Accounting Commons^™

Non-Profit Foundation Boards: An Investigation Into Best Practices Using Fayetteville Public Library Foundation Board As A Test Case, Esther S. Beller

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

Effective governance is critical for the success of non-profit organizations, with foundation boards playing a central role in ensuring accountability, strategic direction, and resource allocation for the organization. This thesis investigates best practices for non-profit foundation boards, using the Fayetteville Public Library Foundation Board as a case study to evaluate the efficiency of its governance practices. The research aims to identify whether the foundation board operates efficiently and adheres to established best practices for non-profit governance boards.

To address this, a two-phase methodology was employed. The first phase involved an extensive review of scholarly journals, industry guidelines, and other resources …

From Bean To Cup: Sustainability Practices In A Small Specialty Coffee Roaster, Reese Weathersby

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

Sustainability has become an increasingly important issue in the coffee industry as businesses

face growing pressure to balance profitability with environmental and social responsibility.

While much of the existing research focuses on large corporations and global supply chains, less

attention has been given to how small independent businesses approach sustainability with fewer

resources and different operational constraints. This study examines Doomsday Coffee Roasters,

a small specialty coffee business in Northwest Arkansas, to better understand how sustainability

is practiced at the local level.

Using a qualitative case study approach, the research focuses on four areas of operation: ethical

sourcing, roasting practices, …

Political Costs And Strategic Corporate Communication, Christine Cuny, Jungbae Kim, Mihir N. Mehta

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

When subject to public scrutiny, do firms strategically use advertising to reduce expected political costs? Advertising can ease public concerns, thereby reducing the pressure on politicians to act harshly against scrutinized firms and their industries. We use repeated congressional testimony by industry members as a novel way to identify political scrutiny. Our central finding is that scrutinized industries increase their advertising spending 132 percent more in the electorates of politicians overseeing the hearings than in the electorates of other politicians. Further, strategic advertising is complementary to income-decreasing accounting choices and a substitute for lobbying. Overall, our study sheds light on …

The Impact Of Change In The Legal Definition Of Confidentiality On The Redaction Behavior Of U.S. Firms, Alexey Alferov

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

U.S. public companies may redact information from material contracts in SEC filings as long as such information is not considered to be material by the SEC and when it is the type of information that the registrant treats as private and confidential. In 2021, the SEC revised redaction regulations in response to the expansion of the legal definition of ‘confidential’ by the Supreme Court of the United States. In this paper I examine whether these changes, referred to as FMI Amendments, impact companies’ decision to redact information from their material contracts filed with the SEC. In addition, I extend Thompson …

Cultural Dimensions And Ethical Perceptions Of Tax Evasion In The Digital Tax Reporting Era, Renna Magdalena, Henny Cheirine

International Conference on Business and Management Research (ICBMR)

Tax evasion is still a significant challenge for Indonesia's state revenue. This study examines how Hofstede's cultural dimension affects the ethical perception of tax evasion in Javanese MSME owners to overcome the gap in understanding of cultural factors that affect tax compliance behaviour at the individual level. In the context of a tax reporting system that has been fully digitised through e-filing and online applications, it is important to understand that the existence of technology does not necessarily remove the moral rationale for fraudulent acts. A quantitative survey was conducted on 112 MSME owners. Using validated instruments, the study used …

Sharia Compliance And Stock Price Crash Risk: Evidence From Indonesia, Asty Khairi Inayah Syahwani, Arief Wibisono Lubis, Dwi Nastiti Danarsari

International Conference on Business and Management Research (ICBMR)

This study examines the impact of sharia compliance on stock price crash risk, controlling for company fundamental characteristics, among firms listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2021 to 2024. Panel data was analyzed using a dynamic panel model (System GMM) and crash risk is measured using NCSKEW and DUVOL. The results show that Sharia compliance significantly reduces stock price crash risk when measured using NCSKEW, while its effect on DUVOL is insignificant. This finding is consistent with the robustness check using the two-step System GMM, suggesting that Sharia principles can be a mitigating mechanism for extreme crash risk. These …

Fintech Innovation And Strategy In Islamic Financial Services In Indonesia: Mapping Trends And Correlations Through Digital Content Analysis, Faisal Binsar S.T., M.M.S.I, Dr., Muhammad Bayu Drs., M.M., Dr., Arif Budiman S.Kom, M.Kom, Lisa Puspitasari S.E., M.Si., Dr.

