The globalization of financial markets worldwide has progressively pushed toward simultaneous globalization of accounting information. Thus, during the last 50 years, categories of preparers, users, and regulators have devoted their efforts to support the global comparability of financial reporting aiming at favoring the comparison of corporates' financial performances at a cross-country level. In the same vein, IASB, national standard setters, and jurisdictions have participated in and given momentum to this process. At the same time, academic research has followed this process and tried to build a theoretical framework to address the related issues, to assess the impact on preparers, users, and regulators, while defining hindrances and obstacles to the comparability of financial reporting especially in an IFRS environment. In this context, this book reviews research studies on the comparability of financial reporting at a global level as well as highlights empirical analyses that demonstrate the extent to which global comparability has been achieved, and how it enhances value relevance of earnings across countries. It also looks at the cross-country investors' perspectives by shaping the empirical analysis to provide further insights on the role of the "Big Four" auditing services in enhancing the comparability of earnings. The book provides an original contribution to the current debate about the comparability of financial reporting under IFRS and will be useful for researchers in the field.

This volume is concerned with financial reporting issues resulting from the growth and spread of multinational corporations.The book consists of up-to-date readings from a broad range of international journals which look at, and evaluate, the financial accounting techniques adopted in different parts of the world for dealing with issues such as segment reporting, disclosure standards, financial reporting and stock markets. The final part deals with the reporting practices of individual companies over time. This insightful volume will be of value to researchers and practitioners alike.

Auditor reporting on going-concern-related uncertainties remains one of the most challenging issues faced by external auditors. Business owners, market participants and audit regulators want an early warning of impending business failure. However, companies typically do not welcome audit opinions indicating uncertainty regarding their future viability. Thus, the auditor's decision to issue a "going concern opinion" (GCO) is a complex and multi-layered one, facing a great deal of tension. Given such a rich context, academic researchers have examined many facets related to an auditor's decision to issue a GCO. This monograph reviews and synthesizes 182 recent GCO studies that have appeared since the last significant review published in 2013 through the end of 2019. The authors categorize studies into the three broad areas of GCO: (1) determinants, (2) accuracy and (3) consequences. As an integral part of their synthesis, they summarize the details of each study in several user-friendly tables. After discussing and synthesizing the research, they present a discussion of opportunities for future research, including issues created or exacerbated as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. This monograph will be of assistance to researchers interested in exploring this area of auditor responsibility. It will also be of interest to auditing firms and individual practitioners wanting to learn what academic research has examined and found regarding this challenging aspect of audit practice. Auditing standard-setters and regulators will find it of interest as the authors review numerous studies examining issues related to audit policy and regulation, and their effects on GCO decisions. The examination of GCO research is extremely timely given the financial and business disruption caused by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. This unprecedented global event has caused companies, auditors and professional bodies to revisit and reassess their approach to going concern, and to think even more deeply about this fundamental business imperative.

Despite a plethora of techniques to analyse the financial performance of a business, there has been no single methodology that has been overwhelmingly preferred by users. This could be an indication that either the methods themselves are deficient or they are limited by other factors that are not easily overcome. Unlike the current offerings in the field, which focus on issues relating to business performance management or non-financial aspects (such as market efficiency, satisfaction and workforce productivity), this book offers a solution to a major gap in the literature and understanding for those seeking to measure, analyse and benchmark the financial performance of any organisation (for-profit, not-for-profit and government agencies). It clearly identifies why current techniques fail; proposes and evidences a solution that overcomes these issues by including two algorithms that can be combined, to solve this problem; and demonstrates the practical application of the technique to the benefit of users in order to pinpoint real performance levels and insights. One of the largest issues this book will help to overcome is the inability to compare the accounts of businesses/organisations from different countries that report in different currencies. This technique eliminates the need for currency translations and the issues that arise with that process. This book is an invaluable and practical guide to assist accounting and finance practitioners in measuring and comparing financial performance across firms with different business models, different accounting policies and different scales of operations.

