Finance and Financial Management Commons^™

Global Standards And Local Ambitions Across Green Taxonomies: Climate Change Mitigation From The European Union To South Africa, Theodor Florian Cojoianu, Andreas G. F. Hoepner, Ifigeneia Paliampelou, Anh Vu, Dariusz Wojcik

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Country-level green finance taxonomy standards have emerged to provide clarity on environmentally-sustainable economic activities to attract investment, protect financial services consumers, and counteract greenwashing. This paper adopts the Global Production and Financial Network (GPFN) approach and analyses factors affecting the climate change mitigation ambition level of the South African Green Finance Taxonomy (RSA GFT) in comparison with the EU taxonomy, which served as a model for South Africa's (RSA) regulators. It accounts for (i) the interplay between EU’s and RSA’s production and financial networks, and (ii) RSA’s willingness to attract European funding for sustainable development. We find that EU private …

Trusting Ai In Finance: The Role Of Psychological Traits And Ai Literacy In Shaping User Behaviour Toward Robo-Advisors, Sukma Aini

The South East Asian Journal of Management

Research Aims: This study investigates the influence of psychological traits, risk tolerance, trust propensity, and AI literacy on trust in robo-advisors and subsequent financial behaviour within Indonesia’s expanding fintech landscape.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Data were collected through a survey of 235 Indonesian users with prior robo-advisor experience, and the hypotheses were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM).

Research Findings: The results revealed that risk tolerance, trust propensity, and AI literacy significantly predicted financial behaviour, both directly and indirectly, through their positive effects on trust in AI. Trust emerged as a central mediating mechanism, particularly for trust propensity and AI …

Rightsizing Regulations To Foster Innovation And A Healthy Business Environment: Insights From Elite Executives, Brian Charles Mulligan, Nelson Granados

Engaged Management ReView

This study examines insights from business executives on how TRAILS—that is, taxes, regulations, assessments, interventions, litigation, and subsidies—influence entrepreneurial behavior and firm performance. Using an applied constructivist grounded theory design, we conducted 17 in-depth interviews to identify how top business executives view the effects of regulations on business performance. We adopt the premise that the right level and set of regulations lead to a healthier business environment. We find that right-sized TRAILS catalyze entrepreneurial dynamism, whereas wrong-sized TRAILS impose hidden opportunity costs, stifle innovation, and erode institutional trust. Crucially, the study reveals the vital role of the government as …

Acceptance Of Central Bank Digital Currency In Pakistan In A Modified Utaut2 Framework, Hassan Raza, Danish Siddiqui

Business Review

This study investigates the factors influencing consumer acceptance of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in Pakistan by extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model. This study integrates Perceived Trust (T) as moderator and Shariah Compliance (SC) and Perceived Credibility (PC) as mediator to fit the model according to unique religious and socioeconomic context of Pakistan. After collecting data from 332 respondents were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The result of the study indicates that Use of CBDC is most affected by Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE) and Facilitating Conditions (FC). …

Monte Carlo Analysis For A Private Equity Transaction In Excel, Tom Arnold, Xia (Summer) Liu, Cassandra D. Marshall

Finance Faculty Publications

Monte Carlo Analysis for a Private Equity Transaction in Excel

This article demonstrates a Monte Carlo analysis in Excel for a private equity transaction. The approach provides a probability-based assessment of future outcomes (i.e., waterfall calculations), with key model inputs randomly sampled from defined probability distributions. With minimal VBA programming, numerous Monte Carlo trials are generated and recorded in a second worksheet. This output can then be analyzed to assess the riskiness of the transaction. Further, because the analysis is performed entirely in Excel, it is immediately accessible to the practitioner. It is also very “transparent” in its execution, unlike …

"What's A Computer?" Exploring Insurance Agents' Role In Small Business Cyber Insurance Transactions, Dalton A. Crabtree

