Business Commons^™

Restricted Access: Structural Gatekeeping And The Black Student Experience In Accounting Education, Richard W. Hurt Iii

Dissertations

This study explores the experiences of Black accountants as they reflect on their memories of the pipeline to their profession and the affective dimensions of their educational experiences as accounting majors in college. Grounding into Unapologetic Black Inquiry (UBI), a framework rooted in critical race theory, this investigation integrates narrative inquiry as a tool to capture rich descriptions from participant interviews and written reflections. Furthermore, this descriptive qualitative study explores how the structures and values of accounting education are rooted in a form of professionalism that prioritizes technical proficiencies over cultural knowledge, thus ignoring community forms of assets related to …

Exploring A Holistic Conceptualization Of Destructive Leadership: Perspectives From The Lived Experiences Of Latino Law Enforcement Command Staff Officers, Carmelin Rivera

Dissertations

Recently, there has been an increased interest in destructive leadership or what is characterized as the dark side of leadership. There is, in fact, no consensus in the literature about the definition of destructive leadership, and this murkiness has led to two somewhat different approaches to understanding this phenomenon: 1) a leader-centric approach that emphasizes the bad behaviors and traits of so-called toxic leaders and 2) a much broader, holistic approach, often discussed as the toxic triangle (Padilla et al., 2007), that focuses on how destructive leadership is co-created by a toxic system of bad leaders and susceptible followers …

Striking The Balance: The Relationship Between Government Funding And Nonprofit Financial Health, Mehrnoush Jamshidi

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The nonprofit sector plays a vital role in society, partnering with the government to provide essential services across various fields, including education, healthcare, social services, arts and culture, and environmental protection. Salamon (1987) highlighted the cooperative relationship between nonprofits and the government, where nonprofits contribute expertise and community-based knowledge, while the government offers financial stability. Through this partnership, the government helps address “voluntary failures,” such as philanthropic insufficiency, particularism, and paternalism, which can limit a nonprofit’s ability to serve the public effectively. Given this close working relationship, understanding the financial health of nonprofits is crucial for ensuring …

Building Up Borders: Political Framing And Anti-Immigration Attitudes In Hungary And The United States, Jacobsen Gamble

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

In the Summer of 2015, the European Union was faced with an unprecedented immigration crisis. In response, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán unleashed a vigorous anti-immigration campaign, focusing on the cultural, security, and economic threats that Hungary would be burdened with. This was done through negative political framing, via Orbán’s speech acts, the governing Fidesz-KDNP’s political propaganda, and the government’s control of the media. Furthermore, since 2016, the United States has experienced its own issues with immigration. This topic became and has remained one of the most salient throughout Donald Trump’s three presidential campaigns. Like Orbán, Trump has used negative political …

F1'S Marketing Drive: Cracking The Code To Capturing The U.S. Market, Matt Fox

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Formula 1 (F1) has historically faced challenges establishing itself in the American sports market dominated by NASCAR and IndyCar. F1 has been long perceived as a European-centric sport, which has led to struggles with inconsistent U.S.-based Grand Prix events, premium ticket pricing, and a lack of American drivers. Liberty Media's acquisition in 2017 marked a turning point, introducing innovative marketing strategies like digital engagement, new U.S. events, and the Netflix series "Drive to Survive." These efforts have driven tremendous growth, with increased viewership and attendance for U.S. fans. However, while F1 averages 1.1 million U.S. viewers per race, this remains …

The State Of Municipal Scale Highest Use Urban Wood Reclamation Projects, Bradley C. Almond

Graduate Liberal Studies Theses and Dissertations

Millions of urban trees are downed annually for various reasons, such as storms, disease, or development. We are all witnesses to the loss of trees as we see the piles of woody waste assembled on the curbside, ready for public works pickup. Today, most urban wood waste ends up in landfills, mulching/chipping facilities, or firewood production. Each of these alternatives results in the release of sequestered carbon back into the atmosphere.

The initial research led to successful diversion from landfills to mulch and firewood operations. Then, the research shifted to converting urban wood waste for its best use, which outlined …

Risky Business For The Almighty Roi: Alternative Assets In Higher Education Endowments, Clayton Ellis

Education Policy and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions (HEI) are heavily reliant on alternative revenue streams to mitigate rising operational costs. One alternative revenue source is the endowment, an aggegation of assets invested to support the institutional objectives of an HEI through generated income. Before the 21^st century, institutions have typically sought after more conservative investment strategies via traditional asset classes like bonds and equities. The growing financial obligations to educate students has led endowment managers to make a shift in their investment strategies towards alternative assets classes – private equity, venture capital, secondaries – in order to gain advantage in generating alpha (α) …

