Environmental Management Accounting: A Case Study Research on Innovative Strategy

The aim of this paper is to conduct an in-depth study on environmental management systems developed in the ceramic tiles sector. This study is conceived as an improvement on a previous survey related to an environmental diagnosis of the ceramic tiles sector where some incongruities between environmental explicit speeches and environmental actions were detected. Such incongruities revealed that firms assumed to be highly environmental committed while from facts this commitment was not so high proved. So, it was necessary to introduce case study research methodology to clarify and to understand the reasons of these inconsistencies. The main objectives of our case study research are two. The first one consists in determining the relationship between firms and environment, analysing environmental positions in companies assumed in their environmental strategy and their environmental behaviour reflected in facts, while the second one attempts to establish the role played by the accounting information system in the environmental management systems of the companies in the sector. Our case study research reveals the elaboration of a larger amount of environmental accounting information for internal use than for external one. This fact is due not only to the inexistence of regulations about environmental disclosures in Spain, at that time, but also to the importance of environmental internal accounting information for management which supports the prevalence of decision-usefulness theory in the implementation of environmental management systems.Lecturer of Management Accounting in the Department of Finance and Accounting of the University Jaume I of Castellon (Spain). PhD in Business Management, with a focus on Environmental Management Accounting. Participant in several research funding programmes related to Environmental Management in Spain, Scotland and Guatemala.     

关于股权流通对价会计处理问题的探讨

股权流通对价在现有的会计制度下很难找到合理的处理方法。目前对股权分置,改革非流通股股东支付的股权流通对价的会计处理,应坚持股权流通对价、不让上市公司的所有者权益受损并与股权流通对价会计核算相一致的原则,在“长期股权投资”科目下增设“股权流通对价”明细科目,用来专门核算股权分置改革支付的股权流通对价的增减变化。     

Does the “management approach” contribute to segment reporting transparency?

Segment reporting creates an opportunity for companies to add value to the information they disseminate about their industry and geographic operations. This article examines the “management approach” to segment reporting from a user perspective that should be of great interest to corporate financial executives. The management approach to segment reporting requires companies to report segment financial information consistent with the way they manage their businesses. We conclude that, despite more segment data being reported, the potential of the new management approach to significantly benefit users is compromised by uneven compliance among reporting companies. The complicity of external auditors in compliance shortcomings should concern all stakeholders in the financial reporting process. Noting two high-profile examples of accounting fraud, we comment on how the management approach sheds light on Enron's operations, while WorldCom concealed important segment information due to probable auditor malfeasance.     

关于会计理论实证研究方法的考察

本文的主要目的是评价会计理论的研究方法中实证接近方法的妥当性,找出研究方法上的错误,并提出解决这种错误的方法。文章首先分析了研究模型中假设的非现实性问题、验证可能性问题以及与规范理论的差别性问题,并以韩国和美国的经营者补偿合同为例找出了具体的错误和提出了解决方案。     

基于方法分析的企业精细管理思想

本文认为,精细管理是企业管理走向科学化的必然要求,是科学管理发展到一定阶段的产物,是对管理实践的科学性概括和总结,是对企业管理创新的一个系统化梳理。精细管理具有系统化特征、理论与技术高度综合性特征、动态管理特征、实践性和全员参与特征;精细管理的闭路循环系统具有对应性,能够找到企业的每一个部门或个人的位置和相应的职责;精细管理在闭路循环系统中可以明确知道可能的效果倾向。文章提出,企业在实施精细管理的过程中,应适应变化的市场环境,把握精细管理的真正内涵;树立正确的企业精细管理理念,持之以恒;重构企业科学管理体系,走全员参与的精细管理之路。     

Effects of an Employee Volunteering Program on the Work Force: The ABN-AMRO Case

One of the new ways used by companies to demonstrate their social responsibility is to encourage employee volunteering, whereby employees engage in socially beneficial activities on company time, while being paid by the company. The reasoning is that it is good for employee motivation (internal effects) and good for the company reputation (external effects). This article reports an empirical investigation of the internal effects of employee volunteering conducted amongst employees of the Dutch ABN-AMRO bank. The study showed that (a) socio-demographic characteristics from employee volunteers markedly differ from those of non-volunteers and community volunteers and (b) employee volunteering seems to have positive effects on attitudes and behavior towards the organization.     

A Tale of Two Cities: Case Studies of Group Support Systems Transition

Research shows that, under certain circumstances, people using GSS can be substantially more productive than people who do not. However GSS has been slow to transition into the workplace. This paper argues that the Technology Transition Model (TTM) may be a useful way to explain this seeming paradox. The paper presents a case study of GSS transition in two organizations – one where a self-sustaining and growing community of users emerged, and one where it did not. Following TTM, it explores the frequency with which users perceived cognitive, economic, affective, political, social, and physical value from using the system. Comparison of the cases reveals differences in perceptions of value along several of these dimensions that are consistent with TTM. The findings suggest the model may be a useful way to explain the transition of collaboration technology, but more research will be required to test the model more rigorously.     

Critical Situations for Decision Making: A Support Based on a Modelling Tool

This paper proposes to give a toll to help decision makers in critical situations. The principle of our research is based on a modelling approach for Cooperative Knowledge Based Systems. This approach is based on a Task/Method paradigm that we describe. We then propose to take into account collateral effects of tasks in order to support decision makers in a critical context. The proposed tool can then generate a degraded solution for which, collateral effects of previous tasks have been taken as new goals to reach. This study is possible thanks to the definition of several kinds of models: a Good Functioning Model and a Degraded Tasks Library.     

Measuring Corporate Citizenship in Two Countries: The Case of the United States and France

Based on an extensive review of the literature and field surveys, the paper proposes a conceptualization and operationalization of corporate citizenship meaningful in two countries: the United States and France. A survey of 210 American and 120 French managers provides support for the proposed definition of corporate citizenship as a construct including the four correlated factors of economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary citizenship. The managerial implications of the research and directions for future research are discussed.     

A Proposed Infrastructural Model for the Establishment of Organizational Ethical Systems

We define ethical system infrastructure as being composed of three major factors – means, motivation, and opportunity. Means are defined as organizational rules, policies, and procedures. Motivation focuses upon the values and the interests being pursued by the position occupant and the organizational value system, while opportunity is discussed in terms of the environment in which the dilemma occurs, proposing that position in the hierarchy presents its own unique set of ethical dilemmas. Ethical breeches are discussed in terms of the interactional processes among means, motivation, and opportunity. Finally, a sequential process is suggested to use the infrastructural components to institutionalize organizational ethics training and subsequent behavior.