Shunning careers in public accounting firms: The case of Indonesia

A rapidly growing emerging economy such as Indonesia has an increasing need for qualified accountants to service the many needs of business. However, the current dearth of qualified accountants is becoming critical, and this situation will only get worse as Big 4 firms, mid-tier firms and local firms struggle to recruit enough trainees to qualify as professional accountants. This study examines the plight of the Indonesian accounting profession by investigating why accounting students are shunning the profession, possibly leading to the demise of the Indonesian profession as we know it today.The study shows that although career intention constantly changes as new experiences are encountered, background factors matter. Ethnicity, living in an urban or rural environment, and where one is educated all matter to career intention. Further, one's own self-efficacy, such as English language ability, and other people's views are all influential in where we want to work.To address this looming crisis in the profession the Indonesian government needs to implement policies that ensure that the education curriculum addresses English language literacy, especially in rural areas; and the profession needs to engage more with remoter universities in rural locations to recruit high achieving students to provide greater diversity in the profession.     

Disharmony in international accounting standards setting: The Chinese approach to accounting for business combinations

The paper addresses two distinct aspects of disharmony in international accounting standards setting. The first aspect relates to the political economic context of financial accounting standards. This is illustrated by the Chinese standards setters’ decision to allow the pooling of interests method of accounting for business combinations despite the prohibition of this method by both the FASB and the IASB. This decision by the Chinese standards setters appears to have been based on political economic factors related to the need for industrial reorganization in China rather than a desire to serve the needs of global capital markets. The second aspect of disharmony relates to the role played by differential understandings of the fundamental objectives of financial reporting in an international context. The IASB's goal of producing one set of global accounting standards to serve the needs of global capital markets has led to a reduction in the number of permissible accounting methods and a move towards the fair value accounting model. In particular, the IASB concluded that the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations should be the only method allowed for business combinations. In contrast, the Chinese standards setters have recognized the existence of both mergers and acquisitions, and in response they created two different methods of accounting for business combinations. Effectively, the Chinese standards setters developed an alternative approach to accounting for business combinations which challenges the IASB's goal of achieving international accounting convergence through the fair value model.     

会计师事务所品牌建设中的文化内涵——基于会计师事务所与一般企业的比较分析

会计师事务所的人合特征、社会责任和专业属性决定了其在品牌建设方面有着与一般企业不同的要求和内涵。会计师事务所品牌建设的核心是文化的建设,文化建设包括择善固执的诚信文化、戒慎恐惧的风险文化和执经达变的执业文化三个方面。作为一个市场主体,会计师事务所也需要进行品牌建设并在市场中推广,本文就以品牌建设和推广为导向的会计师事务所社会与企业属性中的文化内涵作一些分析,寻找具有会计师事务所特质的品牌建设与推广策略与方式。     

2006年度会计师事务所综合评价前百家信息

根据会计师事务所的申报,中国注册会计师协会依据《会计师事务所综合评价办法(试行)》,对会计师事务所进行了综合评价。2006年12月1日,中注协正式发布《2006年度会计师事务所综合评价前百家信息》。这是中注协首次就事务所的整体素质对外发布排名信息,也是中注协推动事务所做大做强的一项重大举措。信息显示,排名前百家的事务所业务收入占全国5370家会计师事务所2005年度总收入的51%,注册会计师人数占全国注册会计师总人数69467人的19%。     

中注协发布2010年会计师事务所综合评价前百家信息

在经过一周公示后,中注协于2010年4月30日正式发布"2010年会计师事务所综合评价前百家信息"(会协[2010]通告4号). 信息显示,前百家事务所2009年业务收入合计为206亿元,较2008年增长了5%.在前百家事务所中,有34家事务所收入超过亿元,比去年的32家增加了2家,其中,有16家事务所收入超过3亿元,行业做大做强成效进一步显现. 信息显示,前百家事务所注册会计师共23124人,较上年增长了17%,占全国注册会计师总数的26%.其中,具有硕士及以上学历的注册会计师共2519人,占前百家事务所注册会计师总人数的11%;前百家事务所共拥有领军人才后备人选165人,占行业领军人才总人数169人的98%.     