From Answering Questions To Replacing Staff: Analyzing The Effect And Possibilities Of Artificial Intelligence On The Structure Of Organizations, Caleb J. Cissna

Honors Projects

Over the last several years artificial intelligence has risen in commonality, availability, knowledge and usage across multiple industries, including business firms and organizations. Terming the multitude of tasks that are completed by these machines “artificial intelligence” is somewhat dismissive – the broadness of the tasks is unmatched by most any other innovation within the 21^st century. The widespread nature of artificial intelligence today have advanced many organizations, with many using the technology to create competitive advantage for themselves in certain industries, while others have seen it level the competitive field between firms in a given industry. Following this research …

Institutional Constraints And The Ai Automation Gap: A Case Study Of Proposal Evaluation In Federal Ict Procurement At U.S. Customs And Border Protection, Farhan Bin Amjad

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

This research investigates the institutional constraints shaping the adoption of AI-assisted proposal evaluation in federal ICT procurement, using U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as a case study. Although AI tools are increasingly used by contractors to generate proposals, their integration into government evaluation processes remain limited. Using institutional theory as an analytical framework, this study examines how regulative rules, normative expectations, and cognitive assumptions jointly reinforce a risk-averse procurement culture that inhibits automation. Through a mixed-methods approach—comprising policy analysis, procurement data from FPDS and USAspending.gov, and an elite interview with a CBP contracting officer—the research identifies key barriers to …

The Algorithm Of Inclusion: Homonationalism, Queer Advocacy, And Digital Marketing Of Un Ecosoc Ingos And Indian Ngos, Dewansh Chauhan

Master's Theses

Advocacy organizations have increasingly turned to social media as digital platforms become integral to contemporary activism, shaping public discourse and securing institutional legitimacy. This thesis examines the organizational communication of organizations that support marginalized sexualities within a neoliberal and homonationalist context. Employing Critical Content Analysis (CCA), the study analyzes a representative sample of 200 Instagram posts from 2024, comparing two international NGOs with ECOSOC status at the UN (Outright International and ILGA) and two national NGOs in India (Humsafar Trust and Naz Foundation). The findings reveal how homonationalist tendencies may manifest at the intersection of engagement metrics, identity-centric rhetoric, brand …

Sustainability In Professional Sports: A New Nexus Of Profit And Social Responsibility, Matthew Teplitz

Master's Theses

The world is facing a climate crisis – corrective action that will improve our collective situation is needed, now. Those with the power to do so, in the capitalist structure under which we live, are largely the individuals, corporations, and governments with financial resources and the platform to inspire others to act. Two such entities, complete with the financial heft to make a difference and inspiration to spare, are North America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) and Spain’s La Liga. This thesis seeks to understand what distinguishes the NBA’s approach to sustainability from La Liga, and by employing each league as …

No Turning Back? Examining The Rise Of Short-Form Content In Post-Covid Marketing For Gen-Z And Gen Alpha, Collin Blackford, Mitchell Hamilton

Honors Thesis

Over the past 10 years, the world has seen a massive increase in the use of social media, specifically with the younger audiences of Gen-Z and Gen Alpha. When the Covid-19 Pandemic rocked the world in early 2020, many of these young generations were forced into their homes, with social media being a main source of communication with their peers. Coupled with a rise of short-form content like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Youtube Shorts, and social media content was now more widespread than ever. Due to this the digital marketing landscape has been drastically changed, with attention spans getting shorter …

Entrepreneurs In The Making: A Qualitative Exploration Of Entrepreneurial Mindset In Engineering Learners, Ethan C. Howard

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

A prominent statistic within the field of entrepreneurship is the relatively low business failure rate of entrepreneurs holding engineering degrees compared with entrepreneurs holding other degrees. Engineers, particularly with software engineering and mechanical engineering backgrounds, account for approximately 20% of all billionaires and are similarly overrepresented among millionaires. The underlying reasons for how entrepreneurs achieve success has been explored in a number of ways, including in research on Entrepreneurial Mindset (EM). A collated model of EM highlights four key areas on the likelihood of entrepreneurial success for an individual: 1) cognitive perspective, 2) creating value by recognizing and acting on …

There’S A Crisis Brewing In Higher Education, Caroline M. Graham

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation addresses the increasing need to enhance crisis preparedness among student affairs practitioners in higher education. With the growing frequency and complexity of campus crises—ranging from mental health emergencies to incidents of violence, the preparedness and self-efficacy of those in student support roles are paramount. This three-manuscript dissertation explores crisis intervention training, crisis self-efficacy, and the lived experiences of student affairs practitioners navigating campus crises. The first manuscript provides a conceptual overview of the gaps in current crisis intervention training within graduate programs, advocating for the integration of core competencies informed by accreditation standards and professional associations. The second …

