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This paper is intended to identify a correlation between the winning percentage of sports teams in the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and the GDP per capita of their respective cities. We initially compiled fifteen years of franchise performance along with economic data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis to analyze this relationship. After converting the data into a language recognized by Stata, the regression tool we used, we ran multiple regressions to find relevant correlations based off of our inputs. This paper will show the value of the economic impact of strong or weak performance throughout various economic cycles through data analysis and conclusions drawn from the results of the regression analysis.
ContributorsAndl, Tyler (Co-author) / Shirk, Brandon (Co-author) / Goegan, Brian (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit substance in the United States with over two million pounds seized annually and with a usage rate estimated at 19.8 million people in 2013 (SAMSHA, 2014). Currently there is a nationwide movement for the legalization of recreational marijuana via referendum at the state level. Three states and the District of Columbia have already adopted amendments legalizing marijuana and over a dozen more currently have pending ballots. This report explores what would be the impact of legalizing marijuana in Arizona through the examination of data from Colorado and other governmental sources. Using a benefit/cost analysis the data is used to determine what the effect the legalization of marijuana would have in Arizona. I next examined the moral arguments for legalization. Finally I propose a recommendation for how the issue of the legalization of recreational marijuana should be approached in Arizona.
ContributorsDiPietro, Samuel Miles (Author) / Kalika, Dale (Thesis director) / Lynk, Myles (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The purpose of this thesis will be to compare and contrast films made by German and American directors about World War II and the Vietnam War, respectively. First, we will provide a list of the films including a brief summary and the reasons why that specific film was chosen for this analysis. Next, we will give background information about the two wars and the time period in the respective nations. The next steps are the actual project. First, we will list the criteria for analysis and why we chose those specific items to focus on. Lastly, we will provide an analysis of each film individually; going through the criteria previously provided. After reading the thesis the reader will be able to understand how filmmaking can show the feelings and sentiments of a nation during a specific time period, like war.
ContributorsRen, Haimo (Co-author) / Ahern, Jared (Co-author) / Bradley, Christopher (Thesis director) / Forss, Brennan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The relationship between the European Union and Britain has been long and contentious. It has been dominated by Britain's skepticism towards the EU and a hesitation to participate in an integrated Europe. This paper outlines the costs and benefits of Britain's membership in three areas: trade and foreign direct investment, financial contributions, and immigration. In addition to analyzing the effect of a British exit in these three areas, alternatives are also discussed.
ContributorsLeon, Monique Briana (Author) / Mendez, Jose (Thesis director) / Kenchington, David (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
On September 11, 1973, Augusto Pinochet became the leader of Chile after a violent coup d’état, which left the economy in shambles. The previous president and ruling party, Salvador Allende and the Popular Unity coalition respectively, were moving the country towards socialism and in doing so increased the government presence in the economy, nationalized copper and other industries, and redistributed agricultural land. Soon after nationalizing the copper industry, prices fell and the large expenditures being made by the government lead to a recession characterized by shrinking GDP, failing nationalized businesses, US economic sanctions, high inflation, and unfavorable exchange rates. Pinochet turned to the Chicago Boys, Chilean economists educated at the University of Chicago’s School of Economics by Milton Friedman, to formulate an economic plan that would reduce inflation as well as limiting government involvement in the economy. This paper will examine the neoliberal free market principals instituted by the Chicago Boys, the immediate and delayed effects in the Chilean government, and how these principals have been and can be utilized to provide stabilization and growth in other Latin American economies.
ContributorsJohnsen, Kaitlin (Author) / Goegan, Brian (Thesis director) / Hobijn, Bart (Committee member) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This case study analyzed the internal controls of a real estate company using the widely accepted COSO framework. Testing of the internal environment and controls was completed using the COSO framework. The major internal control problem identified in the study was a lack of ethical standards in the control environment. In addition to this main problem, inadequate documentation, no separation of duties, and unqualified employees were also identified as violations of effective internal controls. The department of real estate ordered a "cease and desist" on August 8, 2013 due to illegal company activities. The company participated in illegal actions regarding: the trust account and company documentation and procedures. Material weaknesses were found in the company's internal controls; therefore the result of this study was an adverse opinion on internal controls.
ContributorsFrederick, Nicole Lorraine (Author) / Munshi, Perseus (Thesis director) / Benali, Kayla (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2013-12
Description
This paper discusses the development of the mobile gaming industry and analyzes a mobile game acquisition to provide context to the entire market. By discussing the history and growth of the industry, I discovered that mobile gaming was a massive opportunity for companies to generate lucrative earnings. The discussion revolving around the evolution of the mobile gaming business model serves to provide context on the industry’s unique opportunities and risk factors. Candy Crush’s developer King is the main focus in this paper as they were the highest-performing public company in the market. The company is the greatest example of the mobile gaming phenomenon, experiencing rapid growth due to the success of its games, faltering in financial performance after going public, and finally becoming a subsidiary of a larger video game company that recognized King’s potential. King’s acquirer, Activision-Blizzard (ATVI), is an industry veteran of the overall video game industry that bought out King in an attempt to capitalize on the rising popularity of mobile games and to improve their strategic position in the larger video game market. The mergers & acquisitions (M&A) analysis between ATVI and King serves to determine whether or not the acquisition was an appropriately priced deal and if King represented a worthy buy. A discounted cash flows model is the basis for the analysis using a wide range of assumptions to account for the volatility of the industry. Finally, an event study and post-acquisition analysis are conducted to determine if any financial synergies were achieved in the ATVI-King acquisition. While the analyses do not offer a definitive conclusion on King’s post-acquisition performance, it can be said that the company has managed to achieve some measure of longevity. In the context of the entire mobile gaming market, the potential of mobile games should make developers attractive in the eyes of investors and acquirers, provided they understand the mobile gaming industry’s unique risks.
