Making accounting degrees fit for a university

This contribution is a commentary on the paper by Chabrak and Craig (2013) that calls for accounting pedagogy reforms that place accounting within its socio-economic context and enable students to formulate critiques and alternatives. It examines four areas pertinent to this: accounting curricula and pedagogy; accounting's relation within universities and to professional accounting institutions; student expectations; and accounting academics. The commentary concurs with the plea of Chabrak and Craig for curriculum and pedagogy reforms but notes the difficulties this faces in the UK (and possibly elsewhere) given the growing commercialisation of and competition between UK universities, and the influence of professional credentialing upon accounting academics who lack knowledge of accounting research. However, there is a public interest need, and a student and employer desire for curriculum and pedagogical reform and university teaching quality systems do not militate against this. The conclusion is that it lies with accounting academics to counter the drift of accounting degrees imitating from professional accounting courses.     

Empirical research on accounting choice

We review research from the 1990s that examines the determinants and consequences of accounting choice, structuring our analysis around the three types of market imperfections that influence managers’ choices: agency costs, information asymmetries, and externalities affecting non-contracting parties. We conclude that research in the 1990s made limited progress in expanding our understanding of accounting choice because of limitations in research design and a focus on replication rather than extension of current knowledge. We discuss opportunities for future research, recommending the exploration of the economic implications of accounting choice by addressing the three different reasons why accounting matters.     

Accounting for government grants: Standard-setting and accounting choice

This paper provides evidence on several matters relating to accounting for government grants under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Focusing on grants related to assets, we trace the development of International Accounting Standard (IAS) 20, outline some of the problems of current accounting practice, and suggest why these have not been addressed by the standard-setter. Then, by hand-collecting data relating to 559 firms from 15 countries, we empirically analyze several issues. We show that asset grants are economically important for some firms and that the frequency of grants is significantly different across the countries. For the non-financial firms in our sample, we identify the grant-related accounting policy choice: a firm can either show the grant as deferred income or net it against the asset. The options are roughly equally popular overall but the firm’s country of domicile is strongly associated with the choice. Further, as a key element of disclosure quality for this topic, we investigate whether or not the balance sheet-related numbers relating to grants are disclosed, finding that many firms do not disclose them. Disclosure quality is better for firms which use the ‘deferred income’ option, and it is also better in countries where a higher proportion of firms has received government grants. International differences and poor disclosure are detrimental to international comparisons, so we conclude that the policy choice should be removed from the accounting standard.     

Financial accounting choice and earnings management

This paper presents a case that exposes students in graduate accounting or MBA financial accounting classes to the concepts of accounting choice and earnings management. In the case, students role-play as a manager who, facing conflicting incentives, must make and defend three expense estimates for a hypothetical company. Students also read selected business press articles that introduce earnings management and that highlight the importance of the issue to the business community. The articles give students some background from which to approach the choices they will make with respect to the financial statements.     

Financial accounting choice and earnings management

This paper presents a case that exposes students in graduate accounting or MBA financial accounting classes to the concepts of accounting choice and earnings management. In the case, students role-play as a manager who, facing conflicting incentives, must make and defend three expense estimates for a hypothetical company. Students also read selected business press articles that introduce earnings management and that highlight the importance of the issue to the business community. The articles give students some background from which to approach the choices they will make with respect to the financial statements.     

Discussion of empirical research on accounting choice

This discussion considers four aspects of the survey paper on empirical accounting choice research by Fields, Lys and Vincent: implications of the authors’ selection of an expansive definition of accounting choice and their decision to classify this research by managerial motives; implications of the authors’ decision to include implementation decisions in their definition of accounting choice; implications of the authors’ call for research on the consequences of accounting choice, including the costs of defective accounting choices and the benefits of superior choices; implications of the authors’ call for a reconsideration of research designs that explicitly consider groups of accounting choices.     

Some economic determinants of accounting policy choice

This paper utilizes probit analysis to determine if size, risk, capital intensity, concentration, and the existence of incentive compensation plans affect the choice of accounting principles. The results indicate that they do but not on a consistent basis.     

Stakeholders' implicit claims and accounting method choice

Based on theory and anecdotal evidence, we argue that ongoing implicit claims between a firm and its customers, suppliers, employees, and short-term creditors create incentives for management to choose long-run income-increasing accounting methods. Variables selected to proxy for the extent to which a firm depends on these implicit claims are found to be significant in explaining cross-sectional variation in inventory and depreciation methods. These variables remain incrementally significant when we include traditional variables found to have explanatory power in prior studies (i.e., leverage, bonus compensation, tax, and regulatory/political exposure variables).     

Effects of database choice on international accounting research

Data availability is one of the traditional obstacles confronting researchers carrying out international empirical studies in accounting. In recent years several databases have claimed to offer comprehensive coverage of accounting and financial data of firms worldwide. We analyse whether the choice of database has an effect on the results of empirical studies. We find that the results of a simple empirical adaptation of the Ohlson (1995 ) model for fourteen member states of the European Union change significantly depending on the database chosen (Datastream, Global Vantage, Company Analysis, Worldscope, Thomson Financial, Financials and BvD Osiris). These differences are mainly attributable to differences in the samples across databases. When we match observations across all databases the differences persist but are much less pronounced. Our main conclusion is that database choice matters, as it leads to different results when the same research design is used.     

Political costs and an intraperiod accounting choice for export tax credits

This study examines the effects of political and debt contracting costs on an intraperiod accounting choice. Export tax credits that New Zealand companies receive may be credited to sales ot to income tax expense. Compared to the credit to sales method, the tax reduction method reduces a company's reported tax rate and interest coverage ratio, both of which could have adverse economic consequences. The results indicate the credit to sales method is preferred by large companies that attract political scrutiny because of their low tax rates. The level of a firm's interest coverage is also related to that accounting choice.     

