Walter Mahlberg's Valuation Theory: An Anomaly in the Development of Inflation Accounting

Walter Mahlberg's inflation-accounting treatise of 1921, Bilanztechnik und Bewertung bei schwankender Währung , contains the first book-length price-level-adjustment model in the literature. As the title of the book indicates, Mahlberg treated the matter of restatement technique and the matter of asset valuation during inflation as distinct topics. Mahlberg's restatement technique was not without immediate influence in Germany and has been addressed previously in English-language publications. His valuation theory, on the other hand, had little effect on contemporary developments and remains an anomaly in the literature today. In particular, Mahlberg saw the effect of certain specific price-level changes—those whose rate of change exceeded general inflation—as giving rise to unavoidable future losses; losses, he maintained, that should be recognized currently. Since Mahlberg's theory is generally unknown outside Germany, the present paper first provides English-speaking audiences with an explication of the logic that led Mahlberg to his unique conclusion. It then argues that although Mahlberg's valuation theory represents a cul-de-sac in the development of inflation accounting itself, it ironically may have contributed to Henry Sweeney's 1936 concept of 'unrealized appreciation', which is an early conceptualization of a holding gain, net of inflation.     

The Usefulness of Financial Reporting in Spanish Local Governments

Since 1992, accounting for Spanish local governments has been undergoing substantial change. The application of a new regulation has introduced the double entry system, an approximation to the accounting terminology used in the private sector and the presentation of financial statements beyond the purely budgetary reporting. In this context, the paper attempts to examine the extent to which the new regulation has achieved the objectives of financial reporting, who the users of the information could be, what the usefulness of the financial statements is and what they are used for in local governments. The results prove that the financial reporting of local governments can be useful for potential users like audit institutions, financial institutions or creditors. However, there is a long way to go before we can say that the information is used to the maximum. This implies that further progress is necessary in the use of financial information in local governments, and fundamentally it is necessary to introduce techniques of financial analysis traditionally used in business entities.     

浅析财务会计与税务会计的协调

本文从财务会计与税务会计的目标、原则及核算的差异出发,探讨如何协调财务会计与税务会计.     

Accounting Information in Financial Contracting: The Incomplete Contract Theory Perspective

This paper reviews theoretical and empirical work on financial contracting that is relevant to accounting researchers. Its primary objective is to discuss how the use of accounting information in contracts enhances contracting efficiency and to suggest avenues for future research. We argue that incomplete contract theory broadens our understanding of both the role accounting information plays in contracting and the mechanisms through which efficiency gains are achieved. By discussing its rich theoretical implications, we expect incomplete contract theory to prove useful in motivating future research and in offering directions to advance our knowledge of how accounting information affects contract efficiency.     

关于会计计量理论结构之认识

社会环境是构建会计计量理论结构的逻辑起点。会计计量理论包括会计计量基础理论和会计计量应用理论。探索会计理论结构,能够促进我国会计理论的发展,为会计工作者理解和掌握会计准则、会计制度提供帮助,从而使会计理论更好地为我国经济服务。     

论我国的财务会计目标

财务会计目标是财务会计理论的一个基本问题。确立我国财务会计目标的原则应包括稳定性、先进性、适用性和系统性。我国的会计目标受会计环境的影响，主要体现在资本市场的发展、通货膨胀、可持续发展战略、新技术革命和知识经济的影响上。因此，我国的财务会计目标应定位于决策有用之上，并保证相关性和可靠性的统一，这是第一层次上的目标。其次，还应确立在此基础上的多层次的具体目标。     

金融资源论:对金融功能观与金融机构观的综合研究

金融资源论的提出是对金融基础理论研究的一次重大挑战.从金融机构观向金融功能观的演进是金融理论对现实世界变化的一种回应,金融资源论的提出同样是如此.金融资源的三个层次其实可以分为实体部分和功能部分,这两部分的主要内容和研究思路分别与金融机构观和金融功能观相对应.由此可见,在金融资源论与金融机构观和金融功能观之间存在着某种逻辑联系,即金融资源论是对金融机构观与金融功能观的一种综合,具有更为开阔的理论研究视角.这既为金融资源论构建了更为坚实的理论基础,也为金融资源论的进一步完善拓展了空间.     

