Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.

Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.

Displaying 41 - 50 of 104
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Description
This thesis examines the fuel hedging strategies and their performance in the airline industry. Hedging allows an airline to establish a semi-fixed cost for fuel prices in the future. Unexpected increases in fuel costs can easily move an airline into bankruptcy while a decrease in fuel prices can create massive

This thesis examines the fuel hedging strategies and their performance in the airline industry. Hedging allows an airline to establish a semi-fixed cost for fuel prices in the future. Unexpected increases in fuel costs can easily move an airline into bankruptcy while a decrease in fuel prices can create massive profits. With fuel prices that can vary 70% in several months, many airlines hedge fuel costs in order to cap a massive expense for the company. It is extremely difficult for airlines, or anyone, to predict what fuel prices will do next week, yet alone next quarter. This thesis notes there is no advisable portion of fuel that should be hedged for any airline; it is instead a complex set of variables that must be analyzed for each individual firm on an ongoing basis. Hedging is notably advised if a firm can accept the added costs of hedging premiums, the wages of employees to actively manage a hedging portfolio and the additional accounting regulations that must be followed. It can be performed using a variety of hedging instruments and utilizing various commodities. Over time, hedging will have a net effect of zero, therefore adding zero value to the firm. In reality, it is assumed that hedging fuel costs will help stabilize fuel prices and therefore stabilize cash flows and profits. The ideal implication is that the market will respond to increased stability in profits with a higher value of the firms publicly traded stock.
ContributorsMiller, Brent Fuller (Author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Hertzel, Michael (Committee member) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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Description

The COVID-19 pandemic has and will continue to radically shift the workplace. An increasing percentage of the workforce desires flexible working options and, as such, firms are likely to require less office space going forward. Additionally, the economic downturn caused by the pandemic provides an opportunity for companies to secure

The COVID-19 pandemic has and will continue to radically shift the workplace. An increasing percentage of the workforce desires flexible working options and, as such, firms are likely to require less office space going forward. Additionally, the economic downturn caused by the pandemic provides an opportunity for companies to secure favorable rent rates on new lease agreements. This project aims to evaluate and measure Company X’s potential cost savings from terminating current leases and downsizing office space in five selected cities. Along with city-specific real estate market research and forecasts, we employ a four-stage model of Company X’s real estate negotiation process to analyze whether existing lease agreements in these cities should be renewed or terminated.

ContributorsRies, Sarah Cristine (Co-author) / Saker, Logan (Co-author) / Hegardt, Brandon (Co-author) / Patterson, Jack (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Hertzel, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

The COVID-19 pandemic has and will continue to radically shift the workplace. An increasing percentage of the workforce desires flexible working options and, as such, firms are likely to require less office space going forward. Additionally, the economic downturn caused by the pandemic provides an opportunity for companies to secure

The COVID-19 pandemic has and will continue to radically shift the workplace. An increasing percentage of the workforce desires flexible working options and, as such, firms are likely to require less office space going forward. Additionally, the economic downturn caused by the pandemic provides an opportunity for companies to secure favorable rent rates on new lease agreements. This project aims to evaluate and measure Company X’s potential cost savings from terminating current leases and downsizing office space in five selected cities. Along with city-specific real estate market research and forecasts, we employ a four-stage model of Company X’s real estate negotiation process to analyze whether existing lease agreements in these cities should be renewed or terminated.

ContributorsSaker, Logan (Co-author) / Ries, Sarah (Co-author) / Hegardt, Brandon (Co-author) / Patterson, Jack (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Hertzel, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

The COVID-19 pandemic has and will continue to radically shift the workplace. An increasing percentage of the workforce desires flexible working options and, as such, firms are likely to require less office space going forward. Additionally, the economic downturn caused by the pandemic provides an opportunity for companies to secure

The COVID-19 pandemic has and will continue to radically shift the workplace. An increasing percentage of the workforce desires flexible working options and, as such, firms are likely to require less office space going forward. Additionally, the economic downturn caused by the pandemic provides an opportunity for companies to secure favorable rent rates on new lease agreements. This project aims to evaluate and measure Company X’s potential cost savings from terminating current leases and downsizing office space in five selected cities. Along with city-specific real estate market research and forecasts, we employ a four-stage model of Company X’s real estate negotiation process to analyze whether existing lease agreements in these cities should be renewed or terminated.

