Accounting Commons^™

Gender Inequity Within Public Accounting, Paige Petersen

Honors Thesis

Traditionally a male-dominated field, the public accounting industry has seen recent progress in the presence and advancement of women in the profession. Today, women comprise half of accounting students, Certified Public Accountant test-takers, and employees at public accounting firms. However, women in public accounting face an invisible barrier when it comes to reaching the level of partner, where they represent only nineteen percent of partners. Uneven distribution of female representation should be of concern to public accounting firms seeking to maximize the potential of their talent pool and gain the benefits of diverse leadership. Traditional viewpoints on this issue promote …

The Impact Of Unions On Information Asymmetry, Caroline Burke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prior literature documents a positive association between union power, calculated using industry-level union data, and information asymmetry. Prior literature also finds a mitigating effect from employee ownership on the negative association between union power and voluntary disclosure. Using a sample of company observations for fiscal years 2008 through 2010, I examine the effect of company-specific measures of employee unionization on market-based measures of information asymmetry (proxied for by insider trading activity, analyst following, and analyst dispersion). I also examine whether employee ownership impacts the effect of company-specific measures of employee unionization on my market-based measures of information asymmetry. I find …

Who Is The One Percent?, Christopher Chupp

Honors Theses

This paper explores the topic of the wealthiest one percent of Americans, in terms of net economic wealth. I have observed many generalizations of this group from school, work, media, and so forth, thus, I will be approaching the topic from a statistical standpoint to gain a deeper understanding of the role that these Americans play in our society. The goal of this paper is to inform the reader, through the presentation and discussion of available data used to define this group. To accomplish this, I will be covering several topics. First, I will discuss who the one percent is …

Identifying Factors Related To Nonprofit Success Through The Use Of A Multidimensional Approach, Kendall M. Hayes

Selected Honors Theses

Nonprofit success is a complex and inconclusive term. Rather than attempting to define nonprofit success, this thesis seeks to identify factors attributed to organizational effectiveness. Support for the credibility of these factors is derived from a review of literature and an interview with the CEO of an acclaimed successful nonprofit. The balanced scorecard is referenced as a multidimensional approach to structuring and evaluating organizational effectiveness. Factors within these perspectives and those mentioned in an interview with the CEO have been analyzed and identified for the use of nonprofit personnel or entrepreneurs.

Do Executives Have Fixed Effects On Firm-Level Stock Price Crash Risk?, Jiaxin Liu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper investigates whether individual CEOs and CFOs have “styles” (i.e. manager’s fixed effects) in withholding corporate bad news, which is captured using firm-level future stock price crash risks. Tracking managers that move across firms and employing a manager fixed-effect model, I find that both CFOs and CEOs have fixed effects on firm-level stock price crash risks in the future using multiple crash risk measures adopted from previous studies (e.g. Kim et al.(2011a,b)). In addition, I find that CFOs’ managerial ability is positively associated with one crash risk measure. Lastly, I find systematic differences in CEO vis-à-vis CFO’s preferences in …

An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Ceo Compensation And Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure Type And Quality, Nicole M. Heron

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The construct of corporate social responsibility (CSR) itself is comprised of three underlying components: environmental, social, and corporate governance. However, it is unclear from the extant literature whether and how these underlying components of CSR are related to CEO compensation. In the absence of a theoretical model of CSR that specifically considers its underlying components, I present in this paper an exploratory analysis of the relationships between CEO compensation and CSR disclosure type and quality. My CSR proxies are based on a firm’s environmental, social and corporate governance-related disclosure, as reported by Bloomberg. I calculate total CEO compensation as the …

Enterprise Risk Management: The Transformation Of Board-Level Engagement As Evidenced By Disclosure, Timothy L. Baker

Doctor of Business Administration Dissertations

Utilizing available information about ERM practices within organizations disclosed by boards of directors in annual proxy statements filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), this study expands the understanding of the value of disclosure of board-level ERM oversight information in proxy statements. The study first creates a board-level ERM engagement index (BODERMX) to identify aspects of board engagement in the ERM efforts disclosed by companies. Development of this index will present opportunities to future researchers to conduct empirical ERM-related research as information about firms’ ERM is costly to obtain. The study next examines associations between the extent of …

