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Full-Text Articles in Accounting

Do Corporate Governance Recommendations Improve The Performance And Accountability Of Small Listed Companies?, Jacqueline Christensen, Pamela Kent, James Routledge, Jenny Stewart Jul 2014

Do Corporate Governance Recommendations Improve The Performance And Accountability Of Small Listed Companies?, Jacqueline Christensen, Pamela Kent, James Routledge, Jenny Stewart

James Routledge

This study examines whether the implementation of the 2003 Australian Securities Exchange Limited governance recommendations influenced the governance choices of small companies and whether compliance improves their accounting and market performance and earnings quality. Our analysis examines small and large companies because we are interested in the different effects of the governance recommendations on the two groups. The analysis shows a significant shift by small and large companies to comply with the recommendations around the time of their introduction. We find that formation of an audit committee surrounding the reform period is significantly associated with improved earnings quality for small …


Insolvency Administration As A Strategic Response To Financial Distress, James Routledge, David Morrison Jul 2014

Insolvency Administration As A Strategic Response To Financial Distress, James Routledge, David Morrison

James Routledge

This study considers whether the strategic decision to enter voluntary administration (VA) rather than to trade the company’s business for a protracted period of declining performance is systematically related to the effective monitoring of management decision-making. Analysis that tests the association between strategic entry into VA and the likelihood that a company will reorganize in VA is also presented. We find about half of the companies in our sample entered VA as a strategic choice. The likelihood of strategic entry to VA increased with the proportion of independent board directors, the existence of an audit committee and a dual CEO/chair …


Corporate Governance And The Quality Of Green House Gas Emission Disclosures, Janice Hollindale, Pamela Kent, James Routledge Oct 2012

Corporate Governance And The Quality Of Green House Gas Emission Disclosures, Janice Hollindale, Pamela Kent, James Routledge

James Routledge

The introduction of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 (Cth) legislation is evidence of the importance the Australian Government places on the issue of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reporting. Australian corporations’ GHG disclosure information in annual reports is currently unknown as most research has focused on environmental voluntary disclosures in general. We used content analysis to produce an index wherein we assessed the quality of GHG disclosures made in the annual reports of Australian public-listed companies in 2007. Our interest was focused on whether good quality corporate governance influences the quality of GHG emission disclosures. We examined the …


Are Corporate Governance Recommendations Relevant For Small Companies?, Jacqueline Christensen, Pamela Kent, James Routledge, Jenny Stewart Oct 2012

Are Corporate Governance Recommendations Relevant For Small Companies?, Jacqueline Christensen, Pamela Kent, James Routledge, Jenny Stewart

James Routledge

This study examines the extent to which small listed companies in Australia comply with the Australian Securities Exchange corporate governance recommendations, and whether applying these recommendations is associated with benefits in terms of performance and accountability. The results indicate that many small listed companies comply with the recommendations, although the benefits to these companies from doing so appear to be low. We do not find evidence of a positive association between small company compliance with recommendations regarding board independence, diligence and formation of an audit committee and performance. However, we find that compliance with the recommendation against having a dual …


Restructuring In Voluntary Administration - Evidence From Australian Listed Public Companies, James Routledge, David Gadenne Nov 2009

Restructuring In Voluntary Administration - Evidence From Australian Listed Public Companies, James Routledge, David Gadenne

James Routledge

Introduction of the statutory voluntary administration (VA) process in mid 1993 represented a significant change to corporate insolvency law in Australia in providing greater opportunity for companies to attempt to resolve their financial distress. The final decision regarding the administration outcome is determined by company creditors, who can conclude the relatively short administration period by supporting a deed of company arrangement (DOCA) or have the company wound-up in a statutory liquidation. The focus of this paper is on the relationship between financial information available at the time a company enters VA and the VA outcome. In particular, we explore how …


The Company Dividend Restriction: Does It Promote Good Corporate Governance?, James Routledge, Peter Slade Nov 2009

The Company Dividend Restriction: Does It Promote Good Corporate Governance?, James Routledge, Peter Slade

James Routledge

This article considers aspects of the development of the law associated with the dividend payment restriction. The motivation for the article is to assess whether the existing substantive law is effective in promoting sound decision-making by corporate officers who are required to determine the timing and quantum of dividend payments. Our analysis suggests that the existing provision in s 254T of the Corporations Act 2001 is unlikely to have a significant positive effect on dividend decisions. This is due to its failure to provide meaningful guidance to decision-makers; its divergence from contemporary accounting practice; and its imposition of unnecessary complexity …


Assessing Solvency For Financially Distressed Companies, James Routledge, Ray Mcnamara Nov 2009

Assessing Solvency For Financially Distressed Companies, James Routledge, Ray Mcnamara

