Water accounting for the Orange River Basin: An economic perspective on managing a transboundary resource

The framework for water accounting is applied to an international river basin, the Orange River Basin, which is shared among Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and South Africa. Each of the riparian states faces water constraints and relies increasingly on shared international water resources. The countries have adopted the principle of an economic approach to water management, once basin human needs are met, and all but Lesotho have constructed national water accounts to assist in water management. The water accounts for the Orange River Basin bring an economic perspective to water management at the regional level. The accounts include supply and use tables, which are used to compare the contribution to water supply from each riparian state to the amount used. The water accounts are then linked to economic data for each country to calculate water use and productivity by industry and country. There are considerable disparities in water productivity among the countries, which should be taken into account in future decisions about water allocation, pricing and infrastructure development.     

Societal preferences for fertility treatment in Australia: a stated preference discrete choice experiment

Objective: To investigate preferences for fertility treatment from the Australian general population with the aims of calculating the willingness to pay in tax contribution for attributes (characteristics) that make up treatment and for an “ideal” fertility treatment program. We also assessed whether willingness-to-pay varies by the relationship status or sexual orientation of the patient.

Methods: A stated preference discrete choice experiment was administered to a panel of 801 individuals representative of the Australian general population. Seven attributes of fertility treatment under three broad categories were included: outcome, process, and cost. Attributes were identified through published literature, focus group discussions, expert knowledge, and a pilot study. A Bayesian fractional experimental design was used, and data analysis was performed using a generalized multinomial logit model. Further analyses included interaction terms and latent class modeling.

Results: Six of the seven attributes influenced the choice of a treatment program. Under process attributes, individuals preferred: continuity of care of clinic staff, where patients are seen by the same doctor but different nurses at each visit; “alternative” treatments being offered to all patients; and onsite clinic counseling and peer-support groups. Personalization and tailoring of the treatment journey were not important. Among outcome attributes, the improved success rate of having a baby per cycle and significant side-effects were considered important. Cost of treatment also influenced the choice of treatment program. Individual preferences for fertility treatment were not associated with patients’ relationship status or sexual orientation. Latent class modeling revealed sub-groups with distinct fertility treatment preferences.

Conclusion: This study provides important insights into the attributes that influence the preferences of fertility treatment in Australia. It also estimates socially-inclusive willingness-to-pay values in tax contributions for an “ideal” package of treatment. The results can inform economic evaluations of fertility treatment programs.     

会计准则结构及其构成要素研究--对我国会计概念框架构建的思考

传统的会计准则制定模式中都特别强调了会计概念、会计原则和会计规则的突出地位,因而有了原则导向(或基础)的会计准则制定模式、规则导向(或基础)的会计准则制定模式以及安然等财务欺诈案件后美国目标(实际是概念)导向的会计准则制定模式的说法。通过对现有会计准则制定模式的反思,我们认为会计概念、会计原则和会计规则不应是会计准则制定的导向或基础,而是会计准则结构体系的构成要素。在本文中,我们对其各自的含义界定和功能定位进行初步探讨,旨在为建立我国的会计概念框架,完善会计准则体系提供理论参考。     

In search of marginal environmental valuations — ecosystem services in Finnish forest accounting

There is currently substantial interest in valuing various services provided by different ecosystems. Concurrently economists have ascribed substantial effort on expanding traditional forest accounting systems by environmental services. This paper contributes to curtailing the existing gap between green accounting theory and applications for valuing forest ecosystem services. The multitude of links between forest ecosystem services and economy are characterized by the theoretical model for forest-economy interactions. By utilizing recently updated data we also incorporate empirical value estimates of these services comparable to other goods into Finnish forest accounting system. Finally, we discuss some problems encountered and clarify the interpretation of some value estimates incorporated to national forest account.     

公司治理与会计信息质量:一项经验研究

文章以盈余管理程度的反向作为衡量会计信息质量的标志,构建了一个会计信息质量的综合指数,采纳“泊松回归”分析方法,对公司治理的六个层面(包括股权集中度、高层管理当局薪酬、最终控制人性质、高层管理人员数量、高层管理当局持股比例、公司治理中的会议频次等)对会计信息质量的影响进行相应的经验研究。     

管理会计信息披露及其市场识别——来自中国沪深股市的经验证据

财务会计通常被理解为对外报告会计。因管理会计服务于公司内部的管理决策,与公司价值具有内在关联性,因而管理会计信息的对外披露与市场识别此类信息之间具有理论上的逻辑一致性。文章以管理会计信息的整体披露水平能否被市场有效识别为研究命题,对沪深股市年度报告中管理会计信息披露的市场识别程度及其规律进行了实证研究。结果表明:管理会计信息披露能够被市场投资者识别并使用,但此类信息的披露需要市场耗费一定的时间予以吸收;同时,与财务会计信息披露相比,管理会计信息披露水平提高同等程度,更容易被市场识别。     

Natural resources, capital accumulation and the resource curse

Early concern by economists for the effect of natural capital on economic growth gave way to complacency and neglect during the nineteenth century. Evidence has emerged, however, that since the 1960s the economic performance of low-income countries has been inversely related to their natural resource wealth. This relationship is not a deterministic one so policy counts. SEEA can help improve the policy and performance of resource-abundant low-income countries by reinforcing the rationale for the sound management of natural resources and also by providing an index of policy sustainability in the form of the net saving rate. This policy index, along with other measures such as a capital fund for sterilizing the rent, initiatives to increase the transparency of rent flows and the rigorous evaluation of alternative uses of additional public sector revenue can improve the efficiency by which natural resource rent is transformed into alternative forms of capital to sustain rising social welfare. Chad and Mauritania provide case studies to illustrate how SEEA and net saving can be used to diagnose policy failure and improve economic performance.     

基于会计目标的“事项会计”

信息技术已经给社会、经济带来了巨大的变化,“决策有用观“普遍被人们所接受,但构筑于价值法基础上的财务会计强调货币计量和报表揭示,只能履行受托责任。信息需求的多样性已经完全超出了现行会计界定的范围,也超出了现行会计信息的容量。本文从会计目标与“事项会计“的关系入手进行了分析,认为只有事项会计才能实现“委托责任观“与“决策有用观“的统一。     

我国会计职业女性化问题研究

职业女性化是指在一定时期内,某种职业从业人员的性别结构呈现出女性人数比例不断增加直至占优势的状况。现实情况表明,我国会计职业出现了女性化的特征;其既有社会政治制度、经济体制的原因,又有女性自身特点的原因。会计职业女性化的过程,既反映了广大女性会计人员在我国经济生活中发挥着重要的作用,但也暴露了我国整个会计人才队伍建设的缺憾,本文在探讨我国会计职业女性化存在问题的基础上,提出了尽可能避免出现问题的思路和建议。     

企业会计信息质量政府监管研究

会计信息质量的重要性不言而喻,加强对会计信息质量的管理,要充分利用政府的管理职能,发挥政府管理职能的作用,提高会计信息质量水平,从而为经济的健康发展提供保证.