Finance Commons^™

The Effects Of Walmart On Healthcare And Unionization: Is America Really Saving Money And Living Better?, Leyla Ziad

Honors Capstone Projects - All

As the largest private sector employer in the United States, corporate retail giant Walmart continues to make waves in United States culture and the economy since launching its first store in 1962. As Walmart seeks to expand, the validity of its consumer guarantee to “save money, live better” has been increasingly scrutinized, given Walmart’s use of controversial business practices, most notably its employee benefit policies and anti-unionization efforts. With over 1.4 million employees in the United States, there is much talk surrounding the potential costs of Walmart’s low prices. This study analyzes selected healthcare and unionization impacts of Walmart in …

Vertical Linkages And The Collapse Of Global Trade, Rudolfs Bems, Robert C. Johnson, Kei-Mu Yi

Dartmouth Scholarship

A common view is that cross-border vertical linkages played a key role in the 2008-2009 collapse of global trade. This paper presents two accounting results from a global input-output framework that shed light on this channel. We feed in observed changes in final demand and find that trade in final goods fell by twice as much as trade in intermediate goods. Nevertheless, intermediate goods account for more than two-fifths of the trade collapse. We also find that vertical specialization trade fell 13 percent, while value-added trade fell by 10 percent, because declines in demand were largest in highly vertically-specialized sectors.

Echoes From Geneva: Finding John Calvin’S Socio-Economic Interests In The Modern World, Brenda K. Savage

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

Through an examination of John Calvin’s intentions in ending the prohibition on usury and the practical application of his teachings in sixteenth-century Geneva, and a consideration of the elements of poverty, social outcasts, and exploitation common to both Geneva and the modern world, it can be argued that the Reformer has much to offer of continued relevancy for those seeking to engage their contemporary world by finding alternatives that can help the financially disenfranchised. Calvin is often referred to as the “Father of Modern Interest,” and as such many people have directly blamed him for the exploitation associated with capitalism. …

The Battle Between Multinaional Sic] Tax Avoidance And Corporate Competitiveness, Nico Koop

HIM 1990-2015

In the past decade, there has been a significant decrease in US corporate tax revenues. Multinational companies have been employing several different techniques of tax avoidance to get around paying corporate taxes. Tax avoidance is used by any large multinational corporation for a variety of reasons. The US has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world and is seeing many companies relocate their operations abroad to lower their tax expenses. The different methods of tax avoidance are discussed in this thesis, as well as the different reasons behind their use. To understand how companies implement tax avoidance …

Determinants Of Exchange Rate Hedging An Empirical Analysis Of U.S. Small-Cap Industrial Firms, Zachary M. Lehner

HIM 1990-2015

Using a sample of 141 U.S. small-cap industrial firms, I examine the firm characteristics that influence its use of foreign exchange derivatives to hedge exchange rate risk. Companies in the industrial sector produce goods and services that are used for the production of another final product. The performance of this sector is closely correlated to the level of demand from the final consumer. I find firm size, the amount of foreign sales, and firm liquidity influence the firm's decision to use foreign exchange derivatives to hedge exchange rate risk. For those firms that hedge exchange rate risk using derivatives, a …

Analyzing The Relative Efficiency Of Nevada Secondary Schools, Jesse Welsh

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A definitive answer to how to allocate school-level expenditures to yield the greatest "bang for the buck" has continually eluded education finance researchers. With increased regulation, oversight, and sanctions resulting from the No Child Left Behind Act, paired with financial strains on states' education budgets, measuring schools' production and efficiency has become urgent.

The methodology for this study was comprised of two phases. Phase I analyzed the per-pupil expenditures of middle and high schools over a three-year period and developed descriptive statistics that revealed the expenditure patterns by category. Phase II used a micro-level economic approach, data envelopment analysis, to …

Investment Styles, Fees, & Returns Among Individually Managed & Team Managed Mutual Funds, Kendal Cehanowicz

Honors Projects in Finance

Identifying a successful mutual fund investment involves a crucial analysis of alternatives, all of which influence the true benefit of the investment. Major considerations must include performance, management and fees; which ultimately determine investment returns. Studies have shown that team managed mutual funds exhibit similar risk adjusted performance to individually managed mutual funds, however studies lack this comparison of performance based on fund fees and investment objective. This gap in research implies that there is an opportunity to examine how fund management, investment objective, and fund fees affect overall returns to the investor. Using the 2010 Center for Research in …

An Overview Of Economic Patterns Of Partnerships Between Developing And Rich Countries With Special Reference To Usa And Sudan, Issam A.W. Mohamed Professor

Professor Issam A.W. Mohamed

The current paper presents unique approach to economic analysis where the theoretical framework applied here postulates that relationships between rogue countries, such as Korea, Syria, Iran and Sudan necessarily are potential parts for an economically mutual and viably profitable partnership. The paper reviews such relationships, especially between African and European countries like Lume and kotono. I first present a review of existing trade and economic partnerships. Next, I discuss economic relationships between developed and developing countries. It is revealed that in some instances, the predatory nature of those agreements and partnerships are manifested which atrophy the basic potentials of the …

Poverty Alleviation, Banks' Structures And Islamic Financing In Sudan, Professor Issam A.W. Mohamed

Professor Issam A.W. Mohamed

The continuous regressions in the per capita income of the Sudanese people have triggered many suggestions to ameliorate their productive capabilities. One of them was the facilitations in financing programs through official channels. However, there are many structural impediments that inhibit those programs. One of the financial programs was the Small or miniature financing in addition to the establishment to specialized Banks as the Family Bank. The current paper discusses issues of financing in Sudan as part of programs initiated to improve income per capita. Islamic and regular financing systems are analyzed in order to explain existing impediments. Then Family …

Mexico Consensus Economic Forecast, Volume 14, Number 2, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Carlos Morales, Francisco Pallares

Departmental Papers (E & F)

No abstract provided.

