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The book introduces pragmatic constructivism as a paradigm for understanding actors’ construction of functioning practice and for developing methods and concepts for managing and observing that practice. The book explores, understands and theorises organisational practices as constructed through the activities of all organisational actors. Actors always act under presumptions of a specific actor-world-relation which they continuously construct, adjust and reconstruct in light of new experiences, contexts and communication. The outcome of the actor-world-relation is a reality construction. The reality construction may function successfully or it may be hampered by fictitious and illusionary...
This book provides a comprehensive and critical overview of learning accounting. It illustrates that when learners need to mentally integrate two or more distinct items of information, it places unnecessary demands on cognitive load. The book discusses the cognitive load theory, which assumes that the task of mental integration increases the load on already limited working memory, and it does so to such an extent that learning may be severely impeded. The book also investigates how students could deal with cognitive overload when learning introductory accounting using three instructional design formats: the split-attention format, the integrated format, and the self-managed format.
Auditing is generally considered to be a particularly practical discipline. This hampers theoretical research, as does its complex nature. The unquestioning acceptance and implementation of rules governing auditing practice could lead to poor outcomes. This book provides a theory of auditing that underpins auditing practice. Identifying the objectives of auditing in the context of financial reporting, this book examines underlying beliefs to provide a deeper understanding of the concepts of auditing. In analyzing the field from a theoretical perspective, the author encounters important concepts such as materiality, verification, evidence, risk and professional judgement. Philosophical ideas about the social construction of reality are employed to explain the role of theory in a building block of the business world. This book is vital reading for auditing scholars globally, whilst its conclusions offer an interesting case study in the philosophy of professional judgement
Bank Regulation: Effects on Strategy, Financial Accounting and Management Control discusses and problematizes how regulation is affecting bank strategies as well as their financial accounting and management control systems. Following a period of bank de-regulation, the new millennium brought a drastic change, with many new regulations. Some of these are the result of the financial crisis of 2008-2009. Other regulations, such as the introduction in 2005 of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for quoted companies in the EU, can be related to the introduction of a new global accounting regime. It is evident from annual reports of banks that the number of new regulations in recent...
Accountancy as presently practised is tied to the paradigm of modern financial capitalism with its reliance on market solutions and the maximization of the firm’s profits, which are the fundamental causes of most these problems. The Social Function of Accounts argues that accountancy, as currently organized and practised, is failing society, both in Britain and in the world as a whole. Examining the current problems afflicting the world: financial crises and instability, global warming, degradation of the environment, growing inequality, this book asks the question - what contribution does accountancy make to the solution of these problems? The book argues that the accountancy profession d...
In the new economy where value drivers are shifting from tangible to intangibles resources, brands are the most familiar asset. They are well known by consumers, perceived as a critical component of enterprise value and often motivate large mergers and acquisitions. Yet, brands are a complex intangible asset, and their valuation is a difficult task requiring a variety of expertise: legal, economic, financial, sector-specific and marketing. Using rigorous methodologies, an analysis of the world of the new economy and an inquiry into the limits of modern valuation technics, this book offers empirical and theoretical background to the key issue of brand valuation. It provides answers to the man...
There is considerable national variation in the professionalization and status of the management accountant. Although researchers from different countries have contributed to our knowledge about tasks and roles, we have limited insights into the development, education, and socio-cultural influences in different countries and surprisingly little is known about the local and national contexts in which these roles are learned and performed. This book bridges this research gap using two complementary perspectives. The first part explores management accountants in a range of different national contexts, providing information about country-specific historical developments and educational standards as well as specific roles and tasks. The second part focusses on important global developments that will increasingly impact management accountants in the future, such as sustainability, the financial crisis, technology and changing roles. By combining local context with a global overview, this insightful volume provides an agenda for future research which will be of great interest to scholars and advanced students in management accounting throughout the world.
As the monetary cost of fraud escalates globally, and the ensuing confidence in financial markets deteriorates, the international demand for quality in financial statements intensifies. But what constitutes quality in financial statements? This book examines financial statement fraud, a topical and increasingly challenging area for financial accounting, business, and the law. Evidence shows that accounting anomalies in an organization’s financial statements diminish the quality and serviceability of financial information. However, an anomaly does not necessarily signal fraud. Financial statement fraud is intended to mislead shareholders and other stakeholders. In this book, elements that u...
Italian accounting has a long and honourable tradition of theoretical and applied analysis of the accounting and reporting function, perceived and defined much more broadly than in the Anglo-Saxon tradition. The high point of this perhaps, is the creation of what is known as Economia Aziendale (EA). The antecedents, genesis and later developments are presented here in detail by highly knowledgeable specialists in the field. EA takes as a prerequisite the necessity of the business (entity/azienda) to ensure its own long-run survival. This requires that the necessary resources are retained and preserved, so operating capital maintenance, by definition future-oriented, is essential. It requires...
Managerial cost accounting is the financial and managerial tool that is used to estimate the organizational cost of products and services in business and government. In recent decades, cost accounting in the United States and other advanced industrial countries has been dominated by discussions of Activity Based Costing or ABC. While ABC can be shown to produce a more accurate estimate of cost than older and more basic types of cost accounting, ABC is not used extensively in many governments. We argue that this recent focus on ABC has stifled examination and discussion of how government cost accounting is being used and how it could be used in practice. The study of cost accounting practice ...