Harmonization relating to auditor independence: the Eighth Directive,the UK and Germany

The European Union Eighth Directive on the approval of auditors covers auditor independence only to a very limited extent. The provisions in the five articles on this subject are far less detailed than they were in the drafts of the directive, so that almost all specific regulation is left to the Member States. An examination of the development of the articles dealing with independence and integrity shows how the need to compromise, in order to reach an agreement, frustrated the intentions of the harmonizers. This paper traces the development of the independence rules in the Eighth Directive from the avant projet through the drafts to the final directive. It assesses the extent to which pre-Eighth Directive regulation in the UK and Germany may have affected the directive and then examines the implementation of the directive in the two countries. It concludes that national culture and accounting traditions prevented harmonization of independence rules through the Eighth Directive.     

International linkages between short-term real interest rates

Whereas previous studies have focused on the causal relation between nominal interest rates, this paper examines causal relationships between real rates for the United States and six other countries. Based on evidence from our full sample we find that U.S. and foreign interest rates are not highly informative for one another. This would suggest that even if the United States is regarded as a large player in international financial markets this does not necessarily translate into the transmission of U.S. real interest rates to other countries. However, an examination of various sub-periods of our sample reveals that this conclusion may be sensitive to the U.S. monetary policy regime. We also report results for linkages between European countries which indicate that Germany provides some information on real interest rates in France and the United Kingdom, but not in Italy. An analysis of various sub-periods for the European countries show that the result for France is not robust, with German rates having an impact only in the first period through March 1983. This latter evidence does not provide strong support for the hypothesis that Germany's monetary policy plays a dominant role in the European Monetary System. In general, we would argue that domestic factors play a prominent role in determining real interest rates, quite independently from the influence of interest rates from abroad.     

The Continuing Controversy over Right-to-Work Laws in the Early Twenty-First Century

This article provides a brief introduction to the ongoing controversy concerning right-to-work (RTW) legislation in the United States. The paper proceeds with the outlining of the major ideological arguments in favor of and in opposition to RTW laws before presenting the taste, free rider and bargaining power hypotheses which has motivated research concerning the economic effects of RTW laws. After reporting the findings of some of the basic empirical research designed to test these hypotheses as well as other recent studies, the article concludes that RTW laws have, at a minimum, moderately reduced the scope of unionization as well as the number of union members over the long-run. This indicates that the presence or absence of RTW legislation is not merely a symbolic fight as some have maintained but is something that has real consequences for the trade union movement’s future in the United States in the early 21^st century.     

Recast directive on European works councils: cosmetic surgery or substantial progress?

Overdue by nine years, contested by employers and awaited by trade unions, a review of the European works council Directive 94/45/EC finally became reality in 2009. This article presents background information about the positions of the European social partners and other institutional EU actors in order to understand the outcome of the events of 2008–09. Focus is directed towards providing a general overview of the new elements in the recast directive on European works councils (EWCs). Keeping the different views on EWCs of the social partners in perspective, the article argues that the recast directive, despite its shortcomings, represents progress rather than superficial cosmetic surgery.     

美国经济所面临的挑战（英文）

美国经济在全球经济中占有非常重要的地位,因此美国经济的未来走势直接关系到全球经济的发展.本文分析美国在经济发展中所具有的优势地位以及在未来经济发展中所要面对的挑战与风险。美国未来经济面临着巨额的经常项目逆差、财政收支赤字、能源价格高涨以及房地产泡沫破灭的威胁,使美国必须采取措施进行调整。这将导致本世纪初美国未来经济发展速度减慢。     

The true and fair view and the drafting of the Fourth Directive

The article reviews the drafting of the Fourth Directive with a view to analysing the mechanisms whereby the overriding requirement that accounts should provide a true and fair view of the state of affairs of a company was introduced into the second draft of the directive. It examines the published comments from the expert group which wrote the initial discussion document and from the European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee. It concludes that, since the initial concept was that the Directive should combine elements from existing member state statutes rather than create an independent approach, it should be expected that UK and Irish law would have an influence once these countries became members. There is, however, evidence that some accountants in the UK placed emphasis on the true and fair override as a means of escaping what they saw as the strictures of the Fourth Directive.     

