scholarly journals The Role of Deductive and Inductive Reasoning in Accounting Research and Standard Setting

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasan Zalaghi ◽  
Mahdi Khazaei
Keyword(s):  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Inductive Reasoning ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Standard Setting ◽  
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ◽  
Accounting Research ◽  
Accounting Theory ◽  
The Impact

<p>Accounting has been offered as an academic discipline in universities and higher education institutions for more than a century. For the first time in history, the American Institute of Accountants (AIA) puts forth efforts to compile the generally accepted accounting principles back in 1939. Since then, we have witnessed more efforts in setting accounting standards along with an expansion of the accounting theory and academic research studies. All of the mentioned efforts are signs of the fact that accounting is going through a change, from a profession into a field of science. However, one cannot claim accounting as a scientific field without justification, reasoning, and argumentation. Thereby, in this article while studying the deductive and inductive reasoning, we will elaborate their role in developing the accounting theory, setting the accounting standards, and accounting research. What has been expected from the accounting theory is to enable the standard setting authorities to deduce standards. Considering the impact of accounting theory on standard setting, the main aim of this study is to explore the role of deductive and inductive reasoning in the development of accounting theory and setting accounting standards. Furthermore, regarding the fact that accounting research is the joint connection between accounting theory and standards, the role of these reasoning approaches on the integrity of this connection is studied. This non-empirical research is based on reviewing of the existing literature.</p>

Accounting for Liabilities: Conceptual Issues, Standard Setting, and Evidence from Academic Research

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine A. Botosan ◽  
Lisa Koonce ◽  
Stephen G. Ryan ◽  
Mary S. Stone ◽  
James M. Wahlen
Keyword(s):  
Research Evidence ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Standard Setting ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Accounting Research ◽  
Empirical Accounting Research

In this paper, we summarize conceptual issues that arise in the definition, recognition, derecognition, classification, and measurement of liabilities. We also highlight problems in existing accounting standards for liabilities and identify opportunities to refine those standards. Where relevant, we describe evidence from empirical accounting research involving liabilities and identify opportunities for future research. Our objective is to highlight the inconsistencies and controversies surrounding existing accounting standards for liabilities, and to describe the research evidence that provides insights into accounting for liabilities. A better understanding of the current problems in accounting for liabilities and the related research evidence should help standard setters and their constituents in their attempts to improve GAAP, and should stimulate future academic research to shed new light on accounting for liabilities.

Articulating accounting principles

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian A. Rutherford
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Standard Setting ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Accounting Standard ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Research ◽  
Accounting Principles ◽  
Accounting Theory ◽  
Social Scientific ◽  
Accounting Standard Setting

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a soundly based epistemological underpinning for the kind of theorisation in which many classical financial accounting researchers engaged and thus to support a renewal of this programme. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on pragmatist philosophy and, in particular, on Jules Coleman’s theory of “explanation by embodiment”. The applicability of this theory to the world of financial reporting is discussed. Various theorists and schools within classical accounting theory are examined from the perspective of Coleman’s ideas, focusing particularly on A.C. Littleton’s Structure of Accounting Theory. Findings – The paper finds that classical accounting research works such as Structure of Accounting Theory can be interpreted as the search for Colemanian explanation by embodiment and that this provides them with a soundly based pragmatist underpinning for their theorisation. Research limitations/implications – This paper supports the resumption by academics, qua academics, of work to contribute to accounting standard-setting by offering argumentation that addresses accounting principles and methods directly, rather than only via the social scientific investigation of behaviour in the accounting arena. Practical implications – Such a resumption would contribute positively to future standard-setting. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the defence of classical financial accounting research from the charge of lacking theoretical rigour.

The Role of Data Analytics and Machine Learning in Resurrecting Inductive-Based Accounting Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Lawrence A. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Accounting Research ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Important Trend ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Way

The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of data analytics (DA) and machine learning (ML) on accounting research.[1] As discussed in the paper, the inherent inductive nature of DA and ML is creating an important trend in the way accounting research is being conducted. That trend is the increasing utilization of inductive-based research among accounting researchers. Indeed, as a result of the recent developments with DA and ML, a rebalancing is taking place between inductive-based and deductive-based research in accounting.[2] In essence, we are witnessing the resurrection of inductive-based accounting research. A brief review of some empirical evidence to support the above argument is also provided in the paper.   

Play It Like Beckham!