ContributorsDai, Yongjun (Author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Geoffrey, Smith (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Cognitive technology has been at the forefront of the minds of many technology, government, and business leaders, because of its potential to completely revolutionize their fields. Furthermore, individuals in financial statement auditor roles are especially focused on the impact of cognitive technology because of its potential to eliminate many of the tedious, repetitive tasks involved in their profession. Adopting new technologies that can autonomously collect more data from a broader range of sources, turn the data into business intelligence, and even make decisions based on that data begs the question of whether human roles in accounting will be completely replaced. A partial answer: If the ramifications of past technological advances are any indicator, cognitive technology will replace some human audit operations and grow some new and higher order roles for humans. It will shift the focus of accounting professionals to more complex judgment and analysis.
The next question: What do these changes in the roles and responsibilities look like for the auditors of the future? Cognitive technology will assuredly present new issues for which humans will have to find solutions.
• How will humans be able to test the accuracy and completeness of the decisions derived by cognitive systems?
• If cognitive computing systems rely on supervised learning, what is the most effective way to train systems?
• How will cognitive computing fair in an industry that experiences ever-changing industry regulations?
• Will cognitive technology enhance the quality of audits?
In order to answer these questions and many more, I plan on examining how cognitive technologies evolved into their use today. Based on this historic trajectory, stakeholder interviews, and industry research, I will forecast what auditing jobs may look like in the near future taking into account rapid advances in cognitive computing.
The conclusions forecast a future in auditing that is much more accurate, timely, and pleasant. Cognitive technologies allow auditors to test entire populations of transactions, to tackle audit issues on a more continuous basis, to alleviate the overload of work that occurs after fiscal year-end, and to focus on client interaction.
The next question: What do these changes in the roles and responsibilities look like for the auditors of the future? Cognitive technology will assuredly present new issues for which humans will have to find solutions.
• How will humans be able to test the accuracy and completeness of the decisions derived by cognitive systems?
• If cognitive computing systems rely on supervised learning, what is the most effective way to train systems?
• How will cognitive computing fair in an industry that experiences ever-changing industry regulations?
• Will cognitive technology enhance the quality of audits?
In order to answer these questions and many more, I plan on examining how cognitive technologies evolved into their use today. Based on this historic trajectory, stakeholder interviews, and industry research, I will forecast what auditing jobs may look like in the near future taking into account rapid advances in cognitive computing.
The conclusions forecast a future in auditing that is much more accurate, timely, and pleasant. Cognitive technologies allow auditors to test entire populations of transactions, to tackle audit issues on a more continuous basis, to alleviate the overload of work that occurs after fiscal year-end, and to focus on client interaction.
ContributorsWitkop, David (Author) / Dawson, Gregory (Thesis director) / Munshi, Perseus (Committee member) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
The purpose of this honors thesis project is to educate and excite French students on the subject of French films, as well as any person who might be interested in immersing himself/herself in the world of French cinema. This project aims to provide an introduction to French culture through film, and thereby inspire a love of Francophone culture and movies. To accomplish this goal, this honors project will first introduce the differences between French and American films and explain how those differences are based on the underlying culture of the two regions. These differences, in addition to the language barrier, can cause cultural misunderstandings. As a result, these misunderstandings often prevent many Americans from ever experiencing French cinema. The varying history, pacing, writing styles, and gender roles of French and American films can be analyzed to discover each culture's norms and values. Though films often come from a place of imagination, they can also give clues about the life of the society that creates and watches them. After first exploring the history and evolution of cinema in France and America, the project will also analyze the major cinematic differences between the two. Finally, the project contains advice for the reader on film-watching strategies to maximize his/her understanding and enjoyment. Films can serve as a unique and educational lens where viewers can observe cultures in an entertaining environment. When watching foreign films, viewers can hope to gain more insight into the people and the norms of different cultures, and hopefully they will become excited to learn more.
ContributorsSelman, Kaitlyn Michelle (Author) / Poteet, Lesley (Thesis director) / Bahtchevanova, Marianna (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
Arizona State University students are currently out of the loop when it comes to hearing about events being held in their community. This is because there is no established service that provides an inclusive list of both on and near campus events. What's worse is that the current methods for event marketing rely heavily on who one knows. Currently, ASU students hear about events through word of mouth, email chains, Facebook pages, and posters around campus. Thankfully, there is now an event marketing method that is available to everyone. UniEvents is a newly developed event service that live-tracks events around ASU's Tempe campus. UniEvents consists of a webpage that accommodates all screen sizes and is accessible by all devices including smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. The website offers a user-friendly interface and useful features. Students are able to scan through event listings on a calendar or they can use an interactive map to find events nearest to them. Furthermore, UniEvents also offers the option for users to submit events to be advertised through the service. This way, students and organizations can easily spread the word about events on campus. Through UniEvents, ASU students will finally be able to see a conclusive list of upcoming events in one convenient site. Students will be able to save time and hassle by not having to rely on numerous sources to learn about events. UniEvents is committed to help students learn about events and get involved in campus activities!
ContributorsDeegan, Taylor (Co-author) / Nguyen, Lilian (Co-author) / Ostrom, Lonnie (Thesis director) / Schlacter, John (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05