管理会计与控制技术的应用及其与公司业绩的关系

本文探索了管理会计与控制技术(MAC)在中国公司当前的使用情况、它们对业绩的影响、以及影响它们应用程度的因素。基于219个中国上市公司的问卷调查数据表明,这些样本公司或多或少使用了一些MAC,包括一些新兴的MAC(如以经济附加值为基础的业绩指标等)。但是,各公司之间MAC的使用情况存在很大的差异。MAC的使用程度受多项因素(如外资股权的比例、采用建立(build)战略、高级管理层的支持和竞争程度)的影响,而与国有股份比重在统计上不相关。公司使用的一些MAC与公司绩效之间也显著正相关。     

Towards market differentiation in the accounting profession: The case of Australia and New Zealand

The literature on the evolution of the accounting profession has frequently explained that the changes in the structure of the profession over the last century or more have often been used to achieve closure of the profession. The profession is once again in a state of flux. The Australian accounting profession has undergone major changes and is contemplating more transformation. The sole accounting body in New Zealand has made a major shift from monopoly over accounting practice to free competition for all. Examining the recent developments in Australia and New Zealand, the paper shows that the objectives behind the current changes in the two countries are identical. They are primarily no longer seeking closure and are moving towards achieving market differentiation. The paper then demonstrates that this strategy shift can be seen as an outcome of the new market orientated socio-economic environment of these countries. The outcome of the change is a profession that is trying to be consumer focused with a corporatist structure, within the shade of professional identity.     

The new multinationals: Developing-country firms in international markets

Driven by a variety of factors, including deficiencies in domestic demand, developing-country firms are increasing their direct foreign investment in, and sales of technology to, other developing countries. The recipients usually gain various benefits that they would not in similar deals with OECD multinationals. But any increase in such international flows depends heavily on the strategic choices of OECD corporations (ie which markets they move out of) and on the pattern of government incentives and controls in the countries of origin and destination.     

Influences on the supply of accounting graduates in Australia: a focus on international students

This paper examines the influences on the potential supply of accounting graduates in Australia with reference to the personal and social influences on the decision to major in accounting using the Theory of Reasoned Action and focusing on differences between local and international students. Responses from 437 accounting majors’ found that personal attitudes linked to ‘intrinsic interest’ and ‘extrinsic interest’ was influential in choice of major. ‘Reference groups’ were an important social influence for international students. The findings have implications for government policy and the accounting profession in terms of attracting students and particularly international students, who are sufficiently interested in accounting as a career choice to address the skill shortage in Australia.     

The quality of accounting information in politically connected firms

We document that the quality of earnings reported by politically connected firms is significantly poorer than that of similar non-connected companies. Our results are not due to firms with ex-ante poor earnings quality establishing connections more often. Instead, our results suggest that, because of a lesser need to respond to market pressures to increase the quality of information, connected companies can afford disclosing lower quality accounting information. In particular, lower quality reported earnings is associated with a higher cost of debt only for the non-politically connected firms in the sample.     

Determinants of the guarantee circles: The case of Chinese listed firms

China's external capital market has been developing rapidly since the establishment of its stock markets. However, financing from the internal capital market, especially through the guarantee system provided by other associated firms (the guarantee circle), remains significant for some Chinese firms. We analyze the importance associated with the guarantee system in China with a focus on the macro and micro determinants that affect Chinese firms' participation in the guarantee circle. Our findings suggest that both macroeconomic and microeconomic factors have significant impact on a firm's involvement in the guarantee circle. Firms in regions with higher economic growth, less developed banking system and worse legal protection are more likely to receive guarantee from firms associated with the controlling shareholders. On the other hand, firms controlled by the state are less likely to receive guarantee but more likely to provide guarantee, while firms with alternative financing sources are more likely to provide guarantee. Firms within a complex group with more pyramidal layers are more likely to get involved in the guarantee circle, either as a guarantor or a guarantee. Our findings have implications to general guarantee systems with the presence of agency and moral hazard problems.     

Determinants of the guarantee circles: The case of Chinese listed firms

China's external capital market has been developing rapidly since the establishment of its stock markets. However, financing from the internal capital market, especially through the guarantee system provided by other associated firms (the guarantee circle), remains significant for some Chinese firms. We analyze the importance associated with the guarantee system in China with a focus on the macro and micro determinants that affect Chinese firms' participation in the guarantee circle. Our findings suggest that both macroeconomic and microeconomic factors have significant impact on a firm's involvement in the guarantee circle. Firms in regions with higher economic growth, less developed banking system and worse legal protection are more likely to receive guarantee from firms associated with the controlling shareholders. On the other hand, firms controlled by the state are less likely to receive guarantee but more likely to provide guarantee, while firms with alternative financing sources are more likely to provide guarantee. Firms within a complex group with more pyramidal layers are more likely to get involved in the guarantee circle, either as a guarantor or a guarantee. Our findings have implications to general guarantee systems with the presence of agency and moral hazard problems.     

