Application of International Public Sector Accounting Standards in Vietnam in Current Conditions

The objective of improving the state accounting system is to build a state accounting system based on a single and complete database which is applied uniformly across all public authorities and agencies from central to local. Such an accounting system must ensure a reliable and smooth flow of information among all the entities that take part in the preparation, allocation, execution, and finalization of the state budget. In order to improve the quality of financial information, to harmonize, and to develop accounting profession globally, the trend of international economic integration requires the standardization of accounting legislative framework among countries and first of all, the harmonization and unification of the preparation, presentation, and disclosure of financial information. Financial statements of each business in the private sector and financial statements of the government in the public sector in different countries should be transparent and presented in accordance with the accounting standards and principles and in line with international practices so that the financial information will be able to be compared and evaluated. Therefore, financial statements of each entity in the public sector and the consolidated financial statements of public sector entities issued by the government in different countries must be prepared and presented in a unified form to suit the international public sector accounting standards. Accordingly, with the application of the interview method in research, the main objective of this article is to focus on searching for the bases and consideration for the application of international public sector accounting standards in Vietnam in current conditions. This article consists of eight sections： （1） what are international public sector accounting standards？ （2） accounting entities of the public sector; （3） the limitations of current public sector accounting in Vietnam; （4） financial information to meet the requirements of state management and to comply with international practices; （5） the advantages of applying international public sector accounting standards in Vietnam; （6） the difficulties and challenges of applying international public sector accounting standards in Vietnam; （7） learning experiences from other countries; and （8） conclusion.     

Assumptions Regarding the Development of Selected Europe 2020 Objectives in Terms of Public Finances in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic

This paper uses regression analysis and econometric modeling foundations to track public expenditures in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic （Fejesova, 2011） and their influences on the development of the following two targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy： to increase the employment of the selected population groups to a predetermined percentage level and to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty. In addition to the selection of monitored indicators, we included other indicators from the social sphere, which are funded by mandatory national public expenditure budgets and which are expected to have a positive development in terms of improving the demographic structure of the country--the unemployment rate and the number of live births.     

Triangulation Approach to Costing in Higher Education Institutions

This study presents a triangulation approach to the investigation of costing possibilities in Greek higher education institutions. The historical data contained in the financial statements of universities provide the expenditures of the latter. These expenditures are then re-determined with the use of independent variables （Jacobian determinants）, as well as with activity-based costing （ABC） and interviews, in order to obtain certainty of accuracy of the calculations and an indication of the cost of educational services, which can help determine magnitudes and improve the long-term planning of university resources. The above process can be used to create cost drivers and cost pools for the new financial burden of academic departments （cost centres） and to calculate the cost per student for each department. This information does not function at variance with or as a substitute for traditional accounting systems but in parallel （or supplementally）, providing administrators with more comparative data and a clearer picture of a university＇s economic operations which will facilitate its decision planning. Thus, it can provide higher education institutions with a decision-making tool for the following tasks： （1） allocation of national and community funds to university departments; （2） financing of textbooks, food, and accommodation; and （3） determining the optimum number of new enrolments.     

Evaluating the Performance of Investment Funds in Turkey

It is important to determine the most appropriate levels of risk and return for small investors. For that purpose, the investment funds are very important tools to create a portfolio for small investors, to deploy the potential risks in optimal proportions, and to direct investors. In this study, the performance of 83 pieces of investment funds will be evaluated which are treated in Turkey dates from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012 with performance evaluation methods such as Sharpe, Modigliani （M2） that is based on the standard deviation, and Treynor, T2, Jensen that is based on systematic risk （beta）, and the highest and lowest performance investment funds will be presented. The aim of the study is to examine the success of the investment fund managers whether they could estimate the course of the market well or not regarding time period. The empirical results show that the investors who invest on the funds that have negative risk premium by investing in the investment funds getting under the risk cannot get more excess return than getting the return from the risk-free interest rate as treasury bills. The result implies that it could be said that the systematic and total risks of all investment funds are low and they are not sensitive to the developments in the market, and thus, regarding funds could be called as conservative funds.     

