Accounting and sustainable development: An exploration

As the social and environmental impacts of human activity have become more evident, the role of sustainable development as an organising principle in a variety of policy contexts and over multiple scales has become central. There are, at least, two implications that emerge from this observation. First, morally infused problems that need to be addressed have become more intractable, requiring innovation in our modes of thinking. Second, new spaces have emerged where the academy might explore how knowledge is created, validated and translated (or not) alongside policy and practice settings. One outcome of these trends has been the emergence of a stream of work (sustainability science) which investigates how disciplines might develop knowledge that progresses sustainable development. The aim of this paper, in line with the focus of the special issue, is to explore what possibilities emerge for accounting in light of a sustainability science approach. To achieve this end the paper starts with an exploration of the frustrations expressed in the literature over the perceived lack of progress made by social and environmental accounting towards addressing sustainable development. The paper then introduces sustainability science with the aim of imagining how an accounting for sustainable development might emerge. The paper closes with two illustrations of how a sustainability science approach to accounting could develop.     

An exploration of alcohol-related fire incidences

In this paper we examine an operational research project concerning the analysis of the characteristics of alcohol-related fire instances attended by a UK Fire and Rescue Service in the North West region of England and the development of a geographical information system for fire prevention support. The research project examined the circumstances of alcohol-related fires, their geographical distribution and the socio-economic characteristics of such fire incidences within the region studied, and also involved the design and implementation of a geographical information system for supporting prevention of such fires. Overall, it was found that cooking fires involving ‘harmful’ or ‘hazardous’ levels of alcohol consumption were most likely to be found amongst younger urban residents living in high levels of deprivation, students living in city centre locations and young families with high benefit need within the region studied.     

理赔风险防范探析

现阶段,在公司管理中,理赔问题凸现出来,集中体现在理赔运行和管理现状难以适应公司科学发展的要求,急待进行改革创新。保险覆盖面的不断扩大、客户服务领域的拓宽对理赔线服务业务发展的能力提出了严峻的挑战,公司对保险主业盈利能力的要求和保险市场生态环境的亟待改善要求理赔线进一步提升成本管控的能力,金融企业集团化的发展趋势和资源整合力度的加强要求理赔线强化对资源的控制和整合能力,提升核心能力、把握相关关系、明确理赔线定位,在管理模式上有所创新,同时提升专业化能力,加强全流程控制与电子化支持,建立专业化理赔队伍,提升客户服务能力,与各产品线协同解决理赔风险。     

An exploration into Pigou's theory of cycles

This paper explores a theory of business cycles in which recessions and booms arise due to difficulties encountered by agents in properly forecasting the economy's future needs in terms of capital. The idea has a long history in the macroeconomic literature, as reflected by the work of Pigou (Industrial Fluctuation, MacMillan, London, 1926). The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, we illustrate the type of general equilibrium structure that can give rise to such phenomena. Second, we examine the extent to which such a model can explain the observed pattern of U.S. recessions (frequency, depth) without relying on technological regress. We argue that such a model offer a framework for understanding elements of both the recent U.S. recession and of the Asia downturns of the late 1990s.     

我国银行保险发展问题探析

银行保险己成为当今国际保险业的主要发展趋势之一。我国保险领域在开展银行保险方面进行了有益的尝试和探索,积累了一定经验,取得了较快发展。但是,我国银行保险目前还处于初级发展阶段,实践中也暴露出许多不足和一些亟待解决的问题。     

Imagination workshops: An empirical exploration of SFP for technology-based business innovation

This article explores the potential use of Science Fiction Prototypes (SFPs) as a vehicle to promote creative thinking and innovation in the business and technology development process. In particular, the paper describes a tool, “The Imagination Workshop”, which business people can use to drive near and far term product innovation, futuristic business and entrepreneurship. A key contribution of this article is the use of a modified evolutionary model of the Science Fiction Prototyping creation process (cyclic SFP), which, instead of being linear process (as in earlier approaches), is based around a set of feedback loops in the form of an iterative evolutionary co-creative process. In addition, the paper describes how the SFP methodology has been applied to business innovation and entrepreneurship in two small UK companies. Finally, it reflects on the strengths and weaknesses of these methods from a business perspective.     

