Climate change: fiscal and international trade issues—introduction

The challenges to dealing with climate change are broad and complex. This special section reviews some of—but also brings new insights to—the challenges.     

挑战与变革:基于信息社会环境的会计理性思考

本文从信息社会入手,详细阐述了这个社会的基本环境特征,为我们理解处于这种环境之下的会计将会面临怎样的挑战提供了先导逻辑;按照这种逻辑,本文进而归纳出信息社会环境下会计所面临的三大方面的严峻挑战,并深入探讨了这些重要挑战的具体表现与成因;最后提出,为了迎接信息社会环境对会计的重要挑战,传统会计必须在三个主要方面进行变革,而变革传统会计的基本思想则是充分结合信息社会的环境特征将IT有机地、彻底地渗透到财务与会计之中,也就是走会计信息化的发展道路。     

中国经济崛起及对美国影响

摘要：目前,中国已成为仅次于美国的世界第二大经济体,但也面临来自国内外的严峻挑战。本文分析了中国经济崛起的背景、面临的挑战及中国崛起对美国的影响。本部分分析了中国经济面临的挑战、中国经济改革和结构调整的方向及中国经济崛起对美国的挑战。     

Accounting education for professionals in Germany — current state and new challenges

In comparison to other countries, the requirements on the education of professional auditors in Germany have been considered to be the toughest in the world. However, German professionals risk losing this position since there are countries which seem to adapt more quickly and appropriately to changes in the accounting environment.The first part of the paper provides a review of the current state of the education for qualified auditors in Germany with special reference to the according EU-Directives and IFAC-Rules. It is shown that there are various issues which have to be accounted for in order to meet the challenges of the future.The remainder of the paper focuses on challenges due to changes in the accounting and auditing environment, on challenges due to an enlargement of the scope of statutory audit and — finally — on challenges due to the need for diversification from auditing to assurance services.     

Challenging Local Authority Accounts—A Process in Need of Reform?

This article examines the challenges made by local electors to local authority and parish accounts in England and Wales, and the role of the District Auditor in this process. This matter has recently received some attention from the Nolan Committee. The different sorts of challenges that electors can make are explained and auditors' responses to challenges and the opportunities for abuse of the process by electors are examined. Finally, the authors look at the strength of the case for the reform of the system.     

New development: Solving an extremely hazardous problem. Disposing of toxic waste from Britain’s nuclear industry and nascent public engagement

ABSTRACT

Waste disposal from the use of nuclear technology for power generation poses international challenges in terms of its enduring, costly and highly toxic nature. This article focuses on the challenges faced by the UK given the lack of solutions that appear to stem from an absence of public debate and consensus. The problems of nuclear waste disposal are contextualized by considering the challenges of public acceptance, lack of funding provisions, cost uncertainties and new reactor construction.     

关于当前金融运行中的四个问题

在宏观调控取得明显成效的现实背景下,我国金融运行仍然面临诸多挑战。其中,银行不良贷款的制度刚性、外汇储备增长过快、股票市场持续低迷和部分地区房地产泡沫风险对我国银行业的稳健发展和金融体系安全带来的挑战尤为严峻。本文对这四大挑战的成因、影响和应对策略进行了全面深入地分析。     

基层央行跨境人民币业务工作的难点与对策——以北海为例

广西沿边金融综合改革试验区建设工作的启动,带来跨境人民币业务的快速发展,同时让基层央行跨境人民币业务工作面临新的难点和挑战。本文就这些难点和挑战进行探讨,并提出相关对策。     

A comparison of environmental visions of university students in Israel and Palestine

Young people's complex and contradictory understandings of the future are inevitably influenced by their past experiences and the environment in which they currently live. Where this environment is itself particularly complex or contradictory then the understandings young people hold of the future will be affected. This paper, based on foresighting workshops held at three Israeli/Palestinian universities, examines the differing environmental attitudes and understandings of the future that young people hold in Israel and Palestine, before analysing the implications of these for achieving more sustainable development in the region. Despite the very real challenges the region is facing, these foresighting workshops showed that young people think systematically and rationally about the future. They are not filled with pessimism but recognise the challenges they face and can identify realistic solutions to those problems which they see as being of the greatest importance. The foresighting workshops showed that there was some common understanding of the participants about the key future environmental challenges that they face together with possible means for tackling these challenges.     

Operationalization of Ghana’s civil service code of conduct

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the internal and external challenges to the implementation of the code of conduct in the Ghana’s civil service using the Controller and Accountant Generals’ Department (CAGD) as a case study. The main internal challenges to the implementation of the civil service code of conduct at CAGD were found to be: the categories of staff affected by the code of conduct; ‘immunity’ from sanctions, nepotism; and limited checks on enforcement mechanisms. The key external challenges to the implementation of the civil service code of conduct at the CAGD are discussed in the paper and the authors make five important policy suggestions to enhance effectiveness of the implementation process. The suggestions will have value in countries with developing administrative systems.     

Lean in a cold fiscal climate: the public sector in an age of reduced resources

Reflecting on recent public sector reform, this paper examines the use of Lean during a period of financial austerity. The paper outlines several challenges for public sector organizations as they manage performance targets, and engage in service re-design. The author challenges the current use of Lean working arguing for a re-evaluation of the traditional public sector model of work and for a collective approach to co-production of service redesign.     