金融风险的信息质量特征与我国金融会计制度改革

本文着眼于巴塞尔新资本协议第三次征求意见稿提出的金融风险监管和信息披露框架,以我国金融会计制度的国际化协调为切入点,分析了信用风险、市场风险和操作风险等金融风险的构成要素,指出现有监管信息系统和会计体系存在的问题.同时,本文还评价了我国新<金融企业会计制度>等规范对金融风险的披露和监管特征,分析了新制度对银行类上市公司所产生的影响,并提出了建立以风险计量会计披露为核心的监管体系的构想.本文最后对协同新巴塞尔协议的监管原则,建立完整的银行业信息披露框架,形成动态信息披露机制提出了一些建议.     

National Accounting, Governmental Accounting and Cross-country Comparisons of Government Financial Condition

The assessment of the financial condition of governments within the European Monetary Union is based on the 'Deficit-to-GDP' and the 'Debt-to-GDP' ratios. Reliable judgements and cross-national comparisons require reconciliation of national accounting and governmental accounting as well as a certain degree of transnational standardisation of governmental accounting. Recent and current developments of national accounting and governmental accounting systems have not considered these aspects and have therefore contributed, whether deliberately or not, to a questioning of the usefulness of the above-mentioned ratios.     

财务会计目标之透视

财务会计目标是会计准则的基石,用来指引整个财务会计概念框架和会计准则体系的构建,在会计准则制定工作中起重要的导航作用。本文在对财务会计目标综述的基础上,分析了我国会计环境对财务会计目标的影响;进一步明确了在我国目前的会计环境下,财务会计目标应定位于"决策有用观+受托责任观"。     

论财务会计信息在公司治理中的作用

财务会计信息对于公司治理具有重要意义。高质量的会计信息可以降低管理层与外部人之间的信息不对称,从而有助于解决逆向选择和道德风险问题;信息披露自身可以对管理层形成有效的约束,促使管理层强化受托责任,并可以为相关主体提供治理所需信息,从而加强外部人对管理层的监督和制约;通过降低对其他高成本治理机制的需求,高质量的会计信息还可以有效地降低公司治理的整体成本,提高治理效率。因此,财务会计信息是实现公司治理目标、保护投资者利益的重要工具。我国应当不断地完善会计准则,并加强会计监管,以提高会计信息质量,更好地为公司治理服务。     

金融网络理论与应用综述

本文详细综述了金融网络理论在系统风险方面的应用。重点指出现实中的金融网络具有小世界网络和无标度网络的特征。对现实金融网络节点中心性的静态分析有助于寻找系统重要性银行,而网络结构变动的动态分析则包含预测金融危机和银行间市场利率的信息。     

'Shopping Around' for Accounting Practices: The Financial Statement Presentation of French Groups

This article illustrates the progressive move away from traditional accounting practices through a study of the presentation of financial statements. Based on a sample of one hundred large French industrial and commercial groups over a ten-year period, and applying a logistic regression method, our survey confirms a trend among French companies, which are increasingly turning their backs on traditional national practices as regards the balance sheet format, the income statement format, the voluntary disclosure of a statement of changes in shareholders' equity and the cash flow statement format. This move towards 'alternative' practices is made possible by the flexibility of French regulation, and can probably be explained by the desire of French firms to attract more investment on international capital markets. However, this trend shows no signs of a clear orientation towards any particular accounting model (IAS, U.S. or U.K.). The behaviour of the French firms observed in our study can be considered as a kind of 'shopping around' for accounting practices.     