Car Rental Industry Fraud, Dennise Veasley

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

Fraud occurs in all industries and businesses large and small. The car rental industry is not immune to fraud. Fraud is committed by the owners and employees against the customers for personal or corporate gain. The car rental industry is considered a large business based on revenue of a minimum of $38.5 million dollars annually. (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations from http://www.ecfr.gov/) The car rental industry in the United States in 2015 grossed over $27.11 billion as defined by the market data for the U.S. Car Rental Market published by Auto Rental News (http://autorentalnews.com). The revenue places them outside the …

The Relationship Between Income Taxes And Market Returns, Chelsea Hepworth

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper investigates the relationship between book to tax differences and market returns. Prior research has been conducted that shows the ability of book to tax differences to predict future earnings, and this study expands that research to see if book to tax differences have predictive value in terms of actual market returns. This study uses a sample of firms from the Compustat database and runs a regression using book to tax differences and company returns as compared to the market. Results show that book to tax differences do have some predictive value which could potentially allow an investor to …

Taxation And Economic Inequality: An Analysis Of Income Taxes And Their Impact On Various Levels Of Income, Thomas C. Jones

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Capital Market Reactions To Ifrs In The United States: Evidence From Foreign Private Issuers, Jennifer Yardley

Accounting Dissertations

The rise of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as a contender to be the single globally-accepted set of accounting standards has been accompanied by a wealth of research studying the consequences of IFRS adoption. However, prior research does little to address the potential effects of and market sentiment toward the use of IFRS rather than U.S. GAAP in the United States. This study fills this gap by examining the accounting standard choices of foreign private issuers in the United States. In addition to identifying the factors that are associated with a firm's accounting standard choice in the U.S., this study …

Analyst Coverage And Stock Price Crash Risk, I-Fang Lee Yvonne

Accounting Dissertations

In this study, I investigate the impact of analyst coverage changes on firms’ subsequent firm-specific crash risk. Using a sample of 24,228 firm-year observations from 2000 to 2013, I show that changes in analyst coverage are negatively associated with changes in one-year-ahead crash risk. This result is consistent with analysts’ information gathering activities and analyses limiting bad news hoarding behavior, and is generally inconsistent with analyst pressure leading to more bad news hoarding by managers. Moreover, I find the negative association between coverage changes and changes in subsequent crash risk to be more pronounced when the coverage change is attributable …

Audit-Related Services And Audit Quality: Evidence From Benefit Plan Audits, Jaclyn Prentice

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The following study examines a material but less understood component of the public audit marketplace, namely the provision of “audit-related” services to financial statement audit clients. I use the benefit plan audit service setting to examine the company and benefit plan characteristics associated with auditor selection and the impact of audit-related services on financial statement audit quality. I provide market evidence of distinct shifts in the use of the same audit firm for the financial statement audit and other audit-related services over time as well as characteristics of the choice of auditors. I then test whether having the same audit …

Does Assurance Matter? Evidence From U.S. Financial Institutions, Ashley Warwick Douglass

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, I explore the determinants and consequences of the level of assurance that a bank selects. Using a sample of small, privately held U.S. (United States) financial institutions (banks), I find that two differing types of banks are more likely to purchase more assurance. First, larger banks that are experiencing growth purchase relatively more assurance than other banks. Second, more complex banks with lower returns on assets, losses, and higher leverage are more likely to purchase an audit than a lower level of assurance. This may indicate the influence of regulators on banks’ assurance purchasing decisions. I also …

The Effect Of Presentation Format On Investor Judgments And Decisions: Does The Effect Differ For Varying Task Demands?, Kevin Agnew

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the efficacy of presenting footnotes information in alternative display formats on investors’ judgments and decisions. Non-professional investors play a significant role in the capital markets yet they do not always attend to information contained in footnote disclosures. As a result, nonprofessional investors systematically misprice firms and misallocate resources. Recognizing that increased mandatory and voluntary disclosures create additional challenges for non-professional investors, both the FASB and SEC have actively sought ways to increase the effectiveness of disclosures. I hypothesize that high display proximity, low signal-to-noise presentation formats can increase investors’ attention to and processing of footnote disclosures and …