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study examined how insurance agents' role identity impacts cyber insurance transactions, addressing gaps in professional practice and academic literature. Small businesses increasingly rely on cyber insurance for protection as cyber risk continues to evolve. The study employed sequential explanatory methodology with 25 interviews across three groups: insurance agents (n=15), corporate cyber insurance professionals (n=5), and small business owners (n=5). Thematic analysis using Katz and Khan's Role Episode Model informed development of the Cyber Insurance Role Identity Scale (CIRIS), tested with 100 agents. Six themes emerged. Key findings reveal that successful cyber insurance transactions require agents to transition from …

Does Idiosyncratic Volatility Follow A Random-Walk? Evidence From U.S. Stocks, Zihan Cao, Ossama Elhadary

Publications and Research

In asset pricing literature, idiosyncratic volatility (IVOL) measures the firm-specific risk that is not explained by broader market movements. In this study, I investigate whether the idiosyncratic volatility (IVOL) of individual stocks follows a random-walk. Using monthly residuals from the Fama-French three-factor model (Fama & French, 1993), I estimate IVOL for more than 11,000 U.S. stocks, and apply the Augmented Dickey-Fuller test (Said & Dickey, 1984) to determine whether IVOL behaves like a random-walk. While most stocks display random-walk behavior, the proportion varies across industries, with some sectors showing deviations from random-walk behavior. Stocks with different levels of average return …

When Does The Tick Size Help Or Harm Market Quality? Evidence From The Tick Size Pilot, Yashar H. Barardehi, Peter Dixon, Qiyu Liu, Ariel Lohr

Business Faculty Articles and Research

Tick sizes affect market quality through a tradeoff between pricing fidelity and undercutting. The U.S. Tick Size Pilot (TSP), which raised the minimum tick from 1¢ to 5¢, provides a natural experiment to study this tradeoff. We find that the TSP harmed liquidity for stocks with spreads below 10¢ but improved liquidity for stocks with spreads above 15¢. These opposing effects explain the mixed results across prior studies which pool together stocks with very different prevailing spreads. We recommend researchers using the TSP for causal inference should, at minimum, split samples at 10¢-spreads to account for these heterogeneous liquidity effects.

Regional Lending Market Structures And Cross-Class Social Capital’S Impact On Small Business Outcomes In The United States, Karl Guenther

Dissertations

This study examines whether regional lending market structures—specifically, the availability of capital from local credit unions—affects the success of small businesses in U.S. metropolitan areas. It investigates whether greater local credit union market share of lending capacity improves small business outcomes and whether this relationship is moderated by levels of economic connectedness, a form of cross-class social capital. The analysis further explores whether these moderating effects are especially pronounced for Black-owned small businesses. The study focuses on business outcomes in regions in 2021. Regression models are estimated using cross-sectional data from across 135, 301, and 375 metropolitan statistical areas based …

Fixed Income Fund Report, October 2025, Archway Investment Fund

Archway Investment Fund

No abstract provided.

Equity Fund Monthly Report, October 2025, Archway Investment Fund

Archway Investment Fund

No abstract provided.

Leveraging Machine Learning And Causal Inference For Loan Default Prediction, Luca Guida

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This research explores a systematic application of machine learning techniques combined with causal inference to predict loan defaults in peer-to-peer lending. Accurately forecasting loan defaults is crucial for mitigating financial risk and optimizing lending strategies. This analysis is based on multiple datasets of loan applications spanning over a decade, containing detailed financial and credit information about borrowers. Beginning with extensive Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) coupled with scaling strategies, the research identifies key trends in loan performance across a large number of factors, such as interest rates or borrower creditworthiness, and one objective is to determine from the many available predictors …

Reengineering Resilience: Bio-Resilience Bonds For Financing Microbial Infrastructure And Climate Equity, Reece Buckley

