Accounting Commons^™

Employee Benefit Plans Industry Developments - 2013; Audit Risk Alerts, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

Industry Guides (AAGs), Risk Alerts, and Checklists

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Sfas133 On Income Smoothing By Banks Through Loan Loss Provisions, Emre Kilic, Gerald J. Lobo, Tharindra Ranasinghe, K. Sivaramakrishnan

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

We examine the impact of SFAS 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, on the reporting behavior of commercial banks and the informativeness of their financial statements. We argue that because the stricter recognition and classification requirements of SFAS 133 reduced banks' ability to smooth income through derivatives, banks more affected by SFAS 133 will rely more on loan loss provisions to smooth income. We find evidence consistent with this argument. We also find that the increased reliance on loan loss provisions for smoothing income has impaired the informativeness of loan loss provisions.

Managerial Incentives And Management Forecast Precision, Qiang Cheng, Ting Luo, Heng Yue

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Managers have great discretion in determining management forecast characteristics, but little is known about how managerial incentives affect these characteristics. In this paper, we examine whether managers strategically choose the precision of their earnings forecasts for self-serving purposes. Building on prior research demonstrating that the market reaction to vague management forecasts is weaker than its reaction to precise forecasts, we find that for management forecasts disclosed before insider sales, more positive (negative) news forecasts are more (less) precise than other management forecasts. The opposite applies to management forecasts disclosed before insider purchases. These results are consistent with managers strategically choosing …

The Opportunistic Reporting Of Material Events And The Apparent Misconception Of Investors' Reaction, Dan Segal, Benjamin Segal

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Using a comprehensive sample of non-earnings 8-K filings from 1996 to 2011, we examine whether firms engage in opportunistic reporting of mandatory and voluntary news. We find strong evidence of opportunistic reporting of negative news, especially among public firms. Public firms are more likely to delay disclosure of negative news, report negative news after trading hours, and report on the last day of the week. We also find evidence of opportunistic bundling of news. Our findings support the notion that managers engage in strategic disclosure by delaying or obfuscating negative news in order to mitigate the potential market reaction. Factors …

Review On The State Of Sustainability Reporting In Singapore, Soo Chiat Hwang, Teng Aun Khoo, Dan Chi Wong

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

The trend of sustainability reports has increased inexorably as the clamor by various stakeholders including NGOs have been growing louder and louder. Some countries have even made sustainability reporting mandatory. In Singapore only a small percentage of listed companies are voluntary providing sustainability reporting but this number is set to increase in line with the world trend. As sustainability reporting in Singapore will continue to grow this study attempts to address the perceptions of the importance and usefulness of sustainability reporting, the reporting framework and the training needs of both users and preparers to provide such reports. The results from …

To Pool Or Not To Pool, Teng Aun Khoo, Kai Guan Tan

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Under the Singapore’s modified territorial tax system, the foreign sourced income (FSI) received or deemed received in Singapore is subject to tax unless otherwise exempted. To avoid having the same income from being taxed twice, foreign tax credits (FTC) are granted to resident taxpayers for the foreign tax paid (FTP) in the country of source against the Singapore tax payable on the same income. Presently, we have two systems under which FTC can be granted, subject to satisfying certain conditions, namely the existing foreign tax credit system and the new FTC pooling system.

Culture And Management Control Systems In Today’S High-Performing Firms, Michael T. Lee, Sally K. Widener

Accountancy Faculty Publications and Presentations

You might think that firms with bureaucratic cultures would emphasize their use of management control systems. Contrary to expectations, firms with bureaucratic cultures are not users of management control systems!

The History Of The Investment Tax Credit, Rachael I. Lambert

Theses and Dissertations

A tax credit is an incentive for businesses and individuals, which allows them to reduce their tax obligation. Federal and state governments grant tax credits in areas such as employment and the environment. An investment tax credit (ITC) allows businesses and individuals to reduce their tax obligation when they venture into new businesses and developments. It is natural for businesses and individuals to invest for continued growth. If the economy is in a decline, however, investments may drop by businesses and individuals. In hard economic times, the federal and state governments provide the ITC incentive to stimulate economic growth. The …

Factors Associated With Price Reactions And Analysts’ Forecast Revisions Around Sec Filings, Theodore E. Christensen, William G. Heninger, Earl K. Stice

Faculty Publications

We investigate the extent to which rapid accessibility of financial reports filed electronically through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s EDGAR system has affected the ability of investors and security analysts to use accounting data in pricing decisions and forecasting. Consistent with prior research, we find evidence confirming that stock price reactions to SEC filings are significant in the EDGAR period but not the pre-EDGAR period. We also find significant revisions in analysts’ one-quarter-ahead earnings forecasts around SEC filings dates in both the pre-EDGAR and EDGAR periods. The price and forecast revision evidence indicates that financial analysts have used SEC filings …

Towards An Understanding Of The Role Of Standard Setters In Standard Setting, Abigail Allen, Karthik Ramanna

Faculty Publications

We investigate the effect of standard setters in standard setting. We examine how  certain professional and political characteristics of FASB members and SEC commissioners predict the accounting ‘‘reliability’’ and ‘‘relevance’’ of proposed standards. Notably, we find FASB members with backgrounds in financial services are more likely to propose standards that decrease ‘‘reliability’’ and increase ‘‘relevance,’’ partly due to their tendency to propose fair-value methods. We find opposite results for FASB members affiliated with the Democratic Party, although only when excluding financial services background as an independent variable. Jackknife procedures show that results are robust to omitting any individual standard setter.

