Download Free Reflections On The State Of Accounting Research And The Regulation Of Accounting Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online Reflections On The State Of Accounting Research And The Regulation Of Accounting and write the review.

I have two separate but related topics to cover today. The first is a critical appraisal of the state of accounting research, and the second is an analysis of current trends in the regulation of accounting practices and where they are leading us. Research in accounting has been (with one or two notable exceptions) unscientific. Why? Because the focus of this research has been overwhelmingly normative and definitional. As a result, the field has produced remarkably little theory or evidence bearing on positive issues. I am not claiming that accounting lacks theories. Quite the contrary; accountants promulgate theories (Edwards and Bell [1961], Sprouse and Moonitz [1962], Chambers [1966], ASOBAT [1966], Ijiri [1967], Sterling [1970]), as rapidly as the SEC increases disclosure requirements. But in accounting the term theory has come to mean normative proposition. I do not intend my emphasis here on positive analysis to imply that normative issues regarding what should be are unimportant. Neither academics nor professionals, however, will make significant progress in obtaining answers to the normative questions they continue to ask until they make a more serious attempt to develop a body of positive theory. It is in this sense that I believe much of what is classified as accounting research is useless. The dearth of positive theory explains the almost complete lack of impact of normative accounting research on professional practice. Furthermore, the belief held by many professionals that the new Professional Schools of Accounting will somehow improve accounting research, itself implies a disappointment with the payoffs from past accounting research. This failure has not been quite as dramatic in the managerial accounting area where issues such as capital budgeting and transfer pricing have received considerable attention.
The scope of service provided by professional accountants is influenced by legislation and case law as well as the dictates of a variety of government and private sector agencies; including State Boards of Accountancy, Academic Accreditation Bodies, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, the Public Accounting Oversight Board, independent standard setting bodies such as the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board [US], the Financial Accounting Standards Board [US] and the International Accounting Standards Board. These entities and self-regulatory organizations such as U.S. State Societies of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and equivalent and emerging national bodies that exist in most developed and developing countries, are among the emerging entities which attempt to coordinate the activities of professional accountants among sovereign nations. It is important for academics, students, practitioners, regulators and researchers to consider and study the role and relationship of such bodies with the practice and content of our discipline. Research in Accounting Regulation seeks high quality manuscripts which address accounting regulatory policy, broadly defined, including: 1. self regulatory activities 2. case law and litigation 3. legislation and government regulation 4. the economics of regulation of markets, and disclosure, including modeling 5. matters involving the structure of education, licensing, and accreditation The editors encourage submission of original empirical, behavioral or applied research manuscripts which consider strategic and policy implications for regulation, regulatory models and markets. It is intended for individual researchers, practitioners, regulators and students of accountancy who desire to increase their understanding of the regulation of accountancy.
The Internet bubble has collapsed and the largest bankruptcy in US history, Enron, has made the call for greater transparency in financial reporting more important than ever. Andrew Higson draws attention to what is a 'true and fair view' in reporting and critically examines accounting theory and modern practice.
The scope of service provided by professional accountants is influenced by legislation and case law as well as the dictates of a variety of government and private sector agencies: including State Boards of Accountancy, Academic Accreditation Bodies, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, independent standard setting bodies such as the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (US), the Financial Accounting Standards Board (US), the International Accounting Standards Board and self-regulatory organizations such as State Societies of CPA and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. There are equivalent and emerging local international bodies that exist in most developed countries. It is important for academics, students, practitioners, regulators and researchers to consider, study and understand the role and relationship of such bodies with the practice and content of our discipline. Research in Accounting Regulation is a refereed annual serial that seeks to publish high quality manuscripts, which address regulatory issues and policy affecting the practice of accountancy, broadly defined. Topics of interest include research based on: 1) Self-regulatory activities. 2) Case law and litigation. 3) Governmental and quasi-governmental regulation. 4) The economics of regulation, including modelling. This research series aims to encourage the submission of original empirical, behavioural or applied research manuscripts that consider strategic and policy implications for regulation, regulatory models and markets. It is intended for individual researchers, practitioners, regulators and students of accountancy who desire to increase their understanding of the regulation of accountancy.
Financial analysis, based on ratio analysis, has been used as a tool for analyzing the financial strength of corporations. Although ratio analysis is generally used as a univariate strategy, the accounting and finance literature has evolved to include multivariate-based models in financial analysis, and these models can be used to explain important economic events and often predict them. Thus, in an exhaustive coverage of the economic events to which they can be applied, Riahi-Belkaoui discusses these models in a way that will have special value to corporate management, financial planners, and to their colleagues in the academic community who specialize in business and economic analysis.