In the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis, corporate collapses, accounting scandals and concerns around competition and auditor choice, the European Commission (EC) promoted the preparation of various reports on audit policy to support a harmonisation process of European auditing regulation. Consequently, the European Union Audit Regulation and Directive was implemented from 2016. This book provides a timely picture of the audit sector and how it responds to regulatory and technological challenges. It analyses the impact of EU reforms on audit practices by comparing the U.K. and Italy, which, representing two very different regulatory and cultural contexts, will offer insight into how the efforts at standardising audit regulation may lead to very different organisational firm responses within Europe. It addresses issues relating to public policy work and the concerns faced by the market for audit and assurance services, in promoting audit quality, better communication about the role of the auditor, capital market stability and confidence, and auditor independence. Moreover, it highlights what the future of auditing might look like in the EU particularly after the U.K. has left, and how meeting public expectations will continue to be a struggle for the accounting profession given the many problems ahead. The book encourages a deeper awareness of the challenges faced by those that monitor and certify the financial statements of the world's largest public companies and contributes to the general understanding of this controversial industry. It will serve as a useful guide to the recent EU audit reforms, not only for academics, and research students but also to regulators, policymakers, standard setters, industry professionals, and business executives worldwide.

The first stock exchange in Warsaw - capital city of the Kingdom of Poland- was established in 1817. Over the past 205 years, the fortunes of the capital market have been closely linked to the "bumpy road" of Polish history. The establishment of the GPW Warsaw Stock Exchange in 1991 was a landmark for transformation from a centrally planned communist economy to a market-driven capitalist one. Since the doors of the exchange reopened, Polish GDP per capita (current USD) increased eight times, translating into an average yearly growth rate of over 7%. The capital market has played a pivotal role in the economic success of Poland over the last three decades. It is not easy to precisely quantify the impact, as it was rather a spill-over effect. Economic growth has fostered the development of a capital market, and more efficient conversion of savings to investments via the capital market. The excellence of capital market institutions can be gauged with reference to various parameters. A synthetic measure is so-called market status. According to FTSE Russell (global index provider), Polish capital attained developed market status in 2018, being the first and only post-communist state to do so. It is fair to say that transformation has been completed and developed market status indicates clearly that the institutions and regulations are world class. The current challenge is competing with other developed markets for the best issuers and offering the most demanding investors an excellent trading experience. This book offers scientific insight into the Polish capital market story. Authored by a group of renowned scholars, with contributions aspiring to the highest academic standards for theoretical considerations and empirical research. The book covers various topics, including links between monetary policy and capital markets, micro and macro market structures, and investors and issuers' behaviour and strategies. All chapters are rooted in contemporary finance theory, supported by various econometric models based on the most recently available data. The book aims to provide academics and practitioners insight into the Polish capital market, appealing especially to those interested in gaining a deeper understanding of emerging markets' successful transformation into developed ones. It can also be used as supplementary reading for doctoral and master's students in finance, particularly relating to capital markets and economics - predominantly development economics and economic policy.

The rapid globalization of capital markets has increased attention toward examining the quality of the disclosure practices implemented by companies, as internationalization and globalization are the most important motives of the harmonization of financial statements preparation and presentation. Given the expansion of trade and the openness to foreign capital markets, investment decisions became not limited only for local users, but also international users may need to access the financial information. The issuance of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) to be used throughout the world aims to improve the comparability and understandability of financial statements, and hence, to enhance investment decisions through helping investors across the borders to invest in multinational companies. Although fluid and under-developed institutional arrangements remain central features of emerging markets, ensuring effective corporate governance mechanisms would indeed support companies in complying with IFRS - the latter imposes a challenge for companies operating in emerging markets. This book evaluates the differences in the level of compliance with IFRS across the GCC states, exploring the impact of corporate governance on the level of compliance with IFRS and presenting an empirical analysis of companies across the GCC. It makes an important contribution by providing a detailed empirical analysis of the interplay between corporate governance and IFRS in emerging market setting and highlights the way for future research. It will provide international business, management, and accounting and finance students and senior practitioners with a completely new and updated guide to the work in the field of corporate governance and IFRS compliance in emerging markets.

