Development of accounting in Iran

The main purpose of this paper is to show the origin, growth and practice of accounting in Iran plus analysis of influential factors such as financial markets, tax policies, privatization, membership in the World Trade Organization, foreign investment, and legal systems. Documents of ancient Iran show that in 550 B.C. (Achaemenid era), all records of public revenues and costs were kept soundly and with remarkable accuracy. These documents display the relentless progress and development of accounting in Iran up until now (pre-Islamic era, post-Islamic era, and contemporary era). During the past two decades, various measures have been adopted to promote and advance accounting in Iran via harmonizing the domestic accounting practices with International norms and standards. Although Iran has employed International Accounting Standards as the basis for developing its National Accounting Standards, there are still some differences between Iranian and international standards, and there are some certain International Accounting Standards that are not applicable in Iran. A host of endemic factors, such as existing laws and rules, religious beliefs, culture, economic and political conditions, have influenced the National Accounting Standards setting processes.     

主要发达国家地方债制度比较

地方债的发展与一国的城市化、工业化进程密不可分,由于社会发展和人口增加,社会对公共物品的需求激增,政府在提供公共物品过程中的资金需求与资金供给的不匹配也越来越明显,政府财政收支缺口不断扩大,产生经常性的融资需求。与其他融资工具相比,地方债为政府在贷款之外提供了长期、低成本的直接融资机会,因而在发达国家及一些发展中国家受到重视。研究发达国家地方债制度,对建立我国的地方债管理制度能提供很好的经验与启示。     

The internationalization of British professional accounting: the role of the examination exporting bodies

This paper extends the seminal study of the role of the UK accounting profession undertaken by Johnson and Caygill (1971). It is argued that the influence of the British accounting profession upon overseas countries has changed significantly from the export of UK accountants to the export of examinations. This has greatly facilitated the attainment of a UK qualification by overseas nationals and thus enhanced the international influence of UK accounting principles and practices. The possible implications of this trend for importing countries are also explored. Finally, the paper discusses the impact of this new development upon the professional body which is the leading provider of overseas examinations.     

Accounting for government grants: Standard-setting and accounting choice

This paper provides evidence on several matters relating to accounting for government grants under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Focusing on grants related to assets, we trace the development of International Accounting Standard (IAS) 20, outline some of the problems of current accounting practice, and suggest why these have not been addressed by the standard-setter. Then, by hand-collecting data relating to 559 firms from 15 countries, we empirically analyze several issues. We show that asset grants are economically important for some firms and that the frequency of grants is significantly different across the countries. For the non-financial firms in our sample, we identify the grant-related accounting policy choice: a firm can either show the grant as deferred income or net it against the asset. The options are roughly equally popular overall but the firm’s country of domicile is strongly associated with the choice. Further, as a key element of disclosure quality for this topic, we investigate whether or not the balance sheet-related numbers relating to grants are disclosed, finding that many firms do not disclose them. Disclosure quality is better for firms which use the ‘deferred income’ option, and it is also better in countries where a higher proportion of firms has received government grants. International differences and poor disclosure are detrimental to international comparisons, so we conclude that the policy choice should be removed from the accounting standard.     

Further tales of the schism: US accounting faculty and practice credentials

The recent report of the Pathways Commission (American Accounting Association, 2012) contains 22 specific objectives pertaining to the improvement of accounting education. Several of these call for higher degrees of cooperation and collaboration between accounting academics and accounting practitioners. The fact that a schism of sorts has developed between these groups needs to be better understood if progress can be made in bridging that divide. This paper studies one aspect of this issue by focusing on the extent to which accounting academics hold practice credentials. Several hypotheses are offered to explore patterns whereas academics become less likely to share this critical designation with accounting practitioners. The paper suggests that practice credential differences might indicate divergent values and priorities that will pose an obstacle to the cooperation envisioned by the Pathways Commission. Suggestions for reform in ways that would benefit higher education are offered.     

