An Actuarial Analysis of the Production Function of Major League Baseball

The majority of major league baseball production function studies have utilized data (nonstandardized and standardized) from only one baseball season. This research study utilized data from the 1980-1984 baseball seasons. The results indicate that factors contributing to victories fluctuate. Consistent with prior research, this study found batting average, manager\u27s career win-loss record and the strike-out-to-walk ratio to be the most significant factors contributing to victories. Inconsistent with prior research, this study found that fielding average can also be significant

A Time-Saving Approach to Microcomputer Security

Microcomputer advances in ease of use and processing power have far outstripped the accounting department’s ability to control them. This disparity has resulted in potentially damaging exposures that leave the organization open to theft of hardware, software, and data. The potential for loss may be greatest in small and medium-sized organizations where security resources are necessarily limited by the inability to take advantage of the economics of scale enjoyed by large organizations. This article describes typical microcomputer exposures and provides a checklist to help the international auditor identify and correct them

Ethical Decision Making by Management Accountants: An Empirical Examination of Obedience Theory

Fraudulent behavior involving major firms (Enron, WorldCom, etcetera) has resulted in significant losses to investors and others sparking renewed interest in business ethics research. These frauds may have been allowed to flourish because of the pressure that superiors leveled on their accountants. This study reports the results of an experiment investigating if pressure from superiors (obedience pressure) affects the ethical choices of management accountants in a tax compliance situation dealing with the improper deduction of travel and entertainment expenses. The study also examined whether the materiality of the amount to be deducted improperly and the severity of the tax law violation affected ethical decision making. A sample of 168 members of the Institute of Management Accountants participated in the experiment. The materiality of the tax deductions did not significantly affect the actions of the study participants. However, the severity of the tax law violation and pressure from superiors affected subject\u27s actions. The effect of pressure from superiors (obedience pressure) was particularly strong. The study contributes to a better understanding of the ethical behavior of practicing accountants. This understanding may be used to improve ethics education and to build better models for future research

An Empirical Examination of the Factors Affecting the Success of NCAA Division I College Basketball Teams

The Cobb-Douglas production function, regression analyses, and discriminant analyses are used to examine the factors affecting the success of Division I men\u27s basketball teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Data were obtained for 229 teams. The results indicate that important factors in success are 2-point field-goal percentage, rebounds, steals, 3-point field-goal percentage, turnovers, and personal fouls. Variables that distinguish winning teams from losing teams are 2-point field-goal percentage, turnovers, prior years\u27 winning percentage of the head coach, free-throw percentage, steals, and rebounds. The results also indicate that the production function of the teams exhibit increasing returns to scale