The impact of European firms＇ economic conditions and financial performance on accounting quality

In this study the authors analyse the possible effect of firms＇ economic conditions and financial performance on accounting quality. Bradshaw, et al. （2004）, Gelos ＆ WEI （2005） stated that financial reporting quality is fundamental for investors and it affects international capital movements. Following Schipper ＆ Vicent （2003）, the authors estimated accounting quality by abnormal accruals and earnings persistence. The authors＇ contribution consists of investigating a huge number of firms from 17 European countries using unbalanced panel data. The authors found evidence that economic conditions affect accounting quality： big firms and those with high current earnings exhibit better financial information. These results are robust because they do not depend on the accounting quality proxy, even when the authors estimated regression with economical and financial factors alone or together. Financial performance does not seem to affect accounting quality. However, this relation is not linear because in high leveraged firms, the capital structure becomes determinant.     

Measuring the Market Power of the Portuguese Milk Industry

This paper is based on the previous work of Appelbaum (Journal of Econometrics, 1979, 9, pp. 283-94; 1982, 19, pp. 287-99). Iwata (Econometrics 1974, 42, pp. 947-66) and Rogers (PhD Dissertation, GeorgeWashington University, 1983).We estimate the degree of market power of an oligopolistic industry, using a linear system and the 2SLS estimation method. Our departure point is the work of Appelbaum (1982) where a 'market power index' is estimated for each of the sample's 25 years. As the market power index depends functionally on the conjectural elasticity, the goal is to obtain annual estimates for that elasticity. For this purpose, Appelbaum defines a non-linear simultaneous-equation system and obtains, with non-linear methods, the conjectural elasticity estimates for each year of the sample. Considering the conjectural elasticity's functional form that Appelbaum adopts, we use a different approach and obtain a linear system that is easier to estimate. Due to the particular features of the industry analysed, we also derive a much simpler form for the equations involved. The model's simplicity is appealing and its generalisation to other industries with homogeneous products may be implemented with ease.     

Impact of IFRS adoption on accounting quality in European firms

In this paper it is examined whether firms following International Financial Reporting Standards （IFRS） exhibit higher accounting quality. While IFRS are supposed to improve international comparisons by harmonisation and definition of strong principles, Ball （2006） and Nobes （2006） were concerned about differences in the application of IFRS cross-countries and firms. Barth, Landsman ＆ Lang （2008） stated that the flexibility of principles- based International Accounting Standards （IAS） could create incentives for firms to manage earnings. This paper contributes to analyse the impact of IFRS on accounting quality for European firms. The findings show that for firms in the European Union （EU） IFRS produce a negative effect on accounting quality that continues after 2005, when IFRS becomes mandatory. By contrast, for European firms which are not EU members the IFRS adoption increases accounting quality. These results support the concerns about IFRS application and flexibility and indicate that accounting quality does not improve just because the adoption of IFRS is mandatory.     

An option pricing approach to optimal bidding in construction projects

Reaching an optimal mark‐up value in the context of construction projects' bidding competitions has been a research topic for more than 40 years. This paper aims to contribute to this debate by applying a real options approach. The proposed model has a pure theoretical nature and is based on a maximization problem, whose outcome is the optimal price, that is, the price that should be included in the bid proposal. The model is later extended to accommodate the existence of penalty costs if the selected bidder refuses to enter into contract. Results reached using a numerical example demonstrate that the optimal price is higher when penalty costs are considered.     

A real options approach to optimal bidding in construction projects considering volume uncertainty

Building on the numerical solution by Ribeiro et al. (2108), this paper proposes a model to assess the impact of volume uncertainty on construction projects' value and on the optimal bidding price. The model's outcome is the threshold amount for the incremental investment that managers have to undertake in order to resolve the uncertainty regarding the volume of work to be performed. Any amount of investment below the threshold will add value to the project and produces a more competitive bid price. A numerical example is presented, and a sensitivity analysis is performed to the model's most relevant components.     

Executive Compensation： Pay-for-Performance in High-Technology Firms

This study examines the relationship between corporate performance and the Chief Executive Officer （CEO） compensation in high-technology firms in the S＆P 500. The total short- and long-term CEO compensation in high-technology was compared with other industrial sectors from standard classification codes and tested in terms of corporate performance. The ExecuComp database was used to find the variables and to create a sample of firms between 2004 and 2010. Important corporate performance variables are used in this work, such as assets, employees, sales, net income, and earnings per share （EPS）, as reported by the firms for each year. A panel data GLS with a fixed effect model for time is estimated that describes total compensation for the period between 2004 and 2010. The result was aligned with the theory of executive compensations to address agency problems and to examine CEO pay-for-performance. The main objective of this paper is to consistently demonstrate that the performance is determined for the total CEO compensation for short- and long-term periods and to examine whether the total remunergttion paid to CEOs in high-technology firms in the S＆P 500 is related to corporate finance. This work provides a better understanding of the relationship between compensation and performance in high-technology firms. Results suggest that high-tech firms tend to use more sophisticated performance measurements to determine CEO compensation.