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2024-2025 Morehead State University Audit Report, Morehead State University. Accounting And Financial Services Office.

Morehead State University Audit Reports

2024-2025 Audit Report for Morehead State University.

Navigating Compliance: How Wage Theft Influences Warn Act Decisions, Roberto Gonzales

Accounting Dissertations - Archive

Economic theory suggests that firms comply with regulations when the expected costs of noncompliance outweigh the expected benefits (Becker 1968). Despite minimal enforcement, weak penalties, and strong incentives for noncompliance, some firms comply with the provisions of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which mandates advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Using a sample of 7,084 firm-years necessitating WARN Act disclosures from 2000 to 2020, I reassess the cost-benefit calculus by first demonstrating that wage theft violations provide the incentives necessary to compel firms to comply with other minimally enforced laws like WARN. Next, I find …

Legal Expertise And The Litigation Risk From Carbon Emissions, Mahmud Rahman

Accounting Dissertations - Archive

The increasing frequency of climate-related litigation presents significant risks for high-emitting firms, leading many to adopt strategies that reduce legal exposure and associated costs. General Counsel (GC), due to their legal expertise, are increasingly integrated into top management to help firms navigate this complex regulatory environment. Using an ordered logit model, this study finds that firms with higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are more likely to have a GC to their executive team. The presence of a GC in top management leads to a lower likelihood of the firm being fined for violations as well as lower penalties of federal …

How Auditor Competence Shapes Independence Of Thought, Tom J. Frye, Eddie Thomas

Academic Affairs

Our study aims to identify how the impact that the voluntary transmission of information between independent parties has on each person's ability to perform a task. We construct a simple laboratory experiment that tasks human subjects to estimate answers to a series of puzzles, earning compensation based on their accuracy. Before the final fourth repetition, there is a brief period where subjects are randomly matched with an anonymous discussion partner and may discuss their estimation procedures. We also vary the ability of subjects to see immediate feedback on their results between sessions. We find that subjects who rated the quality …

The Impact Of Audit Quality On Earnings Management In Publicly Listed U.S. Companies, Blessing Chidiebere Uwakwe, James N. Mohs

Accounting Faculty Publications

This study examined the effect of Audit quality on Earnings management of publicly listed US companies. The dependent variable; Earnings management, was measured using discretionary accruals, while the Independent Variable; Audit quality, was proxied by factors Auditor size (Big Four), audit fees, and auditor tenure. The study adopted a quantitative research design to investigate the relationship between audit quality and earnings management. A sample of publicly listed U.S. companies was selected from the SandP 500 index, spanning a period of five years (e.g., 2018-2022). Financial data were sourced from publicly available databases such as SEC filings, annual reports, and audit …

It’S Hard To Say: From Customer Opinion Dispersion To Management Voluntary Disclosure Frequency, Xin Zhou

Accounting Dissertations - Archive

This paper examines the relation between the dispersion of customer opinions and the frequency of management’s voluntary disclosures. Analyzing customer review ratings from companies’ mobile applications, I find that a higher standard deviation in customer ratings correlates with lower likelihood of and less frequent management EPS forecasts. This negative association is more pronounced when mobile apps play a more central role in a firm’s business and during the early years following their app launches. The results remain robust across a series of endogeneity tests.

Merchant Guild Culture And Companies’ Sustainable Development: An Empirical Investigation Based On Esg Performance, Yi Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In the context of global economic growth and growing emphasis on sustainable development, this study focuses on the impact of merchant guild culture, an important part of traditional Chinese culture, on the sustainable development of enterprises. Through an in-depth exploration of the historical evolution and cultural connotations of merchant guild culture, this paper systematically analyzes its potential influence on corporate behavior and sustainable development. Using a sample of A-share listed companies and applying regression analysis and other empirical research methods, this study finds that merchant guild culture facilitates the sustainable development of enterprises. Mechanism analysis reveals that merchant guild culture …

Provision Cfo: Empowering Strategic Financial Excellence For Small Businesses And Entrepreneurs, Cindra Vang

Doctor of Strategic Leadership (DSL) Capstone Abstracts

Project Overview

ProVision CFO offers strategic financial management solutions tailored to the unique needs of entrepreneurs, small businesses, and rapidly growing organizations. This project aims to equip clients with robust financial strategies and actionable insights necessary for sustainable growth, operational excellence, and long-term success. ProVision CFO provides comprehensive financial guidance including fractional CFO and accounting services.

