Financial reporting by Small and Medium sized Entities in Mongolia and the International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium sized Entities

<p>This study examines three important aspects of financial reporting practice of Small and Medium sized Entities (SMEs) in developing economy. First, the study investigates the existing reporting practices of SMEs in Mongolia. Second, the study considers the expected impact for Mongolian SMEs of adopting the International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium sized Entities (IFRS for SMEs). Third, the study examines the relationships between the economic characteristics of SMEs and both their reporting practice and the expected impact of adoption of the IFRS for SMEs. The study adopts a mixed method approach with a quantitative survey questionnaire and qualitative semi-structured interviews. The study developed a survey questionnaire and obtained 102 responses: 67 responses from employee account preparers of SMEs and 35 responses from accounting practitioners of Public Accounting Firms (PAFs) engaged with SMEs. The results of the survey were analysed using a range of non-parametric tests and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). The qualitative semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight standard-setters, educators and information users and analysed using Nvivo. Overall, the research findings suggest that in Mongolia there is a low level of compliance with international financial reporting standards. It appears that preparers and users perceive a low level of net benefits from compliance. Surprisingly, the results indicate that the economic characteristics of SMEs do not appear to influence their reporting practice. Adoption of the IFRS for SMEs is expected to increase the level of compliance by SMEs.</p>

Financial reporting by Small and Medium sized Entities in Mongolia and the International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium sized Entities

<p>This study examines three important aspects of financial reporting practice of Small and Medium sized Entities (SMEs) in developing economy. First, the study investigates the existing reporting practices of SMEs in Mongolia. Second, the study considers the expected impact for Mongolian SMEs of adopting the International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium sized Entities (IFRS for SMEs). Third, the study examines the relationships between the economic characteristics of SMEs and both their reporting practice and the expected impact of adoption of the IFRS for SMEs. The study adopts a mixed method approach with a quantitative survey questionnaire and qualitative semi-structured interviews. The study developed a survey questionnaire and obtained 102 responses: 67 responses from employee account preparers of SMEs and 35 responses from accounting practitioners of Public Accounting Firms (PAFs) engaged with SMEs. The results of the survey were analysed using a range of non-parametric tests and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). The qualitative semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight standard-setters, educators and information users and analysed using Nvivo. Overall, the research findings suggest that in Mongolia there is a low level of compliance with international financial reporting standards. It appears that preparers and users perceive a low level of net benefits from compliance. Surprisingly, the results indicate that the economic characteristics of SMEs do not appear to influence their reporting practice. Adoption of the IFRS for SMEs is expected to increase the level of compliance by SMEs.</p>

Radiology reporting in rectal cancer using MRI: adherence to national template for structured reporting

Background In 2014, a national workshop program was initiated and a reporting template and manual for rectal cancer primary staging using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was introduced and made available by the national Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry. Purpose To evaluate the effect of the national template program by identify if there was a gap between the content in Swedish MRI reports from 2016 and the national reporting template from 2014. The aim was to explore and compare differences in content in reporting practice in different hospitals in relation to the national reporting template, with focus on: (i) identifying any implementational differences in reporting styles; and (ii) evaluating if reporting completeness vary based on such implementational differences. Material and Methods A total of 250 MRI reports from 10 hospitals in four healthcare regions in Sweden were collected. Reports were analyzed using qualitative content analysis with a deductive thematic coding scheme based on the national reporting template. Results Three different implemented reporting styles were identified with variations of content coverage in relation to the template: (i) standardized and structured protocol (reporting style A); (ii) standardized semi-structured free-text (reporting style B); and (iii) regular free-text (reporting style C). The relative completeness of reporting practice of rectal cancer staging in relation to the national reporting template were 92.9% for reporting style A, 77.5% for reporting style B, and 63.9% for reporting style C. Conclusion The implementation of template-based reporting according to reporting style A is a key factor to conform to evidence-based practice for rectal cancer reporting using MRI.

Does external assurance on CSR reporting contribute to its higher quality? Empirical evidence from China

This paper examines the difference that the assurance brings to the quality of CSR reports in the Chinese institutional setting, in particular, the difference in quality (proxy – RKS ranking) of assured and unassured CSR reports, as well as whether the high ownership concentration and corresponding to it “entrenchment effect” obstruct the positive impact the assurance exerts on the quality of CSR reports. The paper examines CSR reports on 2,292 firm-year observations of large Chinese companies over three years (2015–2018). The hypothesis development process predicates on the signaling and stakeholder theories, whilst this study applies regression analysis to test the hypotheses. Consistent with the predictions of signaling and stakeholder theories, the paper finds that assurance contributes to the higher quality of CSR reports. Moreover, the study finds that assured CSR reports have higher sub-scores in all four aspects of RKS ranking. However, as ownership concentration exceeds 50 per cent and reaches the majority, it thwarts the advancement in the quality of CSR reports through its assurance. The paper provides an initial empirical account of the role of assurance in the emerging CSR reporting practice in China. The paper contributes to the modest body of empirical research on the function of external assurance in the CSR area by explicating the role played both by the accounting (external assurance) and corporate governance (ownership concentration) infrastructure to ensure high quality of CSR reporting. The paper briefs local, international regulatory authorities and the business community about the importance of external assurance for the CSR reporting quality.

