主并企业会计信息可比性与股东长期财富效应

本文以2006-2011年我国A股上市公司发起的并购交易事件为样本,研究主并企业会计信息可比性能否增强并购后股东的长期财富效应。研究发现:(1)可比性增强了会计信息的有用性,主并企业会计信息可比性与并购后股东的长期财富效应显著正相关;(2)并购导致主并企业不确定性显著增加,且增加的程度与并购后股东的长期财富效应显著负相关,但主并企业会计信息可比性抑制了不确定性增加的程度,从而有利于并购后股东长期财富的提升。上述结果表明,主并企业会计信息可比性在并购的价值创造中发挥重要作用。     

货币政策紧缩、会计信息可比性与银行借款

本文研究了中国上市公司会计信息可比性对银行借款规模、成本和期限结构的影响,以及货币政策紧缩时期会计信息可比性对银行信贷融资的影响.研究发现,会计信息可比性越高,银行借款规模越大,成本越低.短信贷期限结构公司的会计信息可比性有助于延长其信贷期限结构,支持代理成本假说;长信贷期限结构公司的会计信息可比性有助于缩短其信贷期限结构,支持信号传递假说.货币政策紧缩期间,会计信息可比性能够增加银行借款规模,降低借款成本.短信贷期限结构公司依然支持代理成本假说,长信贷期限结构公司减弱了信号传递假说.本文的结论丰富了会计信息可比性经济后果研究,以及宏观经济政策与公司微观财务行为的互动性研究.     

关于我国会计制度和会计准则的制定问题

本文包括三个主要部分。首先阐述会计规范的必要性。然后 ,立足于我国的实际情况 ,提出会计规范的目标是依存于不同的经济体制特点的、会计规范的内容和形式则取决于会计规范的目标 ;通过区分会计确认、计量、记录和报告在不同会计行为中的差别揭示了会计准则和会计制度两种规范形式在我国的并存性和各自的侧重点 ,即会计准则侧重于确认和计量 ,会计制度侧重于记录与报告。最后 ,对我国会计准则、会计制度的关系问题 ,未来会计规范问题提出作者的观点。     

Towards an Epistemology for Radical Accounting: Beyond Objectivism and Relativism

This paper reviews some of the ontological and epistemological issues confronting writers who are currently pursuing a "radical" critique of "mainstream" accounting thought. This burgeoning heterodoxy has a common point of departure, that mainstream accounting relies upon the received wisdom that the veracity of competing theories may be adjudicated through criteria that appeal to the accuracy of their correspondence with the facts of a cognitively accessible external reality. This dualism between subject and object is both implicitly and explicitly challenged by the radical as they draw attention to, in a variety of ways, the projective role of the epistemic subject. But the maintenance of such a critique requires further epistemological self-reflection if incoherence and relativism are to be avoided. To contribute to the development of this heterodoxy, realism is explored as an epistemological haven from which this critique may be pursued and three key implications are explored through reference to the work of radical accountants.     

Accounting Standards Harmonization and Financial Statement Comparability: Evidence from Transnational Information Transfer

This paper investigates whether accounting standards harmonization enhances the comparability of financial information across countries. I hypothesize that a firm yet to announce earnings reacts more strongly to the earnings announcement of a foreign firm when both report under the same rather than different accounting standards. My analysis of abnormal price reactions for a global sample of firms supports the prediction. Next, in an attempt to control for the underlying economic comparability and the effects of changes in reporting quality, I use a difference‐in‐differences design around the mandatory introduction of International Financial Reporting Standards. I find that mandatory adopters experience a significant increase in market reactions to the release of earnings by voluntary adopters compared to the period preceding mandatory adoption. This increase is not observed for nonadopters. Taken together, the results show that accounting standards harmonization facilitates transnational information transfer and suggest financial statement comparability as a direct mechanism.     

