Originally published in 1971, when nationalized industries employed about 7 per cent of the national labour force, created about 10 per cent of the gross domestic product and had annual investment programmes which were equal to those of all private manufacturing put together. Even this understates the scope of public enterprise at the time, since there were many other organizations, ranging from the BBC to the Public Trustee, which were semi-autonomous public enterprises, but not nationalized industries. Moreover, the public enterprise sector continued to grow, even under Conservative governments, and there were many reasons for thinking that no government would succeed in reversing this trend, for it was felt unlikely that, as government became more complex, it would disgorge many new activities which would be given a semi-autonomous, that is, public enterprise status. The author, drawing on personal experience, shows that the facts of ministerial and parliamentary control were very different from what the public and Parliament thought at the time. He describes the very great practical independence of the Boards and also how much Ministers had come to rely on persuasion (which not only can impose serious waste of time and money on both Boards and Government but is also inefficient). Ministers have least power where the aims of public enterprise are social rather than commercial. If there were no changes, the growth of public enterprise to achieve social purposes would mean an important decline in the power of Parliament and Ministers. This book explores solutions to this problem and concludes that the government must build up a cadre and capacity for financial control which at the time were lacking to it.

Since the global financial crisis of 2007-8, new laws and regulations have been introduced with the aim of improving the transparency in financial reporting. Despite the dramatically increased flow of information to shareholders and the public, this information flow has not always been meaningful or useful. Often it seems that it is not possible to see the wood for the trees. Financial scalds continue, as Wirecard, NMC Health, Patisserie Valerie, going back to Carillion (and many more) demonstrate. Financial and corporate reporting have never been so fraught with difficulties as companies fail to give guidance about the future in an increasingly uncertain world aided and abetted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This concise book argues that the changes have simply masked an increase in the use of corporate PR, impression management, bullet points, glossy images, and other simulacra which allow poor performance to be masked by misleading information presented in glib boilerplate texts, images, and tables. The tone of the narrative sections in annual reports is often misleading. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with insiders and experts, this book charts what has gone wrong with financial reporting and offers a range of solutions to improve information to both investors and the public. This provides a framework for a new era of forward-looking corporate reporting and guidance based on often conflicting multiple corporate goals. The book also examines and contrasts the latest thinking by the regularity authorities. Providing a compelling exploration of the industry's failings and present difficulties, and the impact of future disruption, this timely, thought-provoking book will be of great interest to students, researchers, and professionals as well as policy makers in accounting, financial reporting, corporate reporting, financial statement analysis, and governance.

Research on Professional Responsibility and Ethics in Accounting publishes high-quality research and cases which focus on the professional responsibilities of accountants and how they deal with the ethical issues they face. Covering timely issues such as social responsibility and ethical judgement, the series brings together a range of articles exploring the professional responsibilities of accountants, codes of conduct which affect them, and securities regulations. Compliance with professional guidelines is judgement-based and the characteristics of the individual, the culture in which they operate, and situations all affect how these guidelines are interpreted and applied, as well as when they might be violated.

This volume presents the evolutionary path of Corporate Social Disclosure (CSD), or sustainability disclosure, which is the set of tools and information that companies have to produce in order to be accountable to their stakeholders. Particular emphasis is given to the Integrated Reporting (IR), the most recent proposal about CSD, with the aim to identify key practical implications for companies and present performance measurement and control frameworks. The issues discussed in the book are of interest for both academics and practitioners, involved in researching, designing and managing sustainability performance measurement and communication systems.

This book explores corporate environmental discourse by examining a sample of corporate environmental reports through the lens of environmental philosophy. Findings include the predominant use of a dualistic approach towards nature, which highlights the perceived 'separateness' of companies from the natural world. Also explored are the corporate articulations of interconnectivity and transcendence, two philosophical approaches that are also in common use in western culture. The expression of these themes reveals the discursive underpinnings of a harmful relationship with nature. Exploring the ways in which discourse informs corporate relationships with nature allows for an in-depth 'diagnosis' of current environmental problems. The history of environmental philosophy demonstrates how some powerful philosophical approaches have shaped the western relationship with nature over time, and continue to do so through corporate environmental reporting. Corporate Environmental Reporting: The Western Approach to Nature demonstrates how corporate reporting is used to reduce the perception of the corporate responsibility, and contributes to the erosion of broader cultural restraints against the harmful treatment of nature. As such, discourse is integral to the survival of the world which we - and other members of our biotic community - are utterly reliant on. It shows the latest state of knowledge on the topic and will be of interest both to students at an advanced level, academics and reflective practitioners. It will be of interest to researchers, academics, and students in the fields of accounting, management, environmental philosophy and sustainable management.

