Utility representation theorems for Debreu separable preorders

We prove the existence of arbitrary (resp., semicontinuous, continuous) utility representations for arbitrary (resp., semicontinuous, continuous) preorders satisfying some weakened Debreu order separability conditions. In this way we widely generalize a classical result for total preorders that essentially is due to Debreu.     

New opportunities for farm accounting

This paper starts out to observe that there is a gap between the importance given to accounting and the low level of bookkeeping and accounting practice in the agricultural sector. Reasons for this gap are that current general accounting rules do not adapt very well to the particularities of farming and are difficult and expensive to implement. We then suggest that the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) and the recently issued International Accounting Standard on Agriculture (IAS 41) could be key elements to improve the use of accounting in European farms. We review the main contributions of IAS 41 and conclude that it provides a strong conceptual framework but might need further instruments for its implementation in practice, given the limitations of the agricultural sector. We continue to explain that FADN is an experienced network that has elaborated very detailed farm accounting procedures, and suggest that these procedures could be turned into a guide for implementing IAS 41. We report empirical data which indicate that current FADN reports are already considered useful by farmers for different purposes. Finally, we analyse in detail the compatibility of IAS 41 and FADN, identifying changes in the FADN procedures that would become necessary if the FADN procedures were to be used for implementing IAS 41 and some aspects of FADN that might have been worthwhile to consider for the final version of IAS 41.     

Strategy-proofness on restricted separable domains

We study a problem in which a group of voters must decide which candidates are elected from a set of alternatives. The voters’ preferences on the combinations of elected candidates are represented by linear orderings. We propose a family of restrictions of the domain of separable preferences. These subdomains are generated from a partition that identifies the friends, enemies and unbiased candidates for each voter. We characterize the family of social choice functions that satisfy strategy-proofness and tops-onlyness properties on each of the subdomains. We find that these domain restrictions are not accompanied by an increase in the family of social choice functions satisfying the two properties.     

税务会计与财务会计分离前后的交易费用探析

近年来,我国税法与会计由于根本目标的不同,产生的差异也越来越大。从新制度经济学的角度来看,改变税务会计和财务会计合一的制度安排,是将二者分离,这将有利于降低纳税企业、税务机关和其他会计信息需求主体的交易费用。     

Value-relevance of accounting numbers for valuation

Recent empirical work suggested that the ability of accounting numbers to explain the relationship between accounting numbers and stock prices has deteriorated over the past four decades. The findings of this study suggest that the accounting earnings and book value are capturing most of the information that is relevant to assess the values of firms. At the same time, it also suggests that earnings and book value as well as non-accounting beta are more valued during the financial crisis as compared to after the financial crisis. Overall, the accounting estimate of the value of the firm is not deviating from the markets＇ estimate, which suggests that accounting numbers play an important role in the valuation of firms in Malaysia.     

Statistical inferences accounting for human behavior

While giving subjective responses, a small fraction of respondents overstate or understate their true status. The extent of over (or under) evaluation and the proportions of such respondents differs from population to population. These biases alter the significance level and power of the commonly used tests. In this paper the authors determine the effects of these biases on the commonly used Z test, F test of Anova, and χ² test for testing the equality of multinominal distributions.This paper was presented in the International Conference in Recent Advances in Survey Sampling, in honor of Professor J.N.K. Rao, held at Ottawa in July, 2002.     

Labor-consumption accounting (LCA): A suggestion for a household-oriented national accounting system

Quality & Quantity - In conclusion we would like to mention that a number of weak points of current SNA are avoided in LCA. In SNA, market prices and factor costs are used, which bring serious...     

Productivity measurement for a distribution firm

The paper derives a consistent accounting framework for the treatment of inventories when measuring the productivity of a distribution firm. The average purchase price of an inventory item during an accounting period must be distinguished from its average selling price and these two average prices should be distinguished from the corresponding balance sheet prices. The accounting framework is implemented for a distribution firm which sold 76,000 separate items. The firm achieved a 9.6 percent per quarter total factor productivity growth rate over 6 quarters.The first author is a Professor of Economics at the University of British Columbia and a research associate of the NBER. He thanks the SSHRC of Canada for research support. The second author is a recent graduate of the University of British Columbia.     

