How accounting and auditing systems can counteract risk-shifting of safety-nets in banking: Some international evidence

This paper suggests that accounting and auditing systems can be effective devices to counteract tendencies for firm risk-taking associated with bank safety nets. Results are obtained from an international sample of publicly traded banks after controlling for other regulatory control devices for bank risk such as restrictions on banking activities, minimum regulatory capital requirements and official discipline. The efficacy of accounting and auditing systems in controlling bank risk diminishes with bank charter value and increases with moral hazard stemming from a country's deposit insurance. The results also indicate that accounting and auditing systems are complements for minimum capital requirements, but substitutes for restrictions on bank activities and official discipline.     

Critical thinking about creative accounting in the face of a recent scandal in the Turkish banking sector

In the last two decades, serious accounting scandals occurred in large companies (e.g. WorldCom and Enron) and in the banking sector (e.g. BCCI, Barings, Allied Irish Bank and Baninter). Then the problem of creative accounting with its legal and illegal aspects has come into agendas of business firms and governments. In this paper, a certain type of creative accounting practices (i.e. fraud) has been examined in the light of a Turkish case (i.e. the Imarbank Scandal). It has been found that deficiencies in the legal frameworks for banking and accounting, inadequacies in the autonomy of governmental regulation and supervision bodies, practical difficulties in enforcing legal and ethical rules due to the slow functioning of the judicial system are significant reasons for creative accounting practices in addition to the personal greed of both owners&top management of Imarbank and its customers. However, the intention and capability of political power in combating such kind of corruption are also crucial.     

Value relevance of international accounting standards harmonization: Evidence from A- and B-share markets in China

Applying both the price-levels model and the lagged-price-deflated returns model, we investigated the incremental value relevance of the reconciliation of accounts from the Chinese Accounting Standards (CAS) to the International Accounting Standards (IAS) by those Chinese listed companies that have simultaneously issued A-shares and B-shares. In addition, we examined the usefulness of accounting numbers (earnings and book values) and their value relevance to the A- and B-share markets in China. The study finds that earnings and book values of owners’ equity determined under CAS are more relevant accounting information for the purpose of determining the prices of A- and B-shares. The CAS-based earnings changes were reflected in stock returns in the B-share market, while the CAS-based earnings were closely associated with stock returns in the A-share market. However, the study found that the reconciliation of earnings and book values from CAS to IAS basis is partially value-relevant, mainly to stock prices in the B-share market, while the earnings reconciliation is generally not value-added to stock returns in either the A- or the B-share market. The study results suggest that accounting numbers based on domestic accounting standards, in contrast to IAS, are more value-relevant in the Chinese stock market at present.     

The influence of the nature of government accounting and reporting in decision-making: evidence from Switzerland

A key objective of government accounting and reporting has been to achieve accountability and its use in that respect has been well documented, however its use for decision-making has had less coverage. This article addresses the latter issue, providing evidence from Switzerland that the accounting basis used (accrual versus cash) influences decision-making. This is the result of the effect that the different approaches have on the nature of the information used for decision-making. Switzerland was among the first western democracies to adopt accrual accounting at both state (canton) and local levels of government in the 1980s. The Swiss federal government followed in 2007. The main examples of the use of accrual information in decision-making are: the focus on self-financing of investments in order to control borrowing, as well as the fiscal policy targets of debt reduction and maintenance of capital. All three require accrual basis information. Therefore accrual basis information is key in fiscal decision-making in Switzerland.     

The impact of state and foreign ownership on banking risk: Evidence from the MENA countries

This paper investigates the impact of foreign and state ownership on banking risk. Panel data regression analysis is applied to a sample of 171 commercial banks from the MENA region during the 2006–2012 period. Two-stage least-squares analysis is conducted. Our results show that State ownership encourages banks to take more risks while foreign ownership reduces risk-taking. In addition, state-owned banks tend to increase capital adequacy ratio to hedge against high level of risk. Our finding also indicates that all categories of shareholders take a prudent attitude that influences risk reduction after the 2008 crisis.     

Institutions,banking structure and the cost of debt: new international evidence

This paper analyses the effect of institutions and the structure of the banking system on the cost of debt for a sample of firms from 37 countries. The cost of debt decreases with the rule of law, the protection of creditors’ rights and the weight of banks in the economy. Bank financing and bank concentration have a positive differential effect on the cost of debt in those countries where the financial difficulties of banks are greater. Legal enforcement, the protection of creditors’ rights and the weight of bank financing have a greater influence in countries with a lower degree of economic development.     