Praise for "Internal Audit Reports Post Sarbanes-Oxley: A Guide to Process-Driven Reporting"

"In a post-SOX era, internal audit plays a key role in helping CEOs and CFOs to assess internal controls over financial reporting. Effective communication, by way of issuing clear, crisp, and timely internal audit reports, is essential to the speedy remedy of any deficiencies representing high risk for the corporation. This book serves as a tool box to improve such written communication from internal audit."
--Stephane Girard, former director, Internal Audit, Schlumberger Limited

"This is a cutting-edge book that should be of interest to anyone associated with the internal auditing profession. The book focuses on post-SOX issues as they relate to report writing and emphasizes the critical importance of written communication in the corporate world. The author's unique process-oriented approach makes for a practical and readable end product that should prove beneficial to a wide audience of accounting practitioners."
--Dr. Richard G. Brody, CPA, CFE, Associate Professor of Accounting, Anderson Schools of Management, University of New Mexico

"Internal Audit Reports Post Sarbanes-Oxley offers a broad array of practical tools and techniques to make internal audit communications effective in the world of global business. By using these techniques in their reports, e-mails, and phone conversations, internal auditors can connect the dots for audit committees and financial executives--and transform information into knowledge."
--Ted Senko, Global Leader of Internal Audit Services, KPMG

"Written with humor, energy, and clarity, I hear her message on each page. This will be avaluable tool to all auditors, and others, who write financial reports."
--Nicholas J.S. Causton, Manager, Financial Training, Schlumberger LTD

Internal auditors are the front-line financial reporters for most companies. Now, in addition to logging their findings and making recommendations, they are required to link their findings directly to potential risks and accountability issues in accordance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Brimming with commonsense advice delivered in a conversational, easy-to-read style, "Internal Audit Reports Post Sarbanes-Oxley: A Guide to Process-Driven Reporting" helps internal auditors and financial managers to transform raw data into useable information and to then translate that information into actionable messages while complying with SOX.

Auditor reporting on going-concern-related uncertainties remains one of the most challenging issues faced by external auditors. Business owners, market participants and audit regulators want an early warning of impending business failure. However, companies typically do not welcome audit opinions indicating uncertainty regarding their future viability. Thus, the auditor's decision to issue a "going concern opinion" (GCO) is a complex and multi-layered one, facing a great deal of tension. Given such a rich context, academic researchers have examined many facets related to an auditor's decision to issue a GCO. This monograph reviews and synthesizes 182 recent GCO studies that have appeared since the last significant review published in 2013 through the end of 2019. The authors categorize studies into the three broad areas of GCO: (1) determinants, (2) accuracy and (3) consequences. As an integral part of their synthesis, they summarize the details of each study in several user-friendly tables. After discussing and synthesizing the research, they present a discussion of opportunities for future research, including issues created or exacerbated as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. This monograph will be of assistance to researchers interested in exploring this area of auditor responsibility. It will also be of interest to auditing firms and individual practitioners wanting to learn what academic research has examined and found regarding this challenging aspect of audit practice. Auditing standard-setters and regulators will find it of interest as the authors review numerous studies examining issues related to audit policy and regulation, and their effects on GCO decisions. The examination of GCO research is extremely timely given the financial and business disruption caused by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. This unprecedented global event has caused companies, auditors and professional bodies to revisit and reassess their approach to going concern, and to think even more deeply about this fundamental business imperative.

Corporate governance and corporate reporting are closely linked to each other, and their respective evolutionary patterns are mutually influencing. Along with the recent expansion of company disclosure, a growing attention is being paid to corporate governance determinants and mechanisms underpinning the decision to voluntarily adopt non-financial disclosure formats, such as integrated reporting. At institutional level, several national corporate governance codes have been changed towards the recognition and inclusion of this innovative, non-financial language. In academic research, the influence of corporate governance variables vis-a-vis the choice to embrace such reporting practices has been subject to a long scrutiny. However, only a little inquiry has so far analysed the influence of corporate governance factors on integrated reporting adoption, quality, and credibility. Accordingly, the aim of the book is to investigate if, and to what extent, corporate board composition and characteristics can affect, at the same time, the decision to voluntarily adopt integrated reporting by companies as well as their financial performance. The study carries out an empirical analysis of the professional features of board members at the time of their decision to implement integrated reporting as a new form of company accountability. The work provides innovative insights into the articulated relationships between the quantitative and qualitative composition of corporate boards and the latter's choice to uptake this advanced form of reporting to represent the wider value creation processes of their organisations.