An exploration of stewardship theory in a Not-for-Profit organisation

The aim of this study is to understand the ability of stewardship theory, as compared with agency theory, to explain motivation of the staff in a Not-for-Profit (NFP) organisation. Agency theory is seen as providing an explanation of motivation in the business sector however we argue that the different cultural and organisational conditions weaken the explanatory power of agency theory in the NFP sector. In pursuing this investigation, we were mindful of Brinberg's (2009) encouragement for a more outward-looking approach to management accounting issues and in particular his call for the use qualitative research methods and to allow practice to inform theory.Interviews were conducted with staff of a NFP organisation to gauge the impact of the introduction of a bonus scheme. The interviews sought to provide answers to three questions: what is the main source of motivation in the organisation? Were tensions created in the organisation by the introduction of the bonus scheme? Was there a change in the culture of the organisation, comprising camaraderie between staff, having fun at work, trust between management and staff, and an attitude of service to clients?Practical implicationsThis finding has important implications for the management of NFPs. To maintain and improve motivation, management needs to look to the goals, or mission, of the organisation – in particular, to see that the goals include care of and service to clients.Originality/valueThe originality and value of this paper stems from the fact that the data was gather in a NFP organisation that had introduced an extrinsic reward scheme.     

An exploration of the persistence of UK unit trust performance

We examine the persistence in UK unit trust performance between January 1982 and December 1996. We find significant persistence in the relative rankings of trusts using different performance measures. We also find significant persistence in the performance of portfolios of trusts, formed on the basis of prior year excess returns, when performance is evaluated relative to models based on the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) or arbitrage pricing theory (APT). However this persistence is eliminated when performance is evaluated relative to a model similar to Carhart [Journal of Finance 52 (1997) 57]. Using a conditional performance measure leads to significant reversals in performance with this model.     

我国保险资金境外投资风险防范探析

随着保险业发展速度的加快,保险投资资金的不断增多,使保险资金境外投资逐步成为国内保险机构扩展投资领域、提高保险资金投资收益的重要途径。但与境外投资高收益相伴的是不容忽视的高风险,2008年下半年以来,随着美国次级债风波演变为百年难遇的全球性金融危机,国际金融形势风云突变,对外投资形势日趋严峻,我国保险资金对外投资面临着严峻的风险。本文通过对当前我国保险业保险资金境外投资面临的风险分析,采取理论与案例相结合的方式,从保险监管方式、内部风险控制、资产负债匹配、投资比例限制及投资人才储备等方面提出我国保险资金境外投资风险的具体策略和措施。     

内含价值方法应用局限性探析

本文主要分析了内含价值方法在具体应用中需要解决的两个问题,一个是将资本划分为要求资本和自由资本所导致的与一般企业价值评估不一致的问题,另外一个是将内含价值方法运用于存在偿付能力缺口公司的股权转让问题。     

我国房产养老保险制度的探讨

改革开放以来,中国人口年龄结构发生了历史性变化,老龄化程度日益加重.房产养老保险正是顺应时代发展和符合时代要求的一种解决养老问题的金融创新工具,对房产养老保险的制度框架进行分析,是这种创新产品得以成功推广的前提.本文结合我国房产养老保险现状与美国房产价值可转换抵押贷款的发展,设计了我国房产养老保险的制度框架,明确了房产...     

An exploration of the forward premium puzzle in currency markets

A standard empirical finding is that expected changes in exchangerates and interest rate differentials across countries are negativelyrelated, implying that uncovered interest rate parity is violatedin the data. This article provides new empirical evidence thatsuggests that violations of uncovered interest rate parity,and its economic implications, depend on the sign of the interestrate differential. A framework related to term structure modelsis developed to account for the puzzling relationship betweenexpected changes in exchange rates and interest rate differentials.Estimation results suggest that a particular term structuremodel can account for the puzzling empirical evidence.     

公司分立的会计处理初探

为适应日益复杂多变的经营环境,公司在不断调整生产经营活动之外,往往必须对组织结构、资产结构、股本规模实施重大调整。这种重大调整包括扩张型的并购、发行新股,以及收缩型的分立。前者在当前的证券市场屡见不鲜,对会计处理问题已有规范,后者则属于市场创新,对会计处理问题既少有规范,也少见相关文献。本文拟就公司分立会计处理作一初步探讨。     

对构建我国“绿色保险”制度的探讨

我国是环境事件高发国家,借鉴国外开展环境污染责任保险的做法和经验,建立我国有效的环境污染责任保险制度势在必行。本文在研究国外开展环境污染责任保险的基础上,对我国建立环境污染保险制度进行了探讨,认为应尽快依法建立强制性保险为主,任意性保险为辅的绿色保险制度;逐步扩大承保范围,适时开办新险种;科学合理地确定保险费率;开展绿色保险再保险配套立法;加大政府推进和政策支持力度。     

The history of Western futures studies: An exploration of the intellectual traditions and three-phase periodization