Ethics and the Financial and Budgetary Discipline in the Ministry of Defence

This article deals with the relation between ethics and financial and budgetary discipline during economic and social recession in the Czech Republic. We find causes of economic and social recession in the Czech Republic in the loss of democratic and human values. Czech Republic was ranked the 57th place in the Corruption Perceptions index 2013 out of the 177 countries assessed, which is the same result achieved by Bahrain, Croatia, and Namibia. Among the 31 European Union （EU） member states and Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland, the Czech Republic is on the 25th site. Market as well as public sector and public finances should follow unwritten rules of ethics and ethical behavior. Such rules should be followed especially by politicians, officials, soldiers, and businessmen. Do we need ethics in present time？ How is the role of the code of ethics in increasing financial and budgetary discipline in the defence sector？ Is it possible to measure efficiency of the code of ethics for financial and budgetary discipline？ We explain the importance of codes of ethics and formulate essential elements that each code of ethics must contain. Next, we deal with the main rules of both financial and budgetary disciplines. Furthermore, this article offers a comparison of several codes of ethics and describes the main problems in our implementation. In the end, we introduce our draft of Code of Ethics for Economic Service Officer in the Ministry of Defence and talk about possible influences of these codes on the quality of employee＇s performance.     

The Role of Accountants in Decision-Making in Lebanese Firms

The issue of accountants＇ role in decision-making has been the center of attention of lots of studies in the last decade but never did it get the adequate coverage in Lebanon. This paper studies to what extent accountants are involved in the managerial decision-making in Lebanon. Two hundred experienced accountants from all over the country were randomly selected for a questionnaire survey. This survey provides evidence as to what factors contribute to the variance of influence accountants have in managerial decision-making. The results from the questionnaires varied, but we conclude that accountants＇ involvement in new product development （NPD）, the skills that accountants have, their role in the financial analysis of the firm, and how much the finn they work for encourages them to advice on business decisions affect the degree of contribution an accountant has to decision-making. The findings of this research could be used as a reference to help in understanding the role of accounting in Lebanon by various finns and organizations.     

University-Business Cooperation in Education： Real and Perceived Performances

The purpose of this paper is to describe and demonstrate the validity of a methodology to distinguish, in the performances of high education institutions （HEIs）, real from perceived performances. The extension of accountability to the evaluation of educational programs involves significant topics concerning the gap between perceived and real performances. It means that, since many actors such as teachers, students, and external stakeholders are involved in the process, the research on methodologies to distinguish subjective from objective parameters is still on the floor. Debate about performance evaluation in this collaboration is still in progress particularly as it concerns the proposal of several parameters and indexes to quantify the topic and reduce the subjectivism in the assessment and the gap between real and perceived performances. After describing and discussing an evaluation model based on three interdependent typologies of indexes, this will be tested in two Tempus projects having the purpose of activating Ph.D. and masters courses. The results encourage deepening researches in this direction and disseminating this methodology and extending and enriching the validation process.     

Development of the Insurance Industry in Europe in Economic and Financial Crisis

This paper analyzes the evolution of the insurance sector in Europe, focuses on the European Union （EU） member states, and considers the impact of economic and financial crisis on that sector. The European private insurance market is a developed market having an investment portfolio of 7,740 billion euros in 2011, an amount corresponding to 55% of the gross domestic product （GDP） of the 32 European markets members of Insurance Europe. Therefore, the importance of this sector as a long-term investor and major employer is obvious for the stability and growth of European economy. However, the insurance sector has been considerably affected since 2009 due to the global economic and financial crisis, which has had negative effects not only on the evolution of the value of insurance premiums underwritten, but also on the return on investment of the insurance companies.     

Technological Innovation in Sustainable Building

Modern energy services are a necessary prerequisite for human well-being and the economic development of a country. Access to modern energy is essential for the supply of clean water, hygiene and health, and for the provision of reliable and efficient lighting, heating, cooking, and mechanical power. It seems clear, therefore, that the energy factor and its availability, the demand for which is growing, must be ensured over time. Moreover, considering that the world population will significantly increase in coming decades and, legitimately, all of these individuals want access to sources of energy for a better quality of life. The patterns of consumption most commonly used nowadays are expensive and highly polluting, but, most importantly, now they are almost completely exhausted. Therefore, research has to find sources of ＂alternative＂ and renewable energy in order to sustain the continuously growing global demand for energy. It is necessary, therefore, to develop and improve policies in order to change current consumption patterns, while strengthening approaches and strategies for sustainable models, applying incentives for good behavior and penalizing waste, and promoting the empowerment of producers. This paper concerns this sector and aims to highlight innovation in bioclimatic and eco-friendly buildings.     

