Routledge Focus on Accounting and Auditing – serie

This book provides a concise overview of the current context and types of public sector audit and the varied structures within which public sector audit is practised across the world. It summarises the objectives of public sector audit as well as explores the role of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions in providing guidance to these. Drawing on public and private sector audit as well as the views of academics and practitioners on public sector audit, it provides a unique research-based guide to the current issues and future challenges in the field.

In organizations, accounting produces organizational knowledge that affects decision-making and managerial action. Companies placing importance on shareholder value sometimes tend to elevate accounting to a higher truth criterion for justifying managerial actions. Yet, the nature of accounting renders it difficult to argue that accounting information necessarily produce a better basis for decision-making than arguments which are not based on accounting. This is because, as previous research has also argued, accounting counts some things but omits many others, while managers are accountable for much more than what accounting actually counts. Using a theoretical apparatus from Deleuze and Guattarí, this book illustrates that accounting-based actions such as making management decisions, maintaining organisational responsibility and hierarchical control are manifestations of the ways in which accounting is composed. This concise introduction will be invaluable for researchers and advanced students of management accounting exploring responsibility accounting and accountability.

This book provides a concise overview of the current context and types of public sector audit and the varied structures within which public sector audit is practised across the world. It summarises the objectives of public sector audit as well as explores the role of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions in providing guidance to these. Drawing on public and private sector audit as well as the views of academics and practitioners on public sector audit, it provides a unique research-based guide to the current issues and future challenges in the field.

Gender diversity as a corporate governance mechanism is high on the agenda for regulators, firms, and researchers. Particularly, gender board composition has received a great deal of attention in recent years. The theoretical foundations of the benefits associated with the inclusion of female directors on boards, how to measure gender diversity in the boardroom, and its real impact on board decisions and firm strategies remain hotly debated. Drawing on empirical data, this book summarises the current situation regarding gender board diversity and provides a concise overview of the most important concerns about this topic. This will be a vital tool to guide the future debate on gender diversity and corporate governance for researchers and advanced students, as well as regulators, policy makers and board members.

Little has been published on accounting standards in Japan and how they have developed. The purpose of this study is to construct a historical narrative of the interplay between accounting standards in Japan and theories of regulation.The authors demonstrate that delegation of the authority for accounting standard setting to the private sector in Japan is incomplete, and thus, the role of the public sector remains important. In the discussion about IFRS implementation in Japan, the movement in the United States, industry opinions, and ideological conflict between fair value versus historical cost play important roles. These elements combined led to the ambiguous coexistence of four sets of accounting standards in Japan. First, by using an explaining-outcome process-tracing method, the authors examine how these sets of standards occurred and explore the significance of each. Second, they deliver an explanation of this unique coexistence through the lens of theories of regulation. In doing so, they provide an overview of the history of the recent development of accounting regulation in Japan and offer an up-to-date response to current affairs or policy debates in Japan that have been rapidly changing.Providing a rare insight into accounting regulation in Japan, an IFRS non-application country, this concise text will be of great interest to researchers and advanced students in international accounting and accounting regulation.

This book provides insights into the hidden role of intuitive expertise in financial decision-making. The authors show and discuss how expertise combined with intuitive judgments positively affect decision-making outcomes. The book builds on the latest academic studies in this emergent field. In combination with the academic perspective, the authors provide a field study that they conducted in the context of mergers and acquisitions (M&As), a common and critical strategic investment for companies. The interviews were carried out with experts and decision-makers in large and successful international companies (i.e., M&A experts, CEOs, CFOs, and board members). The book provides a solid theoretical and empirically based grounding of the topic. In addition, it offers suggestions to practitioners on how they can develop and nurture intuitive expertise in strategic investment decision-making. The report of the field study provides examples and quotes from interviews to visualize findings, thus helping practitioners gain understanding and insights from the text. The authors also discuss the downsides of intuitive expertise, such as biases and flawed decision-making. For scholars, students, and professionals, the book offers a concise and up-to-date summary of an emergent stream of research, exploring how cognition and judgment affect financial decision-making.

In organizations, accounting produces organizational knowledge that affects decision-making and managerial action. Companies placing importance on shareholder value sometimes tend to elevate accounting to a higher truth criterion for justifying managerial actions. Yet, the nature of accounting renders it difficult to argue that accounting information necessarily produce a better basis for decision-making than arguments which are not based on accounting. This is because, as previous research has also argued, accounting counts some things but omits many others, while managers are accountable for much more than what accounting actually counts. Using a theoretical apparatus from Deleuze and Guattarí, this book illustrates that accounting-based actions such as making management decisions, maintaining organisational responsibility and hierarchical control are manifestations of the ways in which accounting is composed. This concise introduction will be invaluable for researchers and advanced students of management accounting exploring responsibility accounting and accountability.