管理会计的发展与展望

我国管理会计的发展呈现出以下特点:大多数企业的信息系统依然是为财务会计而非管理会计设计的。而在管理会计的教育界,这种局限性体现在:一方面,对已有的管理会计应用经验缺乏总结和提高。另一方面,学术界投入的力量比较少,学者们不肯深入实践去调查,去总结经验。甚至可以说,长期以来理论界过于偏重财务会计。21世纪我国管理会计发展的关键是要充分发挥管理会计的作用,提高企业经济效益,因此,必须从推动管理会计发展的原动力出发,立足于我国的国情。现代管理会计具有系统化、规范化、职业化、社会化和国际化的发展趋势。     

The Use of Foreign Accounting Data in UK Financial Institutions

Globalisation of securities markets has caused many members of the investment community to use foreign accounting data. This paper examines how this foreign data is used by some London-based participants in the market. Areas for examination are established after looking at the extensive published research on the use of domestic accounting data and the small amount of published research in an international context. Twenty-one market participants were interviewed, although four of these were treated as a pilot, so that most findings were based on 17 interviewees working for six institutions. If this sample is representative, our findings suggest that market participants are inexpert in accounting; sector experts see international accounting differences as a hindrance but country experts do not; participants use foreign accounting data for analysis but very few adjust it (although fund managers think that analysts do); there is some avoidance of countries or sectors for accounting reasons; and there is very little knowledge of international accounting differences.     

市场经济条件下财务管理理论创新的三维视觉

十六届三中全会提出"完善"社会主义市场经济体制.为了与完善的市场体制相适应,财务管理学理论体系必须全面创新.本文试图从"市场化"、"人本化"、"全球化"的角度,探索财务管理理论创新的前提、创新的背景和创新的视觉,尝试着为财务管理理论的创新提供一种新的思维模式,搭建一个新的创新"平台".     

会计信息供需矛盾的探讨

会计信息是一种特殊的商品,即"公共商品",因此也适用经济学的供求定理。根据这一定理,当会计信息的供给与需求不相等时,就会产生会计信息的供需矛盾。会计理论本身固有的局限性是会计信息供需矛盾产生的内在因素,会计环境的不断变化是会计信息供需矛盾产生的外在原因。解决会计信息供需矛盾的对策:一是充实与改进会计理论与会计方法;二是完善会计准则与会计制度;三是改善会计环境。     

The Financial Accountability of Australia's Medicare System: A Generational Accounting Analysis

The financial sustainability of publicly funded health care systems is sensitive to the demographics of ageing populations, which have a significant bearing on their financial management, accountability and reporting of their financial performance. This paper examines historical and current trends in demographic structure of Australia's population that are likely to impact on the financial management and accountability practices affecting Australia'suniversal public health care system ('Medicare'). The pay-as-you-go financed funding status of Medicare as represented under both currently required, cash-based accounting principles and proposed accrual-based accounting principles are criticised for not recognising the obligations of the Australian government under Medicare. An alternative system of generational accounting is proposed that projects the financial management costs of Medicare. Data are taken from both historical trends in expenditure and ageing as well as projected demographics. The analysis implies that there is significant intergenerational-inequity in the funding of Medicare, which is not recognised under accrual-based accounting principles that are now being used to evaluate the financial accountability and performance of government entities.     

The Revenue Consequences of Using Formula Apportionment to Calculate U.S. and Foreign-Source Income: A Firm-Level Analysis

This paper examines the 1989–1993 publicly available financial reports of 46 U.S.-based multinationals to estimate the revenue implications of implementing a U.S. federal formula apportionment system. Ignoring behavioral responses, we estimate shifting to an equal-weighted, three-factor formula would have increased their U.S. tax liabilities by 38 percent, with an 81 percent increase for oil and gas firms. We find the firms report a lower percentage of their worldwide profits as American profits than their American share of assets, sales, or payroll. The results may be attributed to more profitable foreign operations, tax-motivated income shifting, or measurement error.     

Precision in Accounting Information, Financial Leverage and the Value of Equity

Abstract:  Using an equity valuation model characterized by periodic imperfect accounting information, we examine how financial leverage affects a firm's accounting quality choice (i.e., precision). We find that the existence of financial leverage motivates firms with average to good performance to prepare accounting information with a high degree of precision. However, we conclude that when a firm is performing poorly it has an incentive to reduce accounting precision in order to lower the likelihood of both a debt covenant violation and the detection of accounting bias.