Provides an insightful and analytical look at CNR in terms of its relevance and perceived usefulness, limitations in current practices and areas for improvement and incentives and disincentives for disclosing non-financial information. Draws on disclosure theories and take account of the particular nature of CNR in terms of its predominantly forward-looking, qualitative and hard-to-audit nature. Brings together theory and practice and covers the key themes that will be of particular interest to and essential reading for students, academics, investors, annual report preparers, auditors and policy makers.

This book, first published in 1982, collects papers about market price valuations capable of different interpretations. Many give quite explicit support for the selling price case. Others are incapable of reasonable interpretation other than in support for selling price valuations. And still others are not inconsistent with the selling price case. Together they provide valuable historical analysis of selling price valuations in diverse contexts.

Strategic Financial Management Casebook strategically uses integrative case studies-cases that do not emphasize specific subjects such as capital budgeting or value based management-to provide a framework for understanding strategic financial management. By featuring holistic presentations, the book puts readers into the shoes of those responsible for the world's largest wealth creators. It covers strategies of growth, mergers and acquisitions, financial performance analysis over the past decade, wealth created in terms of stock returns since its listing in stock market, investment and financial decisions, cost of capital, and corporate valuation. In addition, the casebook also discusses corporate restructuring activities undertaken by each company. Each chapter follows a template to facilitate learning, and each features an Excel-based case analysis worksheet that includes a complete data set for financial analysis and valuation.

"'Aspiring managers who have trouble with crunching numbers may have found a saviour in Richard Stutely.'"""

"The Guardian"

"'... a powerful tool for anyone involved with practical financial management issues. It is a superb balance between practical tips and hints and sufficient level of detail to enable you to challenge and make progress in improving the financial and operational performance of your organisation. It consciously avoids the sterile academic debates and focuses clearly on value added ideas and initiatives. The 10 questions sections are incredibly powerful.'"

"Simon Rogers, ""Senior Consultant in Big 4 Global Professional Services Firm"

Don't let a fear of finance hold you back. Play the numbers game ... and win.

If you're a manager or entrepreneur and you're not proficient in the basics of business finance, you simply can't do your job well. If you need to get to grips with essentials like P&L accounts, budgets and forecasting, this is the only book you'll ever need. "The Definitive Guide to Business Finance" is focused on getting you up to speed - fast. Richard Stutely achieves what you might think is impossible, making business finance easy with an amusing, wry and common sense style that will make you wonder what you ever worried about.

This book is a survival toolkit on the financial essentials. It assumes no specialised prior knowledge of finance and takes a guided step-by-step approach to all the techniques and concepts you need to understand, explaining the hows, whats and whys along the way. To make things even easier, it shows you how to use basic Excel spreadsheets to do all the calculations for you. Throughout the book, Richard Stutelyshoes you how to crack the jargon and unveils shortcuts, tips and tricks that will make you look like a financial wizard.

"If you're not yet a whiz with the numbers, you can definitely use this book to your advantage. If you're already a whiz, you will still find something new to improve your skills. Make the numbers add up for you."""

This timely handbook provides a current and comprehensive examination of integrated reporting, both practical and research-based. It offers insights and different perspectives from more than 60 authors, including representatives of the International Integrated Reporting Council, Integrated Reporting Committee of South Africa, professional bodies and audit firms, as well as leading academics in the fields of integrated reporting, sustainability reporting and corporate social responsibility. This collected work provides an in-depth review of the development of integrated reporting, with a focus on the interpretation and guidance provided by the International Integrated Reporting Council. It encourages the development of new thinking and research topics in the area of integrated reporting (such as links between integrated reporting and reports focused on financial and corporate social responsibility matters), as well as showcasing how integrated reporting issues are seen and practiced in different parts of the world. The chapters include reviews of the most recent research, practitioner viewpoints, conceptual pieces, case studies and disclosure analyses. Accessible and engaging, this handbook will be an invaluable overview for those new to the field or those who are interested in ensuring they are up to date with its developments, as well as those who are concerned with how to construct an integrated report.

