Internationalization of the introductory financial accounting course

This note describes the method used at Illinois State University to add an international perspective to the introductory financial accounting course. It discusses the materials distributed to the faculty and gives suggestions for integrating them with textbook material.     

The introductory financial accounting course: Its role in the curriculum for accounting majors

This paper reports a study that addressed two related research questions. The first concerns the proper emphasis in teaching introductory financial accounting in terms of the conceptual and procedural aspects of the subject. The second deals with the adequacy of introductory courses in preparing accounting majors for their intermediate and advanced accounting courses. Professors who had recently taught intermediate and/or advanced accounting responded to a questionnaire designed to answer the above questions. A recent study of the curriculum for accounting majors helped provide a framework for part of the questionnaire. The responses provide some evidence favoring a more conceptual emphasis, although it is not conclusive. There is a clear indication that these professors perceive the preparation received by accounting majors to be inadequate. A related finding is that more study of the accounting curriculum is needed, especially in terms of when the various topics should be taught.     

Using accounting equation analysis to teach the statement of cash flows in the first financial accounting course

Understanding the statement of cash flows requires that students have some knowledge of accrual-basis accounting. This means that coverage of the statement of cash flows is deferred until late in the introductory financial accounting course and related textbooks, a time when student motivation and retention may be waning. The timing of statement of cash flow coverage is unfortunate for two reasons. First, the statement of cash flows is an important topic that all business students need to understand. Second, most students understand cash flows at the start of their financial accounting class, so there is no reason to defer coverage of this topic.This paper describes a user-oriented, pedagogical approach to integrating the statement of cash flows throughout the first financial accounting course. The essence of this approach is the use of an expanded accounting equation with temporary cash accounts corresponding to the major categories on the statement of cash flows. Directly capturing cash flow information simplifies the preparation of the statement of cash flows.     

税务会计与财务会计差异比较与协调

随着会计制度与税务制度改革,财务会计与税务会计差异逐渐增多,而且制度差异不但没有产生其预期的积极效果,反而伴生了很多负效应.税务会计与财务会计协调的总体思路应是税务会计向财务会计靠拢.     

The use of on-line summative assessment in an undergraduate financial accounting course

According to the Quality Assurance Agency [QAA (2006). Section 6: Assessment of students, Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education. <http://www.qaa.ac.uk/>. Accessed 14.03.2007] “Assessment describes any processes that appraise an individual’s knowledge, understanding, abilities or skills” and is inextricably linked to a course or programme’s intended learning outcomes. Assessment also has a fundamental effect on students’ learning where it serves a variety of purposes including evaluation, feedback and motivation. Assessment also provides a performance indicator for both students and staff. Computer-aided assessment (CAA) offers an option for “sustainable assessment” and provides opportunities for creating innovative assessment practices that help engage students and increase their motivation for learning. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study where a series of on-line summative assessments were introduced into a first-year financial accounting course. Feedback from students obtained from an evaluative survey and focus group interviews indicates that assessment played a significant role in the teaching/learning process. That is, students perceived a beneficial impact on learning, motivation, and engagement.     

Introducing spreadsheets into an intermediate financial accounting course: the results of a quasi-experiment

Previous research has revealed a measurable decrease in student attitude towards the use of computers when they are integrated into teaching. This fall in attitude is thought to reflect the initial diffculties encountered when attempting to use computers and learn acounting techniques at the same time. However, it is postulated that once the students' computer ability has achieved an adequate level, then attitude will recover. This paper reports the results of a continuing investigation into the attitude of second-year undergraduate accounting students towords the use of computers in their studies. The method used was to ask students to complete a questionnaire about their attitudes and self-assessed ability and to undergo a written test of their computer/spreadsheet Knowledge. These data were merged with those from earlier testing to give a two-year data set. The results indicate that the attitude of students to using computers generally continued to fall significantly. However, their ability to use computers and spreadsheets rose. In the case of spreadsheets, this rise in ability was significant. It was found that students who took, as options, additional courses which integrated computers had more positive attiudes and achieved higher scores in the computer Knowledge test than those who did not. This implies that the initial fall in attitude experienced in previous studies was not an isolated temporary phenomenon. The imporvement in ability is observed, but this did not have the expected effect.     

电子商务对财务会计的影响

一、电子商务对会计理论的影响 (一)电子商务对会计基本假设的影响 会计假设是根据变化不定的社会经济环境所作的合理推论.现行财务会计是建立在会计主体、持续经营、会计分期、货币计量四项假设之上的.随着电子商务的到来,原有的会计所依据的社会经济环境发生了巨大变化,会计假设也要发生相应的变化.     

