A theoretical framework to examine the judgement process of accountants
- Authors: Faux, Jeffrey
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 7th Asia Pacific Interdisciplinary Research in Accounting Conference p. 1-18
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The cognitive concept of subjective user-orientated relevance is consistent with the description of accounting as a socio-technical information and communication system that is influenced by the mental processes and cognitive abilities of accountants. The purpose of this paper is the development of a theoretical framework to examine accountants’ judgment process as it relates to biological assets and to empirically test the attributes and constitution of useful information in the preparation of financial statements. A questionnaire is considered the most appropriate approach in this instance to collect data for this study as it is a more efficient means of obtaining responses from a large group of accountants located throughout Malaysia. The respondents generally believe that biological assets should be measured at current market value as it would provide relevant and useful information for investment decisions. However, there is a concern about the reliability of the information given the subjectivity involved in the measurement process. The survey elicits attitudes and opinions of the respondents encapsulated in the survey vignette and are therefore perceptions of respondents to a quasi-real situation. This study provides evidence supporting the conundrum facing the accounting profession concerning relevant information for decision purposes and the conflicting reliability of the information
- Authors: Faux, Jeffrey
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 7th Asia Pacific Interdisciplinary Research in Accounting Conference p. 1-18
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The cognitive concept of subjective user-orientated relevance is consistent with the description of accounting as a socio-technical information and communication system that is influenced by the mental processes and cognitive abilities of accountants. The purpose of this paper is the development of a theoretical framework to examine accountants’ judgment process as it relates to biological assets and to empirically test the attributes and constitution of useful information in the preparation of financial statements. A questionnaire is considered the most appropriate approach in this instance to collect data for this study as it is a more efficient means of obtaining responses from a large group of accountants located throughout Malaysia. The respondents generally believe that biological assets should be measured at current market value as it would provide relevant and useful information for investment decisions. However, there is a concern about the reliability of the information given the subjectivity involved in the measurement process. The survey elicits attitudes and opinions of the respondents encapsulated in the survey vignette and are therefore perceptions of respondents to a quasi-real situation. This study provides evidence supporting the conundrum facing the accounting profession concerning relevant information for decision purposes and the conflicting reliability of the information
A functionalist perspective of environmental disclosure and accountability
- Authors: Faux, Jeffrey
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings
- Full Text: false
- Description: The purpose of this paper is to provide greater insight into environmental accountability and disclosure from a functionalist perspective. Discussion of the utility of information supplied by corporations to discharge accountability is dependent on societal attitudes to the function of the corporation in society, corporate environmental responsibility and the issue of economic growth. Similarly, the usefulness of environmental information is predicated on perceptions of society as to the importance of environmental issues. The polarisation and politicisation of opinion regarding global warming denies scientific evidence and compounds issues of accountability and disclosure. A postal questionnaire was used to determine societal attitudes to key aspects of corporate functionality, accountability and disclosure. Questionnaire participants were drawn from three categories of society; shareholders, environmentalists and shareholder / environmentalists. Results indicate that the majority of respondents believe the function of the corporation in society is economic and social but there is a significant difference between shareholders and the other user groups. The preferred option of respondents regarding environmental accountability is for companies to be in advance of law and opinion. The sustainable development position, described a continuum, is supported by the shareholder and shareholder/environmentalist groups. The survey research method adopted in this paper suffers from the stated perceptions of respondents rather than attempting to reveal attitudes via alternative approaches. This study demonstrates that there is an attitudinal change towards corporate responsibility that will necessitate re-evaluation of corporate disclosure and accountability.
- Authors: Faux, Jeffrey
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings
- Full Text: false
- Description: The purpose of this paper is to provide greater insight into environmental accountability and disclosure from a functionalist perspective. Discussion of the utility of information supplied by corporations to discharge accountability is dependent on societal attitudes to the function of the corporation in society, corporate environmental responsibility and the issue of economic growth. Similarly, the usefulness of environmental information is predicated on perceptions of society as to the importance of environmental issues. The polarisation and politicisation of opinion regarding global warming denies scientific evidence and compounds issues of accountability and disclosure. A postal questionnaire was used to determine societal attitudes to key aspects of corporate functionality, accountability and disclosure. Questionnaire participants were drawn from three categories of society; shareholders, environmentalists and shareholder / environmentalists. Results indicate that the majority of respondents believe the function of the corporation in society is economic and social but there is a significant difference between shareholders and the other user groups. The preferred option of respondents regarding environmental accountability is for companies to be in advance of law and opinion. The sustainable development position, described a continuum, is supported by the shareholder and shareholder/environmentalist groups. The survey research method adopted in this paper suffers from the stated perceptions of respondents rather than attempting to reveal attitudes via alternative approaches. This study demonstrates that there is an attitudinal change towards corporate responsibility that will necessitate re-evaluation of corporate disclosure and accountability.
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