Evaluation the Application Status of GAAP in Financial Reporting Practice: In Case of Banking Sector in Bangladesh

The prime concentration of this study is to scan the respondents’ opinions regarding the application status of the different units of GAAP in preparing the different financial reports by the sample banks. To meet this objective an attempt has been made to collect opinions from one hundred fifty respondents comprising of fifty chartered accountants, fifty cost and management accountants as well as fifty academicians. Frequency analysis has been used to evaluate their perceptions. The result of frequency analysis reveals that the sample banks greatly apply the accounting entity assumption, going concern assumption, assumption of a stable momentary unit as well as time period assumption in preparing the financial statements. Furthermore, this study has likewise employed ANOVA as well as Chi-square techniques to investigate whether there is any significant deviation amidst the respondents’ opinion concerning the execution of different segments of GAAP for financial reporting practice of the sample banks and the outcomes indicate that there is the significant difference among the respondents’ opinion regarding the application status of the different units of GAAP in financial reporting practice by the sample banks in some cases and in other cases the difference of opinion has also been observed.

Integrated reporting and cost of capital in sub-Saharan African countries

PurposeGiven the significant role of both integrated reporting and cost of capital in the survival and prosperity of a firm, it is essential to understand their relationship by investigating whether integrated reporting influences the cost of capital of a firm. This research paper aims to examine the impact of integrated reporting practice on the cost of capital of listed firms in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).Design/methodology/approachThe study covered a period of 10 years from 2009 to 2018. One hundred and forty-seven listed firms in 10 SSA countries were used for the study. The study employed panel data analysis and utilised a dynamic estimation technique called the generalised method of moments.FindingsThe evidence shows that integrated reporting has a negative relationship with cost of capital, indicating integrated reporting can reduce firms' cost of capital. The results further showed that social, governance and environmental disclosures all have negative relationships with cost of capital, suggesting that firms that make these disclosures would have a lower cost of capital. These results are consistent with signalling theory, which holds that firms send a positive signal to the market about their performance and prospects when they provide information relating to value creation, predominantly environmental, social and governance issues.Research limitations/implicationsThe major limitation of the study is the selection of only English-speaking countries. French-speaking countries may have a different reporting practice, hence a different effect on the cost of capital.Practical implicationsThis study contributes to policy development on integrated reporting in SSA and informs key stakeholders involved in promoting and supporting the adoption of integrated reporting in Africa.Originality/valueThe findings from this paper consolidate existing research in integrated reporting and cost of capital by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between integrated reporting, its components and the cost of capital from emerging economies. This study contributes to the understanding of investors' reactions to integrated reporting. Further, it fills a gap in the non-availability of literature on the relative impact of the various components of integrated reporting.

Understanding and Improving Subjective Measures in Human-Computer Interaction

In Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), research has shifted from a focus on usability and performance towards the holistic notion of User Experience (UX). Research into UX places special emphasis on concepts from psychology, such as emotion, trust, and motivation. Under this paradigm, elaborate methods to capture the richness and diversity of subjective experiences are needed. Although psychology offers a long-standing tradition of developing self-reported scales, it is currently undergoing radical changes in research and reporting practice. Hence, UX research is facing several challenges, such as the widespread use of ad-hoc questionnaires with unknown or unsatisfactory psychometric properties, or a lack of replication and transparency. Therefore, this thesis contributes to several gaps in the research by developing and validating self-reported scales in the domain of user motivation (manuscript 1), perceived user interface language quality (manuscript 2), and user trust (manuscript 3). Furthermore, issues of online research and practical considerations to ensure data quality are empirically examined (manuscript 4). Overall, this thesis provides well-documented templates for scale development, and may help improve scientific rigor in HCI.

International Financial Reporting and Auditing Standards

The textbook is the basis for a number of courses taught at the Faculty of Economics of the Lomonosov Moscow State University and at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. The textbook reflects the main requirements of international standards for both financial reporting and auditing. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation. It is intended for undergraduates and postgraduates studying the disciplines "International Audit", "Practice of external and internal audit", "International Financial Reporting Standards", "International Financial Reporting Standards: advanced course", "Consolidated reporting: practice of application", "Corporate reporting: Practice of application". It can be used when teaching the course "Audit" in the bachelor's degree, as well as by students of the postgraduate education system who apply for the auditor's qualification certificate and the accountant's qualification certificate, since it meets all the relevant requirements. It will be useful for practical workers — auditors, accountants, financial managers, business leaders, financial consultants and experts.

Organisational and professional challenges amid the evolution of sustainability reporting: a theoretical framework and an agenda for future research

Purpose This paper aims to trace subsequent steps of the sustainability reporting evolution in terms of changes in the organisation fields and professional jurisdictions involved. As such, it highlights the (interrelated) organisational and professional challenges associated with the progressive incorporation of “sustainability” within corporate reporting. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on Suddaby and Viale’s (2011) theorisation of how professionals reshape organisational fields to highlight how organisational spaces, actors, rules and professional capital evolve alongside the incorporation of sustainability within corporate reporting. Findings The paper shows organisational spaces, actors, rules and professional capital mobilised during the recent evolution of sustainability reporting, starting from a period in which there was no space for sustainability, to more recent periods in which sustainability gained increasing momentum beyond initial niches, and culminating in more integrated forms of sustainability reporting. Research limitations/implications Although the analysis is limited to empirical evidence collected by prior research and practice on sustainability reporting, the paper offers a view to imagine how the incorporation of sustainability within corporate reporting relies on and affects organisational fields and professional jurisdictions. Originality/value The paper offers a lens to interpret corporate and professional challenges associated with the more recent evolutions of sustainability reporting practice and standard setting. It also allows framing the papers accepted in the special issue on “new challenges in sustainability reporting” and concludes by suggesting an agenda for future research.