This book explores the role of accounting and reporting practices, such as corporate and integrated reports, as organizations attempt to represent sustainability. By relying upon the case of a large international oil and gas company and its recent development of integrated reporting, this book argues that the ambiguity of sustainability as a concept, and the impossibility to fully capture it through accounting and reporting practices, does not mean that any attempt to represent it inevitably leads to distortion or obfuscates 'reality'. Rather, the way in which this concept is presented through accounting and reporting practices can have a constructive effect on the organization through the aspirations that these representations entail. The book demonstrates that accounting and reporting practices, such as integrated reporting, are not expected to offer complete representations of organizations' sustainability. Rather, these practices offer a number of representations (e.g. graphs, diagrams, tables, grid) that affect the way in which organizations understand and report on sustainability, changing its meaning over time. Finally, this study demonstrates that undefined concepts, such as 'sustainability', and practices, such as 'integrated reporting', mutually construct each other. The attempt to represent sustainability within the organization and the debates that this process generates, make accounting and reporting practices unfold themselves, and evolve. The book will be of interest to scholars in the field of accounting, management and sustainability, as well as practitioners from a wide array of additional fields, such as planning and control, organizations' strategy, business ethics, corporate social responsibility and corporate reporting.

The Origins Of Accounting Culture aim at studying the origins of the accounting culture in Venice, with a specific focus on accounting education. The period covered by the work ranges from Luca Pacioli to the foundation (in 1868) of the Royal Advanced School of Commerce (Regia Scuola Superiore di Commercio), that in 2018 is celebrating its 150 anniversary as Ca' Foscari University of Venice. Ever since the Middle Ages, Venice was home of a number of favourable circumstances that have been accumulating over the years. As a trading city par excellence, Venice allowed the spreading of the bookkeeping at first among firms and then in the public administration that was much in need of sophisticated accounting principles for the purpose of controlling its activities. Venice was among the first cities to implement Gutenberg print method and it quickly became the most important city in the world in the publishing industry, allowing printing and spreading the first handbooks about double-entry bookkeeping and merchant studies. The Origins Of Accounting Culture goes beyond the study of Luca Pacioli and tackles in a more organic and holistic way the social and economic conditions that allowed the accounting culture to spread in Venice. This book will be a vital resource to academics and researchers in the fields of Accounting, Accounting History, Economic Development and related disciplines.

This convenient reference tool is designed for real estate investors who wish to maximize their tax benefits through a better understanding of real estate law. Ferguson and Spede thoroughly analyze and explain real estate tax laws, as well as the problems and advantages of purchasing, owning, and selling real estate. Specifically explained and illustrated are such issues as calculating excess investment and interest, installment selling, alternative minimum tax, investment credits, recapture of tax credits, trading properties, leases with options to buy, and the establishment of new bases for trade. In addition, the authors emphasize many of the tax traps and pitfalls encountered by investors, including accelerated depreciation, amortization of expenses, and tax write-offs. Also considered are related topics such as personal property taxes, special tax problems, the rehabilitation of historic and older commercial properties, low income housing, rental cooperatives, condominium units, and home ownership taxation. Finally, there is a discussion of tax reform, including the changes brought about by the Deficit Reduction Act of 1984, as well as the possible effects of the flat tax rate proposed by the Treasury Department in January of 1985. The volume is completely cross-referenced, and includes chapter summaries, case histories, and a glossary, as well as numerous tables and illustrations.