International Conference on Business and Management Research (ICBMR)

This study explores the impact of fintech innovations and strategies on the operational efficiency and service quality of Islamic financial services in Indonesia, emphasizing their alignment with Islamic financial principles. Using a descriptive quantitative methodology, the research employs digital content analysis of online reviews and social media discussions to uncover key themes. Advanced analytic techniques, including topic modeling with Gibbs Sampling for Dirichlet Multinomial Mixture (GSDMM) and cosine similarity for inter-topic correlation analysis, are applied to data sourced from various digital platforms. The findings reveal three dominant themes: media and community interaction, the performance and services of Islamic financial institutions, …

The Influence Of Determining Factors On Firm Value Moderated Independent Commissioners, Jennifer Lukman Ms., Herlina Lusmeida Mrs.

International Conference on Business and Management Research (ICBMR)

This study investigates the influence of intellectual capital, green accounting, and tax avoidance on firm value, with independent commissioners serving as a moderating variable. Using panel data from 756 manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) between 2018 and 2023, the study adopts a quantitative approach with panel data regression analysis. The findings reveal that intellectual capital and green accounting significantly enhance firm value. Tax avoidance, on the other hand, has a nuanced and partially negative influence. The presence of independent commissioners significantly moderates the effects of intellectual capital and green accounting, enhancing transparency, accountability, and investor confidence. …

The Influence Of Esg Disclosures On Firm Value: Does Gender Diversity In The Leadership Matter Among Asean Countries?, Gaby Gabrella Tania, Mulyadi Noto Soetardjo

International Conference on Business and Management Research (ICBMR)

This purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Disclosures on Firm Value, with Gender Diversity in the Leadership as a moderating variable. The research sample consists of 140 non-financial companies listed in the stock exchange of ASEAN countries for the observation period of 2019-2023 (with total 700 firm-years), selected through purposive sampling method. This study uses a quantitative approach with moderated regression analysis. Firm Value is measured using Tobin's Q and PBV (Price to Book Value), while ESG Disclosures use ESG Scores obtained from the Bloomberg. The results showed that ESG disclosures …

A Forgotten Tool? Intellectual Property Rights And The Competitive Potential Of Micro, Small, And Medium-Sized Enterprises In Tanzania, Saudin J. Mwakaje

Business Management Review

This article offers a hybrid assessment of law and its impact on business by examining how intellectual property rights (IPR) promote business competitiveness by granting enterprises exclusive statutory rights over their innovations and creative ideas. The article situates the discussion in the Tanzanian context and focuses on Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs). Using a qualitative approach, the discourse examines ongoing national and continental reforms and the evolving business and market environment that are driving MSMEs to adopt innovation to achieve market control and sustainability. Recent continental and regional regulatory developments, including the adoption of the Agreement on African Continental …

From Awareness To Action: Exploring The Behavioral Gap In Green Computing Among Surveyed University Students In Tanzania, Victor G. Wilson

Business Management Review

As digital technologies become increasingly embedded in higher education, promoting environmentally responsible computing practices has become an important sustainability and management concern. This study applies the Norm Activation Model (NAM) to examine green computing behavior among university students in Tanzania. Drawing on responses from 868 students across science, education, and business programs, the study investigates how Awareness of Consequences, Ascription of Responsibility, and Personal Norms influence green computing behaviors. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to assess both the explanatory power of the NAM variables and the selective moderating roles of gender and academic program. Findings reveal that both awareness and …

The Role Of Board Effectiveness In Shaping The Influence Of Esg Disclosures On Financial Performance: The Case Of Tanzanian Listed Companies, Emmanuel Christopher

Business Management Review

This study examines the moderating role of board effectiveness in the relationship between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures and the financial performance of firms listed on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange (DSE) in Tanzania. Drawing on stakeholder and agency theory perspectives, the study posits that ESG disclosures create value for stakeholders while effective boards enhance oversight and ensure that sustainability initiatives translate into firm performance. Using secondary data from firms’ annual reports for 2016–2024 (198 firm–year observations), the study applies random effects panel regression guided by the Hausman test. Robustness checks were performed using an alternative financial performance …