The main purpose of this paper is to present a three-phase periodization of modern Western futures studies to construct historical classification. In order to reach this goal, the following intellectual traditions are introduced to review the philosophical and historical contexts that affect the very foundations of futures studies: (a) religions, (b) utopias, (c) historicism, (d) science fiction, and (e) systems thinking. The first phase (beginning in 1945 to the 1960s) was the era of scientific inquiry and rationalization of the futures characterized by the prevalence of technological forecasting, the rise of alternative futures in systematic ways, and the growth of professionalization of futures studies. In the first phase, futures had become objects of rationalization removed from the traditional approaches such as utopia, grandiose evolutionary ideas, naive prophecies, science fiction, religious attitudes, and mystical orientation. The second phase (the 1970s and the 1980s) saw the creation the global institution and industrialization of the futures. This era was marked by the rise of worldwide discourse on global futures, the development of normative futures, and the deep involvement of the business community in futures thinking. In the second phase, futures studies-industry ties were growing and the future-oriented thoughts extensively permeated the business decision-making process. The third phase (the 1990s – the present) reflects the current era of the neoliberal view and fragmentation of the futures. This phase is taking place in the time of neoliberal globalization and risk society discourses and is characterized by the dominance of foresight, the advance of critical futures studies, and the intensification of fragmentation. In the third phase, futures practice tends to be confined to the support of strategic planning, and hence is experiencing an identity crisis and loss of its earlier status of humanity-oriented futures.     

Tourism at Costalegre,Mexico: An ecosystem services-based exploration of current challenges and alternative futures

Tourism, as all human activities, is dependent on the natural environment and its respective ecosystem services (ES). Different user groups manage and consume these touristic ES differently, resulting in discrepancies and potential conflicts. Despite the urgency to find inclusive local approaches for sustainable development, tourism studies still analyze socio-economic and ecological impacts separately and lack integrated social–ecological approaches to improve foresight in tourism planning. Based on a growing concern regarding the future of Costalegre on the Jalisco coast of Western Mexico, we analyze through interviews, surveys, and participant observation the dependence of tourism on specific ecosystem services and conduct a scenario analysis which shows present and future implications for the social–ecological system. Furthermore, this analysis shows in detail how different scenarios change ES provision and people's livelihoods. Key findings include identifying freshwater provision and cultural ES as the most important touristic ES. At a regional scale, peasants in ejidos are the main ES stewards, whereas high-class tourism facilities constitute important local stewards. Benefits, mainly access to freshwater and the beach, are unequally distributed, provoking conflicts among different ES user groups that may escalate in the near future. Improved communication between all user groups and strengthening of key political actors seem to be the most immediate recommendations to ensure the long term sustainability of this particular region. This work may contribute to improved planning and decision-making as our ES based scenarios are a first step to integrate social–ecological knowledge into improved decision-making. At a local scale, the study reveals the most likely future development options and their social and ecological consequences. It could also serve as a baseline for informed policy making.     

An exploration of the competitive value of an accurate accounting system

The value of an accurate accounting system is compared to one that introduces a cross-subsidy. In a two-product experimental market the accurate system is shown to provide value when a competitor has a system that introduces a cross-subsidy. The value appears to arise from better product-mix decisions. But it is likely that this value is transitory, explaining in part why observational studies of practice have found it difficult to document sustained value from improved information systems.     

高校课余体育分析

课余体育是学校体育教育的有机组成部分。文章在对高校课余体育概念进行分析的基础上,指出普通高校课余体育模式应以依靠大学生自觉性为中心,加强体育理论教育,还要造就一支高素质的教师队伍。普通高校课余体育可以弥补体育课堂教学的不足,保证学校体育目标的实现,可以全面提高学生健康水平,能够促进校园文化建设。     

Nonprofessional investors' perceptions of the incremental value of continuous auditing and continuous controls monitoring: An experimental investigation

In this study, we investigate nonprofessional investors' perceptions of the incremental value of additional assurance provided by continuous auditing (CA) and continuous controls monitoring (CCM) relative to traditional periodic auditing. We also examine whether nonprofessional investors' perceptions of incremental value of CA and CCM depend on whether the procedure is performed by internal or external auditors, given that external auditors are likely to be perceived as more independent and objective than internal auditors. We conduct two experiments, one using 120 nonprofessional investors recruited by a national survey company, and the second using 184 participants recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform. The first experiment employed a 2 × 2 between-participants design in which we manipulate the type of assurance (CA or CCM) and the source of assurance (internal or external auditors). The second experiment was identical to the first experiment, with the addition of a fifth condition to test a conjecture stemming from the results of the first experiment. The results from both experiments indicate that although nonprofessional investors believe that continuous auditing decreases the likelihood of material errors and asset misappropriation, nonprofessional investors do not concomitantly increase their investment upon learning about the implementation of these sophisticated continuous assurance techniques. Evidence from the second experiment provides support for the contention that the reason why nonprofessional investors do not increase their investment pursuant to implementation of CA or CCM is due to the salience of the additional costs of these techniques. These results have important implications for firms considering the implementation of additional assurance procedures such as CA and CCM.