Listening to accounting

There are algorithms for the transformation of accounting data into music, and there is suggestive evidence that it is possible to hear different patterns in it than we see when it is transformed into a graph. We cannot say with certainty whether those different patterns are really there, and we cannot even say that if they were, we would be able to perceive them audibly without a disciplining education similar to that which has traditionally taught us to seek and find patterns—knowledge—visually. We can say, however, that there is reason to believe that the mental pathways for the creation of auditory patterns and visual patterns are different. One forms anticipations of events in time; the other forms structures of points in space. One engages the emotions more directly than the other. Each employs different parts of the brain. There are indeed reasons why we might hear something more or at least something else in the music generated by an algorithm than we might see in a picture that was created from the same data.     

Unternehmenskultur und Unternehmenserfolg: Stand der empirischen Forschung und Konsequenzen für die Entwicklung eines Messkonzeptes

Im Rahmen einer übergreifenden Analyse empirischer Arbeiten wird der State-of-the-Art der Forschung zum Zusammenhang von Unternehmenskultur und Unternehmenserfolg dargelegt. Neben der inhaltlichen Analyse des Zusammenhangs liegt der Schwerpunkt des nachfolgenden Beitrags auf einem Review der Messung von Unternehmenskultur und Unternehmenserfolg, wie sie sich in den betrachteten Zusammenhangsanalysen zeigt. Aufbauend hierauf werden die Grundzüge je eines Konzeptes zur Messung der Unternehmenskultur und des Unternehmenserfolges entwickelt, welche als Ausgangsbasis verstanden werden k?nnen, um in weiterführenden Untersuchungen den Zusammenhang von Unternehmenskultur und Unternehmenserfolg für die unterschiedlichsten Unternehmen zu bestimmen.     

THE EFFECTS OF PRESENTATION FORMAT ON THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF AUDITORS‘ ANALYTICAL REVIEW JUDGMENTS

Modern audit practice has focused increasing attention on the use of analytical review procedures to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of audits. To assist in this endeavour, one branch of analytical review research has investigated the judgment processes that auditors' use in analytical review and the development of decision aids to improve these processes. Several recent papers have considered how alternative presentations of financial and operating data, specifically graphs versus tables, may affect the effectiveness of auditors' analytical review judgments. However, the results have been mixed. This study investigated the expectation that there would be effectiveness and efficiency performance advantages for auditors receiving graphically presented data over those receiving tabular presented data in an analytical review setting. This paper reports on the results of an experiment that examined the impact of graphs versus tables on the effectiveness of sales account balance prediction, confidence in this prediction and the setting of a noninvestigation region, and the relative time efficiency with which these tasks were completed, for an analytical review of sales for a retailing client. The study found mixed results for the accuracy of the sales account balance predictions of the graphical and tabular treatment groups, with no difference found when a regression model estimate of the ‘correct’ prediction was used and greater accuracy for the graphical group when the actual audited sales account balance was used as the accuracy benchmark. No significant differences between treatment groups was found for their confidence in their sales account balance predictions and the width of the noninvestigation regions set. However, a significant time advantage was found for the graphical group. These findings suggest that there may a useful role for the use of graphs as decision aids in income statement related analytical review procedures in improving audit efficiency without sacrificing audit effectiveness.     

Die Geldnachfrage in Österreich

Ohne ZusammenfassungDiese Arbeit wurde als Forschungsprojekt am Institut für höhere Studien, Wien, verfaßt. Die Verfasser danken Dr. H. Otruba, Assistent am Institut für Wirtschaftswissenschaften der Universität Wien, für eine kritische Durchsicht des Manuskripts und für wertvolle Kommentare.     

Long-run impacts of trade shocks and export competitiveness: Evidence from the U.S. BSE event

This paper examines how comparative advantages of major beef exporters changed following the 2003 bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) outbreak, which significantly disrupted the U.S. beef trade until approximately 2007. Using longitudinal data on beef export values and constructed revealed comparative advantage measures, we show that while some measures of the long-run impacts of BSE on U.S. beef export competitiveness have returned to pre-2003 levels, the U.S.’s comparative advantage has not. We also examine a hypothetical scenario of no BSE event in 2003 and predict that in the absence of the BSE outbreak, the U.S. beef sector would have been increasingly more competitive by 2017 than it actually was. Long-term trade competitiveness may not simply return to normal even after a short-term disruption.     

Prevalence and predictors of bicycle helmet use in a southeastern,US city

Fatalities and head injuries from bicycle-related crashes remain a concern in the United States. Despite legislation in many states, helmet use remains low. This observational study examined the helmet use and related factors in a North Carolina city. The sample consisted of 2088 observations of bicyclists. The objectives were to (1) determine helmet use; (2) describe other safe bicycling practices; and (3) examine the relationship of demographic variables and safe riding practices with helmet use. Helmet use was observed for 25% of the sample. Demographic factors related to helmet use were being female (OR = 1.32), 26 years old or older (OR = 4.94), and White (OR = 2.17). Bicyclists riding on the road with traffic were more likely to wear a helmet than bicyclists riding on the sidewalk (OR = 2.04). Findings indicate that helmet use remains low in the city. Research to monitor, better understand, and promote helmet use is needed.     

Dynamisierung kapitalgedeckter Altersvorsorge

On the basis of the annual reports of all the life insurance companies covered by the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), the adjustment of payments over the time period 2002 to 2012 is analysed for Germany. The analysis unveils large differences in the adjustment rates of the insurers, not only among companies but also over time. Therefore a steady income stream, a constant income level and the reliability of payments are not ensured for policy holders. In general, the adjustments lead to increasing inequality of income during retirement and rising income heterogeneity in private households. Even worse, these forms of income provision during retirement are not able to compensate for the reduction in the benefit level of statutory old age provision in Germany.     

Existence of equilibria based on continuity and boundary behaviour

This paper establishes an existence result of price equilibria for excess demand functions which makes exclusive use of the continuity of these functions and of a boundary condition. Degree theory is shown to be a natural tool for proving such a result.     

Mediennutzung und Umweltbewusstsein: Dependenz- und Priming-Effekte

In a comparative perspective, the article is concerned with the contribution of media use to EU citizens’ levels of environmental knowledge and awareness. Mass media are the most important source for environmental information, and media use contributes considerably to the amount of information people hold on environmental issues. In addition, media use bears upon the perception of the burden to the environment, the worry about the state of the environment in one’s own country, and the worries about the environment in general. The explanatory power of media use is largest for those judgments that relate to the parts of the environment that cannot be directly experienced. Besides this result, which is in accordance to the dependency theory of media effects, the analysis corroborates a priming effect: The media affect judgments on the environmental burden one has to suffer and on the state of the environment even if these judgments can be based on one’s own perception. EU citizens, however, complain much less about the burden on their own environment than they worry about the state of the environment in general. This gap also, as is demonstrated, can be traced back, at least in part, to an influence of the media. Results for single EU countries partly differ from these general results, most likely due to differences in how much environmental issues are politicized in the media and how intensely they are covered.