Characteristics of Organisations Using an Audit for Interim Financial Statements

This study examines the characteristics of companies that choose to have a full audit of their interim financial statements, as distinct from a review. A cross-section of 252 firms that had submitted interim financial reports to the Australian Stock Exchange were selected from the Business Review Weekly (BRW) list of top 1,000 companies. A direct logistic regression analysis was undertaken to assess whether voluntarily adopting an audit was related to size (assets), leverage, minority interest, profitability, industry, and whether the company had used a Big-6 audit firm. The results indicate that the level of leverage is a significant predictor of companies adopting a review, whereas use of a Big-6 audit firm was associated with conducting an audit. In addition, there is some evidence companies in the financial services industry were positively associated with conducting an audit.     

The Value of "Final Products" Counts Only Itself

Abstract . The value of final products counts only itself and not the value of so‐called intermediate products. The prevailing, contrary belief entails a twofold violation of the laws of mathematics—namely, the impermissible discarding of essential terms of equations and then the addition of the remainders of equations that are mutually exclusive and therefore not properly subject to addition. It follows that in order to count the values of the so‐called intermediate products, one must go out and count them, because they are not counted in the value of the final product. Despite prevailing belief, counting the value of intermediate products does not represent “double counting.” The implications of these findings for macroeconomic theory are major and include a radically different approach to the respective roles of saving and consumption in spending and income formation, and recognition of the fact that today's concept of gross product is actually a concept of net product.     

In-home videotex shopping: potential adopters and non-adopters

This study was designed to identify potential adopters and non-adopters of videotex shopping. Data (n =205) were collected with a questionnaire following demonstration of a typical use of actual videotex shopping. As compared to non-adopters, potential adopters of videotex shopping were more likely to be social shoppers, price conscious, and were less likely to enjoy catalogue shopping. Potential adopters were also more likely to have prior awareness of videotex, a positive attitude towards merchants/service of videotex shopping and overall videotex services. However, they felt that current or demonstrated videotex shopping information was inadequate. In addition, differences existed between potential adopters and non-adopters in some demographics, videotex service needs and almost all videotex shopping merchandise needs.     

The Role of Stress Arousal in the Dynamics of the Stressor-to-Illness Process among Accountants*

Abstract. This study investigates the Kahn et al. (1964) measure of job-related stressors, and the Everly et al. (1989) measure of stress (i.e., cognitive-affective) arousal to ascertain whether the scales are measuring two distinct constructs. Data gathered from a sample of 1,618 members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants are analyzed to measure the psychometric properties of both instruments. Results from internal consistency, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and item analyses indicate that both scales are reliable measures and the two scales are measuring different constructs, This study also examines the mediating effect of stress arousal on the relationship between sources of job stress, and resultant coping behaviors and psychological stress symptoms by means of structural modeling analyses. The results indicate that stress arousal is indeed a significant mediator in the stressor-to-illness process. Résumé. Les auteurs analysent l'instrument de mesure utilisé par Kahn et al. (1964) pour évaluer les facteurs de stress liés au travail ainsi que la mesure de la manifestation (cognitive-affective) du stress proposée par Everly et al. (1989) pour confirmer si les échelles utilisées circonscrivent deux concepts distincts. Ils analysent les données colligées à partir d'un échantillon de 1 618 membres de l'American Institute of Certified Public Accountants afin d'évaluer les propriétés psychométriques des deux instruments de mesure. Les résultats tirés des analyses des facteurs de cohérence interne, des facteurs exploratoires et des facteurs de corroboration, ainsi que les analyses des éléments indiquent que les deux échelles de mesure sont fiables et qu'elles circonscrivent des concepts différents. Les auteurs examinent également l'effet de médiation de la manifestation du stress sur la relation entre les sources de stress au travail et les comportements d'adaptation qui en résultent et les symptômes de stress psychologique, au moyen d'analyses de modélisation des structures. Les résultats de l'étude indiquent que la manifestation du stress est, de fait, un médiateur d'importance dans le processus qui conduit du facteur de stress à la maladie.