Accrual accounting does not necessarily mean accrual accounting: Factors that counteract compliance with accounting standards in Swedish municipal accounting

The regulation of Swedish municipal accounting has undergone fundamental changes over recent decades. Municipal accounting became regulated by law the 1st of January, 1998 after having been merely voluntarily regulated in the past. In accordance with the legislation, a standard-setting body was formed, with responsibility for development and interpretation of generally accepted accounting principles for municipal accounting. Important aims of the legislation and reform were to suppress ‘creative’ accounting and to increase the level of harmonization and comparability. Using the lens of positive accounting theory as well as institutional theory, this paper describes and explains the impact of the legislation and standard setting in the Swedish municipal sector. We have used a triangulation approach, collecting data through a survey, documentary study and interviews. The overall results show that the reform has had a very limited impact on accounting practice. Compliance with accounting standards was in general poor. This result is in line with the assumptions of positive accounting theory. However, the study also shows that there are differences among the preparers which can be explained by institutional theory. Large municipalities produce better accounting information (i.e. more in line with generally accepted accounting principles) than the municipalities in general. Weak audit quality seems to be another important factor that explains the poor compliance with accounting standards.     

财务会计概念框架的中国特色论

会计环境对财务会计概念框架的影响是显而易见的.由于各国的会计环境不同,财务会计概念框架也应该具有国家特色.本文从会计环境的分析入手,提出了构建具有中国特色的财务会计概念框架的具体做法,分别探讨了我国财务会计概念框架的地位、制定程序、总体结构及其构成要素的中国特色.     

Axiomatization of weighted (separable) utility

Nontrivial decision problems typically involve a trade-off among multiple attributes of choice options. One simple way of resolving such trade-offs is to aggregate multiple attributes into one real-valued index, known as weighted or separable utility. Applications of weighted utility can be found in choice under risk (expected utility) and uncertainty (subjective expected utility), intertemporal choice (discounted utility) and welfare economics (utilitarian social welfare function). This paper presents an alternative behavioral characterization (preference axiomatization) of weighted utility. It is shown that necessary and sufficient conditions for weighted utility are completeness, continuity, bi-separable transitivity (and transitivity if none of the attributes is null, or inessential).     

Risk and prices in separable utility functions

Many decision problems involve more than one attribute. Separable multi-attribute utility functions are commonly used to model preferences in such situations. We consider the case in which one attribute can be identified as money. The price at which non-monetary attributes may be substituted by money, the relation of this price to a decision-maker's wealth, and the implications on attitudes toward risk are examined for additively and multiplicatively separable multi-attribute utility functions. In particular, it is shown that additive separability, price independent of wealth and monetary risk-aversion are mutually inconsistent.     

论财务会计与管理会计的融合

随着知识经济与现代企业管理理论的不断发展,财务会计与管理会计出现了融合的趋势.本文对财务会计与管理会计融合的原因及财务会计与管理会计融合的基础作了分析.     

新会计准则下的无形资产会计解析

财政部发布的企业会计准则第6号,在借鉴和吸收我国已有的无形资产准则与相关国际会计准则的基础上,对无形资产核算的会计规范作了许多方面的新规定。文章主要从研究开发支出的处理、无形资产的价值摊销,以及无形资产的减值处理等方面,讨论新准则作出的新的会计规范。     

会计选择与变更实证研究综述

本文从会计选择与变更的管理者机会主义行为观和有效契约观、强制性会计变更的经济后果研究、自发性会计变更的动因和股市反应研究、自发性会计选择动因研究等方面对会计选择和变更实证研究进行了系统性的阐述,并基于我国的实际情况提出了几点建议.     

可持续发展管理会计目标探索

可持续发展管理会计是现代管理会计的一个新领域。基于企业角色的转换,本文系统阐述了企业生态环境责任目标的内涵和外延,提出了可持续发展管理会计的三层次目标体系,并认为可持续发展管理会计目标与企业的生态环境责任目标是协调一致的,旨在认定和解除企业的生态环境责任。     

《小企业会计制度》与《企业会计制度》的核算差异比较

比较《小企业会计制度》与《企业会计制度》有关会计核算的差异。