Monopsony And Salary Suppression: The Case Of Major League Soccer In The United States, John Twomey, James Monks

Economics Faculty Publications

Top tier professional soccer in the United States is operated by Major League Soccer (MLS). The MLS was established and operates under a single entity structure, such that all players negotiate and sign contracts with the league rather than with individual teams. This monopsonistic structure was designed to eliminate competition for players across teams within the league and thus allow the league to suppress player salaries. This paper investigates how effective the MLS has been in achieving this goal and finds that the MLS devotes only about 25 percent of its revenues to player salaries, compared to 50 to 60 …

Warning Signs Of Future Asset Bubbles, Peter C. B. Phillips, Jun Yu

Research Collection School Of Economics

Values Survey, we find that individuals with higher levels of schooling, but whose income

Implications Of Economic Interactions Between Northern And Southern Tribes Of Sudan, Professor Issam A.W. Mohamed

Professor Issam A.W. Mohamed

The present paper discusses issues of the tribal interactions living on the borders between North and South Sudan. Foresights are looked for, especially after secession. There are multiple ethnic relations and mutual resources collectively utilized. Different tribes live on those resources, in specifics those who depend on a livelihood of herding cattle, camels, sheep and goats. The conceptions of no-borders, free water resources and open range were entrenched for hundreds of years. The sudden realization of necessities of new borders generates revulsion, sense of deprivation and end of traditional life practice. Additionally, development issues are weak with lack of infrastructure, …

Essays On Entrepreneurial Financing, Ye Jia

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis consists of three chapters on the impact of different government policies on entrepreneurial financing. In the first chapter, by quantitatively evaluating the impact of different personal bankruptcy regimes on entrepreneurship in a life-cycle model with occupational choices, I conclude that personal bankruptcy law affect entrepreneurship mainly through the insurance effect rather than the borrowing cost effect. In addition, I find that variations in bankruptcy regimes have very different impacts on households with different abilities, and changes in the length of post-bankruptcy punishments have the largest impact on entrepreneurship compared to variations in other dimensions of the bankruptcy regime. …

Economic Perspectives Of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Technology Transfer And Rural Water Use In Darfur, Issam A.W. Mohamed Professor

Professor Issam A.W. Mohamed

Civil strife, human sufferings are the signs pronounced by international media. There are political ramifications of the Darfur crisis, however, there are also the problems of water availability and methods of utilization. The current paper analyzes field data survey collected from the town of Kutum, Northern Darfur where the civil crisis started. The focus is on studying methods and utilization efficiency in the area. It is concluded here that it is important to revise technological transfer to me integrated with the indigenous knowledge for better and sustainable water use in Kutum, Darfur.

Using Garch Model In The Analysis Of Trade Liberalization And Poverty In Developing Countries, Professor Issam A.W. Mohamed

Professor Issam A.W. Mohamed

The current paper reviews impacts of trade liberalization on developing countries and levels of poverty. The expected impacts of multilateral trade liberalization on wage levels and subsequent poverty are implored. Empirical Auto-regression models are visualized to develop a different set of strategies and programs to provide real benefits to the poor with real benefits. It is concluded that GARCH updating formula takes the weighted average of the unconditional variance, the squared residual for the first observation and the starting variance and estimates the variance of the second observation. This input into the forecast of the third variance and so forth. …

Water Use For Commodity Production In Scarcity Arid Regions: Kutum, Darfur, Professor Issam A.W. Mohamed

Professor Issam A.W. Mohamed

This paper investigates water use in a rural village in semi-arid of Darfur region. Water use is viewed from the perspective of four production sectors: agriculture, rural industry, trade and services as well as domestic: drinking, cooking and sanitary uses. Water for these uses may be from three sources: rain water, surface water, and groundwater. This study focuses on groundwater. Results of a detailed survey indicate that groundwater use is dominated by agricultural activities including irrigated vegetables and grains, tree crops, and animal rearing. A ratio of water use to income generated is used as a measure of water intensity …

Impact Of The Economic Downturn On Local Governments In South Carolina, William Tomes

Georgia Journal of Public Policy

Across the country local government revenues have decreased while operating costs such as fuel, materials, equipment, and health insurance costs have significantly increased. In addition to reduced revenues, interest earnings for city and county government investments are low. These factors combined have created a difficult financial arena in which local governments must operate. While economists are reporting signs of economic recovery, many city and county budgets are just now feeling the full brunt of the economic downturn that began in 2008. On a daily basis, news media nationwide report local governments addressing budget deficits by cutting services, eliminating positions, or …

Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund (Swf): Lessons From Existing Swf, M. U. Yakub

Bullion

This paper examines the merits and demerits of some existing SWFs with the view of drawing some lessons of experience for Nigeria to establish its own SWF. Following this introduction, the paper in section two outlines the objective of SWF, section three discusses the merits and demerits of SWF, while section four examines countries experiences and section five dwells on the institutional framework for the fund and section six provides policy recommendation.

The Recent Financial Crisis And The Special Financing Interventions By The Central Bank Of Nigeria: Implications For The Real Sector Of The Nigerian Economy, O. O. Mbutor, D. J. Yilkudi

Bullion

This paper reviews the impacts of the crisis on the real sector of the Nigerian economy and highlights the various special financing intervention schemes, which the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has wielded in a bid to reverse the down turn in the sector.