Horizontal Collaboration Practices And Operational Performance Of Smallholder Farmer Groups In Horticultural Supply Chain, Herieth J. Rogath, Juma James Masele, Gerald Magova

Business Management Review

Collaboration has increasingly been recognized as a strategic approach for enhancing performance. However, limited attention has been given to the relationship between horizontal collaboration practices and the operational performance of horticultural smallholder farmer groups in downstream supply chains. This study examined this relationship through the lens of Social Exchange Theory. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires from 195 smallholder horticultural farmer groups across the southern highlands of Tanzania, including Mbeya, Iringa, Njombe, and Songwe regions. Analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. The findings reveal that all collaboration practices improve operational performance; resource …

The Role Of Relational Capital As A Dynamic Capability And Its Effect On The Relationship Between Directors’ Network And Firm Performance, Saiful Bakhtiar Masduki, Norman Mohd Saleh, Lokhman Hakim Osman, Mara Ridhuan Che Abdul Rahman, Kamarul Baraini Keliwon

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This study aims to examine how directors’ networks (DIRNET) improve firm performance and how relational capital (RELCAP) helps mediate this relationship in Malaysian public-listed firms.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The adopted research design makes use of secondary data that involves 579 publicly listed firms within the period of 2017-2019. DIRNET and RELCAP measured through social network analysis techniques. Panel regression is applied to test the models and ensure robustness of the research findings.

Research Findings: DIRNET is positively related to firm performance, and this effect is partially mediated by RELCAP, which positively influences performance. However, the relationship between DIRNET and firm …

Your Money, Your Message, Ella Rosebrook

Honors Projects

The Your Money, Your Message pamphlet offers a basic overview of personal finance and personal branding to act as a guide for young adults looking to further their knowledge in these areas. It gives beginner-level guidance in budgeting, tracking spending and saving habits, filing taxes with a CPA, a brief description of common payroll taxes, and personal branding. It is important for individuals entering the workforce to be knowledgeable in these areas no matter what their major is, as these skills will bring about a positive impact for anyone. Developing healthy personal finance habits and a strong personal brand is …

The Evolution Of Accounting: Historical Bookkeeping And Double Entry, Linda N. Moua

Research & Creative Achievement Day

In present-day accounting, technology  has transformed the efficiency and effectiveness of transaction recording.  Microsoft Excel has become a standard tool since its launch in the 1980s and has  quickly replaced handwritten work. This research aims to analyze the origins  of accounting, specifically in bookkeeping and double-entry, and how it has  proven to be the language of business from the beginning. This research will  initially look at stone tablets from the Mesopotamian Era and into the  development of double entry, with how its evolved origins are still similar  and different today. Other than the history of bookkeeping and double entry,  there …

Technology-Driven Risk Governance In U.S. Financial Reporting: The Role Of Cybersecurity Disclosure And Regulatory Technology In Strengthening Capital Market Transparency, Kingsford Brakye, Mary Magdalene Yeboah

Beacom School of Business Student Publications

The rapid digitalization of the financial reporting systems has exposed the U.S. public companies to cybersecurity threats that could impair financial information integrity, the reliability of disclosure, and investor confidence. This paper examines how cybersecurity risk disclosure practices and regulatory technology adoption affect transparency and accountability in US capital markets. The study reviewed existing literature, regulatory guidance, and corporate disclosures in the filings of U.S. public companies, 2020-2026, using a qualitative analytical approach. The results show that the disclosure of cyber risk in corporate reporting is becoming visible in recent years, with the advent of new laws, such as new …

Accounting For Non-Monetary Exchange: A Systematic Review Of Barter Literature From Colonial Ledgers To Digital Economies, Christian Timotius Peilouw, Unti Ludigdo, Imam Subekti, Yeney Widya Prihatiningtias

