The Case to Abolish the CPA Education Requirement: A Study of Accounting, Ethics and Governance
Robert W. McGee, Fayetteville State University.
MSI Journal of Economics and Business Management (MSIJEBM) | DOI https://zenodo.org/records/19627057 | Page 01 to 13
Abstract
The cost of becoming a certified public accountant (CPA) has become prohibitive for many potential CPA candidates. As of this writing, most candidates have to take 150 semester hours of college coursework in order to qualify for the CPA exam. There is an effort to reduce that requirement to 120 semester hours to deal with the decline in accountants and CPAs. However, even if this reduction can be adopted, the cost of becoming a CPA would still be high, and may be prohibitive for many potential candidates, especially those with low income. The author recommends uprooting the present system by abolishing the college education requirement and allowing CPA candidates to obtain the knowledge they need to pass the CPA exam in other, less expensive ways. Two new options are outlined and are compared to the status quo. Both new options were found to be much more cost effective than the status quo. The present cost of obtaining a CPA can exceed $100,000. Abandoning the 150-semester hour requirement and allowing CPA candidates to prepare for the exam in other ways can drop that cost to about $5,000, a savings of 95 percent. The time needed to prepare for the exam can be reduced from 60 months to 18 months. If implemented, the plan outlined in this article could reverse the decline in the CPA population that has occurred in recent years.
Keywords: 150 semester hours, CPA, exam, AICPA, NASBA.
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TRADE LIBERALIZATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN CAMEROON: EVIDENCE FROM ARDL BOUNDS TESTING (1980-2024)
NDOUOP Alain Marcel, University of Douala (Ph. D Candidate)
MSI Journal of Economics and Business Management (MSIJEBM) | DOI https://zenodo.org/records/19625135 | Page 01 to 25
Abstract
This study examines the dynamic relationship between trade openness and economic growth over the period 1980-2024 using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) modeling framework. The control variables for the study include Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Exchange. Descriptive statistics reveal considerable volatility in economic growth, alongside moderate fluctuations in trade openness and exchange rate movements, while FDI inflows remain relatively low and unstable. Correlation results indicate positive and statistically significant associations between economic growth and trade (r = 0.5912), FDI (r = 0.4089), and exchange rate (r = 0.3865), providing preliminary evidence of growth-enhancing external sector linkages. Unit root tests confirm a mixed order of integration, with GDP growth integrated at level and other variables at first difference, thus justifying the ARDL bounds testing approach. The bounds test strongly confirms the existence of cointegration, indicating a stable long-run equilibrium relationship among the variables. Long-run estimates reveal that trade openness and exchange rate exert positive and statistically significant effects on economic growth, while FDI shows a positive but weakly significant impact. In the short run, FDI exhibits a negative and significant effect, reflecting adjustment costs and structural constraints.
The error correction term is negative and highly significant, indicating a rapid speed of adjustment toward long-run equilibrium. Diagnostic tests confirm the robustness of the model, showing no evidence of serial correlation, heteroskedasticity, or non-normality. The findings emphasize the importance of trade integration and exchange rate stability in promoting sustained economic growth, while highlighting the need to strengthen domestic absorptive capacity to fully benefit from foreign investment.
Keywords: Economic growth; Trade openness; Foreign direct investment; Exchange rate; ARDL; Cointegration; Macroeconomic dynamics.
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INTEREST-BASED RELATIONAL APPROACH FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN A CONGREGATIONAL SYSTEM
Elvis Samari N. Tamfu, Cameroon Baptist Convention.
MSI Journal of Economics and Business Management (MSIJEBM) | DOI https://zenodo.org/records/19498126 | Page 01 to 12
Abstract
Conflict is an inevitable aspect of any organizational setting, including ecclesiological ones. When poorly managed, it has been a major root cause of organizational stagnation and inefficiency. In the context of the church organization, conflict accounts for many church splits, a perpetual crisis, and, in some cases, constant judicial battles. This paper examines an interest-based related approach as a tool for conflict resolution in the congregational system of church governance. Finally, it proposes recommendations for using the interest-based relational (IBR) approach to resolve conflicts in the congregational system.
Keywords: Interest-based relational approach, conflict resolution, congregational system
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For articles published under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, any part of the article may be reused for any purpose, including commercial use, provided that the original MSIP article is clearly cited.
Tourism Intensity and Regional Monetary Transmission: Evidence from the Algarve
Vahick A. Yedgarian, Arkansas State University, AR, USA.
Ram Paudel, International American University, Los Angeles, California.
MSI Journal of Economics and Business Management (MSIJEBM) | DOI https://zenodo.org/records/19451491 | Page 01 to 20
Abstract
This study investigates regional heterogeneity in the transmission of monetary policy within a tourism-dependent economy, focusing on Portugal’s NUTS II regions and the Algarve as a case study. Using quarterly panel data from 2000Q1 to 2024Q4, the analysis combines high-frequency identified European Central Bank (ECB) monetary policy shocks with a tourism-intensity index to estimate dynamic responses through a local projection framework. The results reveal that tourism-intensive regions experience significantly larger and more persistent contractions in tourism activity, employment, and housing markets following monetary tightening. In particular, tourism demand emerges as the dominant transmission channel, accounting for nearly half of the differential regional response. Housing and credit channels further amplify these effects, reflecting the strong link between tourism activity and real estate markets. Robustness checks confirm that these findings are not driven by the COVID-19 period, alternative identification strategies, or measurement approaches. The results highlight the importance of sectoral specialization in shaping monetary transmission and demonstrate that a uniform monetary policy can generate asymmetric regional outcomes within a currency union. These findings carry important implications for macroprudential policy design and regional economic resilience in tourism-dependent economies.
Keywords: Monetary policy transmission; Regional heterogeneity; Tourism intensity
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For articles published under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, any part of the article may be reused for any purpose, including commercial use, provided that the original MSIP article is clearly cited.
