Goodwill—an Example of Puzzle-Solving in Accounting—a Reply

Grinyer and Russell's (G&R, 1992) contention that Ma and Hopkins (1988) have imposed the mutually exclusive rules of the valuation-based paradigm on the matching-based paradigm that underlies accounting practice is overly defensive and misguided. Our 1988 paper was an attempt to throw light on why there was so little agreement on the rules governing the treatment of goodwill. G&R's comment does not change our view that the only answer to the 'puzzle' lies in the lack of a full understanding of the nature of goodwill.     

Goodwill — An Example of Puzzle-Solving in Accounting

The nature of goodwill continues to be misunderstood by most accountants and confusion surrounding the measurement and reporting of goodwill persists. The rejection of official accounting standards on goodwill is a common occurrence. A dynamic open system perspective is used in this paper to re-examine the nature of goodwill. It is found that a meaningful economic interpretation can be developed for internally generated goodwill but not for 'purchased goodwill'. There is an inability to identify the stream of benefits specifically associated with goodwill arising on acquisition.     

The Pre-Pacioli Indian Double-entry System of Bookkeeping: A Comment

The claims made by Lall Nigam that the Bahi-khata was a double-entry system of accounting that predated Pacioli are challenged. Evidence purporting to support Nigam's claims is dismissed as hearsay.     

Boussard's 'Effectiveness of Inflation Accounting Adjustments': A Comment

Boussard's (1984) notion that Current Cost/Constant Dollar Accounting does not provide 'meaningful rates of return' when inflationary conditions are compared with non-inflationary conditions is based on a misleading example.     

Bahi-Khata: The Pre-Pacioli Indian Double-entry System of Bookkeeping

The earliest treatise on accounting is generally thought to be Pacioli's Summar of 1494. The Bahi-khata is a double-entry system of bookkeeping that predates the 'Italian' method by many centuries. Its existence in India prior to the Greek and Roman empires suggests that Indian traders took it with them to Italy, and from there the double-entry system spread through Europe. The Bahi-khata is described and its double-entry principles explained.     

The Impact of the Definition of Inflation on the Effectiveness of Inflation Accounting Adjustments

In tests of inflation accounting methods, inflation is generally seen as a simple phenomenon: the prices of all elements change at the same rate. The example presented here deals with a different case: inflation is characterized by changes in the structure of prices. In particular, prices of articles bought and articles sold do not vary at the same rates.
In this context, it is observed that three types of adjustments are not effective, i.e. they do not have the potential to report real or nominal rates of return. This result should be considered as a criticism of the coherence of inflation accounting methods.     

A Statistical Model of International Accounting Harmonization

This article shows how the difference between the observed frequencies of accounting policy choice and the outcome of a random policy choice, where each available method has an equal chance of being selected, may be fully explained with a statistical model. The process of harmonization is described in a way that identifies departures from equiprobable accounting policy choice as either: (a) the systematic effects of harmonization, or (b) the effects of systematic divergence from international harmony where the frequency of adoption of differing accounting methods varies across countries, or (c) the effects of company-specific accounting policy choices. The understanding of harmony that underlies previous attempts to measure harmonization is such that, with respect to a particular financial statement item, a situation of maximum harmony is reached when all companies in all countries use the same accounting method. From the standpoint of modelling the harmonization process. however, a different concept of harmony may be more useful. In this article, therefore, we posit a state of distributional harnzony in which, other things being equal, the expected distribution of accounting policy choices is the same in each country. In this theoretical state. the odds of selecting a given accounting method from those available for a particular financial statement item are identical for each country. A major advantage of this benchmark is that it provides a basis for distinguishing between two possibly conflicting components of the international harmonization process: between-country harmonization and within-country standardization. A hierarchy of nested statistical models is then used to describe accounting policy choices made by companies with an international shareholding and registered in Europe, where the European Union has been involved in a program of accounting harmonization. The accounting policies analysed in depth in this article comprise the treatment of goodwill and accounting for deferred taxation. The results are compared with the comparability index method used previously in harmonization research studies.     

Risk Capital for a Profitable Public Corporation: Public Dividend Capital or Equity?

The question of whether profitable public corporations should be converted to private, equity capital finance (i.e.'privatized', in current U.K. terminology) or not is arguably the dominant issue in the public sector of the U.K. economy. The present U.K. government has embarked upon a policy of privatization of state industries. This has attracted considerable criticism on the grounds that the government's actions are the product of ideological and short-term fiscal considerations (principally the funding of public expenditure) rather than of carefully considered policy (Heald and Steel, 1981; Heald, 1983, p. 154). This topic is examined in this paper. The discussion is neither partisan nor ideological. Instead, it centres on the technical and economic merits of equity capital versus its public sector proxy, Public Dividend Capital (PDC). This latter form of capital financing has been neglected in recent years, as the major thrust of the public sector debate has addressed the need for equity capital in the nationalized industries. Therefore, the ensuing discussion is not only a critique of the case for introducing private equity capital in state industries, but it is also an assessment of the case for the retention of PDC as a major instrument of finance.     