Project Themes

The ProVision CFO framework encompasses three key components designed to optimize financial performance and organizational effectiveness. Component One—Strategic Clarity: Establishing clear financial goals aligned with organizational vision, mission, and values. Component Two—Financial Optimization: Providing accounting services to streamline financial processes and enhance …

The Impact Of Key Audit Matters On Earnings Quality: The Moderating Role Of Ownership Structure In Egyptian Listed Companies., Dina Hassouna, Rasha Elhaddad, Rasha Elbolok

Business Administration

This study investigates the influence of key audit matters (KAMs) on earnings quality, measured by earnings per share (EPS), in Egyptian listed companies, with a particular focus on the moderating role of ownership structure. To address potential endogeneity concerns, the study employs the generalized method of moments (GMM) for panel data analysis. The findings indicate that KAM disclosures have a significant negative impact on EPS, suggesting that increased disclosure of critical audit matters is associated with a decline in earnings quality. However, this relationship is moderated by ownership structure, as concentrated ownership helps mitigate the adverse effects of KAMs on …

Proof Of Reserves: A Double-Helix Framework, Maksym Lazirko, Deniz Appelbaum, Miklos Vasarhelyi

Department of Accounting and Finance Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Cryptocurrency exchanges face increasing pressure to demonstrate reserve adequacy following platform failures, yet current Proof of Reserves (PoR) systems suffer from incomplete verification approaches that examine either on-chain or off-chain assets separately. This study introduces the Double-Helix Framework, a verification methodology that integrates on-chain blockchain analysis with off-chain consensus algorithms to provide complete assessment of exchange financial positions. The framework employs parallel verification strands that simultaneously validate blockchain-recorded transactions and off-chain financial information, creating a unified assessment mechanism that addresses the verification gaps in existing PoR systems. The framework's integration of traditional auditing principles with distributed ledger verification creates new …

Case Study: Costing The Wendy's Krabby Patty Kollab, Karen Christine Kleve

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.

Performance Auditing Trends At A Supreme Audit Institution: Uk National Audit Office, 1999 To 2021, Amir Michael, Laurence Ferry, Bruce Mcdonald, Henry Midgley

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

Performance audits have become increasingly important across the world. Scholars know that a variety of practices are incorporated within performance audits and have mapped this diversity. However, few quantitative studies examine performance auditing as a practice. This study fills that gap. By analyzing the published performance audit documentation of the UK National Audit Office (NAO), the study explores the influences of governmental change and crises behind changes in a supreme audit institution's performance audit. It also examines whether performance audits are diverse by examining the language used by the auditors. The study provides evidence that neither crises nor changes of …

Indirect Earnings Management, Scott B. Jackson, Jason T. Rasso, Aaron F. Zimbleman

Faculty Publications

We hypothesize that managers use their hierarchical role as reviewers of accounting judgments and estimates to manage earnings, which we call indirect earnings management (IEM). Across a series of experiments using highly experienced financial executives as participants, we provide evidence that IEM (1) is likely used by managers to achieve current and future earnings targets, (2) reduces both cognitive dissonance associated with managing earnings and the extent to which managers think that their behaviors constitute earnings management, and (3) is more likely to be used when corporate governance is strong than when corporate governance is weak. The results of this …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Corporate Performance And Cash Dividend Distribution In China's Manufacturing Industry, Wang Danni, Lim Thien Sang, Lei Guangmei

The Indonesian Capital Market Review

As an unprecedented global public health emergency with rapid spread and challenging prevention and control measures, the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted corporate performance worldwide. Notably, the manufacturing industry in China has been severely impacted. To comprehensively understand the influence of significant public health incidents on enterprises and mitigate the epidemic's repercussions, the unbalanced panel data of China's A-share listed manufacturing enterprises from 2018 to 2023 was analyzed by regression analysis. The findings demonstrate that the COVID-19 outbreak has diminished these enterprises' financial and market performance. Moreover, companies with higher cash dividends and more excellent stability exhibit superior future performance …

Healthcare Consolidation: Effects On Corporate And Private Healthcare Facilities, Kaydence N. Mcdonald

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this thesis paper the concept of healthcare consolidation is discussed. The distinctions between small and large healthcare organizations’ structures and functions are explained first. Knowing the distinction between how the different sized healthcare organization’s function will give a better understanding to how consolidation occurs in the facilities. The benefits and challenges that small and large healthcare organizations offer is discussed next. After setting an understanding of the differences in healthcare organizations based on size this paper gives a definition of consolidation, and the forms used in healthcare organizations. It discusses vertical, horizontal consolidation, mergers, and acquisitions. Then the paper …

Accounting Aspects Of Appraisals, Raymond A. Weber

Bachelors’ Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explain the application of appraisals to the following specific accounting problems: 1. The Establishment of Plant Accounts 2.The Determination of Invested Capital 3. The Distribution of Departmental Investment