It is said that the COVID-19 pandemic has turned back the poverty clock. As such, there is a need to have social mechanisms put in place to provide relief to those who are affected in this regard. Islamic social finance consists of tools and institutions that could be used to alleviate poverty. This book explores the impact of COVID-19 on Islamic finance to better understand the effectiveness of Islamic social finance in helping those who have been affected by poverty overnight due to the halt in all major economic activities in the context of the pandemic. Since the struggle against poverty in each country will be different, the book attempts to shed light on the experiences of different countries by presenting successful models of Islamic social finance. The book first looks at poverty and COVID-19 before delving into the role of Islamic social financial institutions and how they have risen against COVID-19. The book concludes by examining the impact of COVID-19 on Islamic microfinance. This book is the first of its kind on the subject of COVID-19, and it intends to bridge the gap in the literature.

The first of a three-volume series on the interaction of the US and China in different regions of the world, China, the United States, and the Future of Central Asia explores the delicate balance of competing foreign interests in this resource-rich and politically tumultuous region. Editor David Denoon and his internationally renowned set of contributors assess the different objectives and strategies the U.S. and China deploy in the region and examine how the two world powers are indirectly competitive with one another for influence in Central Asia. While the US is focused on maintaining and supporting its military forces in neighboring states, China has its sights on procuring natural resources for its fast-growing economy and preventing the expansion of fundamentalist Islam inside its borders. This book covers important issues such as the creation of international gas pipelines, the challenges of building crucial transcontinental roadways that must pass through countries facing insurgencies, the efforts of the US and China to encourage and provide better security in the region, and how the Central Asian countries themselves view their role in international politics and the global economy. The book also covers key outside powers with influence in the region; Russia, with its historical ties to the many Central Asian countries that used to belong to the USSR, is perhaps the biggest international presence in the area, and other countries on the region's periphery like Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, and India have a stake in the fortunes and future of Central Asia as well. A comprehensive, original, and up-to-date collection, this book is a wide-ranging look from noted scholars at a vital part of the world which is likely to receive more attention and face greater instability as NATO forces withdraw from Afghanistan.

Finance for non-financial managers - succeed with just four numbers. Finance doesn't have to be complicated. This book shows you how to make better, faster, financially sound business decisions using just four numbers. Effective financial management is at the heart of every successful business but it can seem impenetrable to the non-financial manager; littered with spreadsheets, inexplicable charts and intricate formulae, all washed down with swathes of unintelligible jargon. In reality, successful financial management is all about the management of just these four figures. Knowing what these four figures are, how they relate to each other and most importantly, how they can be managed, is the key to financial success. This is what David Meckin calls 'the 4 figure trick'. Almost every major business failure can be pinned down to the ineffective management of at least one of these critical figures. Focusing on just four figures not only makes the world of financial management more accessible to the non-financial manager, it also greatly simplifies the decision-making process. Full of step-by-step guides, examples and illustrations, The 4 Figure Trick reveals a variety of practical managerial strategies that can significantly enhance the financial performance of any business.

This book, first published in 1954, analyses the history of the world's oldest accountancy body, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. Chapters cover the history of Scottish accountants from the earliest times; review the position of the practicing accountant; assess the work of the Institute; examine the position of the accountant in commerce, industry or government service; and deal with the training and examination of accountants.

This book, first published in 1986, includes primarily articles written by Church not reprinted in his books. The collection demonstrates the breadth of his work and demonstrate why he was such a renowned expert in the fields of cost accounting and management. He introduced the 'machine-hour rate' method, the production-centre concept, the 'regulative principles of management' and distribution cost-analysis. His writings spanned the fields of accounting, business, management and industrial engineering, and this book captures the essence of his work and central themes.

This book, first published in 1986, examines extracts sections from the annual reports of United States Steel Corporation over the period 1902-1968. These extracts are milestones in the history of financial reporting in the United States, and the documents are presented as they originally appeared. They capture many historical events and the company management's reaction to them.

With a detailed discussion on the preparation and tools needed for an automotive process audit, this book addresses the fundamental issues and concerns by focusing on two objectives: explaining the methods and tools used in the process for the organization, and provide a reference or manual for dealing with documenting quality issues. This book addresses the fundamental issues and concerns for a successful automotive process audit and details specifically how to prepare for it. It presents a complete assessment of what an organization must do to earn certification in ISO standards, industry standards, and customer-specific requirements. It also focuses on the efficiency of resources within an organization so that an audit can be successful and describes the methodologies to optimize the process by knowing what to do, what to say, and how to prove it. A road map is offered for the "process audit" and the "layered audit," and defines a clear distinction between the preparation details for each. This book is intended for those that conduct audits, those who are interested in auditing, and those who are being audited. It specifically addresses how to prepare for an automotive process audit for readers who are involved in quality, manufacturing, and operations management, and those who work with suppliers.