COP30

This policy proposal introduces Bio-Resilience Bonds (BRBs), a performance-based financial instrument designed to monetise microbial ecosystem services as measurable climate infrastructure. Microbial ecosystems are crucial for climate resilience, yet they are often overlooked in mainstream adaptation f inance frameworks. Their ability to regulate carbon and nitrogen cycles, reduce methane emissions and enhance soil and water stability (Delgado-Baquerizo et al., 2016) makes them essential assets for climate mitigation and adaptation. With global adaptation needs exceeding £2.7 trillion (UNEP, 2024), this oversight indicates a systemic failure to recognise biology as a form of infrastructure. BRBs transform microbial outputs into localised key performance …

Ppp Dataset, Susan Turner Haynes

Faculty Works

During the COVID-19 pandemic, 11.5 million U.S. businesses applied for relief from the federal government. Collectively, these entities received just under 800 billion dollars. It was one of the largest fiscal intervention policies directed at businesses in American history. Though substantial scholarly and public attention has gone toward investigating participant fraud, other participant behavior has been less examined. This includes the relatively small number of individuals and businesses (128,304) that chose to repay their forgivable government loans. This dataset is used to investigate this question, with variables testing hypotheses relating to altruism, patriotism, and self-interest. Results are analyzed in the …

2025 Private Capital Markets Report, Craig R. Everett

Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Report

The Pepperdine private cost of capital survey was originally launched in 2007 and is the first comprehensive and simultaneous investigation of the major private capital market segments. This year’s survey specifically examined the behavior of senior lenders, asset‐based lenders, mezzanine funds, private equity groups, venture capital firms, angel investors, privately‐held businesses, investment bankers, business brokers, limited partners, and business appraisers. The Pepperdine survey investigated, for each private capital market segment, the important benchmarks that must be met in order to qualify for capital, how much capital is typically accessible, what the required returns are for extending capital in today’s economic …

The Effect Of Disaggregated Country Risk On Foreign Portfolio Investment Flows In South Africa, Paul-Francois Muzindutsi, Tristan Kyle Govender, Nokwanda Nkwanyana, Sanelisiwe Zulu, Nondumiso Myeni, Sinegugu Khuzwayo, Fikile Dube

Economic and Business Review

This study explores the relationship between disaggregated country risk and foreign portfolio investment (FPI) flows in South Africa, focusing on both the long-run and short-run effects of economic, financial, and political country risk measures on net foreign purchases of shares (NFPS) and net foreign purchases of bonds (NFPB) during the period from 1995 to 2019. We employed autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) models to assess the relationships between the variables. The results indicate that all disaggregated country risk measures have a long-run effect on NFPS and NFPB, and the impacts of these risks are asymmetric. …

Analisis Dampak Kebijakan Insentif Fiskal Terhadap Tingkat Komponen Dalam Negeri (Tkdn) Industri Manufaktur Di Indonesia, Muhammad Muhammad, Riyanto Riyanto

Jurnal Kebijakan Ekonomi

Over the last decade, the manufacturing sector's contribution to Indonesia's economy has declined. In 2010, it was 29.10% of GDP, but by 2022, it had dropped to 19.14%. Employment in the sector also fell, from 14.91% of the workforce in 2010 to 13.80% in 2022. To reverse this trend, the government introduced a policy to boost the Domestic Component Level (DCL) in manufacturing. By offering fiscal incentives to industries meeting certain DCL targets, the government aims to drive economic growth and job creation. A study using BPS data from 2008-2019 shows that this policy raised DCL by 23.5%.

Politisasi Anggaran Bantuan Keuangan Oleh Petahana Pada Pilkada Serentak Di Indonesia, Austin Nalsalina Sinaga

Jurnal Kebijakan Ekonomi

This study aims to inquire the Political Budget Cycle (PBC) by examining the relationship between the presence of an incumbent during the simultaneous district/city level elections in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020 and village financial assistant. Using the village financial assistant data in 2013-2021, this study conducts a random effect model. The results showed that the existence of an incumbent is significantly correlated with an increase in village financial assistant in one or two years prior to election. Meanwhile, in the election year, there is no significant relationship between variables. The PBC took place in the years prior to election.

