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Eagle Accountant - 2024, Georgia Southern University

Eagle Accountant

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The Impact Of Chief Audit Executive Turnover In Taiwan, Kenneth L. Bills, Hua-Wei Huang, Yi-Hung Lin, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

This study adds to the emerging body of research showing the importance of internal audit to improve corporate governance and firm performance. Specifically, we test how the market reacts to the announcement of a turnover to the head of internal audit (i.e., the chief audit executive (CAE)). We find negative cumulative abnormal returns in the days surrounding the announcement of a CAE turnover and that the market holds a relatively negative perception of CAE turnover regardless of the reasons for the turnover event. We then study two reasons for why the market would react negatively to the CAE turnover and …

Automating Evaluation Of Skill Assessment To Promote Skill Acquisition In The Area Of Data Analytics Automation, Joshua G. Coyne, Scott L. Summers, Brigham Villanueva, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

As accounting increasingly embraces automation and data analytics, proficient skill assessment remains a challenge. We introduce an automated tool that streamlines the evaluation of Alteryx workflows. Utilizing the design science methodology, our tool effectively executes and compares Alteryx workflows against a solution, providing score and feedback. Validation demonstrates remarkable gains; our tool is error-free and 9 to 146 times faster than manual evaluation. The tool’s efficiency, accuracy, and user-friendliness make it much more feasible to assign unstructured Alteryx assignments for student development. Enhanced technology skills will promote hiring and productivity gains associated with automation in accounting.

Short And Synthetically Distort: Investor Reactions To Deepfake Financial News, Scott Emett, Marc Eulerich, Jeffrey Pickerd, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

Recent advances in artificial intelligence have led to new forms of misinformation, including highly realistic “deepfake” synthetic media. We conduct three experiments to investigate how and why retail investors react to deepfake financial news. Results from the first two experiments provide evidence that investors use a “realism heuristic,” responding more intensely to audio and video deepfakes as their perceptual realism increases. In the third experiment, we introduce an intervention to prompt analytical thinking, varying whether participants make analytical judgments about credibility or intuitive investment judgments. When making intuitive investment judgments, investors are strongly influenced by both more and less realistic …

Reassessing Assurance In An Automated World: Insights From Board Members, Executives, And Internal Auditors, Scott Emett, Marc Eulerich, Jeffrey Pickerd, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

Technological advances that automate work continue to transform the accounting profession. We examine whether automation impacts resource allocation within the internal audit function (IAF), a unique setting that allows us to compare demand for assurance activities with demand for consulting activities. We conduct an experiment in which experienced board members, executives, and internal auditors make budget recommendations for a company’s IAF that developed automations that improved the efficiency of the IAF. Results show that across all groups, participants respond to these efficiencies by decreasing the IAF’s total budget but retaining the productive capacity of the IAF. The budget cuts are …

Hidden Wealth And Automatic Information Sharing, Andrew Belnap, Jacob Thornock, Braden Williams

Faculty Publications

In recent years, governments across the globe have implemented automatic information-sharing measures as a revolutionary tool to combat offshore tax evasion. Using hand-collected and private Internal Revenue Service data on participation in the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, we provide some of the first evidence of the costs and quality of information shared via automatic information sharing. We estimate that the aggregate costs borne by foreign financial institutions (FFIs) were $31–$52 billion. Furthermore, although 97 percent of FFIs have committed to sharing information with US tax authorities, there is significant variation in quality. Quality is lower for accounts held by …

Impact Of Financial Management System On Organizational Accountability And Responsibility: A Study Of Corporate Entities, Nur Farhanah Binti Marjuni, Junaid M. Shaikh

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

This research investigates the impact of Financial Management Systems (FMS) on organizational accountability and responsibility in Brunei's manufacturing sector, utilizing a mixed-methods approach that includes primary data collected through questionnaires distributed to 41 local manufacturing companies and supplemented by secondary data from other ASEAN countries for comparative analysis. The primary focus is to assess the awareness and significance of efficient FMS implementation. Findings demonstrate a substantial influence of FMS on organizational accountability and responsibility, supported by an analysis of primary and secondary data from the ASEAN region. Nevertheless, this study acknowledges limitations such as its exclusive focus on Brunei and …