ContributorsPatterson, Jack (Co-author) / Ries, Sarah (Co-author) / Saker, Logan (Co-author) / Hegardt, Brandon (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Hertzel, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

This thesis examines the value creation potential of renovating an existing commercial real estate asset to a medical office. It begins by examining commercial real estate and the medical sector at a high level. It then discusses the various criteria used to select a subject property for renovation. This renovation

This thesis examines the value creation potential of renovating an existing commercial real estate asset to a medical office. It begins by examining commercial real estate and the medical sector at a high level. It then discusses the various criteria used to select a subject property for renovation. This renovation is then depicted through a modified pitch book that contains a financial model and pro forma.

ContributorsLarrea, Justin (Co-author) / Berger, Nicholas (Co-author) / Peters, Matthew (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Gray, William (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description

The COVID-19 pandemic has and will continue to radically shift the workplace. An increasing percentage of the workforce desires flexible working options and, as such, firms are likely to require less office space going forward. Additionally, the economic downturn caused by the pandemic provides an opportunity for companies to secure

The COVID-19 pandemic has and will continue to radically shift the workplace. An increasing percentage of the workforce desires flexible working options and, as such, firms are likely to require less office space going forward. Additionally, the economic downturn caused by the pandemic provides an opportunity for companies to secure favorable rent rates on new lease agreements. This project aims to evaluate and measure Company X’s potential cost savings from terminating current leases and downsizing office space in five selected cities. Along with city-specific real estate market research and forecasts, we employ a four-stage model of Company X’s real estate negotiation process to analyze whether existing lease agreements in these cities should be renewed or terminated.

ContributorsHegardt, Brandon Michael (Co-author) / Saker, Logan (Co-author) / Patterson, Jack (Co-author) / Ries, Sarah (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Hertzel, Michael (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

This thesis examines the value creation potential of renovating an existing commercial real estate asset to a medical office. It begins by examining commercial real estate and the medical sector at a high level. It then discusses the various criteria used to select a subject property for renovation. This renovation

This thesis examines the value creation potential of renovating an existing commercial real estate asset to a medical office. It begins by examining commercial real estate and the medical sector at a high level. It then discusses the various criteria used to select a subject property for renovation. This renovation is then depicted through a modified pitch book that contains a financial model and pro forma.

ContributorsBerger, Nicholas James (Co-author) / Larrea, Justin (Co-author) / Peters, Matthew (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Gray, William (Committee member) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description

Edge computing is a new and growing market that Company X has an opportunity to expand their presence. Within this paper, we compare many external research studies to better quantify the Total Addressable Market of the Edge Computing space. Furthermore, we highlight which Segments within Edge Computing have the most

Edge computing is a new and growing market that Company X has an opportunity to expand their presence. Within this paper, we compare many external research studies to better quantify the Total Addressable Market of the Edge Computing space. Furthermore, we highlight which Segments within Edge Computing have the most opportunities for growth, along with identify a specific market strategy that Company X could do to capture market share within the most opportunistic segment.

ContributorsRaimondi, Ronald Frank (Co-author) / Hamkins, Sean (Co-author) / Gandolfi, Michael (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Hertzel, Mike (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

Edge computing is a new and growing market that Company X has an opportunity to expand their presence. Within this paper, we compare many external research studies to better quantify the Total Addressable Market of the Edge Computing space. Furthermore, we highlight which Segments within Edge Computing have the most

Edge computing is a new and growing market that Company X has an opportunity to expand their presence. Within this paper, we compare many external research studies to better quantify the Total Addressable Market of the Edge Computing space. Furthermore, we highlight which Segments within Edge Computing have the most opportunities for growth, along with identify a specific market strategy that Company X could do to capture market share within the most opportunistic segment.

ContributorsHamkins, Sean (Co-author) / Raimondi, Ronnie (Co-author) / Gandolfi, Micheal (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Hertzel, Mike (Committee member) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor, Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

This thesis examines the value creation potential of renovating an existing commercial real estate asset to a medical office. It begins by examining commercial real estate and the medical sector at a high level. It then discusses the various criteria used to select a subject property for renovation. This renovation

This thesis examines the value creation potential of renovating an existing commercial real estate asset to a medical office. It begins by examining commercial real estate and the medical sector at a high level. It then discusses the various criteria used to select a subject property for renovation. This renovation is then depicted through a modified pitch book that contains a financial model and pro forma.

ContributorsPeters, Matthew Scott (Co-author) / Larrea, Justin (Co-author) / Berger, Nicholas (Co-author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Gray, William (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor, Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05