经济全球化和会计准则的国际趋同

世界经济的发展早已打破国界,经济已走向全球化。面对世界经济的急速变化,会计作为一种通用的商业语言,始终处于一个动态的、不断发展的过程中,最终走向了会计准则的国际趋同。2005年,欧盟27个成员国、澳大利亚、新西兰、俄罗斯等国约有7000家上市公司均遵循IFRSs编制财务报表。国际会计准则制定机构在2009年进行了改组,世界上越来越多的国家采用了国际财务报告准则(IFRSs)。2010年,IFRSs和美国GAAP之间的主要差异基本消失。我国财政部于2006年2月发布了39项企业会计准则,2010年又发布了《中国企业会计准则与国际财务报告准则持续趋同路线图》,中国会计准则也与IFRSs基本趋同。     

INSTITUTIONALISED JUSTIFICATION OF CORPORATE ACTION: INTERNATIONALISATION AND THE EU IN CORPORATE REPORTS

This paper provides an institutional analysis of the way a set of Finnish firms have used the concept of internationalisation and the EU in justifying major strategic decisions. They have used internationalisation, and in particular the then new possibility of Finland joining the EU, as an argument in support of radical change. An analysis of their annual reports reveals a number of institutional arguments which are strong because they are generally accepted, a priori, as being important not only to firms but indeed to Finland as a whole. In using institutional arguments firms are aligning their own interests with those of the country, and in so doing are able to justify radical changes in most parts of their own organisations. We are not claiming that Finnish firms should not react to the challenges which EU represents. Rather, we suggest that by using institutional arguments they are borrowing legitimacy from a wider public. The arguments used are typically very broad, invoking very general visions of the role of Finland in the EU. We call these arguments “easy rides” because, even if they are only partially explicated, it is generally assumed that they will become accepted without questioning by public and employees alike. Certain specific patterns of “easy rides” can be distinguished: i) The mobilisation of a “national mission”, ii) “Sacrifice now, reap the benefit later”, and iii) “Bigger is better”. The paper concludes with a methodological discussion about the difficulty of distinguishing between the technical/functional and the institutional arguments.     

Is There Any Ethical and Moral Consideration in the Theory and Practice of Global Business Social Darwinism?

Abstract

This article has revisited the interchangeable meanings of morality and ethics in today's global business practices. This article argues that in the theory and practice of the global business Social Darwinism, there is no room for ethics and morality because the competitive international business ideology promotes the “survival of the fittest.” Furthermore, the purpose of this article is to first define the distinction between morality and ethics and their application in the real world of today's business; second, to analyze the ideological foundation of the international business practices of Social Darwinism in relation to global production, consumption, profitability, and efficacy.     

IFRS Adoption and Accounting Quality: A Review

Abstract

In 2002, the European Union (EU) Parliament passed a regulation that requires consolidated and simple accounts for all companies listed in the EU to use International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for fiscal years starting after 1 January 2005. This change in accounting systems will have a large impact on the information environment for EU companies. This paper provides a review of the literature on adoption of different Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). We thus provide background and guidance for researchers studying the change in accounting quality following widespread IFRS adoption in the EU. We argue that cross-country differences in accounting quality are likely to remain following IFRS adoption because accounting quality is a function of the firm's overall institutional setting, including the legal and political system of the country in which the firm resides.     

An Empirical Analysis of International Accounting Standards, Equity Markets, and Economic Growth in Developing Countries

The International Accounting Standards Committee receives widespread support for its efforts to 'harmonize' international accounting. International Accounting Standards (IASs) are, however, controversial, particularly in the context of developing countries. The authors report the results of an exploratory study empirically examining the relationships between the adoption of IASs, equity market development, and economic growth in developing countries with equity markets. They analyzed 27 developing countries by means of a cross-national sociological research design and partial least squares. The results indicate no major association between developing countries' equity market development and economic growth due to adoption of IASs. Questions for future research are proposed.     