It is important to keep accurate property records in every line of industry; yet property accounts are subject to many inaccuracies, and their correct maintenance offers many perplexing problems to the accountant. This thesis is, therefore, an attempt to point out some of the more common errors which creep into property records, and to show how appraisals may be applied to correct these errors. Particular …

Risk Factors And Fraud Loss Magnitude: Informing Anti-Fraud Strategies, Robert Elias

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fraud research posits risk factors may be utilized to identify individuals who are predisposed to perpetrate fraud (ACFE 2024). I find perpetrators who exhibit the following risk factors result in statistically higher fraud losses: living beyond their means, excessive pressure to perform within the organization, having excessive control issues regarding their job, are reluctant to take vacations, have a “wheeler-dealer” attitude, or addiction problems. I further find perpetrators who exhibit risk factors which are likely to be observed in a work setting are more likely to result in higher fraud losses. However, perpetrators who exhibit risk factors which are more …

Analysis Of The Public Acceptance Of Cryptocurrency In The Central African Republic, Bruno Gbado

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation explores the public acceptance of cryptocurrency in the Central African Republic (CAR), applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as the theoretical framework. The study adopts a research model and survey instrument derived from a previous published research paper. Data were collected through paper-based surveys from 357 respondents, mostly students and faculty members at the University of Bangui in the CAR. The responses were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with Smart PLS software. The results reveal that increased awareness of cryptocurrency significantly boosts its acceptance, with factors such as perceived ease of use and perceived …

Financial Literacy As A Predictor For Future Financial Outcomes, Roy Baker Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

John Adams once stated that “All the perplexities, confusions and distresses in America arise not from defects in their constitutions or confederation, not from a wont of honor or virtue, so much as from the downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit, and circulation” (Adams, 1787). Yet the apparent lack of dedication to the financial literacy of the U.S. population seems contrary to one of our Founding Father’s sentiments. Implementation of a financial literacy curriculum at the secondary education level can be described as ad hoc at best. Using delinquency data and the financial literacy programs of all 50 …

Navigating Uncertainty In Global Auditing: Institutional Barriers, Coordination Challenges, And Auditor Responses, Eric P. Krause

2025

Enhancing transparency and coordination in global auditing is increasingly critical as financial markets become more interconnected. My dissertation examines how regulatory fragmentation and uncertainty shape cross-border audit practices and outcomes. Through three related studies, I explore the effects of economic and political uncertainty, regulatory tension, and global audit network structures on audit-related decisions and consequences. The first paper is a literature review that synthesizes findings from over 40 empirical studies on how economic and political uncertainty affect financial reporting, capital markets, and auditor behavior. Motivated by the rise of uncertainty indices—such as the Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU) Index (Baker et …

Watchdogs Or Lapdogs: How Audit Committees Influence Financial Reporting Quality And Cybersecurity, Yanru Yang

2025

With the increasing complexity of the business environment, the role of corporate governance and oversight is expanding continuously. Grounded in archival research, my dissertation consists of three studies that explore the features of audit committees in monitoring both financial reporting and broader areas, such as cybersecurity.

The first paper, co-authored with Gopal Krishnan and Wei Yu, examines the implications of audit committee (AC) director departure for financial reporting quality and audit risk. We find that the departures in the firms with most concerning AC departures are associated with a higher likelihood of a future “Big R” restatement announcement and auditor …

Navigating New Capital Sources: Financing Constraints And The Growth Of Private Credit, David George Mathias Jr.

CMC Senior Theses

The rapid growth of private credit—non-bank lending where firms receive funds directly from private lenders like asset managers, private equity firms, and institutional investors—has reshaped corporate financing dynamics. This paper examines how private credit influences firm financing constraints and macroeconomic risk through the use of a dataset consisting of private credit deals, firm-level financial metrics, and macroeconomic indicators from 1995 to 2023. Regression analysis reveals that private credit has an insignificant effect on financing constraints as it generally acts as a substitute for traditional financing and a counterforce to tightening bank policies. However, a significant relationship emerges between private credit …

When Does Top Management Team Diversity Matter In Large Organizations?, James M. Plecnik, Shan Wang, Frances Fabian

Accounting Faculty Works

Top management teams (TMTs) drive strategic leadership, but there is little clarity on when the composition of these upper echelons most impacts organization performance. Drawing from the categorization-elaboration model, we study an 18-year sample of approximately 4500 organizations and over 32 000 executives and find a positive relationship between TMT functional diversity and organization performance, but only for the smaller organizations. We tested how organization size (and correlates of age/complexity) negatively interacts with functional diversity. Testing for TMT integration proxies, top management tenure counteracted the negative impact of size, making functional diversity beneficial in large organizations as well. Additionally, CEO …

