17 Aug Technology and innovation in small businesses

Research Paper – List of Potential Research Topics. Please select a topic from the list provided below –

Technology and innovation in small businesses

Social media and small business promotion and innovation

Corporate governance and financial performance

Corporate fraud and scandals and impact on owners’ wealth

Entrepreneurial finance: Equity crowdfunding

Entrepreneurial finance: venture capital investments

Entrepreneurial finance: Angel investments

Time value of money and advancement in technology

Time value of money and its applications in corporate finance

Time value of money and valuation of small & private businesses

Capital budgeting practices in specific industries or in foreign countries

Small Companies approach to capital budgeting decisions in new technology

Forecasting errors in capital budgeting process – Post audit studies

The impact of behavioral finance (e.g. emotions, overconfidence etc.) on capital budgeting decisions

Uncertainty of cash flows and risk analysis models The validity of CAPM in estimating risk and return Empirical analysis of CAPM on S&P 500 Index

Compare investment behavior of investors in developed and developing countries

Explore common theories of behavioral finance that explain financial investment behavior

Study risk perceptions of investors and how they influence investment decisions Relationship between capital structure and firm value

Capital structure decisions of S&P500 firms and their performance

Do macroeconomic factors affect capital structure decisions of firms?

Does credit rating of a firm determine capital structure choices? Does optimal dividend policy affect a firm’s value?

Clientele effect of dividend policy: Does dividend payment affect investment decisions?

Working capital management practices of small businesses

Effects of working capital management on profitability

Determinants and consequences of working capital management on firm value

Managing financial risk with options

Exchange rate movement and its implications

Managing capital project investment in foreign countries

Emergence of initial public offerings as an investment avenue

Financial crisis in a selected foreign country

Risks of International business

research and write papers summarizing in their own words what they have found on current topics from the weekly readings. Research is a theoretical review of relevant literature and application of findings in the literature to a topic related to a specific industry, field, or business problem.

The research must be conducted using peer-reviewed trade or academic journals. While Blogs, Wikipedia, encyclopedias, course textbooks, popular magazines, newspaper articles, online websites, etc. are helpful for providing background information, these resources are NOT suitable resources for this research assignment.

Assignment Requirements:

1. Choose a research topic from the list provided .
2. Research/find a minimum at least ten (10), preferably fifteen (15) or more, different peer-reviewed articles on your topic . The article(s) must be relevant and from a peer-reviewed source. While you may use relevant articles from any time frame, current/published within the last five (5) years are preferred. Using literature that is irrelevant or unrelated to the chosen topic will result in a point reduction.
3. Write a ten (10) to fifteen (15) page double spaced paper in APA format discussing the findings on your specific topic in your own words. Note – paper length does not include cover page, abstract, or references page(s).
4. Structure your paper as follows:

1. 1. Cover page
   2. Overview describing the importance of the research topic to current business and professional practice in your own words.
   3. Purpose of Research should reflect the potential benefit of the topic to the current business and professional practice and the larger body of research.
   4. Research Methodology should state whether the study uses qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methodology approach to address the research problem. Also, sources of information or data for the study should be explained.
   5. Review of the Literature summarized in your own words. Note that this should not be a “copy and paste” of literature content, nor should this section be substantially filled with direct quotes from the article. A literature review is a summary of the major points and findings of each of the selected articles (with appropriate citations). Direct quotations should be used sparingly. Normally, this will be the largest section of your paper (this is not a requirement; just a general observation).
   6. Practical Application of the literature. Describe how your findings from the relevant research literature can shape, inform, and improve current business and professional practice related to your chosen topic.
   7. Conclusion in your own words
   8. References formatted according to APA style requirements.