[Abstract For] Modeling Private Equity Waterfalls: Incentives, Performance Measurement, And Excel Implementation, Tom Arnold, Summer Liu, Cassandra D. Marshall

Finance Faculty Publications

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Using Excel’s =LAMBDA and =MAKEARRAY functions allows for the creation of user-defined functions for generating waterfall calculations for a private equity deal, without needing VBA or macro programming.

The three primary waterfall functions determine the waterfall distributions and related performance metrics, including internal rates of return (IRRs) and multiples of invested capital (MOICs), both with and without carried interest.

Copying the cell that uses a waterfall function from the source file to a new file automatically transfers the function and its related intermediate functions. As a result, these functions can be used immediately in other models.

Measuring Return And Volatility Interactions Across Gcc Equity Indices And Cryptocurrencies, Yasmin Sudan

Theses and Dissertations

This research is examining how volatility travels between major cryptocurrencies and Gulf stock markets. Using daily data for six GCC equity indices (ADX, BAX, DFMGI, KSE, QE, TASI) and five leading cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dash, Monero) from 2017–2022. Our methodology contains a three-step framework consists of a univariate Garch (1,1) to assess the volatility of each asset. A bivariant BEKK Garch to measure shocks transmission and volatility transmission from cryptocurrencies to Gulf stock market. The last step is using the DCC Garch model to model the time varying correlation. We also split the sample before and after January 2020 …

Risk Premia-Return Spillovers Among Commodity-Us Equity Markets, Marinela Adriana Finta

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

This study examines the risk premia-return spillovers of eight commodities (corn, soybean, wheat, copper, silver, gold, oil, and natural gas) and the U.S. equity market from 2008 to 2016. We define volatility, skewness, and kurtosis risk premia as the difference between implied and realized moments. Our results reveal an increasing trend in cross-market and cross-moment spillovers until mid-2012, with various announcements explaining these effects. Moreover, we document substantial cross-energy and cross-metal spillovers to the equity market and cross-return spillovers to risk premia. Higher-order risk premia also exhibit the highest effects on returns. In addition, we underline the prominent influence of …

The Dark Side Of Ceo Inside Debt: Evidence From Stock Price Crash Risk, Amir Gholami, Ahmed M. Elnahas

Finance Faculty Publications

Despite being thought of as a governance mechanism, CEO inside debt seems to distort firms' information environment. Our results indicate that CEO inside debt alters managerial orientation and incentives in a way that increases stock price crash risk. Our results are robust after addressing endogeneity using the instrumental variable (IV) approach, a difference-in-differences test based on the implementation of Internal Revenue Code Section 409 A Final Regulations, and Oster's omitted variable diagnostic test, and selection bias using the propensity score matching (PSM) and Entropy balancing (EB) approaches. The results are stronger for firms that are poorly governed, operate in less …

Equity Fund Monthly Report, September 2025, Archway Investment Fund

Archway Investment Fund

No abstract provided.

Does Fintech Matter For Rigidity And Risk Aversion Among Incumbent Firms?, Kwaku Alex Gyan, Peter Galvin, Peter Adjei-Bamfo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Incumbent firms tend to seek less growth opportunities and are more risk-averse based on their core rigidities – premised on a behaviour of prioritising efficiency associated with improving existing processes. Recently, some firms have adopted FinTech to reduce core rigidity and advance their agility towards risk-taking. However, available research has not fully deconstructed FinTech's effect on the rigidity-risk relationship. We examine this observation among incumbent traditional financial services firms in Australia using both logit regression and fixed effect ordinary least squares. Our findings indicate that FinTech's impact on rigidity could be directional and counterproductive. While predictive FinTech (i.e., algorithmic routines …

Do Companies’ Green Credentials Enhance Trade Credit Provisions? Global Evidence, Rashid Zaman, Nader Atawnah, Deepa Banigidadmath, Muhammad Nadeem, Jia Liu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