Challenges of using RPA in auditing: A socio-technical systems approach

The use of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is rapidly growing in the professional services sector such as auditing. Despite the great benefits RPA can offer, RPA failure rates are still high. In this research, we draw on socio-technical systems theory to examine the challenges of using RPA in the various phases of auditing and how auditors address these challenges. By interviewing experienced partners and auditors in auditing firms and technology companies, we show that challenges arise when there is a lack of fit between the technical requirements of the RPA tool (technical subsystem) and the skills and knowledge of the auditors and clients (social subsystem). We discuss our findings and provide valuable practical implications and opportunities for future research.     

“次级债风波”的影响为何是“重量级”的？

消费者信贷挑战金融行业的竞争并加快金融创新,次级债是金融机构在追逐利润前提下的资产证券化产物,然而资产证券化放大金融风险。有效性冲突是现代金融风险的一个新特征,它挑战现有金融监管方式,金融监管不能适应创新需要使得次级债风波重创美国金融市场。     

Focus group methods: Using interactive and nominal groups to explore emerging technology-driven phenomena in accounting and information systems

This paper puts forth arguments for why focus group methods should be used more frequently in accounting and information technology research in order to address emerging technology-driven phenomena in accounting. In this overview of focus group methods and their application to studying accounting and information technology phenomena, we focus on what alternative types of focus group methods may be applied, when such methods are applicable, and what methodological challenges the researcher must address. In examining the methodological challenges that face researchers when using these methods, we demonstrate how these challenges have been addressed in our own research as a way of exemplifying the challenges researchers may face and what compensating strategies researchers might use. Our objective is to highlight when focus groups may be the best method for accounting information systems researchers and demonstrate how they can be used when they are applicable.     

Financial reporting fraud and other forms of misconduct: a multidisciplinary review of the literature

Financial reporting fraud and other forms of financial reporting misconduct are a significant threat to the existence and efficiency of capital markets. This study reviews the literature on financial reporting misconduct from the perspectives of law, accounting, and finance. Our goals are to establish a common language for researchers interested in this line of research, describe the main findings and challenges in these literatures, and provide directions for future research. Although research on financial reporting misconduct faces challenges, those challenges provide significant opportunities to advance the literature, as the answers to many questions on financial reporting misconduct remain unsettled.     

The implications,challenges and benefits of a complexity-orientated Futures Studies

Complexity science is increasingly cited as an essential component of a Futures Studies (FS) capable of assisting with the wide-ranging and complex societal problems of the 21st century. Yet, the exact implications of complexity science for FS remain somewhat opaque. This paper explicitly sets out the challenges for FS that arise from six complexity science concepts: (1) irreversibility of time (2) path dependence 3) sensitivity to initial conditions (4) emergence and systemness (5) attractor states (6) complex causation. The discussion highlights the implications of these challenges for FS tools such as horizon scanning and weak signals, and sets out the benefits of overcoming the challenges to create an explicitly complexity-orientated FS. The discussion concludes with a set of questions summarising the challenge for FS from complexity science with the aim of stimulating a discussion as to how they can be met. The concluding remarks make some initial suggestions in this regard.     

Developing cross-selling capability in key corporate bank relationships: the case of a Nordic Bank

This research focuses on the challenges in developing the cross-selling capability of a multinational European corporate bank operating in both the business and consumer markets. An extensive qualitative research design was carried out involving 50 interviews with chief financial officers (CFOs) and bank representatives from four European countries, eight workshops, and participant observation. The barriers to cross-selling experienced by the Bank are specifically: a lack of cooperation within organisational levels and units, non-existent information sharing among employees, underdeveloped internal services for cross-selling, resistance to change, and outdated CRM systems are identified as the five major internal challenges that banks have to cope with. Corporate customers however perceive that the five major challenges that inhibit the corporate banks’ ability to provide better services and to properly exploit cross-selling capability are: the lack of cross-asset management, inability to sell cross-asset services, fragmented organisational structure, the lack of sufficient internal marketing and communication, and lack of knowledge sharing. This study identifies ten major challenges—five that deal with the Bank’s internal personnel, and five identified by key corporate customers—that are essential to overcome to better address cross-selling efforts.

     

全球低通胀的表现、原因和政策挑战

股价崩盘会严重损害股东的利益,对资本市场的健康发展产生极大的负面影响。 交叉持股是否会延缓股票崩盘的风险？本文以2008至2014年沪深两市A股上市公司为研究样 本,考察交叉持股与股价崩盘风险的关系。研究发现,交叉持股对上市公司股价崩盘风险有显 著抑制作用。同时,在盈利性较差、成长性较差的上市公司,交叉持股现象对其股价崩盘风险 有显著抑制作用。本文为交叉持股在资本市场的作用做出了新的解释,也为交叉持股产生的经 济后果提供了新的证据。     

Challenges to teaching evolution: What's a head?

This article draws upon the history of challenges to the teaching of evolutionary science in the United States to determine what the future may hold for American evolution education. Scenarios considered include: anti-evolution activists will continue to attempt legal maneuvers to leverage creationism into public science classrooms, creationists will concede to secular instruction in public schools and focus their attentions on informal mis-education, and that the teaching of evolution will improve despite challenges. Also, noting that tactics employed by American creationists are being exported to other countries, international challenges to the teaching of evolution are discussed with special attention paid to potential futures regarding evolutionary science within Islamic cultures.     

Who＇s Going Deaf？

A man tells a doctor,＂I think my wife is going deaf.What can i do？＂