Integrating tax and financial accounting concepts into the partnership accounting curriculum

The integration of partnership financial accounting and tax accounting into the accounting curriculum has become very important in the current environment of increased partnership activity. The primary purpose of this article is to assist accounting educators in both financial and tax courses with this integration process. To accomplish this objective, a partnership's life cycle is detailed from formation to liquidation. Journal entries are presented to enable the reader to quickly assimilate the transactions involved in the life cycle. Supporting worksheets and partners' tax basis tables are also presented to depict the position of the partnership and partners, respectively, at the end of each stage of the life cycle. This article's example is designed to permit accounting instructors to integrate both tax and financial accounting concepts when teaching either advanced accounting or partnership taxation in the most efficient manner.     

税务会计原则、财务会计原则的比较与思考

由于税务会计要以税法为导向,因此,体现税收原则的税收核算原则也就是税务会计原则。税务会计原则一般都隐含在税法中,它虽然远远不如(财务)会计原则那么明确、那么公认,但其刚性、其硬度,却要明显高于(财务)会计原则,纳税人一旦违反,就要受到税法等相关法律的惩处。文章对由税法主导的税务会计原则与投资人导向的财务会计原则进行了比较,从中可见两者的差异及其产生的原因。研究税务会计原则与财务会计原则的差异,旨在探讨如何构建符合国际化发展趋势的税务会计与财务会计的关系模式。     

Fourth annual conference on financial economics and accounting

Announcement

Fourth annual conference on financial economics and accounting     

Financial accounting return on investment and financial leverage

This note presents a method for teaching the concept of financial leverage and its relationship to accounting rates of return. Typically, financial leverage is only briefly mentioned in introductory accounting textbooks, and it is rarely related explicitly to rates of return on total assets and on common stockholders' equity. Yet the concept is an important one for financial managers. We have developed and class tested a numerical illustration to explain in a conceptually sound manner why the two rates of return differ. Accounting instructors who share our view that financial leverage should be covered more thoroughly in the introductory accounting course will find this example to be a useful supplement. The example can also be used as a way to develop critical thinking skills or to enhance a user orientation.     

财会信息资源元数据标准的研究

对大量的,非标准化的财会信息资源进行研究和挖掘,目前的技术关键是要建立财会信息资源的数据仓库,以便利用各种工具进行数据挖掘和分析研究。而数据仓库的建立,需要构建在财会信息领域的元数据规范,开发和应用财会信息资源领域的元数据标准。本文在简要介绍元数据相关概念的基础上,对国际上比较常用的元数据标准进行了深入探讨,并在研究财会信息资源特征的基础上,对如何开发财会信息资源元数据,提出了基于ISO11179和DublinCore框架的财会信息资源元数据开发方案,并对财会信息资源元数据的属性定义和管理等问题进行了探讨。     

Heterogeneous student perceptions of accounting course importance and their implications for SET reporting and use

This research tests for an association between student perceptions of accounting course importance (PCI) and student evaluation of teaching (SET) ratings of satisfaction with instructor performance, course quality, and grading procedures. The study also investigates whether instructor rankings constructed from SET ratings vary across student groupings based on PCI. Using responses from students enrolled in introductory accounting classes at three AACSB-accredited accounting programs we find that SET ratings vary significantly with PCI. We also find that instructor rankings constructed from SET ratings vary with PCI. These findings suggest that, when heterogeneous perceptions are present, satisfying all students enrolled in a course may not be possible and that reliance on aggregated SET data may obscure important differences in student opinion. In this circumstance, disaggregating SET data by PCI and emphasizing the feedback of students holding higher (stronger) perceptions of course importance may enhance SET diagnostic value.     

New development: China promotes government financial accounting and management accounting

In late 2013, China's political leadership decided to require the government to practice accrual accounting and prepare whole-of-government financial reports. This decision was codified in the new budget law and followed up by a State Council directive endorsing the reform proposal of the Ministry of Finance. Some basic government accounting standards have been made public for comment. In the same timeframe, the ministry also decided to promote management accounting in order to raise the competency and contributions of China's millions of accounting personnel.     

Incorporating financial literacy into the accounting curriculum

Financial literacy education, or the lack thereof, has received much attention in recent years. Over the past two decades, we have witnessed the dot com bubble, corporate scandals that stirred the market, and a large recession. Because many individuals turn to accountants for financial advice, it is now more important than ever for professionals to possess a strong foundation in basic financial literacy to better serve their clients. While the responsibility of financial literacy education does not lie with one institution or one individual, multiple efforts have been put in place to provide financial literacy education to the public. The purpose of this paper is to describe how financial literacy education was successfully incorporated into the accounting classroom to provide tomorrow’s professionals with a strong foundation in financial literacy.     

Complexity of financial reporting standards and accounting expertise

This study tests whether firms seek to mitigate the adverse effects of Financial Reporting Complexity (FRC) by investing in accounting expertise. We develop a measure of FRC based on the complexity of accounting standards that govern annual disclosures. We find that FRC is positively related to the accounting expertise on a firm’s board of directors and audit committee. We also find that accounting expertise mitigates the relation between FRC and negative reporting outcomes. Collectively, this study increases our understanding of the actions firms take to mitigate the negative consequences of FRC, and the role of accounting expertise in this setting.