scholarly journals Takāful Risk Fund and Surplus Management: Analytics for Social Equity?

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 401-421
Author(s):  
Syed Musa Alhabshi

An important and significant feature of Takāful Model is the proper administration and effective management of risk fund and the takāful surplus distribution. Unlike conventional insurance where all premiums paid are exchanged in consideration for underwriting risk pool assumed by the insurance company in the form of risk transfer, Takāful contribution is based on the principle of mutual trust, mutual risk pooling, and mutual benefit based on (ta’aun) cooperation and the social contract of tabarru’. The tabarru’ contribution to the risk fund exemplifies the social nature of the risk fund. Technically the nature of this mutual risk fund is based on social contribution intended to indemnify the participants as policyholders against peril arising from hazard. However, the issue of both moral and morale hazard may also arise due to the lack of policy and strategy in terms of governance and transparency of the risk fund. This article attempts to critically review the current takāful surplus management of selected takāful operator’s model based on Shariah principles, rulings, and requirements; and the regulatory guidelines and policy documents. It will highlight the issue(s) of social equity among the shareholders, takāful operators, and policyholders and present the analytics of takāful surplus based on the different takāful operating models as specified by the Takāful Operating Framework. It will also examine the consequences of takāful surplus management reporting practices and the implications of the adoption of relevant international financial reporting standards. Finally, this article will attempt to articulate the analytics for social equity in Takāful.

Author(s):  
Margarita Naslednikova ◽  
Alexandr Zamalov

The article discusses methods for calculating the loss ratio of insurance companies, including compulsory medical insurance, which is the basis for building a health system; su’ciency of formed reserves, which are created in connection with the possibility of losses. Variants of interpretation of calculated indicators into a qualitative characteristic of the insurance company. A comparative analysis of the calculation of indicators of loss-making of insurance companies and the adequacy of the formation of reserves of insurance companies according to Russian accounting standards and in accordance with the requirements of international financial reporting standards.


Author(s):  
Colin Haslam

AbstractShyam Sunder’s monograph ‘Rethinking Financial Reporting: Standards, Norms and Institutions’ explores the extent to which it is possible to deliver ‘better financial reporting’ so as to support investment decision making and valuation. In this review paper it is argued that a more fundamental and radical challenge is required in a world where financial reporting is politically and socially constructed. The institutions governing financial reporting have pursued a project that has been complicit in undermining the social license granted by limited liability. The priority is to explore how financial reporting might contribute to securing the social license granted by limited liability.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1570
Author(s):  
Monica Ramos Montesdeoca ◽  
Agustín Sánchez Medina ◽  
Felix Blázquez Santana

Companies play a role in society that clearly goes beyond mere economic interest. Their contribution to social development and to the sustainability of the territory where they are located seems unquestionable. However, after the great financial scandals of companies such as ENRON, WorldCom or AHOLD, interest groups require accurate and transparent financial information. The development of more demanding financial reporting standards seems, however, not to have been up to scratch, since accounting fraud continues to be detected all over the world. The search, therefore, for possible causes that may induce companies to act unethically was the main motivation behind this research. To do this, a review of the literature in high-impact journals that has dealt with accounting fraud, covering the main lines of research, was carried out. The findings of the literature review highlight the importance of responsible corporate governance and good accounting practices, as well as the importance of certain psychological characteristics of managers and employees as enhancers of the lack of ethics. It is clear that the social cost of accounting fraud should be minimized, and governments should develop specific policies that combine responsible corporate governance in companies with the sustainability of their environment.


2020 ◽  
pp. 0258042X2096300
Author(s):  
Rajat Deb ◽  
Pallad Debnath ◽  
Ananda Mohan Pal

This article assesses the expectation gap of the practitioners and investors, if any, on the selected four parameters regarding India’s corporate reporting practices and in a curtail period of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) convergence transition. Related literature has validated the primary goal of the International Accounting Standard Board to reduce accounting treatment heterogeneity and to reduce information asymmetry by harmonizing the national GAAP into IFRS through adoptions or convergences. India, for multiple reasons, has preferred the convergence route, and the converged versions of IFRS (Ind-AS) have been implemented during the financial year from 2016 to 2017 for the selected industries. For executing the study, it has framed a self-administered questionnaire for conducting an online survey between the two groups of sample respondents chosen through non-probability sampling methods. The questionnaire has been pretested for assaying its reliability and validity before the final survey. The study has concluded that before the outsets of the convergence expectation gap were existed which unlikely to reduce even after the IFRS convergence. Finally, it has acknowledged few limitations, indicated practical implications and sketched the future research road map. JEL codes: C83, M41


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liz Rainsbury ◽  
Carol Hart ◽  
Nonthipoth Buranavityawut

Purpose – This paper aims to examine motivations for the reporting of generally accepted accounting practice (GAAP)-adjusted earnings by New Zealand companies. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses multivariate analysis of data from New Zealand company annual reports for the period from 2004 to 2012. Findings – Evidence suggests that management of some New Zealand firms are motivated to use GAAP-adjusted earnings to provide a more favourable impression of earnings. However, across firms, these adjusted earnings provide a better predictor of future earnings and provide more value-relevant information to the market than GAAP earnings. Thus, a desire to disclose a more accurate indicator of permanent earnings appears to be a strong factor in the reporting of GAAP-adjusted earnings. Research limitations/implications – The study uses firms listed on the New Zealand share market. The number of firms examined is small, but we compensate by studying the entire population, thus avoiding sampling issues. The results suggest that New Zealand’s regulatory response of recommending guidelines for reporting alternative earnings measures is appropriate. Originality/value – The study contributes to the literature on the relationship between reporting statutory earnings and non-GAAP earnings. It uses a period that includes three major events in the New Zealand economy and reporting environment: the adoption of international financial reporting standards, a change in tax law and the global financial crisis. Recognition of these events allows us to better interpret the GAAP-adjusted reporting practices taken by managers.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 268-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albertus Louw ◽  
Warren Maroun