Accounting Ethics Education: Teaching Virtues and Values gathers a diversity of contributions from invited, well-known experts. It promotes a comprehensive reflection around how ethics can and should be taught to accounting students, discussing and highlighting the most updated research on accounting ethics education, and it is an essential reference in the field. The subject of accounting ethics education is critical to foster ethical awareness that may prevent the way in which one acts or behaves, especially towards others. The point is that accounting education cannot exist without ethical education and accountants must be technically proficient and ethically sensible since ethical behavior is vital to the status and credibility of the accountancy profession. And this sensibility must be developed while the future professional is still cultivating his or her moral and intellectual structure within the school learning environment: character and practical reasoning are crucial because they include not only knowledge of rules and principles, and their correct application but also values and virtues. Examining multiple perspectives, Accounting Ethics Education: Teaching Virtues and Values advances the scholarly debate by providing cuttingedge and insightful research vital for all those interested and immersed in these matters. It begins with a historical perspective of accounting ethics education and continues by exploring challenges, opportunities and developments in the area. It will be of great value to academics, students, researchers and professionals in the fields of accounting, accounting education and ethics.

Advances in Accounting Education: Teaching and Curriculum Innovations publishes both non-empirical and empirical articles dealing with accounting pedagogy. All articles explain how teaching methods or curricula/programs can be improved. Non-empirical papers are academically rigorous, and specifically discuss the institutional context of a course or program, as well as any relevant tradeoffs or policy issues. Empirical reports exhibit sound research design and execution, and develop a thorough motivation and literature review, including references from outside the accounting field, where appropriate.

This book provides a comprehensive guide to effective trading in the financial markets through the application of technical analysis through the following: Presenting in-depth coverage of technical analysis tools (including trade set-ups) as well as backtesting and algorithmic trading Discussing advanced concepts such as Elliott Waves, time cycles and momentum, volume, and volatility indicators from the perspective of the global markets and especially India Blending practical insights and research updates for professional trading, investments, and financial market analyses Including detailed examples, case studies, comparisons, figures, and illustrations from different asset classes and markets in simple language The book will be essential for scholars and researchers of finance, economics and management studies, as well as professional traders and dealers in financial institutions (including banks) and corporates, fund managers, investors, and anyone interested in financial markets.

In the past China's capital market featured prevalent state ownership and a weak legal environment. It has, however, achieved very substantial development in the past two decades. China has surpassed Japan as the world's second-largest stock market and has also emerged as a leading player in green bonds and Fintech markets. The chapters in this book provide insights on Chinese listed firms and advance the understanding of China's unique institutions. Some important questions are covered including the governance role of foreign investors in partially privatized firms, the financial implications of political connections, the "Chinese model" of commercial banks and regulatory reforms that promote the marketization of the stock markets, among others. These studies have important implications for other emerging economies, on the recent China-US trade conflicts and about the Trump administration's complaints about the role of the Chinese government in capital markets. This book selectively includes the most influential articles from two special issues of The European Journal of Finance, which were based on selections of papers presented at a series of conferences on the Chinese Capital Markets.

This book delves into the many innovative changes that the financial industry has undergone in recent years. The authors investigate these developments in a holistic manner and from a wide range of perspectives: both public and private, business and consumer, regulators and supervisors. Initially, they set the framework of their analysis by discussing innovation cycles in financial services. Thereafter, they tackle the issue of financial innovations and their consequences for financial stability. They then review the new approaches to financial consumers' protection, which emerged in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. The authors underline the fact that this new approach is heavily influenced by the recent innovative drive in the financial industry. Next, they switch their attention to the public sector, examining the innovative processes in monetary policy and central banks, structural innovations in the supervisory models and systems, and they assess some specific supervisory challenges regarding blockchain and the application of mathematics in the supervisory capacity. Additionally, the book examines a range of issues related to the private sector, such as recent developments regarding risk transferring mechanisms on the financial market, artificial intelligence and natural language processing for regulatory filings, the development of process management in insurance companies and other innovative products on the market. Finally, Innovation in Financial Services discusses how the digital transformation of the financial system impacts the interaction between the public and private sectors. The book is intended for graduate and postgraduate level students, researchers, public sector officers, as well as financial sector practitioners.

