Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on IT Sector. The Case of Greece

The impact of the Information and Technology (IT) sector on the countries’ innovation development has been recognized as crucial in prior and recent research studies. Moreover, firms’ innovativeness affects positively countries’ economies. Nevertheless, the global economic crisis of the last decade constituted a significant barrier to the development of country economies and had a negative effect on firms’ performance. Specifically, the negative consequences of the global crisis became harder for Southern Europe Countries. More specifically the Greek economy was suffered by an extended period of crisis with harder consequences than those of other European countries. The main purpose of this study was to examine the financial performance of Greek IT firms in the early years of crisis. Our findings have been relevant to those of previous studies which observed negative effects of the financial recession on firms profitability.

The Existence of an Anomaly in the City Indices in Borsa Istanbul

The aim of the study is to reveal the existence of an abnormal return in the city indices in Borsa Istanbul. Three important calculations were made for the detection of an abnormal return. The first was the calculation of adjusted returns. The second was the calculation of beta coefficients for city indices. The third was the determination of the relationship of each city index to the market. According to the findings obtained, there was an abnormal return in the city indices. In other words, each of the city indices made a profit on market returns. However, these returns were almost equal to market returns. When the beta coefficients were analyzed, it was seen that the coefficients were equal to the theoretically-expressed average market beta coefficient. Thus, the city indices and the market are moving in the same direction, and the results are statistically significant.

Tax Avoidance and Transfer Pricing

Globalization has led multinational companies, beyond intensifying their competitiveness, to seek ways to maximize profits through tax avoidance. The international character enables them to transfer profits to tax havens or seek transactions that will enable them to avoid, postpone, or pay lower taxes. Although the previous allegations have been hypothesized by researchers, tax audits, and governments, it is difficult to prove due to the chaotic data and the causal relationship between variables. The present study compared the tax burden of 971 multinationals and 1,160 independent companies for the years 2010-2017 in Greece, using data from the Amadeus Tp-Catalyst database and confirmed previous research on significant differences in terms of profits and tax burdens. To the authors' knowledge, there has not been attempted such an extensive analysis for Greece in the past.

Has the Composition of the Greek Banking Sector Investment Portfolio Contributed to the Greek Economy Financial Crisis?

The banking sector in Greece met a large growth and provided the Greek economy with a vital push after the credit release. The galloping increase of private, business, and public loans reinforced business activity and offered high incomes for a few years. However, this push that the Greek economy experienced was based on consumption and not on the development of financial sectors that could constantly produce income for the economy and the state. The research examines the Greek banking investment portfolio from 2003 until 2017 based on the portfolio theory of Markowitz. Furthermore, it evaluates its differentiation and examines whether or not has contributed to the financial crisis that the domestic economy faced the previous decade. The findings point out that the negative portfolio returns during the span of seven out of 15 reviewed years and their covariances highlight that the portfolio diversification was not successful according to Markowitz's theory.

Performance Aspirations and Corporate Tax Avoidance

The current study examines whether performance discrepancy from the aspiration level affects corporate tax avoidance. Prior studies show that performance discrepancies from the aspiration level significantly affect firms' behavior; thus, it is important to examine whether such discrepancies affect corporate tax avoidance. Based on the behavioral theory of the firm (BTOF), this study posits that firms performing below the aspiration levels avoid more taxes in the subsequent period than other firms. Empirical findings using data from a sample of U.S. firms for the period covering 1993-2016 support the hypothesis. The findings also show that, while there is a difference among firms meeting or beating the aspiration level, there is no statistically significant difference in tax avoidance level among firms performing short of their aspiration level. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing additional evidence extending the scope of literature in BTOF and tax avoidance areas.

