Accounting History in Australia: A Survey of Published Works, 1975–99

Research in accounting history has expanded significantly in recent years. This paper reviews the recent development of accounting history in Australia through an examination of the relevant literature while recognizing the wider influence of Australian scholars in the international community of accounting historians. The survey is confined to works on Australian accounting history published in the period of 25 years between 1975 and 1999. These works are discussed using the literature classification framework provided by Carnegie and Napier (1996). Reviewing the literature in this way is expected to be of benefit to historians in general, particularly economic and business historians, and also accounting historians, while future directions for accounting history research in Australia are outlined following a brief critique of the literature examined.     

Social entrepreneurship: towards conceptualisation

The marketing in strategy dialogue and the emerging marketing/entrepreneurship interface paradigm stress the need for marketers to research entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneur‐ship, the entrepreneurship leading to the establishment of new social enterprises and the continued innovation in existing ones, is much discussed but little understood and given the increasing importance of such organisations should be addressed. This paper conceptualises social entrepreneurship as a multidimensional construct involving the expression of entrepreneurially virtuous behaviour to achieve the social mission, a coherent unity of purpose and action in the face of moral complexity, the ability to recognise social value‐creating opportunities and key decision‐making characteristics of innovativeness, proactiveness and risk‐taking. The paper discusses implications for policy and practice and concludes with a consideration of theoretical issues and directions for future research. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications     

A Conceptual Analysis of Price Setting in Australian Local Government

A complex set of issues underlies the pricing of the diverse range of goods and services from which Australian local governments derive a significant portion of their revenues. Although local governments have a not‐for‐profit orientation, they are expected to be financially viable and embrace a broad notion of accountability. They are also expected to influence the behaviour of constituents in accordance with policy decisions, but be equitable in doing so. These and related parameters are discussed and illustrated in order to reveal and elucidate the nature of pricing decisions in local government, and to differentiate the local government context from other price‐setting environments.     

THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACCOUNTING REGULATION, EDUCATION, AND LITERATURE IN AUSTRALIA, 1788–2005

Accounting involves the recording of events, the preparation and reporting of results and is a key medium in discharging accountability. It pervades organisations and institutions in every country and is a key element of the business fabric and economic development of any nation. This study examines the development of accounting regulation, education, and literature in Australia across five key phases of European settlement from 1788 to 2005 and presents an overview of the major historical trends in each of these periods. The development of accounting and the profession is intimately linked with significant economic development in Australia over 200 years.     

Observing the PSASB: ED 50 and the Recognition of Infrastructure Assets

Provisions of AAS 27 significantly expanding the recognition of assets in local government financial statements have proven to be controversial, particularly through their application to items of infrastructure. In one instance, state legislation was amended to overrule the standard. More recently, the standard itself has been amended to extend the relevant transitional provisions. To assist in explaining why an accounting issue ostensibly resolved through the due process of standard-setting continues to generate controversy, the responses to the exposure draft (ED 50) that preceded the standard were reviewed and analysed. This led to the conclusion that any inference that respondents to ED 50 generally supported the proposals relating to accounting for infrastructure items is, at best, problematic. This paper provides insights to standard-setting processes, particularly the workings of the Public Sector Accounting Standards Board and the extent of its responsiveness to parties affected by its deliberations.     

The Financial Reporting of Publicly-owned Collections: Whither Financial (market) Values and Contingent Valuation Estimates?

In a continuation of the debate about the valuation of public arts collections for financial reporting purposes, the authors respond to the preceding article with an affirmation of their view that collection items cannot generally be valued as financial assets. Further, they reject the proposition that the contingent valuation method provides an objective approach to measuring the benefits flowing from public collections.     

Pastoral Accounting in Pre-Federation Victoria: A Case Study on the Jamieson Family

This Australian study of the surviving pre-Federation pastoral accounting records of the pioneering Jamieson family in the Western District of Victoria examines the structure and usage of accounting information prepared in an isolated setting in a time-specific context. The study endeavours to identify the key variables affecting the accounting practices observed for one particular case of pastoral industry management throughout the fifty years to 1900. Although further research of other sets of surviving Western District pastoral accounting records is necessary to provide more generalised results, tentative conclusions are drawn about the impact of cultural, educational, legal, political, professional skill and economic factors as key explanatory variables.     

为中国经济减速做好准备

20年来,特别是过去10年,负债迅速增加使美国的消费增速超过了经济增长,贸易逆差也随之扩大。美国消费过快增长的一个后果是,除美国之外的全球经济能够比除美国之外的全球消费增长得更快。作为美国消费热潮主要受益者的亚洲尤为如此,特别是中国。