中国-东盟自由贸易区的建立对我国会计师事务所国际化的影响

一、中国-东盟自由贸易区的基本情况 (一)中国-东盟自由贸易区的基本情况 中国-东盟自贸区是我国同东盟十国商谈的第一个自贸区. 东盟是东南亚国家联盟(Association of Southeast Asian Nations,简称ASEAN)的简称,现有10个成员国:文莱、印度尼西亚、马来西亚、菲律宾、新加坡、泰国、柬埔寨、老挝、缅甸和越南.前6个国家加入东盟的时间较早,经济也相对发达;后4个国家是东盟的新成员.     

The valuation discount of multi-segment firms in Australia

This paper refines the Berger and Ofek (1995) methodology to estimate the valuation discount of multi-segment firms in Australia between 1988 and 1998. Evidence is found that based on earnings before tax, the sample of multi-segment firms traded at a 29 per cent greater discount than a comparable portfolio of single segment firms over the sample period. To explain the results further analysis shows that the valuation discount was driven by poorly performing multi-segment firms rather than multi-segment firms per se. This raises questions about studies that conclude that diversification is value destroying.     

The organizational culture of public accounting firms: evidence from Taiwanese local and US affiliated firms

This study examines the organizational cultures of public accounting firms with data from US affiliated international accounting firms in Taiwan and Taiwanese local firms. Hypotheses are tested about the impact of the national culture of the US firms on their Taiwanese affiliates, and about cultural differences across function and rank. The study extends previous research by (1) examining an oriental country whose culture is significantly different from that of the US, (2) using the Hofstede, G., Neuijen, B., Ohayv, D. D., & Sanders G. (1990). Measuring organizational cultures: a qualitative and quantitative study across twenty cases. Administrative Science Quarterly, 35, 286–316 practices-based measure of organizational culture, and (3) examining the importance of the fit between employee preferences and organizational culture in influencing organizational commitment, job satisfaction and propensity to remain with the organization. Support is found for the cultural impact and fit hypotheses. Additonally, while culture is found to be relatively homogeneous across function, differences are found across rank.     

会计师事务所开展非审计业务初探

一、会计师事务所开展非审计业务存在的问题1.非审计业务形式上影响审计独立性.一般来说,审计业务要求实质和形式上均予以独立,注册会计师与委托单位之间必须毫无利害关系.非审计服务自诞生以来,其对审计独立性的影响就成为大家关注的焦点,尤其是在安然事件之后,更是把审计失败归咎于非审计服务的存在,美国出台的<萨班斯法案>把会计师事务所非审计服务的市场缩小到了极限.国际上也有许多国家和地区通过各种措施全面禁止会计师事务所非审计服务的存在.客观地说,虽然非审计业务的开展并不必然损害审计独立性,反而从某种程度上提高审计的专业胜任能力,但至少形式上无法给人一种独立的感觉,即使注册会计师保持了实质上的独立,审计结果再正确,其服务价值也会遭到质疑.     

Financial statement effects of adopting international accounting standards: the case of Germany

Using a sample of German firms, we investigate the financial statement effects of adopting International Accounting Standards (IAS) during 1998 through 2002. We find that total assets and book value of equity, as well as variability of book value and income, are significantly higher under IAS than under German GAAP (HGB). In addition, book value and income are no more value relevant under IAS than under HGB, and HGB (IAS) income is highly persistent (transitory). Finally, we find weak evidence that IAS income exhibits greater conditional conservatism than HGB income. Our results are consistent with the fair-value (income smoothing) orientation of IAS (HGB).

The very idea of classification in international accounting

The paper discusses some issues and problems associated with attempts to classify national systems of accounting. Attention is given to classification experiences in other disciplines. The analysis aims to show the incoherence of taxonomies which rely upon appeals to objectivity and tries to present a case for the development of classifications which explicitly focus on the concept of an “accounting system”.     

浅议小事务所的和谐建设

一、以人为本铸人和小事务所作为一个独立的中介服务机构,同样由具有财务审计、验资、鉴证、评估方面专业知识技能的会计人员及基建工程审核工程技术人员组成。