Public sector management and accounting scholarship has witnessed enormous change over the last four decades. Several reform paradigms have become well-known and disseminated worldwide, under acronyms such as NPM – New Public Management, NPG – New Public Governance, and PV – Public Value. At the start of a new decade, questions arise as to what will come next. This book reviews and investigates the key components of NPM, NPM and PV, and discusses what lies beyond these acronyms. It analyses the claimed benefits and drawbacks of each of the three paradigms, using reviews of the pertinent literature, as well as a raft of case studies. The integration of theoretical and empirical insights contributes to a better understanding of what has changed and what has remained the same over the years. Specifically, this book stands out in its use of performance measurement and budgetary lenses to explore the multidimensional processes of reform and change in the public sector. By focusing on the crucially important transformations that have occurred in the field, reviewing several paradigms and analysing different practices from a longitudinal and comparative perspective, the book will be essential in guiding students and scholars of public management and accounting.

Public sector management and accounting scholarship has witnessed enormous change over the last four decades. Several reform paradigms have become well-known and disseminated worldwide, under acronyms such as NPM – New Public Management, NPG – New Public Governance, and PV – Public Value. At the start of a new decade, questions arise as to what will come next. This book reviews and investigates the key components of NPM, NPM and PV, and discusses what lies beyond these acronyms. It analyses the claimed benefits and drawbacks of each of the three paradigms, using reviews of the pertinent literature, as well as a raft of case studies. The integration of theoretical and empirical insights contributes to a better understanding of what has changed and what has remained the same over the years. Specifically, this book stands out in its use of performance measurement and budgetary lenses to explore the multidimensional processes of reform and change in the public sector. By focusing on the crucially important transformations that have occurred in the field, reviewing several paradigms and analysing different practices from a longitudinal and comparative perspective, the book will be essential in guiding students and scholars of public management and accounting.

Corporate governance and corporate reporting are closely linked to each other, and their respective evolutionary patterns are mutually influencing. Along with the recent expansion of company disclosure, a growing attention is being paid to corporate governance determinants and mechanisms underpinning the decision to voluntarily adopt non-financial disclosure formats, such as integrated reporting. At institutional level, several national corporate governance codes have been changed towards the recognition and inclusion of this innovative, non-financial language. In academic research, the influence of corporate governance variables vis-à-vis the choice to embrace such reporting practices has been subject to a long scrutiny. However, only a little inquiry has so far analysed the influence of corporate governance factors on integrated reporting adoption, quality, and credibility. Accordingly, the aim of the book is to investigate if, and to what extent, corporate board composition and characteristics can affect, at the same time, the decision to voluntarily adopt integrated reporting by companies as well as their financial performance. The study carries out an empirical analysis of the professional features of board members at the time of their decision to implement integrated reporting as a new form of company accountability. The work provides innovative insights into the articulated relationships between the quantitative and qualitative composition of corporate boards and the latter’s choice to uptake this advanced form of reporting to represent the wider value creation processes of their organisations.

Corporate governance and corporate reporting are closely linked to each other, and their respective evolutionary patterns are mutually influencing. Along with the recent expansion of company disclosure, a growing attention is being paid to corporate governance determinants and mechanisms underpinning the decision to voluntarily adopt non-financial disclosure formats, such as integrated reporting. At institutional level, several national corporate governance codes have been changed towards the recognition and inclusion of this innovative, non-financial language. In academic research, the influence of corporate governance variables vis-à-vis the choice to embrace such reporting practices has been subject to a long scrutiny. However, only a little inquiry has so far analysed the influence of corporate governance factors on integrated reporting adoption, quality, and credibility. Accordingly, the aim of the book is to investigate if, and to what extent, corporate board composition and characteristics can affect, at the same time, the decision to voluntarily adopt integrated reporting by companies as well as their financial performance. The study carries out an empirical analysis of the professional features of board members at the time of their decision to implement integrated reporting as a new form of company accountability. The work provides innovative insights into the articulated relationships between the quantitative and qualitative composition of corporate boards and the latter’s choice to uptake this advanced form of reporting to represent the wider value creation processes of their organisations.

Gender diversity as a corporate governance mechanism is high on the agenda for regulators, firms, and researchers. Particularly, gender board composition has received a great deal of attention in recent years. The theoretical foundations of the benefits associated with the inclusion of female directors on boards, how to measure gender diversity in the boardroom, and its real impact on board decisions and firm strategies remain hotly debated. Drawing on empirical data, this book summarises the current situation regarding gender board diversity and provides a concise overview of the most important concerns about this topic. This will be a vital tool to guide the future debate on gender diversity and corporate governance for researchers and advanced students, as well as regulators, policy makers and board members.