2017 ◽  
pp. 43-61
Author(s):  
Sylvaine Castellano ◽  
Insaf Khelladi
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
The Impact

New opportunities and challenges are emerging thanks to the growing Internet importance and social media usage. Although practitioners have already recognized the strategic dimension of e-reputation and the power of social media, academic research is still in its infancy when it comes to e-reputation determinants in a social networks context. A study was conducted in the sports setting to explore the impact of social networks on the sportspeople's e-reputation. Whereas the study emphasized (1) the influence of social networks' perception on the sportspeople's e-reputation, and the neutral roles of (2) the motives for following sportspeople online, and (3) the negative content on the Internet, additional insights are formulated on maintaining, restoring and managing e-reputation on social networks. Finally, future research directions are suggested on the role of image to control e-reputation.

scholarly journals What counts for quality in interdisciplinary accounting research in the next decade

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Guthrie ◽  
Lee D. Parker ◽  
John Dumay ◽  
Markus J. Milne
Keyword(s):  
Core Values ◽  
Research Quality ◽  
Journal Ranking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Research ◽  
The Core ◽  
Citation Metrics ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the focus and changing nature of measuring academic accounting research quality. The paper addresses contemporary changes in academic publishing, metrics for determining research quality and the possible impacts on accounting scholars. These are considered in relation to the core values of interdisciplinary accounting research ‒ that is, the pursuit of novel, rigorous, significant and authentic research motivated by a passion for scholarship, curiosity and solving wicked problems. The impact of changing journal rankings and research citation metrics on the traditional and highly valued role of the accounting academic is further considered. In this setting, the paper also provides a summary of the journal’s activities for 2018, and in the future. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on contemporary data sets, the paper illustrates the increasingly diverse and confusing array of “evidence” brought to bear on the question of the relative quality of accounting research. Commercial products used to rate and rank journals, and judge the academic impact of individual scholars and their papers not only offer insight and visibility, but also have the potential to misinform scholars and their assessors. Findings In the move from simple journal ranking lists to big data and citations, and increasingly to concerns with impact and engagement, the authors identify several challenges facing academics and administrators alike. The individual academic and his or her contribution to scholarship are increasingly marginalised in the name of discipline, faculty and institutional performance. A growing university performance management culture within, for example, the UK and Australasia, has reached a stage in the past decade where publication and citation metrics are driving allocations of travel grants, research grants, promotions and appointments. With an expanded range of available metrics and products to judge their worth, or have it judged for them, scholars need to be increasingly informed of the nuanced or not-so-nuanced uses to which these measurement systems will be put. Narrow, restricted and opaque peer-based sources such as journal ranking lists are now being challenged by more transparent citation-based sources. Practical implications The issues addressed in this commentary offer a critical understanding of contemporary metrics and measurement in determining the quality of interdisciplinary accounting research. Scholars are urged to reflect upon the challenges they face in a rapidly moving context. Individuals are increasingly under pressure to seek out preferred publication outlets, developing and curating a personal citation profile. Yet such extrinsic outcomes may come at the cost of the core values that motivate the interdisciplinary scholar and research. Originality/value This paper provides a forward-looking focus on the critical role of academics in interdisciplinary accounting research.

On theoretical engorgement and the myth of fair value accounting in China: a reply

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Bewley ◽  
Cameron Graham ◽  
Songlan Peng
Keyword(s):  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Movement Analysis ◽  
Fair Value ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Fair Value Accounting ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Research

PurposeThis article is a reply to “On theoretical engorgement and the myth of fair value accounting in China” Nobes (2019) from the authors of “Adaptability to fair value accounting in an emerging economy: A case study of China's IRFS convergence” (Peng and Bewley, 2010) and “The Winding Road to Fair Value Accounting in China: A Social Movement Analysis” (Bewley et al., 2018).Design/methodology/approachThis article engages directly with the arguments of the criticism.FindingsThis article argues that the author of the commentary misunderstands the purpose, content and findings of both papers. By providing only a narrowly focused technical analysis of the new Chinese accounting standards, the author fails to see that their qualitative research approach reveals important, complex social and political factors at play in China's attempts to adopt modern international accounting principles. The commentary expresses a view that accounting is a neutral technology that needs only to be clearly defined and enumerated to be correctly implemented, whereas this research takes a much broader and deeper perspective. The authors seek to understand how China was able to successfully adopt fair value accounting standards in 2006, whereas an earlier attempt to introduce fair value in 1998 had led to abuse of fair value measurements and the eventual repeal of fair value regulations in 2001.Practical implicationsThis article helps clarify the purpose of qualitative accounting research, the role of theory in such research and the usefulness of theory in describing and explaining empirical case facts related to changes in accounting standards, particularly in an international context.Originality/valueThis article contributes to a better appreciation of qualitative accounting research.

scholarly journals Key determinants of organisational silence for non-standard workers