We investigate the impact of corporate renewable energy (RE) adoption on suppliers’ trade credit provisions. Using a global sample of 30 countries, we establish that firms engaging in higher RE consumption secure increased trade credit. Our results remain robust to a variety of sensitivity tests and after accounting for potential endogeneity concerns using the Paris Agreement and companies switching to green energy as exogenous shocks. Our channel analysis reveals that RE take-up mitigates companies’ environmental risk (proxied by environmental violation fines, media coverage of environmental controversies, GHG emissions, and environmental policy stringency). Additional tests reveal that the relationship between RE …

Applying The Synergy Of Experience Accounting And Service Dominant Logic To Rank Customer Experiences In The Mainstream Cruising, Ganna Demydyuk, Mats Carlbäck

Journal of Global Hospitality and Tourism

This study analyzes how service-related experiences influence customer satisfaction and perceived value for money in the cruise industry. By integrating Service-Dominant Logic (S-D-L) and Experience Accounting (EA), it aims to support the development of customer-centric performance systems for managerial decision making in the all-inclusive hospitality sector. This is the first empirical study to merge data from three perspectives in service-for-service exchanges: customer review ratings from online platforms, ship-level operational characteristics, and financial metrics from corporate reports. This integrated approach allows for a holistic evaluation of the service ecosystem and cocreation of value onboard cruise ships. A quantitative analysis was conducted …

Regulatory Impacts On Us Hazardous Waste Exports, Xiaofan Ji, Mengyu Wang, Tianyi Zhang

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

This paper examines the impact of key domestic and international regulations on US hazardous waste exports, focusing on shifts in export destinations and waste types from 2002 to 2023. Since 2005, OECD countries and US Trade Agreement Partners have become primary destinations for US hazardous waste, with significant surges after 2018 and a notable decline in 2022. An analysis of the regulatory landscape reveals that, while international frameworks such as the Basel Convention of 2021 have had a relatively limited impact on reducing US hazardous waste exports, domestic policies—particularly those in California—have more directly influenced export behaviors. Additionally, the US …

Managing Rumors On Electronic Interaction Platforms: How Management Responses Affect Investor Reaction, Runyu Wang, Zili Zhang, Keng Siau, Ziqiong Zhang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This study investigates how listed firms respond to investors’ rumor-related inquiries and examines the impact of these responses on investor reactions, as indicated by subsequent daily abnormal stock returns (ARs). Using a unique dataset of question-and-answer (Q&A) interactions from China’s major e-interaction platforms, established by the stock exchanges, our study provides insights into regulated firm-investor communications in a structured Q&A setting. Unlike informal social media channels, these platforms enable official responses from firm representatives, typically board secretaries, under direct regulatory oversight. By analyzing rumor-related Q&A pairs with regression models and several robustness checks, we find that firms can benefit from …

Impact Of Aigc Application On E-Commerce: A Study In The Scenario Of Product Display And Recommendation, Ya Shen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Artificial Intelligence Generated Content is widely expected to enhance efficiency and lower operation cost for e-commerce. This study aims to investigate on how AIGC technology would impact on the online shopping behavior and conversion rate, specifically in the scenario of product display and recommendations.

Experiment 1 is to evaluate which scenario would have better efficiency on e-commerce platforms when using AIGC. Using an A/B testing methodology, the effects of AIGC application were measured among key factors of six product display and recommendation scenario on Vipshop.com. Results show that AIGC application on model image has the greatest impact, increasing CTR by …

Esg News, Future Cash Flows, And Firm Value, Francois Derrien, Philipp Krüger, Augustin Landier, Tianhao Yao

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We investigate the expected consequences of negative environmental, social, and governance (ESG) news on firms' future profits. After learning about negative ESG news, analysts significantly downgrade their forecasts at short and longer horizons. Negative ESG news affects forecasts more strongly at longer horizons than other types of negative corporate news. The negative revisions of earnings forecasts following negative ESG news largely reflect expectations of lower future sales, rather than higher future costs. Quantitatively, forecast revisions can explain most of the negative impacts of ESG news on firm value. Analysts are correct to revise forecasts downward following negative ESG news.