scholarly journals Non-financial reporting in the public sector: alternatives, trends and opportunities

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente Montesinos ◽  
Isabel Brusca
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information Models ◽  
Private And Public

In recent years, different non-financial information models have arisen, both in the private  and  public sectors, trying to complete the traditional financial reports prepared by companies and public administrations. The fundamental objective of these models has been to satisfy the interest of the stakeholders, which goes beyond the numbers included in the balance sheet and the income statement. In the case of the public sector, this is coupled with the discontent and distrust of citizens towards politicians and administrators of institutions, which makes it necessary to emphasize tools and strategies that can improve the transparency and accountability of administrations and restore citizen trust. Therefore, this article highlights the different non-financial information alternatives that have emerged in the literature, their practical application in the public sector and the opportunities that these models offer for the future. Specifically, we refer to sustainability reporting, integrated reporting, the non-financial report recently regulated for the business sector and, finally, popular reporting. En los últimos años han irrumpido con fuerza distintos modelos de información no financiera, tanto en el sector privado como en el público, tratando de completar el tradicional informe financiero preparado por empresas y administraciones públicas. El objetivo fundamental de estos modelos ha sido satisfacer el interés del conjunto amplio de los stakeholders, que va más allá de los números recogidos en el balance de situación y la cuenta de resultados. En el caso del sector público, a esto se une el descontento generalizado y la desconfianza de los ciudadanos hacia los políticos y administradores de las instituciones, lo que hace necesario poner el acento en todas aquellas herramientas y estrategias que puedan perfeccionar la transparencia y responsabilidad de las administraciones y reintegrar la confianza de sus administrados. Por ello, en este artículo se ponen de relieve las distintas alternativas de información no financiera que han ido surgiendo en la literatura, su aplicación práctica en el ámbito del sector público y las oportunidades que estos modelos ofrecen para el futuro. En concreto nos referimos a la información sostenible, la información integrada, la información popular y por último, al informe no financiero regulado en nuestra normativa para el sector empresarial.

scholarly journals Sustainability, Popular and Integrated Reporting in the Public Sector: A Fad and Fashion Perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Biondi ◽  
Enrico Bracci
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Public Accountability ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
The Public ◽  
Italian Context

This paper provides a comparative analysis of different public accountability means used in the public sector - namely sustainability reporting, popular financial reporting and integrated reporting - in order to highlight their similarities and differences, and reflect on their development, with specific reference to the Italian context. In particular, we speculate about the practical and research implications of their emergence, through the lenses of accountability and managerial fad and fashion literature. The main novelty of the paper is that it is one of the first studies providing a comparative analysis of the three reporting tools debated both in practice and in research. We argue about their diffusion patterns, the commonalities and differences, which suggests different stages of evolution, different actors and forces at play. We provide some preliminary evidence on the risk that accountability innovations may end up just in a fad and fashion uptake, creating inefficiencies and not achieving the aims they are intended for. We also show how the available frameworks and standards have more in common than not, and that there is a risk of creating only new labels, without real innovation or improvement of public accountability.

Governmental financial transparency in MERCOSUR member countries

2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Caba Pérez ◽  
Antonio Manuel López-Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Unified Framework ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
The Public ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Measurement Basis ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Support Decision Making

In the last century, the MERCOSUR member countries have carried out reforms aimed at achieving better public financial information for governmental decision-taking. Important changes are currently taking place on the international public accounting scene, and the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has published International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), by which it seeks to ensure that governmental financial reports include financial information of sufficient quality to support decision-making by different users, and at the same time to improve the comparability of the financial information presented by public sector bodies throughout the world. In this article, we examine the consistency of the information included by MERCOSUR member countries in their current year-end governmental public financial reports with the public financial reporting practices recommended by IFAC, in order to determine whether further efforts are needed to improve transparency and comparability. Points for practitioners The article may help government practitioners in MERCOSUR countries to become aware of the divergences which exist regarding the governmental financial information offered by each of the countries in MERCOSUR. Moreover, it could help to set up a common project of account reform which would take IPSAS as its model. This unified framework for accounting policies would increase the coherence of financial information and would establish a common measurement basis to assess the financial results of all of the MERCOSUR countries.