As researchers reveal the increasing complexities of accounting practices in emerging economies, there is a growing need for an overview of the topic. The Routledge Companion to Accounting in Emerging Economies is a prestige work offering an introduction to current scholarship in the field, with indications of future directions for enhancing the contribution to knowledge. With regional coverage of key emerging economies such as Brazil, Russia, India and China, the team of contributors analyse issues in accounting in detail, while shedding light on the role of the accounting profession in providing accountability and governance across the developing world. Each chapter is headed up by an internationally recognised author who is a leading expert in designing and implementing research approaches to the topic. Within the team of authors, some are experienced senior contributors while others are developing new avenues of exploration on the basis of high-quality doctoral study. This range of author experience has been deliberately chosen to allow the reader to envisage working in such a team while growing in confidence. This unique reference offers a comprehensive guide to advanced students, academics, practitioners and policy makers on the current state of, and potential developments in, accounting in developing economies globally. This work will be of particular interest to students and researchers looking to identify topics in emerging economies, academics and practitioners seeking convenient access to an unfamiliar area, and established researchers seeking a single repository on the current state of knowledge, current debates and relevant literature.

Financial globalization paired with the relaxation of constraints on capital flows between countries before the 2008 crisis, increased merger activities among the World's largest stock exchanges. The financial crisis of 2008 had a severe impact on the development of equity markets, corporate financial stability, and corporate governance, and a multi-step approach is needed to fully appreciate the causes and effects of this event. This book engages the separate strands of literature to advance a more holistic understanding of whether and how the national institutional environments in selected countries around the world has been changed after the crisis. Institutions and Accounting Practices after the Financial Crisis: International Perspective sets out a framework for the analysis of institutional environments and accounting practices in in selected countries around the world during the pre-crisis period, followed by an examination of the impact of the crisis. It scrutinizes the changing roles of debt and equity markets; the shift in accounting practices and capital financing choices due to the economic downturn; and the lessons that can be obtained from the financial crisis, while considering the institutional architecture of international business environments. This ongoing process of integration and globalization increases interdependence between world markets, and allows shocks to propagate across national and continental lines, making the understanding of international markets vitally important to American investors. Aimed at primarily researchers, academics and students in the fields of international accounting, management and finance, Institutions and Accounting Practices after the Financial Crisis: International Perspective will additionally be of value to practitioners and policy makers, supplying them with information regarding the changes in accounting practices and risk evaluation due to the crisis.

This book is a timely addition to the fast-growing international debate on Integrated Reporting, which offers a holistic view of the evolution and practice of Integrated Reporting. The book covers the determinants and consequences of Integrated Reporting, as well as examining some of the most relevant issues (particularly in the context of the United States) in the debate about Integrated Reporting.

This book, first published in 1954, collects together the papers presented to the Sixth International Congress on Accounting. They focus on the problems of the post-war changes in the value of money, and how to deal with this in accounting statements; taxation, and the role of accountants in Government; raising and retaining capital for development; and the role of the professional accountant in the commercial field.

The aim of this book is to take stock of the experiences of Spain and Portugal in the adaptation to the IPSAS, showing the advantages, disadvantages and the main challenges for its implementation. In chapter one, the book analyses the IPSAS and the conceptual framework, as well as the claimed benefits and criticisms of IPSAS. Chapter two makes an analysis of the diffusion of the IPSAS in the international framework and the process of harmonization in development in Europe. Chapter three and four analyze the process of adaptation to IPSAS in Portugal and Spain respectively. In the chapter five, there is a comparative analysis between Spain and Portugal, and the last chapter present the main conclusions. This book can help to understand the level of implementation of the reforms and how governments are applying the IPSAS.