Disclosures of the Environmental Management Accounting Practices in the Banking Sector of Bangladesh

The disclosure of environmental management accounting (EMA) practices determine the eco-friendly business activities and helps to measure costs and benefits of environmental preservation of any organizations. The study aims to identify the disclosures status of EMA practices in the in PCBs in Bangladesh. The study also aims to examine the factors (total assets, total investment, profit after tax, ROA, ROE, and EPS) influencing disclosure of the adoption of environmental management accounting in listed PCBs in Bangladesh. This study applied quantitative research method to collect and analyze data. EMA disclosure data is collected from the annual reports of the banks and panel data is used to data analysis of the factors. The collected data is analyzed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, correlation, and multiple linear regression analysis. Six hypotheses are developed and tested at 5% significance level. The study concludes that the private banks disclose 71.15% information of EMA practices.

Risk Analysis of the Real Estate Financial Market Based on Risk Energy Theory

Beginning with real estate financial risk and risk energy theory, combined with empirical research, this article analyzes real estate financial markets in different stages and calculates the profit and loss (the ratio of the release of risk energy to the risk energy) in order to judge whether the risk energy has exceeded the system tolerance and to play a warning role. First, this article analyzes uncertain factors in the real estate market, builds a real estate supply and demand network, determines system risk characteristics, corresponding profit and loss categories, quantitative and qualitative factors, and the risk of energy release and the collapse of boundary conditions. The real estate market is approached using both univariate and multivariate analyses, dividing the real estate market into three stages and probing mergers and transformation conditions for different levels of risk. Finally, the authors analyze whether the financial risk energy released by real estate market exceeds the capacity of the system by calculating probability, risk, which play a warning role.

The Impact of Big Data on Accounting and Auditing

Big data and big data analytics will unavoidably change the role of accountants. This paper considers the impact of big data on accounting and auditing. Financial accountants need to move beyond the book-keeping process and become key information providers to decision-makers. That upturns accountants' consulting role and their ability to think strategically, providing critical help in management decision making. The relationship between managers and management accountants becomes closer and more effective because of big data. Management accountants can use additional analytical methods to detect processes and product excellence, combined with diminishing cost. Big data and big data analytics in auditing ensure audit quality and fraud detection. Upgraded information systems and automation in business procedures diminish the need for staff participation. Inevitably, the skills of accountants and knowledge must be associated with big data and big data analytics and modern accountants must develop an analytics mindset by being familiar with data and technologies.

Innovation, M-Banking, and Customer Satisfaction

Innovation through information technology (IT) has made advances all over, and banking is no exemption to it. The utilization of technology has gotten pervasive in the present banking institutions. Mobile banking is a recently included service in the banking area that facilitates banking by means of mobile gadgets. Mobile banking has stamped itself as a rising technology embraced by banks the world over. That's why this investigation is to recognize the effect of innovation, mobile banking on customer satisfaction and decide the elements that lead to customer satisfaction. By reviewing literature, the authors propose a model and to demonstrate the model accuracy dependent on information gathered from 269 respondents utilizing on the web media. To examine the aforesaid relationships, they use the partial least squares (PLS)-structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The aftermath of their investigation uncovers that there is a noteworthy connection between innovation (I) and mobile banking (MB) on customer satisfaction. Then again, innovation has positive effect on mobile banking.

Is Share Ownership a Condition for the Voluntary Revelation of Human Capital?

Previous studies affirm the importance of intellectual capital (IC) for organizations, since they acquire value and make them more competitive in the market. In this context, the empirical evidence shows that the key ingredient classification of IC is human capital (HC). The purpose of this study is to know what kind of Mexican companies listed are those that voluntarily disclose the HC, as to date there is no evidence of this information. That is why the authors consider a sample of 875 annual reports, corresponding to 85 Mexican listed firms during the period 2005-2015. These samples reveal that the largest companies in terms of number of employees, belonging to the construction and textile sectors, and shares are held by the family, and they are most likely to disclose aspects of HC. Thus, the authors determine that items occupying the top positions relate to the experiences as managers and employees as well as training and development, just as the information unless disclosed refers to the opportunity for career advancement and quality life at work.