Description: This poster discusses research on whether it pays for companies to go green. Abstract: Environmental issues have become increasingly important to society over the last few decades. Not only have individuals evaluated and changed their habits in an effort to better protect the environment, but they have also pressured corporations to change their poor environmental habits. The purpose of this research is to discover whether companies that go green see an increase in operating profits and the overall value of the firm. The stock prices of thirty-one green-certified companies will be compared to stock prices of thirty-one non-green-certified companies. A statistical paired t-test will be used to analyze whether a significant change in stock value occurred between companies that have gone green and those that have not.

Description: This presentation discusses research on the development, application, and further growth of real options analysis. What are real options, you may ask? Well the majority of the academic community would agree that a real option is "a decision that creates the right, but not the obligation, to pursue a future decision." In this presentation, the authors' goal is to take that definition and expand it so that it encompasses multiple areas of business. In addition, the authors will explain how real options academic work is done in many business fields, explore the amount of work that is being applied in the corporate sector, and propose solutions to make real options a more visible and prevalent force in business policies.

Description: This paper discusses research on for-profit and nonprofit microfinance and how the poor are affected. Abstract: Of the world's 6.5 billion people, 2.8 billion are living in poverty on less than $2 per day. After a general discussion of poverty among several perspectives, this research will focus on the microfinance industry. Microfinance has proven itself an effective poverty alleviation tool. Traditionally, the microfinance industry has been nonprofit, geared toward helping the poor rise from poverty through the provision of small loans to create or expand businesses. The need for additional funding capital and the growing popularity of the industry have spurred an industry-wide debate between the traditional nonprofit model and newer for-profit microfinance model ideals. Many social and economic trade-offs occur on the spectrum that shifts between these two models. As this industry continues to transform itself rapidly, this study works to explain the major points of the debate within the context of two microfinance institutions from both models (i.e., Alternativa Solidaria and Compartamos). Although there were several limitations such as time and funding, this paper offers ideas of how each might overcome their inadequacies in the future to find a stronger balance between funding, satisfying the market demand for ...

Description: This poster discusses research on mercury pollution. Abstract: Mercury is a known toxin to humans and is most dangerous to young children and the elderly. The legislation, as well as industry standards, that are currently in place are not strict enough when dealing with such a harmful substance. The impacts of mercury pollution, and later consumption through the eating of fish, will be costly to society in the forms of lower I.Q., future earnings, and higher social costs from needing to take care of those infected with the poison.