Conservative financial reporting, debt covenants, and the agency costs of debt

Considerable research has documented the role of debt covenants and conservative financial accounting in addressing agency conflicts between lenders and borrowers. Beatty, A., Weber, J., and Yu, J. [2008. Conservatism and debt. Journal of Accounting and Economics, forthcoming] document interesting, but mixed, findings on the relation between debt covenants and conservative accounting, and the extent to which the two contracting mechanisms act as substitutes or complements. In this paper, I discuss the economic roles of financial reporting, debt covenants, and conservatism within the debt contracting environment, and attempt to fit BWY's findings within this context.     

Critical reflections on research approaches, accounting regulation and the regulation of accounting

The design and choice of research approaches, the nature of accounting regulation and the reactions to these regulations in organisations, involving, in effect, the regulation of accounting, are three themes of considerable importance in accounting research. They are the three themes that have dominated the research agenda of the author throughout his academic career. This paper explores the nature of these three key research themes developing some critical reflections on what has been discovered about each of these themes using the author's sole and joint research and publications as a vehicle for this analysis.     

国债税收平滑路径、我国国债与税收关系背景和取向分析

本分析了税收平滑在我国的适用情况，通过我国国债和税收政策的演变和背景，我们认为税收平滑在我国一直没有存在的可能性，因此，当期不能简单地将国债增发和减税作为积极财政政策的两个互为补充手段。我国税收征收空间分析应侧重税收经济效应自身，财政税收政策的调整可平稳过渡为国债税收平滑路径的建立做准备。     

The role of accounting in supporting adaptation to climate change

The study is one of the first concerned with the topic of accounting and climate change adaptation. It proposes that the accounting role can support organisational climate change adaptation by performing the following functions: (i) a risk assessment function (assessing vulnerability and adaptive capacity), (ii) a valuation function (valuing adaptation costs and benefits) and (iii) a disclosure function (disclosure of risk associated with climate change impacts). This study synthesises and expands on existing research and practice in environmental accounting and sets the scene for future research and practice in the emerging area of accounting for climate risk.     

Consumption,government spending,and the real exchange rate

Using panel structural VAR analysis and quarterly data from four industrialized countries, we document that an increase in government purchases raises output and private consumption, deteriorates the trade balance, and depreciates the real exchange rate. This pattern of comovement poses a puzzle for both neoclassical and Keynesian models. An explanation based on the deep-habit mechanism is proposed. An estimated two-country model with deep-habits is shown to replicate well the observed responses of output, consumption, and the trade balance, and the initial response of the real exchange rate to an estimated government spending shock.     

Price effects of sovereign debt auctions in the euro-zone: The role of the crisis

We show that new public debt issues cause an auction cycle for Italian secondary-market debt, but not for German debt. The cycle is mainly observed for the crisis period since mid-2007 and is larger when the crisis, as measured by yield volatility and CDS spreads of primary dealers, is more intense. Volatility seems to be the main driving factor. The cycle is also present in secondary-market series with maturities close to the auctioned series. Our findings are consistent with the theory of primary dealers’ limited risk-bearing capacity. There is also weak evidence of spill-overs from foreign auctions to domestic markets.     

Tightening credit standards: the role of accounting quality

Over the latest 20 years, the average credit rating of U.S. corporations has trended down. Blume et al. (1998, Journal of Finance, 53, 1389–1413.) attribute this trend to a tightening of credit standards by agencies. We reexamine the observed decreases in credit ratings in several ways. First, we show that this downward trend does not apply to speculative-grade issuers. Second, our analysis of investment-grade issuers suggests that the apparent tightening of standards can be attributed primarily to changes in accounting quality over time. After incorporating changing accounting quality, we find no evidence that rating agencies have tightened their credit standards.