‘Breaking the ICE’: workplace democracy in a modernized social Europe

The EU seeks to improve its labour market performance through implementing the Lisbon and European Employment Strategies which encourage the modernization of work organization through the development of partnership with the assistance of an ‘appropriate’ regulatory framework. Key aspects of this latter framework concern workers' rights regarding information, consultation and participation in corporate governance. European labour laws, introduced in the 1970s, sought to strengthen employers' consultation with their workforce and, more recently, the changing economic, technological and organizational environment has returned issues related to workplace democracy to the top of the social policy agenda. Here we evaluate the significance of the new Directive on Information and Consultation with Employees (ICE) within the context of this planned modernization of European social policy. In doing so, we re-examine the historical development of workers' consultation laws in Europe and assess the economic rationale for regulating workplace social dialogue in an enlarged Social Europe.     

Environmental management in Devon and Cornwall's small and medium sized enterprise sector

This paper suggests that environmental impacts can be reduced in the SME sector through more detailed, less generic model developments for each industrial sector based on best practices and not on strategic management systems. It also suggests simplification of environmental support organisations and advocates the development of the concept of Energy Performance Contracting to Environmental Performance Contracting. There are undoubtedly many ways in which SMEs can improve their environmental performance but it is questionable that within the present economic system environmental sustainability will ever be achieved. Increased environmental regulation would certainly level the playing field but would not change the fundamental attitudes towards the environment as a generator of maximum wealth for the sole purpose of short term consumption. Self regulation is certainly the ultimate goal, where individuals and businesses recognise and respect the environment on more of an holistic level and where other individual utilities are gained from work aside from financial gain. The argument is that this radical (used here in its true sense to mean from the root) change of economic priorities could be achieved through a fair trading system run on a bioregional level. However at the moment self regulation within the present economic system seems ineffective as the environment is simply not a priority for SMEs. Small scale environmental improvements may occur but results from this research suggest that commitment to the environment on a practical rather than theoretical level needs to exist for substantial change to take place. This commitment is unlikely to increase substantially within an economic system that does not attach higher value to the environment. The attainment of environmental sustainability would require a fresh analysis of the economic system and our own individual consciousness.     

Review of empirical research on rotation and non-audit services: auditor independence in fact vs. appearance

Confidence in the processes of corporate reporting and auditing has rapidly decreased recently due to front-page accounting scandals in both the United States and Europe. The goal of audit regulations, such as the Sarbanes Oxley Act in the United States (US) and the 8th Directive in the European Union (EU), is to restore public trust in the auditing process. Along with other regulatory aspects, requirements related to audit partner rotation and bans on providing concurrent non-audit services were implemented to maintain auditor independence, both in fact and in appearance. However, the implementation of audit regulation implies that increased requirements are able to enhance the failed audit function. Empirical research should help to understand the impact of these two regulatory aspects and indicate their effectiveness in maintaining auditor independence. Thus, we outline the newest empirical research related to audit partner rotation and non-audit services and independence in fact or in appearance. Overall, we conclude that prior research does not point to one particular requirement that would most effectively restore trust in the audit function. Rather the existence of multiple threats to auditor independence might demand a combination of several requirements to maintain auditor independence. Thus, more research is needed to investigate the joint effects of different threats to auditor independence, e.?g., non-audit fees and audit partner tenure.     