Investor Reaction To Spacs' Voluntary Disclosures, Vincent Castellani, Karl A. Muller, K.J. Park

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

SPACs are formed to combine with and provide a private firm public trading status and a capital infusion. Firms that enter the public market through a SPAC combination are believed to possess greater voluntary disclosure discretion than traditional IPOs as they obtain their public trading status through a merger. Consistent with regulators’ concerns, recent research finds that SPACs use this discretion opportunistically by issuing optimistic guidance. This study examines how investors respond to these disclosures. We find that optimistic projections increase retail purchasing, which is higher than that of institutional purchasing. Additionally, we find that investors partially see through the …

The Effect Of Mandatory Esg Disclosure On Firms’ Going-Private Decisions, Ying-Chi Huang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This study examines whether mandatory ESG disclosure encourages publicly traded firms to go private due to an increase in proprietary costs. I find that firms affected by the European Union’s Non-Financial Reporting Directive 2014/95/EU are more likely to go private after the passage of the directive. The results of the cross-sectional tests suggest that the driver of the decision to go private is the increase in proprietary costs. The main results are more pronounced for firms with fewer peers who voluntarily disclose ESG information, those operating in industries with a higher rate of new entrants, those with higher R&D expenditures, …

Research On The Relationship Between Social Responsibility Fulfillment And Reputation Of Platform Enterprises, Hong Tao

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In the rapidly evolving platform economy, platform enterprises have emerged as significant contributors to socio-economic development, integrating resources and optimizing service delivery through innovative business models. However, their rapid ascension has also spotlighted significant challenges, especially in fulfilling their social responsibilities (SR) and managing their reputations effectively. This doctoral thesis delves into the intricate relationship between the fulfillment of social responsibilities by platform enterprises and their subsequent reputation in the market. Through a comprehensive literature review, this study identifies a gap in understanding how platform enterprises’ approach to social responsibility impacts their reputation among stakeholders. Utilizing a mixed-method research design …

Common Ownership And Analyst Forecasts, Qiang Cheng, Shuqing Luo, Jinping Zhang

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

We examine the effect of the common ownership relation between brokerage houses and the firms covered by their analysts (referred to as co-owned brokerage houses, co-owned firms, and connected analysts, respectively) on analyst forecast performance. Common ownership can help the connected analysts have better access to co-owned firms, leading to higher-quality analyst research. However, common owners have incentives for higher valuation of the co-owned firms and thus can exert pressure on the connected analysts to issue optimistically biased research reports for these firms. We find that common ownership improves analyst forecast accuracy. This result is robust to a difference-in-differences design …

Did Asu 2020-06 Impact Firm Corporate Financing Decisions?, Eric Sanchez

CMC Senior Theses

This research examines the influence of financial accounting standards for hybrid securities on corporate financing decisions. It uses ASU-2020-06 as a setting to test changes to the influence of moral hazard, adverse selection, and financial distress contracting costs on the likelihood of convertible bond issuances under the prior and latter accounting regimes for securities convertible into an entity's own equity.

The Effects Of Ai On Recruiting In The Accounting Field, Reina Tain

CMC Senior Theses

This work investigated the impact of AI in accounting firms, particularly on the hiring scene. As AI use increases in the accounting industry, it would have a significant impact on what types of accountants firms are starting to hire, which this paper examines. This work incorporates research found through various accounting and business-related articles that discusses the impact of AI on recruiting in accounting firms. This paper found that candidates with high knowledge of technology with excellent communication and critical thinking skills are more likely to be hired by firms. The results indicate that recruiters prefer accountants that are curious …

Market Reaction Test On Banks & Brokers Based On Bitcoin Price History. A Look At National Commercial Banks And Security Broker, Exchanges, And Service Stocks Following The Most Volatile Swings In Bitcoin’S Price., Payton Earl

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines if there is an inverse correlation between Bitcoin’s most volatile price swings and national commercial banks and security brokers, exchanges and service companies performance. Company performance in the dataset is measured by Cumulative Abnormal Returns during 2021 within a two-day period where Bitcoin has had the most significant uptick and downtick events. Using a market-adjusted model for my regression, it is concluded that Bitcoin’s largest uptick event did indeed have an inversely negative effect on traditional banks and trading securities companies, as the Cumulative Abnormal Returns were negative for my 107 observations and the event was statistically …