Accounting and non-accounting based information in the market for debt: Evidence from Australian private debt contracts

This paper examines accounting and non-accounting based restrictive covenants in Australian private debt agreements. With respect to the former, our findings differ from previous research on public debt. We find more varied definitions of constraints and their specified tightness in private debt contracts than in public debt contracts. Further, limits on interest cover are found to be continuing constraints and not 'once-off' limits. The paper reports frequent use of more specific or 'tailored' accounting based constraints and the frequent inclusion of off-balance sheet numbers in the measurement rules specified.
The paper also provides the first Australian evidence on the use of non-accounting based constraints. These are pervasive and cover a wide range of corporate activity. While largely consistent with previous research the paper also reports evidence of restrictions previously argued to be sub-optimal and hence, unlikely to be observed. Specifically, there are frequent restrictions on firms' production and investment policies.     

The role of accounting in money laundering and money dirtying

This paper examines the processes involved in the misapplication of accounting knowledge from the angle of financial crime. It analyses the importance of accounting knowledge in the construction of money laundering operations and the development of money dirtying. It shows that contrary to a widely held idea, money laundering and money dirtying techniques are not based on the same accounting practices and deviant mechanisms. This paper explores three degrees of integrating accounting knowledge in the organization of financial crime procedures. It sums up the motivations of white-collar criminals and demonstrates that the preparation of a money laundering operation differs from the financing of terrorist activities.     

Engineering culture and accounting development at Albion Motors, 1900-c.1970

This paper examines the relationship between the engineering-oriented culture at Albion Motors, Scotland's most successful vehicle manufacturers, and the development and use of accounting systems there. Utilizing primary sources and information obtained from interviews, the study concludes that Albion's comparatively rudimentary management accounting systems, in particular, were a direct result of the firm's technological values. The study also concludes that there is no evidence that any major disadvantage accrued directly from this. It ends with a discussion of the relevance of the findings for issues in the accounting and business history literature and for future research.     

Deadlines and software: disentangling local government accounting reforms in Brazil

ABSTRACT

This paper shows how ongoing accounting reforms in Brazilian local governments were affected by a shift from a universal to a gradual implementation approach. Deadlines being postponed led to a decrease in local governments’ willingness to reform. This effect varied according whether the accountants involved depended on commercial software to operate a particular accounting policy. An important finding from this research was that software providers are to some extent setting the IPSAS implementation agenda in Brazil.     

The foundation of Confucianism in Chinese and Japanese accounting

The most important Chinese philosopher, Confucius, was primarily concerned with improving social welfare and ethical behaviour. He preached enlightened state leadership and conformity to traditions. Believing in equal opportunity education and public service, Confucius trained individuals to become government officials. He emphasized the importance of working with others harmoniously, contending that government should operate on the basis of propriety, morality, and rituals rather than laws and punishment.

This paper examines the main tenets of Confucianism and considers Chinese and Japanese accounting principles in light of Confucianism. The influence of Confucius on both Chinese and Japanese accounting is apparent.     

Confidence and the transmission of government spending shocks

Is impacting confidence an important channel by which government spending shocks affect economic activity? In a standard structural VAR, an empirical measure of confidence does not significantly react to spending shocks and output multipliers are around one. In a non-linear VAR, confidence rises following an increase in spending during periods of economic slack and multipliers are much larger. The systematic response of confidence is irrelevant for the output multiplier during normal times, but is critical during recessions. Spending shocks during downturns predict productivity improvements through a persistent increase in government investment relative to consumption, which is reflected in higher confidence.     

Global ranking of accounting programmes and the elite effect in accounting research

We provide a global ranking of accounting research and examine the elite degree and elite affiliation effect. Based on 24 accounting journals during the period 1991–2005, the top 5 most productive countries in accounting research are in the following order: the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada and Hong Kong. We find a significant elite degree effect, indicating that authors who graduated from elite accounting programmes have a disproportionate share of publications in top‐notch journals. The same conclusion is also supported by the elite affiliation effect in which leading accounting journals have higher concentration of authors who are affiliated with elite institutions.