A Survey of Sustainability Reporting Practices of Australian Reporting Entities

This study examines the nature and extent of sustainability reporting practices in the various reporting media used by companies listed on the ASX (annual reports, discrete reports and websites). The sustainability reporting practices of the sample are compared with key indicators outlined in the GRI framework. The annual report is found to be the least valuable source of information on corporate sustainability in terms of the number of indicators observed and the diversity of the information provided. The discrete reports and websites provide greater levels of information on sustainability; however the overall levels of disclosure are generally low.     

Developing Accounting Regulations that Reflect Public Viewpoints: The Australian Solution to Differential Reporting

In this paper, we analyse the factors that have shaped the approach taken by the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) in addressing the issue of differential reporting in Australia. In contrast to its early adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards in 2005, the AASB has signalled an independent approach to differential reporting. Still in progress at the time of writing, we show how the AASB's approach has been shaped by feedback from key stakeholder groups, as well as by influential individuals and key events. In the face of strongly held views on both sides of the debate, the Board has moved from reliance on discursive techniques to develop and justify proposed policies to embracing to a greater extent, the use of more objective research evidence to resolve the empirical questions presented in the public debate.     

The Introduction of Mandatory Environmental Reporting Guidelines: Australian Evidence

This article augments the empirical literature on environmental reporting through an analysis of the impact the introduction of mandatory reporting guidelines had on the environmental disclosures of seventy-one Australian companies. Specifically it documents three implications from the enactment in 1998 of s. 299(1)(f) of Australia's Corporations Law that requires companies to report on their environmental performance with respect to any 'particular and significant environmental regulation'. First, from a review of annual reports for two reporting periods prior to and two periods post the operative date of the provision, there was found to be a significant increase in the number of companies reporting and the level of information provided on environmental performance. Second, considerable variation was identified in the approaches adopted for reporting, hence confirming concerns expressed as to the practical application of the provision. Finally, there was an increase in the level of total environmental disclosure, most significantly for those companies that reported breaches of regulations and that do not issue a stand-alone environmental report. The analysis directly links increases in reporting and the introduction of s. 299(1)(f), therefore highlighting the limitations of continual reliance upon voluntary reporting to provide consistent substantive information on environmental performance. In addition, the analysis provides evidence that the introduction of additional reporting media influences the level of disclosure of environmental information within the annual report.     

Internal Reporting of Derivatives: Some Australian Evidence

This paper provides evidence on the internal reporting of derivatives by Australian non-banking companies. The key findings, based on a survey of the top 100 Australian companies, are: (i) most companies have well established policies and procedures to deal with derivatives; (ii) for most companies the board of directors and the external auditors receive only monthly reports on derivatives, limiting their ability to monitor continuously the firms' exposure to derivatives; and (iii) none of the companies continuously revalues its derivatives and assesses the risks associated with its exposure, with more than half of the companies evaluating their exposures less frequently than weekly.     

The Credibility Of Australian Financial Reporting: Are The Co-regulation Arrangements Working?

Credible financial reporting is hard to achieve without an accounting regulatory system. In Australia a system of co-regulation has evolved, based on collaboration between the federal government and its agencies and the accounting profession. Compared with overseas systems, the Australian approach to regulation has unique as well as derivative features. Is the system working effectively for the delivery of dependable, internationally comparable financial reports that make reporting entities transparent and enhance investor confidence?     

Workplace Human Rights Reporting: A Study of Australian Garment and Retail Companies

The opening of the Australian economy in a globalised world has led to Australian garment and retail corporations moving their manufacturing overseas and acquiring goods from overseas providers. This is usually better for the corporations’ bottom‐line, as they can purchase goods overseas at a fraction of their local cost, partly due to cheap labour. Australia is one of the many OECD countries not to have a well regulated environment for workplace human rights. This study examines 18 major Australian retail and garment manufacturing corporations and finds that workplace human rights reporting is poor, based on content analysis of their annual reports, corporate social responsibility reports and websites. This is probably due to the failure of the Australian Government to provide adequate oversight by promulgating mandatory reporting standards for both local and overseas operations of Australian companies. This permits corporations to avoid reporting their workplace human rights standards and breaches.     

Why Consistency of Accounting Standards Matters: A Contribution to the Rules-Versus-Principles Debate in Financial Reporting

A cross-firm consistent application of accounting standards is sought in all major accounting regimes. Since many transactions and events are only vaguely or not explicitly addressed in the standards managers must often use judgment when applying accounting standards to particular transactions or events. This analysis concludes that a consistent application of accounting standards can only be ensured if the accounting standards themselves are internally consistent. By contrast, inconsistent standards—in the absence of clear guidance—permit managers to (more or less arbitrarily) choose between different accounting methods. Moreover, it is found that a consistent application presupposes the existence of specific guidance ('rules') in order to frame management's judgment. It is argued that the reliance on principles only—as requested by many in the accounting literature—fails to ensure a consistent application because it allows management to exert judgment differently in identical cases. The assessment includes arguments and propositions from the international discussion in the accounting literature and also refers to other related fields of research, such as legal theory.     

A Survey of Accountants' Opinions on Cash Flow Reporting

The results of a survey of members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland is reported. The survey gives evidence of the views of professionally qualified accountants concerning their support for, and the feasibility of reporting on, a cash flow basis. Considerable support was discerned for preparing company annual financial reports on a cash flow basis.     