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Non-monetary exchange systems persist throughout human history, challenging assumptions about monetary dominance and revealing fundamental limitations in conventional accounting frameworks. This systematic literature review examines how accounting practices adapt to and shape non-monetary exchange across diverse historical and contemporary contexts, investigating patterns in accounting practices, challenges to conventional theory, and implications for economic resilience. Following PRISMA guidelines, the review analyzed 28 peer-reviewed articles from 1979 to 2025 identified through Scopus database searches combining barter-related and accounting terms. The analysis reveals four major themes: historical foundations showing sophisticated proto-banking systems in colonial America that operated without currency; crisis-driven alternatives demonstrating how …

Green And Clean: Case Studies Featuring The Shift Toward Healthier Consumption, Mckay Orwig

Honors Theses

This thesis is composed of eight accounting case studies investigating the impact of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement on corporate operations, and other narratives. Dr. Dickenson assigned and advised the case studies throughout the course of Honors Accountancy 420. During the fall semester, we were assigned several individual case studies that broadened our background knowledge on legislation and the MAHA movement, as well as having the opportunity to hear from professionals from leading firms.  During the spring semester, Dr. Dickenson placed us in groups to research our assigned companies, my group ultimately assigned the international snacking company, Kellanova. …

Entrepreneurial Orientation And Performance Of Microfinance Cooperatives: Evidence From Tanzania, Grace Thomas Mori, Omari Khalifa Mbura

Business Management Review

Microfinance cooperatives (MFCs) play a key role in socio-economic development, predominantly in developing countries. However, studies focusing on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and the performance of MFCs are limited, particularly in Tanzania. This study was informed by the resource-based view to examine the influence of EO dimensions on the performance of MFCs in Tanzania. Specifically, the study focused on four dimensions of EO namely; innovativeness, proactiveness, risk taking, and competitive aggressiveness behaviours. Data were obtained from 299 stratified sampled managers of MFCs through the administration of a structured questionnaire. In testing this relationship, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation …

An Austrian Approach To Accounting Regulation: How Policy Intervention Distorts The Market For Assurance Services, Kyan Howe

Student Scholarship

This thesis applies the causal-realist method of the Austrian School of Economics to the market for assurance services in the United States. The central argument is that post-crisis accounting regulation has systematically distorted the incentive structures of independent public accounting firms in ways regulators do not predict and cannot fully control. Financial crises, properly understood through Austrian Business Cycle Theory, originate in monetary distortions rather than market failure. Post-crisis regulatory responses nonetheless target the profession rather than the underlying distortion, introducing rules that alter the institutional constraints within which auditors exercise professional judgment.

The thesis develops a judgment-based equation of …

Financial Fraud In Mississippi Public Agencies: Case Studies Of Control Failures And Implications On Civic Engagement, Gracie Sullivan

Honors Theses

This study analyzes the relationship between financial fraud in Mississippi public institutions and its potential impact on civic engagement. While the existing literature explores the mechanics of fraud through frameworks such as the Fraud Triangle and the role of internal controls in preventing misconduct, limited research examines how government corruption influences civic disengagement, particularly in Mississippi. Using a quantitative, comparative research design, this study examines the relationship between major public financial fraud cases and voter turnout in case-linked and comparison counties. These cases include the Mississippi TANF welfare fraud, the Department of Corrections bribery case, and the misuse of funds …

Implementing Blockchain Into Accounting Software, Noam Kimbro

Senior Honors Theses

Accounting has been fundamentally reshaped by the use of computational systems and digital information storage. This Honors Thesis seeks to research accounting software and to build upon it through the development of fresh software implementing blockchain into the accounting system. This Honors Thesis Proposal provides preliminary research into the field of accounting to allow for better understanding of the proposed software system. This Honors Thesis will further the body of knowledge by implementing blockchain into accounting data storage to allow transactions to be retroactively verified.