会计信息可比性、需求差异与跨公司信息传递

本文从投资者信息需求视角出发,实证检验会计信息可比性对跨公司信息传递的影响。结果发现:可比性的提升可以促进盈余信息的跨公司传递;无论投资者目的是预期未知信息还是验证已有信息,可比性均具有显著作用;但当公司间会计信息可靠性水平呈现差异时,可比性作用不同。本文研究表明,在投资者获取和利用外部信息判断公司价值的过程中,可比性发挥了重要作用。本研究发现有助于更全面地了解会计信息可比性经济后果,并对企业信息披露、政府监管具有借鉴意义。     

会计信息可比性研究评述及未来展望

可比性是一个很重要的会计信息质量特征,它能帮助会计信息使用者比较两类经济现象之间的异同,然而由于可比性测度的困难,其研究相对滞后于稳健性、相关性等质量特征。对相关文献进行了回顾,系统的评述了会计信息可比性的已有研究成果,包括会计信息可比性的测度方法、影响因素和经济后果等方面,最后指出了会计信息可比性的研究不足及未来研究方向。     

Towards a Comprehensive Accounting for Convertible Debt

Although convertible debt is an old and quite well-used form of finance, its accounting treatment has been almost ignored by those who set standards in the United Kingdom. The recent Technical Release TR 677 observed that there is a problem with convertible debt. The problem is that, after it has been issued by a company, the obligations of the company to third parties may change through time. This paper suggests that one approach to the problem is to follow a finance model of convertible debt, and to allow the accounting to develop from this. Accordingly, convertible debt may be considered on the basis of either equivalent straight debt or equivalent equity. The paper concludes with the suggestion that the accounting for convertible debt could be on the mixed basis or either the debt or the equity, but that this would be determined by the condition of the convertible debt at the date of the accounts.     

Towards Some Principles for Intangible Asset Accounting

This paper examines the conceptual issues of intangible asset accounting in the context of recent controversies over the treatment of brand names and goodwill in company accounts. Issues of definition and recognition and the rationale for balance sheet disclosure are considered for goodwill and other intangibles. The implications of capitalising intangibles under accounting models based on present value, net realisable value, current cost and historical cost are examined, and certain principles are proposed. The problem of testing the validity of asset valuation is explored, and a test is developed on the basis of the ‘recoverable amount’ rule of historical cost. This test is demonstrated for two major UK companies.     

独立董事连锁能够提高会计信息可比性吗?

本文从董事网络视角,考察了独立董事连锁对会计信息可比性的影响及其作用机制。通过实证研究,发现:(1)独立董事连锁的两家公司,其会计信息可比性更高;(2)兼任公司数较多、审计委员会任职以及有会计师事务所工作背景的独立董事连锁会进一步加强连锁公司间的会计信息可比性;(3)连锁独立董事能够使连锁公司间资产减值计提等会计政策更加趋同,是会计信息可比性提高的作用机制。以上结论在考虑独立董事连锁的内生性以及剔除具有关联关系的公司后依然成立。本文不仅丰富了独立董事连锁的经济后果研究,而且从微观层面上补充和拓展了会计信息可比性的影响因素研究。     

CEO变更对会计信息可比性的影响研究

本文主要研究中国上市公司的CEO变更如何影响会计信息可比性。研究发现,CEO变更会导致公司的会计信息可比性降低,表明CEO的变更会引起离任和继任CEO的报告动机和背景特征的变化,进而影响其执行准则的动机和行为。从产权性质的角度,国有企业的CEO变更比非国有企业对可比性的不利影响更加显著。就继任CEO的来源而言,相较于内部继任者,外部继任的CEO对可比性的影响更为明显。本文的结论为从微观层面提高会计信息可比性提供了经验证据。     

法制环境、供应链集中度与企业会计信息可比性

不同于常见的基于资本市场的会计信息可比性研究,本文将研究场景拓展至商品市场中处于企业供应链前后端的供应商、客户的会计信息需求,考察供应链集中是否会改变企业的信息环境,进而影响其会计信息可比性。研究发现,大供应商和大客户与企业之间的私下信息沟通,会显著削弱企业发布可比会计信息以满足供应商、客户信息需求的动机,具体表现为:供应链集中度越高,企业的会计信息可比性越差。进一步研究证实,企业所在地区的法制环境能够对会计信息可比性起到有效的约束作用,供应链集中度对企业会计信息可比性的显著负面影响只在法制环境较差的地区存在。本文从商品市场参与者的会计信息需求这一独特的视角考察了会计信息可比性的影响因素,丰富了会计信息可比性方面的文献,有助于从会计信息需求者多元性的角度全面理解会计信息质量的影响因素。     