The Latina Career Journey: Experiences Of Latinas In Accounting, Alba Ruth Prato

Theses and Dissertations

Latina voices remain largely silent in the scholarship on leadership, and their representation in leadership roles lags behind other minority and majority groups. This research explored the Latina career journey through in-depth narrative interviews with 19 Latinas who told the stories of how they carry out their role, act on opportunities, navigate between cultures, and overcome challenges. Through comprehensive qualitative analysis using a grounded theory approach, a theoretical framework emerged that brings to light the larger social and cultural forces that impact the management arena and function as levers that, when activated, hinder and facilitate the emergence of Latina leaders. …

Supervisor-Subordinate Communication In The Contemporary Audit Environment, Devon P. Jefferson

Theses and Dissertations

Just five years ago I was working as an Audit Manager in person (in the office or at the client site), amongst each of my subordinates, which made common work practices like knowledge sharing, responding to questions, and building team morale easy. Since then, remote work has become the new norm, which has significantly changed the communication dynamics between supervisors and subordinates. This dissertation is my personal pursuit to understanding how supervisor and subordinate auditors are currently interacting to achieve desired work outcomes, and identifying specific areas where challenges may exist. I accomplish this objective through four papers, including a …

Impact Of Environmental, Social, And Governance Disclosure On Firm Performance: A Case Of Listed Manufacturing Firms In Nigeria, Abdulbaki Ubandawaki

Theses and Dissertations

The traditional goal of companies is to maximize shareholders’ wealth. However, to achieve this objective, many complementary goals must be pursued alongside the traditional ones. To achieve corporate goals, businesses need to interact with the environment. The continual interaction of the corporation with the environment has definitely come with its costs and benefits, and the global interest in promoting sustainable development has made corporate ESG reporting a crucial issue. The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between ESG reporting and firm performance among listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The data was collected from annual and standalone sustainability …

Stakeholders’ Participation In Pcaob Audit Standard Setting, Xiaoshuai Yang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Lobbying is an integral part of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s standard-setting process. Although the PCAOB has been drafting auditing standards for over 20 years, there is still much to learn about how stakeholder behavior in submitting comment letters to the PCAOB varies by interest group, comment period (concept release, proposal, and reproposal), the stakeholder’s position on the proposal, arguments used, and emotional strategies. This paper examines PCAOB Docket 034, which proposed audit report reforms, including the auditor’s disclosure of critical audit matters (CAMs). There was strong stakeholder participation and conflicting opinions when this standard was under discussion. To …

คุณภาพรายงานทางการเงิน และความโดดเด่นด้าน Esg กับความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างคุณลักษณะกรรมการ โครงสร้างการถือหุ้น และ ประสิทธิภาพการลงทุนของบริษัทจดทะเบียนในตลาดหลักทรัพย์แห่งประเทศไทย, ภัฏฏินี ซ้ายขวัญ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาอิทธิพลทางตรงของคุณลักษณะกรรมการ โครงสร้างการถือหุ้น คุณภาพรายงานทางการเงิน ความโดดเด่นด้าน ESG (สิ่งแวดล้อม สังคม และธรรมาภิบาล) ที่มีต่อประสิทธิภาพการลงทุน และอิทธิพลทางอ้อมของคุณภาพรายงานทางการเงิน ความโดดเด่นด้าน ESG ที่ส่งผ่านอิทธิพลของคุณลักษณะกรรมการ และโครงสร้างการถือหุ้นไปยังประสิทธิภาพการลงทุน การวิจัยนี้เป็นการวิจัยเชิงปริมาณโดยใช้ข้อมูลทุติยภูมิของบริษัทจดทะเบียนในตลาดหลักทรัพย์แห่งประเทศไทยจำนวน 353 บริษัท 7 อุตสาหกรรมระหว่างปี พ.ศ.2560 ถึง ปี พ.ศ. 2563 รวม 1,412 ตัวอย่าง โดยใช้โมเดลสมการโครงสร้าง (SEM) ในการทดสอบสมมติฐานการวิจัย ผลการศึกษาพบว่า คุณภาพรายงานทางการเงิน คุณลักษณะกรรมการในด้านความหลากหลายของกรรมการ และการเป็นกรรมการในหลายกิจการมีผลเชิงบวกต่อประสิทธิภาพการลงทุน ทั้งนี้ ไม่พบความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างโครงสร้างการถือหุ้นกับประสิทธิภาพการลงทุน และความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างความโดดเด่นด้าน ESG กับประสิทธิภาพการลงทุน สำหรับผลของอิทธิพลทางอ้อม พบว่า คุณภาพรายงานทางการเงินเป็นตัวแปรส่งผ่านความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างคุณลักษณะกรรมการกับประสิทธิภาพการลงทุน และความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างโครงสร้างการถือหุ้นกับประสิทธิภาพการลงทุน อย่างไรก็ตาม ความโดดเด่นด้าน ESG ไม่มีอิทธิพลส่งผ่านความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างคุณลักษณะกรรมการกับประสิทธิภาพการลงทุน และความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างโครงสร้างการถือหุ้นกับประสิทธิภาพการลงทุน ดังนั้น ผลการวิจัยแสดงหลักฐานเชิงประจักษ์เกี่ยวกับบทบาทของกรรมการที่มีความเกี่ยวข้องกับคุณภาพรายงานทางการเงิน และประสิทธิภาพการลงทุน