Essays On Application Of Machine Learning To Financial Statement Fraud, Lin Xia

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation is composed of two studies, both of which revolve around the application of machine learning to financial statement fraud. The first study entitled, “Complementary Role of Algorithm and Theory for Financial Statement Fraud” investigates the nature of relationship of theory building research and machine learning algorithms. Recent research on financial statement fraud has seen an increase in the use of machine learning techniques. While some machine learning based studies build on variables from causal inference research, others claim that machine learning algorithms work better with raw accounting variables and thus cast doubt on the role of …

Overhead And Nonprofit Impact; Empirical Evidence From The United Way, Joshua Vanlaecken

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research examines the relationship between nonprofit overhead ratios and performance, specifically focusing on United Way affiliates. The study analyzes Form 990 data from 2010 to 2022, employing fixed effect regression models to examine the potential circular relationship between overhead spending and total revenue. The findings suggest that while current overhead rates are positively correlated with revenue, they may yield diminishing returns. Furthermore, population subgroups are examined by assets, overhead rate, and revenues spectrums to provide more nuanced insight. Interestingly, while not statistically significant within the overall population, increases in overhead rates may positively or negatively impact subsequent year revenue …

State Determinants Of Medicaid Fraud Convictions: Insights From Panel Regression Analysis, Kevin Patrick Krantz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Medicaid is the largest public health insurance program in the United States, providing critical coverage to over 78 million low-income individuals, children, and people with disabilities. While Medicaid fraud has received extensive public and political attention, empirical research examining enforcement outcomes across states remains limited. This study analyzes state-level Medicaid fraud metrics from 2010 to 2022 to evaluate how structural and policy changes, particularly rising managed care enrollment and the implementation of the 2010 Affordable Care Act and the 2016 Managed Care Final Rule, have shaped enforcement outcomes. Using random-effects generalized least squares (GLS) and fixed-effects panel regression on a …

Corruption Perception, Institutional Quality And Stock Prices: Evidence From The Egyptian Capital Market, Rasha Elbolok, Gina Eltabei, Dina Hassouna

Business Administration

This study examines the impact of institutional quality and corruption perception on stock prices in the Egyptian capital market, with a focus on the post-revolution period from to . Using the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) methodology, this study provides empirical evidence on the significant role of macro-political factors and firm-specific variables in shaping stock market dynamics. The findings reveal that institutional quality, characterized by governance efficiency, regulatory frameworks, and the rule of law, positively correlates with stock prices. Similarly, enhanced corruption perception control significantly boosts investor confidence, leading to increased market valuations. Firm-level factors such as Tobin’s Q and …

Analysis Of Technology Skill Requirements For Entry-Level Accountants, Jiane Louella Tolentino Rabara

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the evolving impact of emerging technologies on skill requirements for entry-level accountants. Using a mixed-method approach that combines literature review and quantitative analysis of 2,257,082 job postings from 2021 to 2024 provided by the Butler Center for Research and Economic Development, the study evaluates trends in employer expectations across firm sizes and time. Chi-square tests revealed significant changes in the proportion of postings requiring technological skills (χ² = 117,672, df = 3, p < .001), indicating a shift in how technology-related competencies are presented in job ads. Specifically, while previous job postings often included general technical skills alongside traditional accounting tasks, recent job postings increasingly emphasize advanced or specialized technologies—such as ERP systems, cloud accounting platforms, and automation tools. This shift suggests that employers are moving away from broad technical expectations toward more targeted skill sets, reflecting the evolving technological demands of the profession. A separate chi-square test found a significant relationship between technological skill requirements and job ad duration (χ² = 2,309.57, df = 4, p < .001). However, no consistent pattern of longer posting duration was observed for technology-oriented roles. Literature-based synthesis further showed that large accounting firms continue to demand more advanced technological competencies than smaller firms. Overall, while traditional accounting skills remain predominant, the findings indicate a transition toward more specialized technological expectations in the entry-level accounting role.

Harvest Gold Distillery, Alexis Mackey, Alexander Grecco, Cole Smith, Maggie Patterson, Blake Benko

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of our research project is to establish and grow Harvest Gold Distillery: a corn-based liquor distillery in Ohio that aims to produce and sell high-quality spirits while offering unique services that enhance outreach in the community. The motivation behind this business venture is rooted in one of our team member’s family traditions; Alex’s family makes homemade liquors, which has fostered an in-depth understanding of the distillation process. Alex’s firsthand experience with the craft provides a solid foundation, yet we recognize that starting a distillery involves significant challenges and requires thorough research in several functions of business. This project …

Joann: Analyzing The Downfall Of America’S Beloved Crafting Retailer, Savanna Solano

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

No abstract provided.