Audit Firm Rotation, Audit Firm Tenure, And Audit Committee Support In Accounting Disputes, Janice E. Rummell

Doctor of Business Administration Dissertations

Since the late 1990s, U.S. regulators have sought to increase auditors’ independence from management and to reduce the presumed detrimental effects of economic bonding on public company financial reporting. Implementation of mandatory audit firm rotation that limits auditor tenure to reduce potential independence impairment has been discussed in the U.S. and other jurisdictions, and adopted in some non-U.S. jurisdictions. While audit firm rotation is expected to increase auditor independence, the opponents of mandatory rotation cite decreasing auditor expertise as a significant counter-argument. This independence/expertise trade-off is integral to much of the academic discussion of mandatory audit firm rotation. The audit …

Accounting For Impact: A Path To Innovation Through Csr Reporting, Madison F. Davis

Honors Projects

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Reporting has emerged as a way for companies to communicate emphasis and measures beyond the traditional profit. CSR Reporting has the potential to be used as a tool for companies to move from just compliance with sustainability standards to promote efficiency and innovation. Through case studies of current users, my project explores three reporting platforms and how these platforms can help companies measure this transition to efficiency and innovation rather than using sustainability practices as window-dressing for the reputation company.

Essays On Foreign Firms Following Deregistration From U.S. Exchanges, Kathleen Michelle Bakarich

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In 2007 the SEC introduced Rule 12h-6, which significantly reduced the requirements for cross-listed firms to leave U.S. markets. While the benefits and costs of cross-listing in the U.S. have been widely analyzed in prior literature, questions as to the impact of deregistration on firms, investors, and other parties have been raised given the increase in foreign firms leaving the U.S. over the past decade. In addition, the growing global adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and worldwide regulatory developments over this time period have brought changes to the home markets to which deregistering firms return potentially influencing the …

Earnings Management And Bargain Purchase Gains, Yan Yan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation consists of two chapters that investigate earnings management through the recognition of bargain purchase gains in the banking industry and in other industries.

Chapter 1 In business acquisitions where the fair value of net assets acquired exceeds the consideration paid, acquiring firms recognize bargain purchase gains under ASC 805. The determination of the fair value of net assets at date of acquisition gives acquiring management considerable flexibility in judgments. In this chapter, I focus on bargain purchase acquisitions in the banking industry, and find that acquirer utilizes bargain purchase gains to avoid negative earnings and earnings decline. The …

Corporate Tax Inversions: A Brief Overview, Hannah J. Mueller

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this report is to give a brief overview of corporate tax inversions and how policymakers are attempting to curb these efforts. The U.S. Treasury is starting to feel the effects of these inversions through decreased tax revenue as they have become more common for U.S. corporations. It is important for businesspersons to analyze this argument from both sides in order to better serve their clients. Corporations feel that an inversion is necessary in order to save money in taxes and maintain competitiveness in the global market. The government insists that corporations are taking advantage of business resources …

A History Of Prince George And The Challenges Facing Public Entities Owning Unique Properties, Elizabeth Willcox Buyck

Senior Theses

I grew up going to Pawleys Island with my family and friends and have always been interested in the area. Hurricane Hugo destroyed many homes on the island in 1989, but most owners rebuilt larger and more modern homes because they loved the area and the land. In June 2015, I began working at the University of South Carolina Foundations office. I learned that the USC Development Foundation purchased the Prince George tract in 1994 and that there was a long and interesting story as to why the tract remained undeveloped and preserved while the vast majority of the oceanfront …

The Effects Of Technology On College Life, Tracy June Dye

Senior Theses

Ever since technology has boomed and cellphones have gone from phones to mini-computers, the effect of technology has been a hot topic in research. Students use technology for everything – from communication to school to entertainment. The times people spend on their phones and computers versus the time spent actually interacting with people seems to quickly be widening. The effects of technology can especially be seen in the college students today since these students are some of the first generation to grow up with almost complete access to technology. As a college student, these effects were of particular interest. Personal …