Gotta Be Fresh: Comedy Central’S Workaholics, Masculinity, And Paratextual Decay, Adamandrew Lenox

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis examines social media marketing materials for Workaholics, a sitcom aired on Comedy Central from 2011 to 2017, to study paratextual temporality/ephemerality, the “brand as friend” social media strategy, and how masculinity is articulated through paratexts. The project incorporates theories from the fields of social media and internet marketing studies, television content and industry studies, and promotional paratext studies. Research centered on 100 Workaholics X (formerly Twitter) posts, published from January 2012 to March 2017. Posts were collected using Google Chrome extension TwExportly. Qualitative textual and content analysis of these paratexts results in three categories of findings. First, I …

Gambling-Related User-Generated Content: An In-Depth Analysis Of Slot Machine Vlogs On Youtube, Tiange Xu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The growing popularity of social media platforms has transformed how gambling content reaches audiences, with gambling vlogs now attracting millions of viewers outside traditional marketing channels. Despite their reach and potential influence, these user-generated videos remain understudied in gambling research. This study sought to analyze slot machine vlogs by examining their portrayal of gambling experiences, assessing viewer engagement patterns, and identifying the video features associated with higher engagement metrics. Using a comprehensive mixed-methods approach, I analyzed 170 popular YouTube slot machine vlogs and 43,837 viewer comments through advanced analytical techniques. Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling identified four themes in gambling …

Ethics In The Age Of Digital Trading: Rethinking Responsibility In Modern Investing, Kennedy Solomon, Melissa Fitzpatrick

Honors Thesis

The rise of digital trading platforms such as Robinhood has transformed retail investing into an accessible activity for the general public. While these platforms claim to democratize investing through commission-free trading and intuitive interfaces, their gamified designs and aggressive marketing raise significant ethical concerns. This paper explores how such apps target inexperienced users, encouraging potentially reckless financial behavior under the guise of empowerment.

Projectpath: Turn Skills Into Stories, Brady M. Katler, Gregory Lontok

Honors Thesis

In today's job market, even just landing an interview can prove to be quite the challenge. With ProjectPath, we provide applicants the tools to transform a job application into a tailored project. These projects have been proven to help users stand out among all the competition.

Be Ready For What's Next: A Reflection On My Internship With Kpmg, Megan L. Bundren

Honors Theses

During my audit internship with KPMG in Dallas, I had the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge from the Patterson School of Accountancy to real-world client engagements across a variety of industries. I participated in substantive testing, financial statement tie-outs, depreciation analysis, and internal control evaluations, which deepened my understanding of audit standards and procedures. My training at KPMG’s Lakehouse in Orlando and use of tools like KPMG Clara Workflow and Microsoft Excel’s DataSnipper enhanced my technical skills and audit efficiency. I also gained insight into global collaboration through KPMG’s Global Delivery Center in India. Through engagements such as Seaport Entertainment …

A Product Development Process From Concept To Production: Smartphone Projector, Ross G. Cohen, Piper G. Thomas

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate the production and documentation of the SmartPhone Projector Capstone for the Center of Manufacturing Excellence (CME). This document follows the production development from the beginning Spring 2024 problem definition all the way to the Fall of 2024 final product. This project was completed by a team of five undergraduate students, including an accounting major, finance major, biomedical engineering major, and two mechanical engineering majors. The goal of this project was to design and build a SmartPhone projector, then carry out a full production run located on the CME shop floor. To begin …

From Fraud To Future: Accountancy Case Studies On Financial Illusions, Policy Failures, And The Economic Renaissance Of Mississippi’S Broadband Initiative, Hayden Brennan Adams

Honors Theses

This Honors Practicum is a compilation of case studies completed under the supervision of Dr. Victoria Dickenson across two semesters of the course Accountancy 420 — Independent Study. The first semester (Fall 2023) of case studies involved both individual and group case studies examining various geopolitical implications of contemporary accounting, as well as the surge in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulations affecting financial reporting. The second semester (Spring 2024) was mostly centered around a collaborative Mississippi economic development proposal project conducted by four other students and myself. In our project, we construct a business plan for a start-up broadband …

Analyzing Economic Trends: Perspectives On Economic Development And Policy Debates, Olivia Boyce

Honors Theses

This thesis is a combination of six case studies completed during the 2023-2024 academic school year. The studies were written under the direction and supervision of Dr. Victoria Dickinson during the Honors Accountancy 420 course and in accordance with the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Patterson School of Accountancy. Each case study explored different aspects of the accounting profession, while focusing in on analyzing economic trends. Case one discussed the unawareness of Chinese entities joining the United States stock market using a reverse merger process. This case showed the difficulties in enacting change in the U.S. government and …

Exploring Financial Implications Through Case Studies Of Various Economic, Financial, And Social Factors, Rachel Spencer

Honors Theses

This thesis explores many topics surrounding the financial, economic, and social implications of key issues identified in various case studies. Topics explored include financial fraud presented in The China Hustle, a reflection on the United States’ military industrial complex and their role in the Ukrainian war, the increasing prevalence of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) programs, the ideology of Dr. Ben Carson and Dr. Thomas Sowell, and a start-up business plan for a brewery.