The Economic Value Of Blockchain Applications: Early Evidence From Asset-Backed Securities, Xia Chen, Qiang Cheng, Ting Luo

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

In this paper, we evaluate the economic value of a blockchain application. In the context of asset-backed securities (ABS) issuance in China, where some ABS are issued with blockchain technology and others are not, we find that the use of blockchain significantly reduces the coupon yield at issuance. Compared with other ABS, those issued using blockchain technology experience a decrease of 31.4 basis points in the yield spread, which corresponds to a relative decrease of 13%. We further document that the effect of blockchain is more pronounced for ABS deals rated by less reputable credit rating agencies and agencies that …

Effects Of Firm Life Cycle On Matching And Accrual Quality, Ana Mariella Bandeira, José Elias Feres De Almeida

School of Accountancy Faculty Publications

This study examines the effects of life cycle stages on the quality of revenue-expense matching and accruals of Brazilian public listed companies, and how matching affects accrual quality. Studies on the effects of firm life cycle stages on revenue-expense matching are still incipient. Furthermore, there is no prior study interconnecting the two conceptual and empirical models in a joint perspective. The study brings evidence that firm life cycle is a relevant factor in the analysis of the association between revenues and expenses and accruals with operating cash flows. This association, if properly carried out by firms, can benefit investors, analysts, …

Leveraging Chatgpt For Enhancing The Internal Audit Process – A Real-World Example From A Large Multinational Company, Scott Emett, Marc Eulerich, Egemen Lipinski, Nicolo Prien, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

We discuss how the internal audit function (IAF) of a large multinational energy company, Uniper, is starting to use ChatGPT to improve automation of internal auditing. We investigate the benefits and challenges of integrating ChatGPT into internal audit processes and assess its impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the IAF. Uniper has implemented ChatGPT into parts of audit preparation, fieldwork, and audit reporting. On their initial tests, they estimate efficiency gains ranging from 50 to 80 percent for various processes. We report key risks and challenges with using ChatGPT in internal auditing as well as the initial key practices …

Patience Is Key: The Time It Takes To See Benefits From Continuous Auditing, Marc Eulerich, Benjamin Fligge, Vanessa Lopez Kasper, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

Despite research showing numerous benefits to continuous auditing, uptake by internal audit functions has been quite slow. Using field data from a multinational company, we study two possible reasons for the slow uptake of continuous auditing—the time it takes for continuous auditing to result in measurable reductions in audit risks and that not every type of risk is equally likely to improve from continuous auditing. Results suggest it takes three years before observing significant risk reductions from implementing continuous auditing. We also find that the benefits of implementing continuous auditing vary by risk factor, ranging in improvement from 0 percent …

Is It All Hype? Chatgpt’S Performance And Disruptive Potential In The Accounting And Auditing Industries, Marc Eulerich, Aida Sanatizadeh, Hamid Vakilzadeh, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