Corporate governance crisis down under: Post-Enron accounting education and research inertia

Abstract

Australian and New Zealand accounting academic responses to corporate governance and reporting failures is a story not simply told in the context of high profile international corporate failures such as Enron and WorldCom. This study notes a sequence of major Australian corporate failures that predate Enron and WorldCom. Through research into professional, business and research literature, profession and governmental/regulatory websites, and interviews with senior accounting academics across Australia and New Zealand, it also highlights a tale of limited response by Australian and New Zealand accounting academics and investigates the manifest and latent drivers of this inertia. The corporatisation and commercialisation of universities and related governance processes emerge as root causes of accounting academics' general failure to address recent major breakdowns in corporate governance and reporting in the business world. The paper closes by reviewing opportunities for change in an otherwise embattled environment.     

Familiness,business strategy and stakeholder engagement: The internationalisation of Spanish olive oil mills

Based on social capital theory and the family-firm context, this paper studies familiness' composition and the result of the overlap of the family and firm systems, analysing their influence on the internationalisation strategies of family firms. In this relationship, the stakeholder engagement becomes at the same time an antecedent and a result when developing family businesses' strategies, being one of the most relevant the internationalisation strategies. Prior research focused on familiness as the result of proxy variables such as the percentage of ownership and management in family hands, or business size, instead of as psychological variables resulting from shared organisational culture and social interactions. Through a qualitative study based on 12 interviews of general managers and/or export managers of Spanish family olive oil mills, this study asserts that the level of familiness influences internationalisation strategies, the reasons underlying a business becoming international and its commitment to activities abroad being the role of stakeholders crucial in those interactions. The higher the level of familiness, the more likely the family business internationalisation and the higher their levels of international commitment. Additionally, the higher the concern about their stakeholders, the higher their levels of international commitment. The family businesses' concern for their stakeholders and their international commitment share a reciprocal relationship. The results regarding the relevance of familiness as social capital resources in sustaining competitive advantages support the decision to promote, develop and nurture social capital when a family business goes international.     

The Governance of Accounting Academia: Issues for a Debate

Abstract

Philosophy and sociology of science have devoted significant attention to processes which define what counts as valid scientific knowledge thus making the producers of such knowledge legitimate academics at the expense of those who do not conform to the cliché. In accounting, too, a vibrant debate has augmented our understanding of the conditions which make certain kinds of accounting knowledge more acceptable than others. The debate included, but was not limited to, issues such as, the institutional arrangements of accounting academic associations and doctoral training regimes and how these shape journals' editorial boards and the selection of published articles. This introduction aims to reopen that debate on the two realms of institutions and practices. In terms of institutional arrangements, we note relevant changes in the forces which contribute to define the quality and relevance of accounting knowledge. We discuss the institutional space towards which accounting departments and scholars are increasingly migrating, that is, business schools. These are often separated from universities and operate under pressures which are sometimes only marginally academic in nature. In terms of practices, we observe changes in academic training regimes which favour the proliferation of opportunistic behaviours. These changes call for a debate on the governance of accounting academia, if academia is to be a knowledge and ethical, and not simply rather a business enterprise.     

Ending the Accounting-for-Intangibles Status Quo

Abstract

The surge of corporate intangible investments is the hallmark of developed economies, radically transforming the business models, strategies, and performance of business enterprises. Accounting standard-setters, however, by and large, are oblivious to this world-wide development. I establish in this study that this accounting resistance to change seriously harms investors and the economy-at-large, and accordingly I propose feasible remedial changes to the accounting system to adapt it to economic reality. I discuss implementation issues of the proposed change, and the reasons for the three-decade resistance of accounting standard-setters to change the accounting of intangibles. Finally, in order to facilitate the accounting change, I outline a wide-ranging, policy-oriented research agenda on intangibles and related issues.     

The future shape of harmonization: the EU versus the IASC versus the SEC

The paper analyses the implications of the EUs proposal to permit large multi-national corporations (global players) to present their consolidated accounts in accordance with the IASs of the IASC. After an analysis of the problems faced by both the EU and the global players, it considers the chances of the EU and the IASC reaching agreement. A major problem is identified as being that the IASC is dominated by the Anglo-American approach to financial reporting which is fundamentally different from the Continental European approach followed in the EUs directives. It is felt that a compromise might be achieved if both the EU and the IASC agreed to restrict the application of IASs to the consolidated accounts of the global players. Finally the position of the American SEC is considered in the light of the IASC-IOSCO agreement. The paper concludes that it is improbable that the SEC will accept the IASs for listing purposes on Wall Street.     