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1522-1538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willam Joseph Pirie
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Limited Liability ◽  
Future Contract ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Start Up ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the key determinants of organisational silence from the perspective of non-standard workers (NSWs). The study focuses on three research themes: first, analysing the experiences motivating NSWs to remain silent; second, analysing the role of the NSW life cycle in the motivation to remain silent, the final theme is evaluation of the impact on organisational voice of an organisation employing a workforce in which NSWs and standard workers (SWs) are blended. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilises a phenomenological approach, as defined by Van Manen (2007), to collect and analyse the phenomenon of organisational silence from the perspective of NSWs. The NSWs are defined as individuals operating via Limited Liability UK registered companies created for the purpose of delivering services to organisations via a contract of services. This study employed a combination of phenomenology and hermeneutics to collect and analyse the data collected from the NSWs using semi-structured interviews (Lindseth and Norberg, 2004). Findings – The study concludes with three core findings. NSWs experience similar motivational factors to silence as experienced by standard workers (SWs). The key differential between a SW and a NSW is the role of defensive silence as a dominant motivator for a start-up NSW. The study identified that the reasons for this is that new NSWs are defensive to protect their reputation for any future contract opportunities. In addition, organisations are utilising the low confidence of new start up NSWs to suppress the ability of NSWs to voice. The research indicates how experienced NSWs use the marketing stage of their life cycle to establish voice mechanisms. The study identified that NSWs, fulfiling management and supervisory roles for organisations, are supporting/creating climates of silence through their transfer of experiences as SWs prior to becoming NSWs. Research limitations/implications – This study is a pilot study, and the findings from this study will be carried forward into a larger scale study through engagement with further participants across a diverse range of sectors. This study has identified that there is a need for further studies on organisational silence and NSWs to analyse more fully the impact of silence on the individuals and the organisation itself. A qualitative phenomenological hermeneutical study is not intended to be extrapolated to provide broad trends. The focus of the phenomenological hermeneutic research methodology is on describing and analysing the richness and depth of the NSW’s experiences of silence in organisational settings. Originality/value – This paper draws together the studies of worker classification, motivators for organisational silence, and the impact of blending SWs and NSWs in an organisational setting. The study demonstrates that academic research to date has focused predominantly on SWs to the exclusion of the 1.5 million, and growing, NSWs in the UK. This study examines these under-represented workers to analyse the participants’ experiences of organisational silence, and its consequences in organisational settings, demonstrating a need for further studies.

scholarly journals Corporate Revenue Miscalculations & The Impact On Stakeholders

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Karen T. Cascini ◽  
Alan DelFavero ◽  
Ryan Bezner
Keyword(s):  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Multinational Firms ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Shareholder Wealth ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Accounting Systems ◽  
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ◽  
Earnings Restatements ◽  
The Impact

Corporate earnings restatements are regarded as one of the most significant issues in accounting today. While there are various factors that can influence profitability, revenue is the key contributor to a business net income. During the 2000s, a multitude of domestic and multinational corporations faced significant issues with their revenue recognition practices. Although the investing public might regard any revenue restatement as laden with possible fraud, this is not always the case. Multinational firms face dual accounting systems, such as U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Currently, similarities and differences between the accounting systems exist. However, key differences between GAAP and IFRS may cease to exist in upcoming years due to the Financial Accounting Standards Boards (FASBs) and the International Accounting Standards Boards (IASBs) joint effort to converge the two systems. Throughout this paper, examples of revenue miscalculations will be presented as well any penalties levied by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission against implicated corporations. Accordingly, the impact that revenue blunders have on shareholder wealth will be examined. Finally, the authors will present recommendations for mitigating revenue errors in the future.

scholarly journals FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING METHODOLOGY AND DEFINITION OF ASSET: AUSTRALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-91
Author(s):  
Mark BALTABEKOV ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Standard Setting ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Precise Definition ◽  
International Accounting ◽  
Accounting System ◽  
International Accounting Standards ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
International Accounting Standards Board

This article analyses the role of the asset in economic performance of a business and why it is important to work out a precise definition of the asset for managerial and financial analysis purposes. A short overview of Australian accounting system including both institutional and regulatory aspects has been made by the author as well as the normative nature of related regulations is examined. The research provides insights what conditions required for the asset to be in existence and analyses these insights in the light of both scholars’ opinions and accounting regulations as well. Furthermore, the research looks at the conceptual framework drafts to see how the conditions mentioned above are developed in related papers and shows the process of evolution of definition of the asset under the standard-setting activity of Australian Accounting Standards Board and International Accounting Standards Board and how this activity makes effect on contemporary views in regard to definition of the asset. This article also involves discovering what problems in theory of accounting and practice can arise if existing definition will not be corrected and strongly criticizes the concept of identity between asset and economic benefits which is promoted by some accounting researches in their works. The author suggests in his article that asset and economic benefits are totally different economic phenomena and provides a clear idea what conceptual economic views are taken into consideration by Australian and international experts to elaborate a precise definition of the asset. This research also examines the main characteristics of the proposed definition promoted by international accounting experts and some possible impacts of implementation of this definition on accounting practice are considered. The role of International Accounting Standards Board and its influence on Australian standard-setting bodies’ activity are also researched in the article.

The FASB’s Approach Toward Reviewing, Conducting and Sponsoring A cademic Research and to Engaging Academics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen A. Zeff
Keyword(s):  
Academic Research ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Standard Setting ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Financial Accounting Standards Board ◽  
Historical Account ◽  
Setting Process

This is a historical account of the various approaches which the Financial Accounting Standards Board has used since 1973 in making use of academic research and in bringing academics into the standard-setting process.

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