ChatGPT frequently appears in the media, with many predicting significant disruptions, especially in the fields of accounting and auditing. Yet research has demonstrated relatively poor performance of ChatGPT on student assessment questions. We extend this research to examine whether more recent ChatGPT models and capabilities can pass major accounting certification exams including the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and Enrolled Agent (EA) certification exams. We find that the ChatGPT 3.5 model cannot pass any exam (average score across all assessments of 53.1%). However, with additional enhancements, ChatGPT can pass all sections of each …

A Demonstration Of How Chatgpt Can Be Used In The Internal Auditing Process, Marc Eulerich, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

For the past several years, internal audit functions (IAFs) have been significantly increasing their digitization efforts to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the IAF. The introduction of ChatGPT has increased the potential for IAFs to have a more significant impact; however, there is little guidance on how ChatGPT can influence the day-to-day work of internal auditors. This paper demonstrates with specific examples how ChatGPT can be used to enhance all aspects of the audit process. While not comprehensive in nature, the detailed, illustrative examples should help internal auditors see actionable steps they can take to be more efficient and …

Chatbots Mitigate Help-Seeking Avoidance, James Gaskin, Eva Blondeel, Ryan Schuetzler, Rachel Serre, Jacob Steffen, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

This research explores the transformative role of large language model (LLM) chatbots in fostering help-seeking behaviors among introverted and underrepresented students in educational settings. Despite the importance of help-seeking for academic success, certain groups exhibit avoidance behaviors due to self-presentation concerns and stereotype threats. By integrating LLM chatbots as non-judgmental, anonymous teaching assistants in an introductory information systems course, the study demonstrates how technology can mitigate these behaviors and promote inclusivity. The chatbots provided real-time, unbiased support, significantly enhancing the students' willingness to engage in help-seeking behaviors without fear of judgment. This practical application of chatbots not only supports academic …

Gauging Scholarly Engagement: An Investigation Into Topic Popularity Within The Asee Cit Division, Barry M. Lunt, Mudasser Fraz Wyne, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

Since 2011, the Computing and Information Technology (CIT) division of the ASEE has had 427 papers presented and published in the proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition. This paper looks at these 427 papers as a whole, providing descriptive statistics, giving the top institutions and authors that have contributed to these papers, and providing information regarding the impact of the top ten papers, as measured by their citations and downloads. We have also used the ChatGPT version 4.0 to provide categories for the 427 papers, providing insight into the most popular topics for papers in the CIT division.

The Effects Of Strategic Alignment And Strategic Clarity On Multidimensional Task Performance, Steven D. Smith, Tyler F. Thomas

Faculty Publications

The alignment of a firm’s performance measures with its strategic objectives is fundamental to effective management control, at least in part because performance measures and stated strategy represent separate sources of information that workers can rely on to guide their efforts. We experimentally examine the effects of strategic alignment and strategic clarity (i.e., the specificity with which strategic objectives are communicated) on workers’ performance on a multidimensional task. We predict and find that alignment improves performance under a vague strategy statement but impairs performance under a clear strategy statement. These results are consistent with strategic clarity and performance measure alignment …

Strategic Alignment, Performance, And The Moderating Effect Of Regulatory Fit, Hayden T. Gunnell, Steven D. Smith, Travis W. Steadman

Faculty Publications

We examine how the alignment of performance measurement and strategy affects performance on a multidimensional task. Our experiment varies both the strategy (speed versus accuracy) of the hypothetical firm for which participants work and the individual performance measure that is reported to them, creating two conditions of clear alignment and two of clear misalignment. We find that while workers are responsive to the performance measure regardless of its alignment, they are also sensitive to the strategy such that costly alignment effects are observed. We also predict and find that workers respond asymmetrically to misalignment in accuracy performance but not in …

Anomaly Time, Boone Bowles, Adam V. Reed, Matthew C. Ringgenberg, Jacob Thornock

Faculty Publications

We examine the timing of returns around the publication of anomaly trading signals. Using a database that captures when information is first publicly released, we show that anomaly returns are concentrated in the first month after information release dates, and these returns decay soon thereafter. We also show that the academic convention of forming portfolios in June underestimates predictability because it uses stale information, which makes some anomalies appear insignificant. In contrast, we show many anomalies do predict returns if portfolios are formed immediately after information releases. Finally, we develop guidance on forming portfolios without using stale information.