Beyond Financial Reporting. Integrated Reporting and its determinants: Evidence from the context of European state-owned enterprises

2019 ◽  
pp. 43-72
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Nicolò ◽  
Gianluca Zanellato ◽  
Francesca Manes-Rossi ◽  
Adriana Tiron-Tudor
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
International Accounting Standards ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
The Public ◽  
Explanatory Factors ◽  
Board Gender Diversity

Integrated reporting (IR), which aims to overcome the limitations of both tradi-tional financial and stand-alone non-financial reports, has gained momentum as a single comprehensive tool merging financial and non-financial information. Initially conceived for private sector entities, IR is also establishing itself in the public sector context as a vehicle for transparency and accountability. This research offers an empirical investigation of IR practices in the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) context. More specifically, the paper investigates the levels of disclosure provided through IR by a sample of 34 European SOEs and explores the effects of potential explanatory factors. The results indicate a fair level of IR disclosure and a trend of reporting information already requested under international accounting standards. The findings also highlight that industry (basic materials and financials) and size positively influence the level of IR disclosure in a particularly strong way, while governance features (board size and board gender diversity) and the provision of external assurance do not exert any impact.

It is not always bad news

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 1319-1348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary-Anne McNally ◽  
Warren Maroun
Keyword(s):  
Impression Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Accounting System ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Reporting

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to challenge the notion that non-financial reporting is mainly about impression management or is only a superficial response to the hegemonic challenges posed by the sustainability movement. It focuses on the most recent development in sustainability reporting (integrated reporting) as an example of how accounting for financial and non-financial information has the potential to expand the scope of accounting systems, promote meaningful changes to reporting processes and provide a broader perspective on value creation. Design/methodology/approach The research focuses on an African eco-tourism company which has its head office in South Africa. A case study method is used to highlight differences in the presentation of an integrated business model according to the case entity’s integrated reports and how individual preparers interpret the requirement to prepare those reports. Data are collected using detailed interviews with all staff members involved in the preparation process. These are complemented by a review of the minutes of the company’s sustainability workshops and integrated reports. Findings A decision by the case organisation to prepare an integrated report gives rise to different forms of resistance which limits the change potential of the integrated reporting initiative. Resistance does not, however, preclude reform. Even when individual preparers are critical of the changes to the corporate reporting environment, accounting for financial and non-financial information expands the scope of the conventional accounting system which facilitates broader management control and promotes a more integrated conception of “value”. Research limitations/implications Integrated reporting should not be dismissed as only an exercise in corporate reporting and disclosure; it has a transformative potential which, given time, can enable new ways of managing business processes and articulating value creation. Originality/value This study answers the calls for primary evidence on how the requirement or recommendation to prepare an integrated report is being interpreted and applied by individual preparers. The findings add to the limited body of interpretive research on the change potential of new reporting frameworks. In doing so, the research provides theoretical support for developing arguments which challenge the conventional position that integrated reporting is little more than an exercise in impression management.

The potential of integrated reporting to enhance sustainability reporting in the public sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 365-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Montecalvo ◽  
Federica Farneti ◽  
Charl de Villiers
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
The Public

scholarly journals Challenges with the financial reporting of biological assets by public entities in South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deon Scott ◽  
Christa Wingard ◽  
Marilene Van Biljon
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Fair Value ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Accounting Standard ◽  
The Public ◽  
Growth Initiative

Fair value accounting of biological assets in the public sector was introduced with the adoption of the public-sector-specific accounting standard: Generally Recognised Accounting Practice (GRAP) 101. The public sector currently reports on various bases of accounting. Public entities and municipalities report in terms of accrual accounting, and government departments report on the modified cash basis. The lack of a uniform basis of accounting impedes the comparability of financial information. The implementation of GRAP 101 in the public sector is important in facilitating comparability of financial information regarding biological assets. This paper is based on a content analysis of the annual reports of 10 relevant public entities in South Africa and specifically details the challenges that public entities encounter with the application of GRAP 101. These challenges, and how they were addressed by a public entity that adopted and applied GRAP 101, namely the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative South Africa – Eastern Cape (AsgiSA-EC), are documented in this research.

scholarly journals Integrated Reporting and European State-Owned Enterprises: A Disclosure Analysis Pre and Post 2014/95/EU

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Nicolò ◽  
Gianluca Zanellato ◽  
Adriana Tiron-Tudor
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
Social Environmental

The European Directive 2014/95/EU regulating the disclosure of non-financial information for public interest organisations is enjoying its first years since entering into force in 2017. The emerging of social, environmental and sustainability issues in combination with the New Public Management (NPM) reforms, led public sector entities to huge demands of accountability. Long time before the European Union Directive (EUD) on non-financial information, public sector entities were pushed to demonstrate to a broad range of stakeholders how public resources are used. Accordingly, the stakeholders’ increasing demand for social and environmental information has encouraged the adoption of different types of reports by organisations, such as the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, Sustainability Reporting (SR) and the Integrated Report (IR).In the context of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), the disclosure of non-financial information gains a pivotal relevance as these type of organisations face a more comprehensive range of stakeholders than private organisations. In this vein, the present paper aims to investigate whether the mandatory disclosure directive increased the level of information provided by SOEs issuing an IR between the years 2016 and 2017 in order to demonstrate whether a mandatory regulation leads to higher disclosure.