The Effects Of Emerging Technologies On Data In Auditing, Matthew C. Oldhouser

Senior Theses

In this paper, I examine the current status of the uses and implementation of technology in the external auditing profession. For purposes of this paper, an auditor refers to a Certified Public Accountant working at a large (national and international) accounting firm. Internal auditors, those that work either internally for the client or are hired on a consulting basis by the client, are mentioned specifically when I am trying to highlight their differing approaches and practice. In addition to surveying the current status of business technology, I investigate the drivers of the present state, and try to predict what will …

Social Media Paradigm: An Antidote To The Competitive Divide Between Small And Large Businesses, Mackenzie Rinefierd

Accounting

Concern for small businesses has been high since the recession in 2008. Small entrepreneurs were not generating enough income to keep their businesses open and the market was deterring anyone from creating a start-up company. The domination of social media in the digital world may be the solution to the constant struggle small businesses face against their larger competitors. This paper will discuss the social media phenomenon and how although small businesses face obstacles in implementing an online marketing system, social media will level the playing field by giving small businesses the chance to compete in the big leagues.

What Is Happening To Commercial Malls: Evaluating Contradicting Opinions, Sarah Watson

Accounting

The retail environment has been changing in recent years and this has had profound impacts on American shopping malls. This paper will examine the dying mall phenomenon and compare and contrast the differing opinions of major news outlets. This study will identify and analyze the driving forces of change including the recent shift in demographics, the rise of the bargain hunter, the power of millennials and the desire for experiences amongst consumers. It was discovered that A rated malls are thriving whilst C and D rated malls are in danger of dying out. The more successful malls are those that …

Entrepreneurship: The Why And How Of Starting Your Own Business, Braiden Coleman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

What resources are available to the new entrepreneur? How do I know if my business idea is a good idea? What are the tax advantages of starting your own business? My research answers each of these questions in addition to many other questions the new entrepreneur might have. Part of my research insights were gained by experiential learning: I took a business idea of my own and took it through several key processes such as business idea generation, business model creation, market research, and advertising. I sought to learn more about the resources available to the new entrepreneur. In addition …

Path To Higher Education, Rebecca L. Francis

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study focuses on the career aspirations of middle and high school students living in an impoverished area of Cape Town, South Africa. It was discovered that students in this area tended to have high expectations of themselves pertaining to success after graduating high school, as well as their classmates. They believed they would be accepted into prestigious universities and achieve their career goals, despite being unaware of several key pieces of information, such as how to apply to university and how to get financial aid. The ultimate conclusion of the study was that these students required more extensive career …

Student Perception On Female Discrimination In Accounting, Qiuting Zheng

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

Approximately 72,648,000 women participate in the labor force compared to 31,543,000 women in 1970 (U.S. Department of Labor). In the 1950s, women were only 30% of the workforce (Toossi, 2002). In 1970, 1990, and 2010, the percentage of working women increased to 40%, 45%, and 47% respectively (Humphrey, 2013). However, students have wrong perceptions about discrimination against women, and, since perceptions and facts are not the same thing, their perceptions might make them misunderstand the accounting profession. This study confirmed that there are misperceptions. To gauge students’ perceptions, I conducted a survey named “Gender Diversity in Accounting” at the Walton …

4 Wynnes Boating Manufacturing Company: A Market Analysis And Business Plan For Northwest Arkansas, Hayden S. Wynne

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis focuses on a business plan for the opening and developing of a boat manufacturing company in Northwest Arkansas and, specifically, manufacturing of duck hunting boats. South Arkansas and Eastern Arkansas have boat-manufacturing companies, but none exist in Northwest Arkansas. Having developed an interest in duck hunting over the years, I have discovered a tremendous need to bring the boats to where a large portion of Arkansas population exists. The objective of this business is to identify the Northwest Arkansas market viability for a customized duck boat manufacturing company. This analysis and evaluation is meant to provide a business …

Seeking Peace Of Mind: A Case Study Combining Ethics And Accounting, Lauren Ghahremani

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this research has been to create original work in the form of a case study that educators and accounting students can benefit from during daily exercises in accounting ethics courses.