Japanese,German, and American Global Business Leadership

Abstract

Even though the issue of global business leadership has been intensively debated, few attempts have been made to investigate it from the perspective of international executives. This study is designed to address the issue of the national environments of Japan, Germany, and the U.S. and the prospect of global leadership for each nation. Seventy-four top Saudi Arabian firms participated. The results indicate that Japan is perceived to offer the most conducive business environment for effective global competition. In addition, participants believe that Japan and Germany will surpass the U.S. economically and technologically in the near future.     

Work‐To‐Life Conflict and Enrichment Among International Business Travelers: The Role of International Career Orientation

The present study examines the direct and moderating effects of an international career orientation in the relationship between frequency and duration of international business traveling and work‐to‐life conflict and enrichment. In addition, the effort‐reward imbalance that potentially features in the international business traveler's job was examined in relation to work‐to‐life conflict and enrichment. The study was conducted among 232 Finnish people in jobs requiring international business travel. A moderated hierarchical regression analysis shows that travel of considerable duration and a pronounced effort‐reward imbalance had direct links to work‐to‐life conflict. In contrast, low effort‐reward imbalance and a strong international career orientation had direct links to work‐to‐life enrichment. In addition, having a strong orientation to an international career decreases work‐to‐life conflict when a job requires very frequent traveling, but the moderation effect was not found in relation to duration of traveling. Our findings indicate that interventions aimed at reducing work‐to‐life conflict and increasing work‐to‐life enrichment among international business travelers should focus on fostering a balance between efforts and rewards at work. The extent of employees’ internationalism should also be considered when recruiting people into jobs involving international business travel. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Key Concepts in Ethnography

Abstract

As a reaction to recent corporate scandals, corporate law and accounting regulations have recently been modified in German-speaking countries. Despite changing corporate contexts and agendas, accounting research in these countries has been comparatively silent on issues of corporate governance. In this paper, we discuss this limited response, focusing particularly on the field of management accounting. In German-speaking countries, management accounting is conceived of in a specific way (usually referred to as Controlling). The traditions of such a practice and the associated academic school of thought have made it difficult for researchers to consider issues of corporate governance and internal control in more empirical depth. Pointing to the importance of investigating the actual use of accounting systems and, thus, the social and institutional context of accounting, we propose a strategy for research and education that would allow for more comprehensive insights into the role that (management) accounting might play in corporate scandals.     

Accrual accounting does not necessarily mean accrual accounting: Factors that counteract compliance with accounting standards in Swedish municipal accounting

The regulation of Swedish municipal accounting has undergone fundamental changes over recent decades. Municipal accounting became regulated by law the 1st of January, 1998 after having been merely voluntarily regulated in the past. In accordance with the legislation, a standard-setting body was formed, with responsibility for development and interpretation of generally accepted accounting principles for municipal accounting. Important aims of the legislation and reform were to suppress ‘creative’ accounting and to increase the level of harmonization and comparability. Using the lens of positive accounting theory as well as institutional theory, this paper describes and explains the impact of the legislation and standard setting in the Swedish municipal sector. We have used a triangulation approach, collecting data through a survey, documentary study and interviews. The overall results show that the reform has had a very limited impact on accounting practice. Compliance with accounting standards was in general poor. This result is in line with the assumptions of positive accounting theory. However, the study also shows that there are differences among the preparers which can be explained by institutional theory. Large municipalities produce better accounting information (i.e. more in line with generally accepted accounting principles) than the municipalities in general. Weak audit quality seems to be another important factor that explains the poor compliance with accounting standards.     

Multiple Origins of Accounting? An Early Italian Example of the Development of Accounting for Managerial Purposes

ABSTRACT

Utilising archival materials relating to an Italian pottery manufacturer, Manifattura Ginori, this paper examines the development of the company's accounting system during the 19th century. By the early 1800s, Manifattura Ginori is shown to have developed a double-entry bookkeeping system and to have carried out cost calculations. Deficiencies in the archive unfortunately do not enable us to determine precisely the nature of the links between the cost calculations and the financial accounting system during the early decades of the 19th century. However, as the century wore on, and the business moved from being an artisanal based manufacturer of high quality porcelain to a large-scale, industrial producer of utilitarian wares, Manifattura Ginori developed its system of accounting to reflect organisational changes and managerial needs. The Ginori archives therefore not only provide us with a rare glimpse of accounting in an early industrial context in Italy, but also of the use of accounting as a mechanism for business management and control in a non-Anglo-Saxon context. In particular it allows us to examine the role of accountants, to throw light on factors causing accounting change, and the relevance of alternative theoretical paradigms in interpreting such changes. By placing the experiences of Manifattura Ginori in a context of developments elsewhere in Europe, especially Britain and France, some implications can be drawn regarding the possibility of multiple origins of accounting ideas.     