Measurement in Financial Reporting: Half a Century of Research and Practice

The paper explores developments in the choice of measurement method in financial reporting over the half century that has elapsed since the foundation of Abacus in 1965. The discussion is confined to the specific problem of measuring individual assets and liabilities, rather than the wider problems of the choice of measurement unit (as in inflation accounting) or capital maintenance (as in income measurement). Changes in financial reporting practice and standards are considered in relation to developments in academic research. This has been a two‐way process: research has been stimulated by problems of practice, and practice, particularly as embodied in standards, has been influenced by the results of research. Both have been influenced by significant events in the world economy, notably the inflation of the 1970s and the global financial crisis that started in 2007. Historical cost has retained its position as the predominant measurement technique in practice, but considerable progress has been made in the implementation and understanding of current value measurements, although the principles for choosing between alternative current values (particularly ‘entry’ values as opposed to ‘exit’ values) require further exploration by standard setters, assisted by academic research.     

The Significance of an 'Orientation Postulate'

Until the 1930s, the 'orientation postulate' was a popular means of rationalizing bookkeeping practice. This was during a period when the balance sheet was the focal point of reporting and inductive theory formulation was popular in accounting. However, after the 1930s, the balance sheet was no longer the focus of financial reporting. By the 1960s accountants sought a deductive mode of theory formulation and the 'orientation postulates' were abandoned. Evidence adduced suggests that an 'orientation postulates'can be useful in addressing income statement as well as balance sheet issues, and is also useful in diminishing chaos and promoting logical and cohesive theory formulation. If a discipline has a common orientation, then less ad hoc principle formulation is likely to occur.     

IFRS framework-based case study: Barrick Gold Corporation—Goodwill for Gold

The case of Barrick Gold Corporation: Goodwill for Gold utilizes a framework-based approach to examine the objectives, underlying concepts, and relevant IFRS guidance applied to goodwill. The questions presented in the case study progressively lead from the broad concepts underlying the preparation of financial data, in general, to the International Accounting Standards concerning recognition, measurement, and subsequent treatment of goodwill, specifically IFRS 3, IAS 36, and IAS 38. It challenges you to determine if these standards are consistent with the underlying concepts set forth in the IFRS’s conceptual Framework. This case illustrates the importance of professional judgment in the standard setting process by requiring you to examine the IASB’s published supporting documents including the Board’s Basis for Conclusions. In addition, the case includes a practical application problem that requires you to determine the financial statement effects of the subsequent treatment of goodwill.     

A Political History of Goodwill in the U.K.: An Illustration of Cyclical Standard Setting

A cyclical pattern of standard setting has been suggested elsewhere. In this context, this paper constitutes a case study of U.K. standard setting on the subject of goodwill. It is noted that varied practice of the 1960s was followed by several stimuli for action by standard setters. Managers opposed standardization and income reductions, whereas senior policy-makers, government, press and international influences proposed it. The result is dramatic swings in the content of documents on goodwill from the Accounting Standards Committee, possibly contributing to the latter's demise.     

Value to the Owner: A Review and Critique

This paper examines the conceptual basis underlying the concept of value to the owner and the contributions to the debate by Solomons (1966) and Baxter (1971, 1975). It is argued that the concept is deficient in a number of respects and it is therefore not surprising that it has been rejected by businessmen. The paper argues that the concept is an unnecessary appendage to the case for reporting some form of replacement cost information. The paper then examines the merits and more general limitations of replacement cost data.     

Goodwill Accounting in Selected Countries and the Harmonization of International Accounting Standards

Economic and financial markets interpenetrate and national economies are increasingly interdependent. This results in a growing need for comparability of accounting procedures internationally. Accounting for goodwill illustrates this phenomenon. By specifying the recommended asset treatment for purchased, positive goodwill, and the five-year amortization period, IASC has taken a significant step towards harmonization of goodwill accounting. As noted in the article, however, the implications for consolidated income may be quite drastic. This is especially so with respect to the implications of the revised IAS 22 (following IAS ED 32) for potential leveraged corporate buy-outs.     