James Routledge

This article reviews past and recent authorities that have addressed the definition and application of the solvency test in s 95A of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). The discussion highlights that, when faced with financial distress, company directors need to carefully consider the solvency implications of their decisions. To generate cash to pay debts as they become due, directors may attempt to realise company assets, obtain additional secured or unsecured debt finance or reorganise the timing of payments with creditors. The discussion of relevant cases shows that the solvency implications associated with realisation of assets, use of assets as security …


The Effect Of Changing Firm Characteristics On Capacity To Restructure, James Routledge, David Gadenne Nov 2009

The Effect Of Changing Firm Characteristics On Capacity To Restructure, James Routledge, David Gadenne

James Routledge

This paper examines whether changes in financial characteristics over the time prior to a firm entering insolvency administration will affect its reorganisation prospects. Prior research shows that an insolvent firm’s ability to rectify the mismatch between currently available liquid assets and current financial obligations is critical to the reorganisation outcome. Accordingly, a multivariate analysis of financial characteristics which reflect the firm’s ability to address this mismatch is presented. The results show that changes in operating performance and liquidity prior to a firm entering insolvency administration have a bearing on administration outcomes.


An Exploratory Study Of The Company Reorganisation Decision In Voluntary Administration, James Routledge, David Gadenne Nov 2009

An Exploratory Study Of The Company Reorganisation Decision In Voluntary Administration, James Routledge, David Gadenne

James Routledge

A primary purpose of the voluntary administration legislation is to provide a flexible procedure by which a company can attempt to reorganise its affairs and continue trading. Informed decision-making regarding which companies should attempt reorganisation is critical to the efficient operation of company rescue legislation. This paper explores decision-making associated with the voluntary administration process, with a focus on the relevance of financial information to the reorganisation decision. Statistical models are developed to provide some insight into the reorganisation decision and the problem of identifying suitable (successful) reorganisation candidates from a pool of distressed companies. Additionally, insolvency experts’ decisions regarding …


Financial Information And Voluntary Administration Outcomes: Evidence From Australian Listed Public Companies, James Routledge, David Gadenne Nov 2009

Financial Information And Voluntary Administration Outcomes: Evidence From Australian Listed Public Companies, James Routledge, David Gadenne

James Routledge

Introduction of the statutory voluntary administration (VA) process in mid 1993 represented a significant change to corporate insolvency law in Australia in providing greater opportunity for companies to attempt to resolve their financial distress. The focus of this paper is on the relationship between financial information available at the time a company enters VA and the VA outcome. In particular, we explore how financial information that indicates a company's capacity to restructure its debt and assets relate to the VA outcome. Our analysis indicates that a company's ability to restructure its debt contracts is critical to the fate of companies …


The Decision To Enter Voluntary Administration: Timely Strategy Or Last Resort?, James Routledge Nov 2009

The Decision To Enter Voluntary Administration: Timely Strategy Or Last Resort?, James Routledge

James Routledge

One of the options available to directors of financially distressed companies is to place their company into voluntary administration (VA). The decision to enter VA should enhance corporate governance because it allows for informed decision-making about a company's future, and ensures that administration of a company's affairs proceeds in an orderly manner. Once in VA, a company has a short 'breathing space' during which it can develop a strategy to address its insolvency. The strategic options available will be significantly affected by past performance and current financial position. If the company's position has deteriorated significantly, the VA process will merely …


Innate And Discretionary Accrual Quality And Corporate Governance, Pamela Kent, James Routledge, Jenny Stewart Sep 2009

Innate And Discretionary Accrual Quality And Corporate Governance, Pamela Kent, James Routledge, Jenny Stewart

James Routledge

The empirical analysis presented in this paper provides further insight into the important issue of the association between corporate governance structures and the quality of reported company earnings. The analysis uses the measure of accrual quality developed by Dechow and Dichev (2002) which provides a direct measure of the quality of current accruals. We derive measures of the innate and discretionary components of accrual quality following Francis et al. (2005), and subsequently include these measures in regressions against corporate governance characteristics. The results show that sound governance structures have a positive association between the innate and discretionary components of accrual …


Innate And Discretionary Accruals Quality And Corporate Governance, Pamela Kent, James Routledge, Jenny Stewart Dec 2008

Innate And Discretionary Accruals Quality And Corporate Governance, Pamela Kent, James Routledge, Jenny Stewart

James Routledge

This paper extends previous research on the association between corporate governance mechanisms and accruals quality. We derive measures of the discretionary and innate components of accruals quality and regress them against corporate governance characteristics. For discretionary accruals, we find use of a Big 4 audit firm and a larger audit committee as the primary governance mechanisms associated with higher accruals quality. For innate accruals quality, we find that higher quality is associated with an independent board of directors, a larger, more independent and more active audit committee, and use of a Big 4 audit firm. Our findings suggest a stronger …