Offering a globally-linked international accounting course in real time: a sharing of experiences and lessons learned

This article reports the experiences from offering an online international accounting course that involved students from Japan, Spain, Switzerland, and the USA participating in real time via both audio and video links. In addition to interacting among themselves, students also interacted with accounting practitioners and standard setters from these countries. The latter attended class either in person or “virtually” via audio and video links. The paper also discusses the major benefits from the course, as identified by student feedback and direct faculty observations. A number of challenges in offering a course of this type also are identified. These insights can assist accounting educators interested in implementing a similar international accounting course at their institutions. They also have implications for applying distance-learning approaches in courses with a domestic focus.     

Theoretical studies of the historical development of the accounting discipline: A review and evidence

Many existing studies of the development of accounting thought have either been atheoretical or have adopted Kuhn's model of scientific growth. The limitations of this 35-year-old model are discussed. Four different general neo-Kuhnian models of scholarly knowledge development are reviewed and compared with reference to an analytical matrix. The models are found to be mutually consistent, with each focusing on a different aspect of development. A composite model is proposed. Based on a hand-crafted database, author co-citation analysis is used to map empirically the entire literature structure of the accounting discipline during two consecutive time periods, 1972-81 and 1982-90. The changing structure of the accounting literature is interpreted using the proposed composite model of scholarly knowledge development.     

The impacts of risk-taking behaviour and competition on technical efficiency: Evidence from the Chinese banking industry

This paper tests the impact of risk and competition on efficiency in the Chinese banking industry over the period 2003–2013. Comprehensive types of risk-taking behaviour are considered including credit risk, liquidity risk, capital risk, and insolvency risk. Competition is measured by the Lerner index. The results are cross-checked using an alternative econometric technique as well as an alternative competition indicator. The findings show that the technical and pure technical efficiencies of Chinese commercial banks are significantly and negatively affected by liquidity risk. They further show that greater competition precedes declines in technical and pure technical efficiencies of Chinese commercial banks. The results suggest that Chinese bank efficiency is significantly affected by bank diversification, banking sector development, stock market development, inflation and GDP growth rate. The findings also indicate that, compared to state-owned commercial banks, joint-stock commercial banks and city commercial banks have lower technical and pure technical efficiencies.     

The impact of TOEFL scores on placement and performance of international students in the initial graduate accounting class

This paper examines, in a US context, the relationship between performance in the initial required graduate financial accounting class and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores for a sample of international MBA students. Other variables that have been shown in the past to be associated with superior performance in that class for other samples are also considered for this international sample. These relationships have not been analysed by any previous studies. The results show that TOEFL scores are not associated with superior performance in graduate accounting for the international students. The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score is the factor most associated with superior performance in graduate-level accounting for international students. This result is consistent with the result reported in Krausz et al. (Advances in Accounting Education, 3(3), 169–177, 2000) for a sample of domestic US students.     

Distance to default,subordinated debt,and distress indicators in the banking industry*

The recent financial crisis has highlighted the inadequacy of present supervisory arrangements to identify reliable ex‐ante indicators of banking distress. For a sample of US bank holding companies, we analyse the extent to which distance to default based on market data can be explained using accounting‐based indicators of risk. We show that a larger number of bank fundamentals help predict default for institutions that issue subordinated debt. For banks that issue sub‐debt, we find that higher charter values and low bank capitalizations further increase the power of bank fundamentals to predict default risk.     

UK PhD assessment in accounting and finance: social capital in action

Assessment lies at the centre of PhD degree quality standards, with quality assurance relying on independent external examiners. This study investigates the role of the viva and the selection of external examiners from within the accounting and finance discipline across UK institutions. A questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews with academics (299 respondents; 49 interviews) and recent PhD graduates (73 respondents; 18 interviews) were undertaken. Findings identify multiple viva roles including verification; academic career development; and assessment. External examiner selection is outcome-driven, and the independence of examiners is questionable when secured using the social capital existing between an examiner and supervisor. Supervisors and examiners jointly gate-keep the academic community within cliques, although at the viva stage new entrants are rarely excluded. The PhD assessment process offers the opportunity for rogue cliques to develop, driven by favourable outcomes in terms of personal benefits and costs, allowing new entrants of insufficient quality.     