Forensic Auditing Techniques and Fraudulent Practices of Public Institutions in Nigeria

Public institutions are charged with the responsibility of providing essential services for the welfare of the citizens by manipulating the economy＇s financial flow through public expenditure, taxation, and so on. The reliance on public institutions to provide public services in Nigeria has resulted in disappointing results, because chief executives of the institutions take less interest in the degree of its success, and this accounts for the high level of fraudulent practices in such institutions. This study, therefore, examined the relationship between forensic auditing and fraudulent practices in Nigerian public institutions. To achieve this purpose, some hypothetical statements were made and a review of relevant literature was explored. The population of the study consisted of the general managers and accountants of 12 public institutions in Nigeria. The data generated were statistically tested with the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient. The findings suggest that both the proactive and reactive forensic auditing techniques have a negative significant relationship with fraudulent practices in Nigerian public institutions. Based on the above, it was recommended that： （1） The Economic and Financial Crime Commission （EFCC）, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission （ICPC）, and other anti-corruption bodies in Nigeria should have, in their payroll, internal forensic auditors to supplement the duties of the internal auditors; （2） Forensic auditors should regularly undergo training and development programs to acquaint them with relevant knowledge and skills for effective forensic auditing; and （3） Forensic auditing should be made mandatory for public institutions by regulatory authorities rather than being voluntary.     

Investor Relations （IR） in Business Communication on the Example of Poland

This paper focuses on investor relations （IR） as an element of companies＇ communication with the external environment. It shows the place and role of IR in communication with the general market, and the stock exchange market in particular. The study is illustrated with an example of IR in Poland, a relatively new European Union （EU） member state and an emerging market. As can be seen, IR goes beyond the traditionally understood maintenance of communication with the capital market. It is also shown that the main role of IR ought to be the reduction of investment risk and enhancement of the companies＇ value, which is of particular significance in light of the current globalization of capital markets. It has been found that Polish companies, especially those listed on the Warsaw Securities Exchange （WSE）, commonly rely on IR as a means of communication with the environment. And yet, as the results of the analysis show, the quality of that communication is still far from satisfactory, despite efforts undertaken by various external entities to encourage more focus on the development of IR, or understanding of the company＇s relevant staff of its important role.     

Female Leadership and Organizational Climate in a University Institute

This paper addresses the case of the Professional Institute of the Southern Region （IPRES）, an institute of higher education in the State University of Morelos, with the aim of showing the measurement results of organizational climate before and after the change of the principal to know some internal features and describe the organizational climate of workers＇ perception in a transition stage; besides, the influence of the current director＇s leadership is analyzed in the achievement of organizational goals and how the perception of organizational climate or working environment can be affected by female leadership is also dealt with. In Mexico, there are more and more women running various organizations, including those belonging to the field of education, and universities are no exception. On the other hand, the type of leadership being exercised can promote or hinder the proper performance of the institute and may be a factor of distinction and influence the behavior of those who integrate it; therefore, knowing how it works provides feedback about the processes that determine organizational behavior and the working environment.     

Some of the Conventional Accounting Concepts That Are Not in Accordance With the Paradigm of Islamic Accounting

This paper discusses some of the conventional accounting concepts, such as historical cost concept, conservatism concept, matching concept, objectivity concept, stable monetary unit assumption, and going-concern assumption, which are not in accordance with the Islamic accounting paradigm due to their divergence with some verses of the Holy AI-Qur＇an, the Hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him （pbuh）, and the basic of Zakat calculation. This is a conceptual paper describing some of the conventional accounting concepts that are not in accordance with the paradigm of Islamic accounting. The paper concludes that the historical cost concept can be replaced by： current cash equivalent concept, historical cost and current value concepts （market selling price）, current cost concept, historical cost concept in all （except for Zakat purposes） accounting calculations, current valuation concept, and fair value concept. Conservatism concept must be eliminated if historical cost concept is not used anymore. Matching concept can be replaced by asset-liability approach concept. Objectivity concept can be replaced by Zakat accountability concept. Stability of the monetary unit assumption can be replaced by gold or silver measurement, or Dirham currency, and going-concern assumption must be eliminated.     

An Assessment of the Within-Year Seasonality in the Loan Loss Provisioning Behavior of European Banks

This study aims at assessing whether a significant within-year seasonality exists in the loan loss provisioning behavior of European listed banks observed in the period from 2004 to 2013. Since the accuracy of auditing processes and the level of disclosure requirements in financial reports differ among quarters, during the year, banks may have a leeway to underestimate and postpone the complete provisioning of loan losses in the less regulated and less audited quarters. We hypothesize that those differences are relevant factors which determine non-lower or significantly higher average levels of loan loss provisions in the half-yearly and especially in the annual financial reports than in the interim management statements disclosed in the first and the third quarters of the year. We also investigate the impact of the recent financial crisis and develop a special analysis for the ltalian banks＇ case. The empirical results support our hypotheses, suggesting that, in some cases, a convergence among quarterly levels of auditing processes and disclosure requirements may be needed. Our work contributes to the existing literature by providing additional evidences and considerations on the within-year seasonality in the loan loss provisioning behavior of European listed banks observed in the last decade.     