Performance in first year university accounting: Quantifying the advantage of secondary school accounting

Considerable research has been conducted into the relation between students' level of previous accounting knowledge and their subsequent performance in first year university-level accounting. This study considers variables for academic performance and previous accounting knowledge in an attempt to quantify the advantage that high school accounting gives students entering tertiary business courses. The results indicate that for students entering tertiary courses with similar academic ability, i.e., obtained the same entrance score, the first year tertiary accounting result obtained by a student who studied accounting previously is between one and two grades higher than that of a student who did not study accounting at high school.     

Tradition or enlightenment: philosophical choice in accounting academia

Accountancy, in both its professional and academic domains, is experiencing an internal character crisis and an external credibility crisis in the community. Within the profession, allegations between academics and practitioners have generally failed to identify specific problems or provide beneficial solutions. This article focuses predominately on problems evident within accounting academia. Emphasis is given to detrimental philosophical underpinnings, particularly with regards to research methodology and the philosophical perceptions and resulting leadership attitudes which sustain this orientation. Educational leadership principles and practices are examined, and changes in leadership philosophy and focus are suggested.     

On the use of positive economic theory to explain the choice of accounting methods to financial accounting students

Leading financial accounting textbooks explain the choice of accounting methods in terms of the accountant choosing the method that best reflects the firm's financial condition and results of its operations for the period. In this paper it is argued that a more satisfactory way of explaining why firms choose particular accounting methods is in terms of positive economic theory. Relevant research results that can be readily incorporated into classroom lectures are summarized.     

Preparation for a first level university accounting course: The experience in New zealand

This study seeks to extend the work of Baldwin and Howe (1982) in three ways: first, to differentiate between the different levels of accounting in high school; second, to take into account the level of previous study in economics and mathematics; and third, to examine the effects of these previous levels of study on three different parts of the first level university accounting course. The results are in agreement with the majority of earlier research in that the level of previous study of accounting had no association with the performance in any part of the course. The study of economics showed a positive association with performance in the course, with the major benefit in management accounting.     

High school accounting and student performance in the first level university accounting course: A UK study

This article contains the results of a UK study on the effect of high school accounting on student performance in a first level university accounting course. In addition to replicating previous research, it extends the scope of previous work by examining a wider range of assessments and also investigates the question of numerical ability as an additional differentiating factor in student performance.     

Trust for accounting and accounting for trust

This paper combines insights from the sociology of knowledge and the emerging practice-based literature on learning and knowing to extend the institutional framework of accounting change developed by Burns and Scapens [Burns, J., Scapens, R.W., 2000. Conceptualising management accounting change: an institutional framework. Manage. Acc. Res., 11, 3–25]. In particular, it explores how management accounting systems (MAS) can be implicated in processes of learning and culture change, and used to identify ‘trustworthy’ solutions in the face of organisational crises. A case study of an Italian company, which was subject to massive change following its acquisition by General Electric, is used to discuss how, when crises arise and organisation members find themselves under intense pressure for change, their rationales and routinised behaviour, which are driven by the existing knowledge and cultural assumptions, are challenged. The case illustrates how MAS can act as sources of trust for the processes of change – i.e., accounting for trust; while at the same time being socially constructed objects of trust – i.e., trust for accounting. Drawing on the concept of personal trust and the notion of roles as access points to organisational (expert) systems, the paper discusses how, in this case, finance experts facilitated the acceptance and progressive sharing of new rationales and routines. Clearly, this does not guarantee that change will occur or occur in some ‘desired’ direction in other cases, but it increases the possibility of replacing trust in the predictability of routines with feelings of trust for change.     

Monetary valuations of university course delivery: the case for face-to-face learning activities in accounting education

Student preferences for delivery options were obtained within a monetary framework by asking students to purchase their ideal course structure. Results show that accounting students prefer to spend more on tutorials but purchase less lecture time; the difference due to the higher cost of tutorials compared to lectures. Face-to-face classes were preferred to web-based materials. Within lectures and tutorials students prefer more time devoted to teacher-centred activities than student-centred activities. Monetary valuations, where students must take into account the cost of delivery as well as effectiveness, provide insights for teaching staff and administrators, who need to simultaneously enhance teaching and learning, satisfy student preferences and operate with limited resources. Online and/or student-centred learning may not be compatible with preferences of accounting students. Teachers need to balance calls to change educational delivery and learning activities with preferences of accounting students, or ensure they educate students on why non-preferred approaches are undertaken.     

The effect of owner versus management control on the choice of accounting methods

This paper examines the relationship between the ownership control status of firms and the accounting methods they adopt. The arguments of Watts and Zimmerman's positive theory are integrated with those of managerial economists to generate the prediction that management controlled firms are more likely than owner controlled firms to adopt accounting methods which increase reported earnings. This prediction is inconsistent with Fama's hypothesis that the market for managerial talent will prevent management controlled firms from acting differently than owner controlled firms. This paper compares the depreciation methods used by a sample of management and owner controlled firms for financial reporting purposes. The comparison considers and controls for the factors of firm size, leverage, and the depreciation method used for tax reporting purposes. The comparison reveals that there is a significant difference in the depreciation methods adopted by management controlled and owner controlled firms for financial reporting purposes.     

Using multiple choice test items to improve classroom testing of professional accounting students

The paper develops support for multiple choice testing as an alternative to the traditional “problem” or essay test used for evaluation of academic achievement in accounting courses. Basic measurement concepts are discussed and defined. The relationships between test reliability and validity are explained. The reader is encouraged to develop objective test items for use in the classroom.