The Withdrawal of Current Cost Accounting in the United Kingdom: A Study of the Accounting Standards Committee

Evidence from the archives of the U.K. Accounting Standards Committee (ASC) is used to trace the events leading to the withdrawal of the current cost accounting standard, SSAP 16, from 1980 to 1988. Three central issues are addressed. First, the ASC's role as a regulatory body is considered in the light of the failure to obtain compliance with SSAP 16 and to find an acceptable replacement. Second, the decline in support for SSAP 16 is explained in terms of changes in the economic environment. Third, the roles of different interest groups in the process are analysed.     

Normative Information Qualities: A Contrast Between Information-Economics and FASB Perspectives

The goals of this paper are (1) to develop a hierarchy of normative information qualities (NIQs) that operates at the level of the individual in an assumed information-economics (IE) setting, and (2) to contrast the FASB (1980) hierarchy of NIQs with the related IE hierarchy. In this context, the IE hierarchy is meant to reflect qualities which make an information system useful to the individual and contains the NIQs of signal relevance, cost effectiveness, act selectivity, state-predictive ability, reliability, representational faithfulness, timeliness, and understandability. With respect to goal (2), the analysis reveals numerous areas of both agreement and disagreement between the two hierarchies. Significantly, the investigation indicates that the two frameworks are more similar than might have been expected although numerous differences also exist. These similarities and differences are important because different policy decisions may flow from different sets of NIQs.     

Value relevance and timeliness of transitional goodwill-impairment losses: Evidence from Canada

Focusing on transitional goodwill-impairment losses (losses) recorded by Canadian firms following the adoption of revised standards on purchased goodwill, we investigate the value relevance and timeliness of mandatory changes in accounting principles accounted for using the retroactive method. We find a negative relationship between reported losses and share price. Such a finding is consistent with investors perceiving losses as being sufficiently reliable measurements of a reduction in the value of goodwill to incorporate them in their valuation assessments. We find also that investors put a higher valuation weight on losses reported by firms that are expected to record a loss. In addition, we show that investors perceive that there are reduced opportunities for managerial discretion when there is a more effective audit committee. Finally, our results show that returns lead losses, i.e., that losses represent a catch-up adjustment to reflect the cumulative effect of using the impairment approach for the first time. Overall, our evidence supports U.S. standard setters' decision, through SFAS 154, to favour enhanced comparability and consistency over the potential costs of frequent restatements. Our results also show that fair-value measurements can be relevant even when the financial statement elements of interest are inherently bound to measurement error and subject to significant managerial discretion. They support the notion that reliability is about faithful representation, not precision.     

Management accounting innovations for rationalizing the cost of services: The reassessment of cash and accrual accounting

ABSTRACT

Management accounting can be a useful tool in austerity government because it produces information about the costs of public services and can be used for informed decision-making. Spanish local governments are required to submit data on the cost of their services to central government, which publishes this information online. The calculation of costs is based on budgetary cash accounting instead of accrual accounting; therefore cash accounting is being used for decision-making and accrual accounting has no role in this process. This paper critically analyses the innovation from three perspectives: the use assigned to the cost information in the legal framework; the opinion of academics and experts; and the perception of professionals about the usefulness of the information produced with the new system.     

The Usefulness of a Measure of Wealth

Income has been defined by Beaver and Demski (1979) as a fundamental measurement which will give a unanimous ranking of alternative production plans. This notion of income has been examined in a variety of settings running from that of certainty with perfect and complete markets to uncertainty and incomplete markets. Such analysis shows that income cannot necessarily be determined and therefore may not be useful, in a setting of incomplete markets. In this paper the same kind of analysis is applied to wealth and it is shown that a measure of wealth provides information which is useful for all financial decisions, in the sense that decision-makers would prefer to base their decisions on the information rather than act without it. In making this suggestion, a notion of accounting information is proposed which does not suffer from the intransitivity or indeterminancy associated with income in some settings. This alternative information concept satisfies the requirement for a fundamental measurement. It also provides an example of the type of information that Beaver and Demski, in the latter part of their article, seem to encourage for incomplete markets.     

Corporate Dislosure in a Substantially Unregulated Environment

Corporate disclosure in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in New South Wales was substantially unregulated. Except for banks, insurance companies, companies receiving money on deposit and, after 1896, no liability mining companies, statutes regulating companies either contained no compulsory disclosure rules or were silent about the details of information to be disclosed. In almost all cases the statutes regulating companies were based on English counterparts or had English antecedents, while the capital maintenance rule limiting profits available for dividends came from English case law. However, some English statutes, notably the life insurance legislation of 1870 and the Companies Acts of 1879, 1900 and 1907, were not adopted in New South Wales.