Trade Credit in the Crisis： Selling or Financing？

The work investigates the use of trade credit in Italy for reasons of a financial nature. The analysis considers Italian small and medium-sized enterprises （SMEs） and investigates, over the years of 2009-2011： the existence of functional relationships between the incidence of trade receivables and payables and corporate profitability; the existence of interdependencies between trade credit policy and trade debt policy; and the coexistence of interchangeable and complementary conditions between trade debts and bank loans and other sources of funding. To verify the research hypotheses, linear regression models on a yearly basis are used and these models are put under observation over the years of 2009-2011. We can conclude that there are interdependencies between trade credit policy and trade debt policy and that trade credit is a source of flexible way of financing, also available in periods of crisis, which has a positive effect on the profitability of SMEs and can be utilized as a complementary and substitute source of financing to bank loans.     

Corporate Internet Disclosure in the Arabian Gulf： An Empirical Examination of Determinants and Attributes

This paper investigates and reports on the extent and nature of corporate internet disclosure and the determinants of internet financial disclosure （IFD） by companies listed in three Gulf Corporation Council （GCC） countries. This paper uses data from 207 listed companies in Muscat Securities Market （MSM）, Dubai Financial Market （DFM）, and Qatar Exchange （QE）. Binary logistic regression analysis is used to examine the determinants of IFD. Kruskal-Wallis test is used to examine the differences in disclosure characteristics among the three countries. The results of this study reveal that firm size is the major factor influencing intemet financial reporting in the GCC. The results reveal that the three countries differ significantly in all the disclosure attributes with the exception of the existence of email link. This paper extends the stream of research that confirms the widespread use of internet in disclosing financial information. The results are consistent with previous literature that corporate size is a major determinant of internet financial reporting. This paper provides insights into corporate internet disclosure in the GCC that will benefit all stakeholders with an interest in corporate reporting in this important region of the world.     

Linear Programs in Cost Accounting： A Linear Cost Model

This paper aims to find unit cost of a product for firms. It establishes a linear cost model to find unit cost. Linear goal programs assume a direct relationship between independent variable and dependent variable. Dependent variable of linear model is unit cost. Independent variables are cost accounting variables. They are supply cost, labor cost, and administration cost. This study assumes a direct relationship between supply-labor-administration costs and unit cost. Therefore, it establishes a linear cost model. The major research question of this study is to apply linear goal programming to cost accounting. The goal of this linear program is to find unit cost of product. This study uses quantitative method and human capital method. The main research result is linear costing model itself.     

A Study of the Awareness Level of Takaful Products Among Micro Enterprises in Malaysia

The small- and medium-sized enterprises （SMEs） play a vital role in the development of the Malaysian economy through its contribution of 32% of the country＇s growth domestic product （GDP）. However, the recent global financial crisis has exposed these enterprises to plausible risks that have resulted in some businesses being shuttered. Such predicament shows how crucial it is for SMEs to be prepared with some form of protection or Takaful to mitigate impending risks. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which micro enterprises are aware of Takaful and the benefits of its products. The study was conducted on respondents who fall into micro enterprise category located in Johor, Malaysia, and the research process involves a case study method which is in-depth interviews. The results of the current study provide an insight into how Takaful is regarded among SMEs and the need for these enterprises to be protected.     

Simulation Models for Evaluation and Selection of Depreciation Policy for Agricultural Companies in the Republic of Bulgaria

In the present paper, the results from research on the influence of criteria （factors） such as depreciation method, materiality threshold, and inflation rate on the selection of depreciation policy are shown. The research has been carried out with the help of specifically devised simulation models. The simulation is realized in accounting for the unevenness of money in time and the profitability of the company, the tax rates for corporate tax, and the inflation rate. The models have been devised after analyzing methodology issues, related to depreciation policy and investigating current practices in its implementation in specific agricultural companies in present-day Bulgaria. It has been determined that there is a clear-cut relation between the profitability of the companies and the materiality threshold and depreciation method chosen. The main conclusion is that when the companies develop their depreciation policy, at ceteris paribus they should select higher materiality thresholds and diminishing balance depreciation methods due to the inequality of money in time, the acceleration of obsolescence, and the inflation processes.