Little has been published on accounting standards in Japan and how they have developed. The purpose of this study is to construct a historical narrative of the interplay between accounting standards in Japan and theories of regulation.The authors demonstrate that delegation of the authority for accounting standard setting to the private sector in Japan is incomplete, and thus, the role of the public sector remains important. In the discussion about IFRS implementation in Japan, the movement in the United States, industry opinions, and ideological conflict between fair value versus historical cost play important roles. These elements combined led to the ambiguous coexistence of four sets of accounting standards in Japan. First, by using an explaining-outcome process-tracing method, the authors examine how these sets of standards occurred and explore the significance of each. Second, they deliver an explanation of this unique coexistence through the lens of theories of regulation. In doing so, they provide an overview of the history of the recent development of accounting regulation in Japan and offer an up-to-date response to current affairs or policy debates in Japan that have been rapidly changing.Providing a rare insight into accounting regulation in Japan, an IFRS non-application country, this concise text will be of great interest to researchers and advanced students in international accounting and accounting regulation.

The Future of Auditing provides a concise overview of the function of auditing and the future challenges it faces, underpinned with suggestions for future research. It evaluates the key challenges facing the profession, such as quality, competition, and governance, as well as highlighting the under-explored areas of ethics, fraud, and judgement. The emphasis throughout is on the value of audit, and the importance of auditing research.Providing an original assessment of global versus national auditing, evidence-based auditing standards, and the structure of professional firms, David Hay critically examines the value of auditing from different standpoints. He critically reviews current assumptions about the value of audits of financial statements, and explores research opportunities and priorities to improve understanding of the value of auditing and its future role and function. This authoritative but accessible guide to the future of auditing and the challenges it faces will be useful not only to auditing researchers, but also to policy makers, standard setters, financial journalists, and auditing professionals seeking an accessible overview of current and future issues in auditing.

Although the need to expand the boundaries of financial reporting has been discussed since the mid-1990s, little consideration has been given to the evolution and discourses of integrated reporting of non-financial aspects. Yet by investigating how and why an organisation defines and its reporting boundaries, it is possible to understand what is truly "valued" (or not) in its business model.This innovative book reviews the guidelines and frameworks from the major relevant international organisations including: the International Accounting Standards Board, Global Reporting Initiative, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, International Integrated Reporting Council, Carbon Disclosure Standards Board, and the World Intellectual Capital Initiative, and analyses their development and impact on the boundaries of financial and non-financial reporting. Illustrated with case studies and interviews with representatives of these organisations, this concise volume makes a significant contribution to the future of reporting theory and practice. It will be of great interest to advanced students, researchers, practitioners and policy makers.

This book provides insights into the hidden role of intuitive expertise in financial decision-making. The authors show and discuss how expertise combined with intuitive judgments positively affect decision-making outcomes. The book builds on the latest academic studies in this emergent field. In combination with the academic perspective, the authors provide a field study that they conducted in the context of mergers and acquisitions (M&As), a common and critical strategic investment for companies. The interviews were carried out with experts and decision-makers in large and successful international companies (i.e., M&A experts, CEOs, CFOs, and board members). The book provides a solid theoretical and empirically based grounding of the topic. In addition, it offers suggestions to practitioners on how they can develop and nurture intuitive expertise in strategic investment decision-making. The report of the field study provides examples and quotes from interviews to visualize findings, thus helping practitioners gain understanding and insights from the text. The authors also discuss the downsides of intuitive expertise, such as biases and flawed decision-making. For scholars, students, and professionals, the book offers a concise and up-to-date summary of an emergent stream of research, exploring how cognition and judgment affect financial decision-making.

The Future of Auditing provides a concise overview of the function of auditing and the future challenges it faces, underpinned with suggestions for future research. It evaluates the key challenges facing the profession, such as quality, competition, and governance, as well as highlighting the under-explored areas of ethics, fraud, and judgement. The emphasis throughout is on the value of audit, and the importance of auditing research.Providing an original assessment of global versus national auditing, evidence-based auditing standards, and the structure of professional firms, David Hay critically examines the value of auditing from different standpoints. He critically reviews current assumptions about the value of audits of financial statements, and explores research opportunities and priorities to improve understanding of the value of auditing and its future role and function. This authoritative but accessible guide to the future of auditing and the challenges it faces will be useful not only to auditing researchers, but also to policy makers, standard setters, financial journalists, and auditing professionals seeking an accessible overview of current and future issues in auditing.