As a response to the financial crisis of 2008 the IASB and the FASB developed IFRS 9 and ASC 326, respectively. These accounting regulations are supposed to increase reporting transparency and promote financial stability by determining the calculation and recognition of loan loss provisions. However, previous literature has brought up concerns that loan loss provisions can negatively impact the lending activity in banks. If that was the case, they would negatively affect the amount of capital available in an economy and thereby threaten financial stability and economic growth especially during times of economic downturns. To shed light on this topic, this thesis investigates the relationship between loan loss provisions and lending activity in banks applying IFRS and US GAAP. The thesis provides practical as well as theoretical implications as it discusses the findings in a practical context and relates it to relevant theories.  The dataset utilized includes empirical data from Q1 2020 until Q4 2022 and covers 330 banks from 38 countries. The data was gathered from Refinitiv´s Eikon database as well as from the International Monetary Fund. It was then statistically analyzed by conducting different kinds of statistical inference. All methods applied are of a quantitative nature and the underlying methodology is positivist. The results of this thesis suggest that loan loss provisions under IFRS 9 are on average higher than under ASC 326. Further, it was found that loan loss provisions under IFRS 9 exhibit a statistically significant negative relationship with lending activity. In contrast, this relationship was found to be insignificant under ASC 326. Together, these findings suggest that higher loan loss provisions have a negative effect on lending activity. It is concluded that the impairment model of IFRS 9 might compromise financial stability by limiting lending activities during times of economic turmoil.  Additionally, due to the increased room for managerial judgment under IFRS 9 it is theorized that the higher loan loss provisions can be the result of earnings management. Loan loss provisions under IFRS 9 could thus be more supported by Agency theory. On the other hand, ASC 326 offers less room for managerial discretion and could be more supported by Stewardship theory. This thesis also suggests topics for potential future research. The knowledge about loan loss provisions and their effects on lending activity could be extended by using different variables in the regression model. Additionally, a longer timeframe as well as other accounting standards could be investigated. Furthermore, the effects of loan loss provisions on loan quality and risk management in banks are in need of further examination. Lastly, the capital requirements of Basel III and their impact on procyclicality should be researched.

This research introduces a high-performance electric taxiing system (ETS) as a modern solution to improve the on-ground operations of today’s aircraft, which are conventionally powered through the main engines. The presented ETS is propelled by electric motors, integrated into the main landing gear of a state-of-the-art midsize commercial aircraft, and powered by an additional not quantified electrical energy storage system. The proposed system can therefore operate autonomously from any aircraft-internal power source, i.e. Auxiliary Power Unit or equivalent. The main objective of this work is to assess the energy consumption of the introduced ETS while considering energy recuperation due to regenerative braking. The ETS powertrain is sized to match modern conventional taxi performances that were seen in 36 self-recorded takeoff- and landing taxi driving profiles. A custom ETS simulation model was developed and simulated across all available driving profiles to confirm the desired powertrain performance and to predict the system’s energy consumption. For the purpose of enhancing the validity of these energy consumption predictions, a suitable motor controller is then designed by the use of MATLAB Simulink. An easy-to-implement switch loss model was created to predict the ETS motor controller efficiency map. Finally, the former energy consumption predictions were revised for the implementation of the motor controller and an estimated traction motor efficiency map. The results exhibit that the revised ETS simulation model was capable of refining the energy consumption. It was found that the ETS will consume up to 9.89 kWh on average if the full potential of the traction motors energy recuperation capabilities are being used. The simulation outcomes further demonstrate that regenerative braking offers great potential in ETS applications since more than 14 % of required traction energy could be regenerated to yield the above mentioned average energy consumption. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)