide completion rates. Increases in completion were recorded to be as high as 26% in the first year of policy enactment and serve as tests to see what methods encourage students to complete the FAFSA. National data shows that low income and high minority schools can have college enrollment and FAFSA completion rates up to 13 times …

The K-Wave And Its Impact On The South Korean Economy, Jessica Johnson

Honors Theses

During the last few years, Korean entertainment has captivated audiences globally. Parasite was the first foreign film to win Best Picture at the Oscars, BTS was nominated for a Grammy Award, and Squid Game was one of the most popular TV shows of 2021. A discussion of the merits of these works I will leave to the artists and critics. My question is, what does this wave of popularity mean to the South Korean economy?