How might harmonization influence the future prevalence of public sector creative accounting?

Tékhne ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron Hodges
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Broad Context ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
The Public ◽  
Policy Effects ◽  
National Accounting ◽  
Creative Accounting

Abstract This paper considers the significance of future harmonization on public sector creative forms of accounting (PSCA) in the context of both national accounting and government financial reporting. The analysis is carried out through a review of studies provided in the academic and official literatures. Examples are provided of PSCA in a ‘broad’ context of any manipulation of financial information and in a ‘focused’ context, referring to the reporting of deficit / surplus and associated levels of debt. The analysis is related to the influence of harmonization using the classification of information-manipulating behaviour drawn from Birnberg, Turopolec, and Young (1983). There is potential for accounting harmonization to improve the analysability of data to restrict PSCA. However, although many techniques of PSCA have been identified, the drivers and controllers of PSCA remain unclear. Accounting researchers should use their specialist understanding to draw out the differences between apparently consistent frameworks of accounting and to understand the policy effects and social implications of harmonization and related creative forms of accounting. There are relatively few studies of PSCA. This paper represents the first study that seeks to relate PSCA to the increasing tendency towards harmonisation of accounting in the public sector context. An agenda is included to guide researchers towards issues that are worthy of further consideration in this important area of study.

Determinants of Financial Reporting Quality in the Public Sector: Evidence from Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (03) ◽  
pp. 1950009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fuad Rakhman ◽  
Singgih Wijayana
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Audit Opinion ◽  
The Public ◽  
Quality Literature

Most studies addressing the issue of financial reporting quality (FRQ) focus on corporations. This study investigates the determinants of FRQ in the public sector. We use the type of audit opinion as a proxy for reporting quality, with an unqualified opinion representing the best reporting quality while a disclaimer of opinion represents the worst quality. Using manually collected data from 3018 financial reports of local governments in Indonesia from 2008 to 2014, we find that a high proportion of capital expenditures in the total budget is associated with low FRQ. Further, we find that larger and wealthier local governments are associated with higher FRQ. Finally, we find that local governments under more experienced mayors have higher reporting quality. Our results are robust to different measures of FRQ. This study contributes to the reporting quality literature by providing empirical evidence on the determinants of FRQ in the public sector, which has been relatively underexplored. We conclude that certain characteristics of local governments and of mayors are associated with the types of audit opinion and that financial incentives accelerate the improvement of reporting quality.

scholarly journals Reputation and financial reporting in Finnish public organizations

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antti Rautiainen ◽  
Vilma Luoma-aho
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Public Organizations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Tangible Assets ◽  
Public Sector Organizations

PurposeThis article analyzes the links between financial reports and reputation in the context of Finnish public sector organizations. In general, the paper discusses the accounting treatment of intangible and tangible assets and the quality and relevance of public sector financial reporting.Design/methodology/approachFor data, we combine three data sets: financial statement information of eight anonymous Finnish public organizations, the results of a reputation survey among their key stakeholders (N = 914) and a sample of the social media sentiment around the organizations.FindingsOur findings suggest that a decrease in spending and, surprisingly in the nonprofit sector, an increase in the surplus, indicate better perceived financial performance. An increase in surplus is positively linked with the reputational factors, for example, trust. However, disclosing excessive amounts of information, for example, in financial reporting seems to contribute to negative discussions on social media.Practical implicationsWe highlight the importance of managing intangibles, including those not recognized in the balance sheet, such as reputation. We present three propositions with potential managerial relevance.Originality/valueDespite the considerable amount of financial information disclosed by public sector organizations, few studies have analyzed its relevance or connection to reputation. This first-of-a-kind paper combines intangible and tangible assets by analyzing how financial data and intangible reputation are linked in the public sector accounting context. Six reputational factors were discovered, and financial performance was found to correlate with trust in the public sector.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document