后金融危机时代我国会计准则与国际趋同问题探究

2008年以来,一场源于美国的金融危机迅速在全世界蔓延,不仅重创了世界经济体系,对世界经济秩序也造成了致命冲击。延续多年的国际会计准则制定机构及国际会计准则趋同化模式受到前所未有的严峻挑战,美国将国际会计准则趋同化设定为阻碍市场经济发展的观点也影响了我国许多学者对我国会计准则与国际会计准则的接轨和融合态度,甚至有些学者公开质疑国际会计准则趋同的合理性。文中将从国际会计准则与现阶段我国会计准则所面临的种种难题和出路入手,分析后金融危机时代我国会计准则与国际会计准则趋同化的经济价值以及社会意义。     

Auditor independence in economies in transition: a study of Russia

The independence of auditors is regarded as key to their credibility as external verifiers of external financial statements. The requirement for external auditors to be independent of their clients when undertaking an audit is enshrined in the International Federation of Accountants' (IFAC) Code of Ethics and in the European Union's Eighth Directive. In the IFAC code this requirement is translated into various situations where observance of certain rules should ensure independence. As the countries of Central Europe and the former Soviet Union have drafted and implemented new laws on external audit, some of these auditor independence rules have been included in the new laws and codes of professional practice. Yet the rationale for the inclusion of these rules is not always clear, particularly given the different cultural and business contexts. In this paper, the authors have identified the auditor independence rule requirements that have been implemented into the laws and codes of practice in Russia. These requirements are then analysed against the economic, social and historic background in Russia, based to a large extent on interviews with auditors, enterprise management and users of financial statements, to generate questions about the efficacy of the auditor independence rules. This should provide relevant input to international and national bodies concerned with the drafting of rules relating to auditor independence in countries with different social and economic traditions.     

The Significance of the Living Wage for US Workers in the Early Twenty-First Century

This article provides an introduction to the importance of the living wage for low-wage workers in the United States. Described as a wage based on an estimation of the official poverty threshold for a family of four, the living wage, as an alternative to the minimum wage, is based on the notion that people working at full-time jobs, and their families, should not have to live in poverty. After discussing the emergence and growth of living wage campaigns in the United States, this essay discusses the coverage and provisions of living wage statutes, the economic effects of living wage ordinances as well as additional benefits provided to workers and unions from living wage statute implementation. The article concludes that due to the current economic conditions in the United States, the struggle to attain a living wage will become increasingly relevant in the coming years.     

浅析中美高校贷款

中国和美国这两个国家,不仅是经济大国,也是教育大国。他们有不同的经济政治制度,也有不同的文化背景。这两个国家的高校贷款问题也是不一样的。本文将从高校贷款产生和现状,高校贷款利率,高校贷款形式三方面进行比较。     

The free movement of workers and social Europe: maintaining the European ideal

The big EU enlargement of 2004 has fuelled the debate about whether labour migration from the east to the west is causing social dumping in the European economy, with the effect of upsetting established national systems of labour market regulation. This article reviews the effects of migration on EU labour markets. It also examines three recent industrial relations disputes which were about job displacement. It argues that there is little evidence of greater labour mobility causing new social dumping pressures on a widespread basis. However, it goes on to suggest that the situation may change if the EU adopts neoliberal policies such as the initial draft Services Directive at the same time as promoting greater labour market openness between the Member States. The article concludes by arguing for a better policy mix which would on the one hand involve the EU maintaining its commitment to the free movement of workers and on the other hand strengthen labour standard‐setting mechanisms at both the EU and national levels.     

ECONOMICS,RELIGION AND THE DECLINE OF EUROPE1

This article asks whether there is any casual connection between the contemporaneous decline in industriousness and religiosity in Europe over the past 25 years. In the United States working hours and levels of religious faith and observance have held steady or even increased over this period. But in most European countries they have declined together. Could this be a posthumous vindication of Max Weber's thesis about the Protestant work ethic and the rise of capitalism? Though there clearly are some important links between religion and economic behaviour, the article concludes that the evidence does not perfectly fit Weber's theory, which emphasised abstinence rather than consumption as a determinant of economic development.     

Liquefied Natural Gas: Redefining Nature,Restructuring Geopolitics,Returning to the Periphery?

The liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry began as a means of making use of natural gas resources in socially remote regions and of natural gas associated with oil production. Natural gas was transformed from a waste product into LNG that could be moved thousands of miles to market, redefining “waste” as a valuable raw material. As the newest large-scale LNG exporter, the United States entered the LNG industry based on another redefinition of nature: the extraction of natural gas previously economically and technologically inaccessible in shale formations. Hydraulic fracturing and new drilling technologies have created reserves of natural gas that are driving down prices with excess production and provoking a search for new markets via LNG exports. Liquefied natural gas is reshaping economies, communities, industries, and ecosystems in the United States and in other parts of the world. This article analyzes the role of the LNG industry with a particular focus on the economic and geopolitical consequences for the United States. The United States is returning to its historical role of energy exporter. Some view the return to this role as an economic and geopolitical boon that will enhance the U.S. economy and the nation’s global standing. A contrasting interpretation sees the United States sliding into the extractive periphery, serving the energy demands of a growing China, much like the United States once did for Europe and especially Great Britain. This view condemns what it views as the exploitation of U.S. natural resources to meet China’s energy needs while leaving large areas of the United States with depleted resources, damaged ecosystems, and disrupted communities.     

Environmental regulation and innovation driving ecological design in the UK automotive industry

The theory of ecological modernization asserts that economic and environmental goals can be integrated within a framework of industrial modernity. Its central tenet is that environmental regulation can stimulate the application of ‘clean’ technologies or techniques. Ecological modernization also contends that environmental regulation can offer business benefits from innovation through improved product design and economic performance. The EU End of Life Vehicles Directive (ELVD) reflects many of these principles, as it compels all car manufacturers to ‘take back’ and dismantle vehicles at the end of their useful lives and to remove the hazardous substances from the production process. Each component will then be either reused or recycled. The legislation forces designers to introduce ‘clean design’ and ‘design for disassembly’ practices. In light of this, we examine the impact of the directive on UK automotive component manufacturers. We find limited evidence that the EU ELVD Directive has driven product innovation beyond short‐term, incremental technological trajectories. We therefore conclude that a more radical approach, in line with the ‘dematerialization’ thesis by Dobers and Wolff (1999), is needed to generate more radical, ecological design solutions within the UK automotive industry. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

中国对美国贸易出口的实证分析——基于1994-2008统计数据

美国的次贷危机最终演变成了全球的经济危机,不仅金融市场遭到了重创,而且实体经济最终也无能幸免。对于我国来说,中国的对外出口下滑态势日渐显现。美国作为中国最大的出口市场,中国对美出口变动对中国的外贸反映具有很好的代表性。文中运用计量经济学方法,基于1994-2008年的中美贸易数据,试图找出决定中国对美国贸易出口变化的一般规律,并对中国外贸经济发展模式转变提出建议。     

贸易保护对全球投资与经济增长的影响

本文在全球治理模型的基础上,模拟分析美国以及世界各主要国家和地区对进出口产品均提高关税后对经济增长的影响。模拟结果显示,美国有针对性地增加产品关税对美国经济增长并不有利,其贸易保护政策可能难以持续,而如果世界各主要国家和地区对进出口产品均提高关税,将使得印度以及低收入发展中国家的经济增长受到较大负面影响。经济的发展受到需求推动和生产技术推动,主导贸易保护只会进一步加剧矛盾,世界经济的发展需要各个国家和地区的共同努力和协同促进。     

国外一般消费品召回管理机构及召回信息公示工作对我国的启示

2010年《家用电器产品召回管理规定》征求意见稿已面向全社会征求意见。在我国一般消费品召回比起汽车召回才刚刚起步。文章从美国、加拿大、澳大利亚、欧盟、日本等几个一般消费品召回较成熟的国家或地区出发，分析了一般消费品的召回管理机构、法律、召回公示信息等内容，以期对我国一般消费品制度、法律及信息：佥示等内容起到借鉴作用。