Valuation of SGARAs IN THE Wine Industry: Time for Sober Reflection

The application of AASB 1037 Self Generating and Regenerating Assets provides little guidance to the commercial performance of winemakers. The valuation of grapevines essentially requires the valuation of a segment of a business (vineyards), from which is deducted the value of associated infrastructure. Grapevines are reported at a fictional "net market value" even though they cannot be bought or sold. The combination of recognising revaluation increments as distributable profits through the valuation of grapevines at "net market value", and the subsequent "amortisation" of those revaluation increments over the useful lives of the grapevines, creates a reporting maze which is more likely to confuse than inform.     

Accounting for Carbon Emission Allowances in the European Union: In Search of Consistency

Abstract

With the commencement of Phase III of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) in 2013, it is projected that approximately one-half of emission allowances will be acquired through auctioning and the provision of free allocations to installations will be substantially tightened. As a result, it is likely that many companies will hold purchased (as opposed to freely allocated or gratis) allowances and will have more significant liabilities under the scheme. The accounting treatment of emission allowances has therefore become more relevant and the lack of uniformity in practice that resulted after the withdrawal of IFRIC 3 is now a more pressing concern. This study uses content analysis to examine disclosed accounting policies of companies with significant emission liabilities under the EU ETS and identifies three more common approaches adopted to date. These can be generally described as the following: (i) a net liability approach, based on the classification of allowances as intangibles but only showing an emission liability when it exceeds the free allocation; (ii) an approach broadly based on IFRIC 3 (recognising the free allocation at fair value and a corresponding gross liability under the EU ETS); and (iii) an approach based on inventory classification, with free allocations given at nil value. The diversity in these treatments highlights the need for guidance from the International Accounting Standards Board.     

Towards a Comprehensive Framework for Environmental Management Accounting — Links Between Business Actors and Environmental Management Accounting Tools

This article develops a comprehensive framework for environmental management accounting (EMA) linking business actors and EMA tools. The proposed framework provides structure for managers to understand and assess the variety of environmental management accounting tools that have been developed to date, with the intention of encouraging their adoption. The framework systematically integrates two major components of environmental management accounting — monetary environmental management accounting (MEMA) and physical environmental management accounting (PEMA). It highlights the past/future and short/long-term time dimensions of the different tools, and the regularity of information generation, before concluding with a brief discussion about choice of the most important EMA tools.     

Comparability: An analytic examination

Comparability is often invoked as an evaluative criterion in regulatory and financial reporting controversies. This article explores the issue by first developing a formal model of comparability that is consistent with the prior information economics literature regarding normative criteria. This model is then used in a restricted setting to explore how such criteria might eventually be used to establish preference relationships.     

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.     

会计准则趋同、制度环境与财务报告可比性——基于A股与H股、港股比较的经验证据

本文研究会计准则趋同如何影响财务报告可比性,以及制度环境如何影响准则趋同的效果。利用2003-2011年A股、H股和港股的数据,我们分析了准则趋同前后A股与H股、港股的财务报告可比性变化情况,结果发现:(1)准则趋同后,A股与H股、港股的可比性得到了显著提升,且A股与港股的可比性提升水平高于A股与H股;(2)A股公司所在地区投资者保护程度越低,准则趋同后可比性提升越大。进一步分析发现,准则趋同后可比性的提升并没有增加境外机构对A股的投资,这说明可比性的提升并没有带来促进资本跨境配置的预期效果。本文的结果对理解准则趋同的效果以及进一步完善我国准则制定工作具有重要意义。     

会计实务问题(一)——资产核算

为促进注册会计师业务知识与技术的学习,我刊新设“业务讲座”栏目。本期开始,先约请浙江天健会计师事务所主任会计师胡少先根据现行会计制度、会计准则规定的基本精神,参照国际惯例,对若干会计实务问题的处理进行了分析,并提出处理建议,供行业同人参考。