Each chapter in this thesis analyzes one of these complex topics. This thesis is a critical reflection of how economic implications, government strategies, and social beliefs …

A Multi-Case Empirical Examination Of Accounting Principle Application Within Varied Regulatory, Ethical, And Political Contextual Frameworks, Preston D. Oden

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the practical application of accounting principles through the in-depth analysis of seven real-world cases, each illustrating distinct challenges and decision-making scenarios. By examining each case independently, the study highlights the contextual factors that influence accounting choices, regulatory compliance, ethical considerations, and the strategic implications. It also dives into the political realm where I analyze the crossroads between politics and accounting.

The Well-Kept Wallet: Your Pathway To Financial Literacy, Lily M. Martin

Honors Theses

The Well-Kept Wallet: Your Pathway to Financial Literacy is an educational program created to engage young students ages kindergarten to college in age-appropriate financial literacy skills-building. In total, I gave 40 presentations to classrooms and community organizations, sharing essential financial literacy information. This paper discusses my reflections on giving these presentations, including what I learned throughout the process and the student’s reactions.

In addition, I completed a survey of University of Mississippi freshmen in an EDHE course to better understand the financial literacy of Ole Miss students in reference to nationwide results of a financial literacy survey conducted by the …

Case Studies In Financial Accounting, Jessica Krukar

Honors Theses

Over the course of two semesters in ACCY 420, under the instruction of Dr. Victoria Dickinson, I completed a series of case studies that analyzed different economic and financial accounting issues. These case studies required us to research the topic and to also reflect on what we have learned in previous accounting classes. Two of the case studies were presentation-based competitions: the KPMG Ideation Challenge and the Mississippi Economic Development Project. In both cases, my team and I researched the topic, proposed a solution, developed a presentation, and then argued our solution to a panel of accounting and business professionals. …

Exploring Key Accounting Trends Through Case Studies, Catherine D. Tisue

Honors Theses

This thesis explores topics related to financial accounting and the accounting field through the analysis of case studies. Included are six different case studies ranging from the military industrial complex situations governments are facing to environmentally sustainable practices that could benefit financial reporting. These cases were put together through extensive analysis and problem solving to thoroughly determine the reasons these topics affect our industry. The case studies were written with the supervision of Dr. Victoria Dickinson while in the Honors Accountancy 420 Independent Study course.

These case studies explore a range of topics that all contribute to my understanding of …

Exploring Contemporary Issues Through Accounting Case Studies, Emaline Myers

Honors Theses

This thesis was completed as part of the course “Accounting 420- Independent Study” under the guidance of Dr. Victoria Dickinson and includes a collection of five case studies exploring the role of accounting, ethics, and policy in today’s world. Each case investigates how financial information, government decisions, and business strategy intersect, and what that means for professionals entering the accounting field. The topics covered in this thesis range from international financial fraud to environmental disclosures, military spending, public education, and small business development. Several key takeaways emerged from the completion of these cases. Case Study I highlights issues in global …

Analyzing And Understanding The Broad Spectrum Of Accounting: Five Concentrated Case Studies, Anna D. Franks

Honors Theses

This thesis is a compilation of five case studies, each exploring a distinct aspect of the accounting profession and its role in modern society. They were written and compiled under the supervision of Dr. Victoria Dickinson during the Honors Accountancy 420 course and in accordance with the requirements of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Patterson School of Accountancy. Cases I-IV examine various pressing issues within the field of accounting, including the 2008 stock market crash, the implications of the military industrial complex that is present in many modern governments, environmental sustainability in accounting, and a look at …

The Dual Lens Of Progress: Accounting Case Studies And Innovation For Economic Progress In Mississippi, Rebecca L. Burrow

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the interplay between financial theory and practice by analyzing corporate accounting frameworks, philosophical perspectives, and an innovative business venture. Six case studies form the foundation of this work: the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in corporate accountability, Northrop Grumman’s financial strategies, the implementation and resulting effects of the Corporate Transparency Act in the United States, the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB) objectives in setting new standards, the philosophical contributions of Dr. Thomas Sowell and Dr. Ben Carson, and a theoretical business proposal aimed to simulate economic development in Mississippi. Data was gathered through case …