Enhancing Financial Audit Operations Through Ai Anomaly Detection, Nadya Cousin, Rebekah Garza, Talisa Gomez

Posters - 2026

❖ Financial auditing plays a critical role in ensuring accuracy, regulatory compliance, and fraud detection in financial reporting

❖ Traditional audit approaches rely heavily on sampling and manual review processes, limiting their ability to scale with increasing data complexity

❖ The rapid growth of high-volume, high-velocity financial data (big data) has exposed significant limitations in traditional auditing, including:

• Incomplete data coverage
• Delayed anomaly detection
• Increased risk of material misstatements

❖ These limitations create a need for scalable, automated, and data-driven audit solutions

❖ Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly anomaly detection models, enables:

•  Full-population testing
•  Real-time pattern recognition
•  Proactive risk identification

How Do Investors View Mandatory Esg Disclosure? Evidence From China’S A-Share Market, Suk Wah Inessa Lee

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This study investigates the valuation effects of China's 2024 transition from voluntary to mandatory ESG disclosure across the Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing stock exchanges. Using a two-stage event study surrounding the policy's draft and final confirmation, this research examines how investors price a regulatory reform affecting over 51% of A-share market capitalization. Anchored in Information Asymmetry Theory, the study evaluates whether the mandate acts as an information-enhancing mechanism or a compliance cost shock. The results indicate that mandated firms experience significant negative cumulative abnormal returns, suggesting investors primarily interpret the policy as a compliance-driven cost shock — consistent with the …

Beyond Technology Acceptance: Ai Adoption In The United States And Korean Accounting Firms, Madeline Ortega, Brenda Vazquez Saavedra

Posters - 2026

A comparison of AI adoption between the United States and South Korea

Can Financial Literacy Enhance Esg Disclosures?, Xiaoran Jia, Kiridaran Kanagaretnam, Kiat Bee Jimmy Lee, Chee Yeow Lim

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Using an international sample of firms and two country-level measures of financial literacy, we find robust evidence of a positive relation between financial literacy and firms' Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosures. In cross-sectional analyses, we find that the effect of financial literacy in enhancing ESG disclosures is more prominent in poorer information environments, weaker legal institutions and weaker ESG reporting environments. Lastly, we find that financial literacy also enhances ESG performance. Our study contributes to and extends the literature by providing strong evidence that citizens' financial literacy enhances firms' ESG disclosure and the associated ESG performance.

Does Short-Termism Pay? National Short-Termism, Investment, Innovation, And Equity Returns, Andrew H. Cohen

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

We examine whether national short-termism, inferred from corporate language, predicts future real activity, equity returns, risk, and risk-adjusted performance. Using large-scale textual analysis of issuer-linked disclosures and earnings transcripts from the largest firms in twenty major equity markets, we construct country-quarter and annual Short-Termism Scores (STS) capturing the relative emphasis on short- versus long-horizon language.

Higher short-termism predicts lower subsequent gross fixed capital formation, lower research and development intensity, and lower multi-year equity index returns across horizons of up to sixteen quarters. In addition, higher short-termism is associated with greater future market volatility and lower Sharpe ratios, indicating a deterioration …

The Roles Of The Human Resources Management Director And Their Impact On Entrepreneurial Training:An Analytical Study At The Ministry Of Labor And Social Affairs, Ali Abd Al-Salam Abd Al-Daem

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

The research problem lies in the weak level of entrepreneurial training in Iraqi ministries despite the importance of the strategic roles of human resources management. The research gap is represented by the scarcity of empirical studies that measure the relative impact of the roles of the HR manager (according to Ulrich’s model) in activating entrepreneurial training within the Iraqi public sector environment. Accordingly, this study aims to analyze the relationship between the roles of the Human Resources Management Director—as a strategic partner, administrative expert, developmental supporter, and change agent—and their impact on activating entrepreneurial training at the Ministry of Labor …

The Economic Impacts Of Climate Change And External Shocks On Tourism Demand In The Kurdistan Region Of Iraq: Econometric Modeling For The Period (2007–2023), Asst. Prof. Dr. Khadeeja Qader Same, Asst. Prof. Dr. Aswad Qadir Ahmed

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

This study aims to Analysis of the Economic Impacts of Climate Change and External Shocks on Tourism Demand in the Kurdistan Region for the Period (2007-2023), utilizing a rigorous econometric methodology that includes unit root tests, Granger causality, and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to verify long-term equilibrium relationships through the Bounds Test. The results revealed a “developmental paradox,” where tourism demand grows annually by 18.51% despite a steady rise in temperatures, a decline in rainfall by approximately 3.15 mm per year, and an increase in dust storms. The econometric modeling proved that every unit increase in temperature inflicts …