我国上市公司财务报告法律责任的问卷调查及分析

本文报告了作者就虚假财务报告及其法律责任相关问题对投资者、法律界人士、监管人员、银行管理人员、注册会计师、上市公司高管人员等不同群体问卷调查的结果。我们的调查涉及我国上市公司信息披露的现状、虚假财务报告的认定、虚假财务报告的原因及其治理、虚假陈述法律责任的主体、最高人民法院司法解释关于虚假陈述法律责任的规定等五个方面,旨在了解上述群体对相关问题的基本看法,为完善有关法律,推进虚假陈述民事诉讼,维护资本市场的健康有序发展提供第一手资料。调查表明,关于虚假财务报告及其法律责任认定问题不同群体间存在较大分歧,现行责任认定和处罚制度尚存在诸多亟待明确或改进之处。本报告还在调查的基础上对这些问题进行了逐一分析。     

The Effects of International Financial Reporting Standards on the Accounts and Accounting Quality of Australian Firms: A Retrospective Study

We examine the effect of Australian equivalents to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on the accounts and accounting quality of 1,065 listed firms, relying on retrospective reconciliations between Australian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (AGAAP) and IFRS. We find that IFRS increases total liabilities, decreases equity and more firms have earnings decreases than increases. IFRS earnings and equity are not more value relevant than AGAAP earnings and equity and while adjustments for changes in accounting for provisions and intangibles other than goodwill are value relevant, they weaken associations with market value. Goodwill adjustments improve associations with market value. We also find that the reconciliation note for the earnings adjustments contained no new information.     

Intellectual Capital Reporting Practices of the Top Australian Firms

Using content analysis of annual reports of the top 20 firms (by market capitalisation) listed on the Australian stock exchange in 2004, this paper describes the state of intellectual capital reporting practices in Australia. The paper also compares the results with a previous Australian study by Guthrie and Petty (2000) and reconfirms that reporting of intellectual capital is yet to be done within a consistent framework. Although most of the reporting was done through qualitative, rather than quantitative, statements, an encouraging shift towards quantitative reporting is evident.     

财务报告内部控制:一个悖论

从历史发展、实践考察和理论逻辑等三个视角来看,财务报告内部控制面临着两难困境。从历史发展看,围绕资产保护展开的一桩历史公案表明,财务报告内部控制无法离开资产保护而单独存在。但若广义理解资产保护,就须定位为内部控制;而狭义理解资产保护,会导致人为割裂经营活动与财务报告之间的关系。从实践考察看,无论是横向分离还是纵向分离,都无法从内部控制系统中分离出一个所谓的财务报告内部控制系统。从理论逻辑看,财务报告内部控制是审计和监管当局自我界定责任范围的一个权宜之计。总之,财务报告内部控制研究陷入了一个为不能独立存在的系统寻找独立存在的理由的尴尬境地。因此,应该尽早用"内部控制"取代"财务报告内部控制"。     

Integrating Computers into Accounting Education: A Survey of Australian Universities and Colleges

Conflicts of ideas occur in the literature regarding the necessity and best approach in integrating computers into accounting courses in institutions of higher learning. This paper presents a report of a survey of the use of computer assisted learning in accounting curriculum in Australian universities and colleges, academics commitment to computer assisted learning and obstacles to further applications of computer assisted learning in accounting courses. The survey found that computer assisted learning has occurred mostly at an introductory level in the areas of worksheets and special purpose journals. Academics want to increase computer assisted learning in their accounting courses but are hindered by lack of financial resources, staff time, staff expertise and educationally suitable software.     

2005 — It's Here, Ready or Not: A Review of the Australian Financial Reporting Framework

This article reviews the current financial reporting framework in Australia by considering three groups that are involved in the production of companies' financial reports: rule-makers, financial report preparers and rule-enforcers. We outline dramatic changes to the financial reporting framework in the period 2002-04 (primarily from CLERP 9) and explore the effect on the roles and activities of various groups of the adoption of international accounting standards in Australia.     

Corporate Reporting and Urgent Issues Group Abstracts: The Impact of UIG 4 ON THE Australian Extractive Industries

The Urgent Issues Group (UIG) was established in 1994 to overcome the inability of Australian standard-setters to deal promptly with significant reporting issues. One of its first issues was accounting for restoration obligations, with the subsequent issue in August 1995 of UIG Abstract 4 Disclosure of Accounting Policies for Restoration Obligations in the Extractive Industries. This study reports on the effect of the introduction of UIG 4 on the reporting practices of companies in the extractive industries. Despite an increase in the number of companies disclosing their accounting policy and the level of information provided, the comparability, and therefore usefulness, of disclosure after the introduction of UIG 4 is still questionable.     

The Differential Impact of the Force of Law Australian Auditing Standards

This qualitative study explores whether the impact of the introduction of the legally enforceable Australian Auditing Standards (ASAs) differs between audit firms based on their size. It complements and extends the Australian Government's pre‐implementation April 2006 Regulation Impact Statement ( AUASB 2006 ) and Hecimovic et al.'s (2009) study exploring the perceptions of key stakeholders. The results of the current study, based on data from extensive interviews with auditors from small, medium and large audit firms, suggest that compliance with the legally enforceable ASAs does not appear to increase perceived audit quality or public confidence. The study also finds that the costs/benefits to small audit firms and their clients differ to those of medium and large firms, raising questions about the viability of smaller firms remaining in the audit market.