Purpose Independent monitoring and review bodies have become a defining feature of the professional accounting and auditing space. Exactly how these institutions function to improve the quality of the corporate reporting or audit function is, however, poorly understood. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to provide empirical evidence on how the activities of an independent review process functions on individual preparers, auditors and those charged with an organisation’s governance. Design/methodology/approach The study is an interpretive one. Data are collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed by the researchers. Findings The review function performed by an independent body results in companies being more aware of the need for compliance with the applicable financial reporting standards. Independent reviews also act as a process of examination which functions at the level of the individual accountant, auditor or director. These subjects of regulation report an added sense of accountability to their respective employer and profession and a heightened awareness of the need for high-quality corporate reporting. Research limitations/implications Independent monitoring and review bodies are not just symbolic displays which reassure uninformed users that the quality of financial statements are sound. Examination of financial statements and identification of non-compliance with the applicable financial reporting standards drive actual changes in reporting practices. Originality/value This study complements the predominantly positivist financial reporting research which does not deal with precisely how the work of regulatory bodies operates on the subjects of regulation. The research makes an important practical contribution by providing empirical evidence in support of laws and regulations which promote independent review of the accounting profession.


2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 396-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marthinus Cornelius Gerber ◽  
Aurona Jacoba Gerber ◽  
Alta Van der Merwe

The interpretation of financial data obtained from the accounting process for reporting purposes is regulated by financial accounting standards (FAS). The history and mechanisms used for the development of ʻThe Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting’ (the Conceptual Framework) as well as the financial accounting standards resulted in impressive volumes of material that guides modern financial reporting practices, but unfortunately, as is often the case with textual manuscripts, it contains descriptions that are vague, inconsistent or ambiguous. As part of the on-going initiatives to improve International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) promotes the development of principle-based IFRS, which aim to address the problems of vagueness, inconsistency and ambiguity. This paper reports on the findings of a design science research (DSR) project that, as artefact, developed a first version ontology-based formal language representing the definitions of asset, liability and equity (the fundamental elements of the statement of financial position as defined in the Conceptual Framework) through the application of knowledge representation (ontology) techniques as used within computing. We suggest that this artefact may assist with addressing vagueness, inconsistencies and ambiguities within the definitions of the Conceptual Framework. Based on our findings, we include suggestions for the further development of a formal language and approach to assist the formulation of the Conceptual Framework. The project focuses on the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting after the incorporation of Phase A in the convergence project between the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and IASB.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zainabu Tumwebaze ◽  
Juma Bananuka ◽  
Kassim Alinda ◽  
Kalembe Dorcus

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: to test whether intellectual capital mediates the relationship between board of directors’ effectiveness and adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and to examine the contribution of the specific elements of intellectual capital and board of directors’ effectiveness to adoption of IFRS. Design/methodology/approach This study is cross-sectional. Usable questionnaires were received from 67 microfinance institutions (MFIs) that are members of the Association of MFIs of Uganda. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences and MedGraph program (Excel version). Findings Results indicate that intellectual capital mediates the relationship between board of directors’ effectiveness and adoption of IFRS. Results further indicate that board independence and board meetings contribute significantly to the adoption of IFRS unlike board size and board committees. Results also indicate that in the intellectual capital elements, only structural capital and human capital significantly contribute to the adoption of IFRS unlike relational capital. Originality/value This study provides more insights on our understanding of the relationship between intellectual capital, board of directors’ effectiveness and adoption of IFRS. Specifically, it provides first time evidence of the mediation effect of intellectual capital in the relationship between board of directors’ effectiveness and adoption of IFRS using evidence from an African developing country – Uganda. Further, this paper adds to existing literature on corporate governance and reporting practices, as it provides more insights on the contribution of specific elements of board of directors’ effectiveness and intellectual capital to adoption of IFRS.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rutsel S.J. Martha ◽  
Sarah Dadush

This piece analyzes the institutional challenges and tensions generated by applying the privately produced International Financial Reporting Standards to the financial reporting practices of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), an inter-governmental organization, and specialized agency of the United Nations. The authors question whether the application of the Standards is carried out in the interest of the organization or whether it is rather a product of pressure, both external and internal, to adopt rules that reflect a particular understanding of what constitutes ‘best practice’. The authors draw attention to the fact that best practices often become benchmarks for a wide range of institutions, notwithstanding fundamental institutional differences. They argue that the adoption of externally generated rules must be pursued in a systematically cautious, coordinated, and critical manner in order to avoid producing practices that run against the very grain of a public institution’s constitution and mandate. They also argue that robust governance structures are necessary to avoid institutional digressions.


2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-372
Author(s):  
Robert Edelstein ◽  
◽  
Steve Fortin ◽  
Desmond Tsang ◽  
◽  
...  

The adoption of the new International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), by allowing the option of fair value accounting for real estate investment properties, has dramatically altered the landscape of financial reporting for real estate firms worldwide. In this exploratory study, by examining the financial statements and disclosures of 45 international real estate firms, we demonstrate that the implementation of IFRS has affected financial reporting practices in the real estate industry. We find that under the IFRS, companies place emphasis on market asset valuations, vis-a-vis alternative metrics for current performance. We also find that most real estate firms in our sample choose to report fair values for investment properties in their financial statements rather than the notes to the financial statements. Finally, there is a wide variation in firm disclosures with regards to the determinants of fair market values.


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