The role of change agents and imitation in the diffusion of an idea: charge and discharge accounting

Medieval charge and discharge accounting was the most prevalent accounting system of its time. The first medieval charge and discharge system can be identified in the English Exchequer about 1110. This paper argues that the ideas behind the Exchequer were gradually diffused both internationally and nationally. This paper charts the export of charge and discharge systems to other European Exchequers, to monasteries and bishoprics, to lay estates, to manorial accounting, to guilds, boroughs, universities and parishes. From a single high status source at the start of the 12th century, charge and discharge accounting came to be imitated through mimetic and normative institutional isomorphism by a wide range of lower status medieval institutions by the late 15th century. In the first phase of diffusion, certain key individuals of wealth and power are identified as change agents. In the second phase, individuals, and accounting and estate management texts played an important role in the diffusion. The role of geographical proximity and accidents of history is also explored.     

Attitudes to the development and implementation of social and environmental accounting in Thailand

Motivated and shaped by a concern to realise the potentiality of accounting communication in relation to social and environmental issues in Thailand, this paper evaluates perceptions of current accounting as well as attitudes to social and environmental accounting among Thai accounting professionals. Making use of empirical data generated by questionnaire study and interviews, this paper aims to shed more light on the development and implementation of social and environmental accounting in Thailand. It argues that any change of accounting in future is likely to involve a change in the nature of the Thai accounting profession itself. The paper suggests ways in which the future development of social and environmental accounting practice might be given further impetus in the Thai context.     

Risk regulation,community pressure and the use of management accounting in managing climate change risk: Australian evidence

This exploratory study is amongst the first to investigate how companies perceive the regulation of carbon emissions and the pressure exerted by the community in an environment characterised by risk and uncertainty. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 39 executives who were directly involved in carbon emissions management in 18 large listed Australian companies. Consistent with Prospect Theory, we find that decision-makers are threat biased and are more likely to take immediate actions when climate change issues are framed as threats as opposed to opportunities. From the interview data, it is seen that managers use management accounting techniques as a risk management tool in mitigating risks associated climate change issues. Furthermore, this use of management accounting appears to be driven primarily by the protection of economic interests, regulatory pressure and reputational pressure. The study provides insights into how perceptions of climate change uncertainties and external pressure for disclosure of emissions information influence companies to use management accounting in managing climate change risk.     

Financial nexus: Efficiency and soundness in banking and capital markets

Based on a modified version of the model used in Corvoisier and Gropp (2002) and De Guevara et al. (2005), we argue that banks' soundness, the structural characteristics and efficiency of the banking sector along with the development of the capital markets constitute a financial nexus. For a data set of 63 developed and developing countries, we find evidences that efficiency significantly modulates the linkages between concentration and soundness. We also find that capital markets' development supports a stable evolution in banking sector. For the relationship between capital markets and soundness, our findings appear to be robust for various measures of the considered variables as well as for different estimation techniques. Regarding the impact of the concentration upon soundness, the results obtained display a certain sensitivity about the way concentration is measured.     

银行信贷监审中的合谋腐败问题研究

商业银行是一个典型的层级组织,存在多重委托代理问题,内部合谋腐败问题非常严重,本文以Laffont和Tirole所提出的P-S-A三层级代理硬信息约束模型为分析框架,分析了诚实但成本高昂的监审人员、廉价但会腐败的监审人员、廉价但会腐败和诚实但成本高昂的监审人员三种情况存在的信贷活动,研究作为代理人的银行信贷经理和信贷监审者之间可能合谋的问题,指出了可能会引致腐败的内部监审仍然是必要的,而只依赖于高成本但有效的外部审查缺乏效率,并相应地给出了一些建议。     

Firm- and country-level determinants of corporate leverage: Some new international evidence

This research analyzes the determinants of capital structure across 37 countries. Institutional arrangements matter for capital structure decisions; however, firm-level covariates drive two-thirds of the variation in capital structure across countries, while the country-level covariates explain the remaining one-third. The observed relationships between the country-level determinants and leverage provide strong support to the predictions of both the trade-off and the pecking-order theories. Country-level determinants serve as substitute mechanisms for the firm-level, industry-level, and macroeconomic determinants by moderating their marginal impact on leverage.     

Developments in accounting regulation: A synthesis and annotated bibliography of evidence and commentary in the 2017 academic literature

In this paper, recent regulation-related findings and commentaries in the academic literature are synthesized in annotated bibliography form. This annotated bibliography is one in a series of bibliographies that summarizes regulation-related academic research. Papers in top accounting outlets such as The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting Research, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Contemporary Accounting Research, Accounting Horizons, The Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Journal of Business, Finance & Accounting, The Journal of Financial Reporting, Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory, Research in Accounting Regulation and Review of Accounting Studies are included. Threads in the 2017 literature included general regulatory accounting issues, general financial reporting issues, examinations of the impact of specific guidance, and examination of issues surrounding the independent audit.