物流费用审核业务在欧美发展及在我国的机遇和挑战

通过分析物流费用审核业务在中国和欧美等发达国家开展情况,提出了在中国进行物流费用审核业务的可行性以及面临的挑战。研究过程中,大量地了解了欧美发达国家的物流费用审核外包状况及行业趋势,结合了笔者多年在某跨国企业从事物流费用核付业务的丰富工作经验,以及多年对国内企业物流费用核付业务的了解。分析了物流费用审核业务在国内开展的可行性以及可能面临的机遇和挑战。     

An Integrated Approach to Internationalizing the Hospitality and Tourism Curriculum in the USA

SUMMARY

The hospitality and tourism industry in the USA is increasingly operating in a changing international business environment. Its customers and guests are international tourists and business travellers, its major employers are often multi-national corporations, and its employees are of multi-ethnic heritage. This paper examines the need for universities to take a coordinated approach in internationalizing their hospitality and tourism curriculum. Such an approach is needed to prepare students for the global work environment of the future. It presents and evaluates the various approaches that have been taken by institutions from around the world, in their efforts to internationalize their programs. The paper then examines the case of The Hotel Management School Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, which has taken an integrated approach to curriculum internationalization. Information in this paper is drawn from examples in the literature, as well as from the international experiences of the authors. Finally, this paper concludes with a model that can be used to design a fully integrated curriculum.     

Service Quality Measures in Vietnam and Australia

Abstract

Satisfied customers are vital to creating and maintaining a sustainable advantage in the highly competitive business environment that applies today. Other forms of competitive advantage are easily lost, or copied by competitors. Consequently, customer satisfaction and service quality have been of considerable interest to researchers and practitioners alike over the last two decades, and a substantial body of formal academic work has emerged to address these issues. However, comparatively little work has been done to date in studying what managers of businesses actually do in practice to measure, and consequently manage, their customer satisfaction and service quality, and there has been even less work done on international differences in perceptions of these attributes. This paper reports the results of a comparative study of managers' perceptions of their customers' opinions of service quality in Australia (as an example of a developed country, 318 responses) and Vietnam (as an example of a country in transition from central control, 49 responses).     

Business Involvement in Accounting: A Case Study of International Financial Reporting Standards Adoption and the Work of Accountants

Abstract

Although Byrne and Pierce [(2007) Towards more comprehensive understanding of the roles of management accountants, European Accounting Review, 16(3), pp. 469–498] found that an increasing regulatory burden may decrease accountants' chances of getting involved in business, little is known about corporate reporting practice and whether, and if yes how, regulation impacts on accountants' work. In order to fill this gap, the paper provides a case study analysis of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption and its impact on and implications for an accountant's role, positions, practices and work in a continental European context. This study describes how IFRS expect information preparers to take more responsibility for reporting than domestic accounting standards. Thus, the present study contributes to the literature by arguing that it depends on the set of accounting standards how they impact on accountants' work. The study shows why and how especially IFRS' requirement of ‘business involvement’ in accounting revolutionises accountants' work and how it has implications on their roles, practices and positions in the case firm. Finally, the paper explains how learning and knowledge creation required by IFRS adoption was made possible through communities of practice and hence how it was possible to clarify the responsibilities of divisional and group accountants in the case firm. Thus, the present study enhances our understanding of reporting activity by describing actual practices of and mechanisms used in corporate reporting.     

Tour Operators and Sustainable Development–A Contribution to the Environment

ABSTRACT

In recent years the attitude of tour operators towards the environment in tourism destinations has been slowly changing, as consumers have put greater pressure towards sustainable tourism. Although there are just a few tour operators in Europe that take responsibility for sustainability and the environment, these are among the biggest ones, and they have the power and are willing to change their practice and the practice of many others in this business. Moreover, their central position in the tourism system gives them great potential to influence the decisions and behaviour of both sides: tourists and service providers.