Graduate Bulletin, 2013-2014, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

Fair Value Measurements, Nathan Hatch Cannon

2013

This dissertation consists of two empirical studies that investigate fair value measurement issues currently facing the accounting profession--one from the perspective of the auditor, and the other from the perspective of the financial statement user. The results of each study are described below.

This first study examines experienced auditors' descriptions of specific client experiences in which auditing fair value measurements (FVMs) was particularly challenging. Based on a field survey of high-level engagement team personnel from several large firms, we identify a number of key issues currently facing the profession in auditing FVMs. First, when asked about challenges faced in auditing …

Changes In Auditing: A Three Part Investigation, Denise R. Hanes

2013

This dissertation consists of three studies investigating changes in auditing. This abstract summarizes each study, including purpose, methodology, and findings.

The first study synthesizes the extant literature examining geographically distributed work arrangements in other disciplines such as management and social psychology. Focusing on communication and coordination, knowledge sharing, work design, and social identity in geographically distributed teams, I identify opportunities for future research to expand our understanding of how geographically distributing audit work impacts auditors, the audit process, and audit quality.

My second paper explores a key contributor to the success of geographically distributed work highlighted in my literature review: …

Omni-Channel Retail And The New Age Consumer: An Empirical Analysis Of Direct-To-Consumer Channel Interaction In The Retail Industry, Alec J. Dorman

CMC Senior Theses

It is indisputable that the internet has become a necessary component of contemporary multi-channel retail, as more consumers are choosing to purchase goods online each year. As online spending continues to grow, many have called into question the future of brick-and-mortar retail. This thesis seeks to empirically prove that brick-and-mortar retail remains not only relevant, but indispensable in direct-to-consumer business models. The basis of this conjecture is the idea of channel synergism, in which online and brick-and-mortar operations are complementary. This theory is predicated on the emergence of the omni-channel retail, which is characterized by the integration of the various …

An Examination Of The Interest Rate Sensitivity Of Business Development Company (Bdc) Stock Returns, Timothy Park

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines the interest rate sensitivity of Business Development Companies (BDCs). The results of this study are intended to lend insight to investors about the viability and timing of investments in BDCs during the business cycle. Similar to previous research that has examined interest rate sensitivity of financial companies, this paper employs a two-factor market model to see whether BDCs are responsive to changes in short, medium, and long-term interest rates. My particular interest in BDCs is motivated by their unique asset-liability structure and requirements, as well as their high dividend payouts. Monthly data is drawn from the period …

Trends In Pro Forma Reporting During The Great Recession, Dakota W. Mivshek

CMC Senior Theses

Pro forma EPS reporting is a fairly new accounting disclosure; it has since been modified in 2003 by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, to include additional disclosure and filing requirements. This “Regulation G” has been around for nearly a decade and since that time a major financial crises in the United States has occurred. This study attempts to analyze trends in pro forma EPS reporting within the S & P 500 constituents during the Great Recession, and speculate as to whether earnings management was apparent. This study provides evidence that there was a significant increase in the proportion of …

Exploiting The Gaps In Gaap: A Look At The Principles Versus Rules Debate, Nicholas A. Gillette

CMC Senior Theses

The principles versus rules debate has long since been a conversation in the accounting world, but the conversation heated up in the early part of the 21st century on the heels of a few highly publicized accounting frauds. In an increasingly globalized business environment, convergence between the more rules-oriented US GAAP and more principles-oriented IFRS is becoming more and more relevant. This study attempts to better inform that debate, exploring the accounting conceptual framework, United States legal environment, and the costs and benefits of adopting a more principles-oriented set of accounting standards. This study concludes that, though there would likely …

Reducing Employee Turnover In The Big Four Public Accounting Firms, Erin L. Maclean

CMC Senior Theses

Employee turnover is extremely costly to any business in terms of training costs and loss of pertinent knowledge and experience. This paper explores the contributors to the high rates of employee turnover seen in public accounting by focusing on the Big Four accounting firms, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Employee retention is a factor of corresponding employee motivation, as seen through the analysis of popular motivational theories and their applications to a career in public accounting. This paper also delves into the possible contributors to the differences in retention rates between males and females in this occupation. Lastly, an analysis …

ملخصات الكتب المحاسبة المتوسطة رؤية معاصرة, سعود جايد مشكور, علي نعيم جاسم, ناظم حسن عبد السيد

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

تعرف المحاسبة بأنها لغة الأعمال التي تقوم باستخدام مجموعة من المفاهيم والفروض والمبادئ والطرق في إدخال ومعالجة العديد من الأحداث الاقتصادية التي تحصل في منظمات الأعمال وجعلها على شكل معلومات يمكن إيصالها إلى العديد من الجهات المستفيدة في عمليات اتخاذ القرارات. كذلك تعرف المحاسبة بأنها لغة الأعمال التي تتخصص في القياس والتوصيل وتقديم التقارير وتوفير المعلومات المالية إلى مختلف الأطراف المعنية مثل الإدارات والحكومات والمستثمرين والدائنين لاتخاذ قرارات اقتصادية رشيدة.

Consistency Between Earnings Forecasts And Stock Recommendations : The Effect Of Political Connections, Elio Alfonso

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Financial analysts’ earnings forecasts are more consistent with stock recommendations when their earnings forecasts are more accurate (Loh and Mian 2006, Ertimur et al. 2007). This suggests that analysts use other information in their private valuation models in addition to earnings forecasts especially when earnings have greater uncertainty. Recent studies show that political connections are important for firm valuation and are associated with future positive returns and future positive operating performance (Faccio 2006, Cooper et al. 2010). In this study, I examine how a firm’s political connections affect stock recommendation informativeness as well as the efficiency with which analysts translate …