Intellectual Capital Reporting Practices of the Top Australian Firms

Using content analysis of annual reports of the top 20 firms (by market capitalisation) listed on the Australian stock exchange in 2004, this paper describes the state of intellectual capital reporting practices in Australia. The paper also compares the results with a previous Australian study by Guthrie and Petty (2000) and reconfirms that reporting of intellectual capital is yet to be done within a consistent framework. Although most of the reporting was done through qualitative, rather than quantitative, statements, an encouraging shift towards quantitative reporting is evident.     

Accounting Meets Politics: Theoretical Interpretation of Key Events (1940–2003) of the Accounting Profession in Australia

This paper examines some key developments in the Australian accounting profession and the changing nature of the authoritative influence of that profession on accounting and auditing activities. The purpose of this investigation is to demonstrate the shift in power between the political constituent (the government) and the accounting profession. The paper attempts to demonstrate how the corporatist view can help us understand the social nature of accounting and how the accounting profession can gain a greater awareness of this reality .