Your personal roadmap to becoming fluent in financial reports At first glance, the data in financial reports might seem confusing or overwhelming. But, with the right guide at your side, you can learn to translate even the thickest and most complex financial reports into plain English. In Reading Financial Reports For Dummies, you'll move step-by-step through each phase of interpreting and understanding the data in a financial report, learning the key accounting and business fundamentals as you go. The book includes clear explanations of basic and advanced topics in finance, from the difference between private and public companies to cash flow analysis. In this book, you'll also find: Full coverage of how to analyze annual reports, including their balance sheets, income statements, statements of cash flow, and consolidated statements Real-world case studies and financial statement examples from companies like Mattel and Hasbro Strategies for analyzing financial reports to reveal opportunities for operations optimization Reading Financial Reports For Dummies is a can't-miss resource for early-career investors, traders, brokers, and business leaders looking to improve their financial literacy with a reliable, accurate, and easy-to-follow financial handbook.

This volume brings together a series of key articles concerning the major accounting jurisdictions within Europe. The articles cover the evolution of financial reporting in various countries and deal with features of their accounting environment which distinguish them from other jurisdictions. It is a unique collection of material which will be an essential aid for students and researchers in comparative international reporting.

This book discusses the role of business models in corporate reporting. It illustrates the evolution of non-financial reporting, the importance of business model reporting, and the main conceptualisations of business models. It also offers a methodological contribution to the assessment of business model reporting. Finally, it discusses the main implication of business model reporting for different categories of subjects and some challenges related to this kind of disclosure. Readers will understand the role of business models in the non-financial reporting landscape. They will also gain an understanding of how business models can help users of the annual report contextualise other non-financial items disclosed. However, effective business model reporting implies paying attention to certain features that define its quality. This theme is discussed in the empirical part of the book and in the section devoted to implications for preparers, users, and regulators. As large companies in the EU and the UK have to disclose the business model in the annual report, this book will be of interest to preparers and users of financial statements, regulators involved in the ongoing non-financial regulatory process, and professional bodies. It will also be of interest to academics interested in the investigation of non-financial reporting.

Better analysis for more accurate international financial valuation International Financial Statement Analysis, 4th Edition provides the most up-to-date detail for the successful assessment of company performance and financial position regardless of country of origin. The seasoned experts at the CFA Institute offer readers a rich, clear reference, covering all aspects from financial reporting mechanics and standards to understanding income and balance sheets. Comprehensive guidance toward effective analysis techniques helps readers make real-world use of the knowledge presented, with this new third edition containing the most current standards and methods for the post-crisis world. Coverage includes the complete statement analysis process, plus information on income tax accounting, employee compensation, and the impact of foreign exchange rates on the statements of multinational corporations.

The objective of this book is to prompt a re-examination of financial literacy, its social foundations, and its relationship to citizenship education. The collection includes topics that concern indigenous people's perspectives, critical race theory, and transdisciplinary perspectives, which invite a dialogue about the ideologies that drive traditional and critical perspectives. This volume offers readers opportunities to learn about different views of financial literacy from a variety of sociological, historical and cultural perspectives. The reader may perceive financial literacy as representing a multifaceted concept best interpreted through a non-segregated lens. The volume includes chapters that describe groundings for revising standards, provide innovative teaching concepts, and offer unique sociological and historical perspectives. This book contains 13 chapters, with each one speaking to a distinctive topic that, taken as a whole, offers a well-rounded vision of financial literacy to benefit social education, its research, and teaching. Each chapter provides a response from an alternative view, and the reader can also access an eResource featuring the authors' rejoinders. It therefore offers contrasting visions about the nature and purpose of financial education. These dissimilar perspectives offer an opportunity for examining different social ideologies that may guide approaches to financial literacy and citizenship, along with the philosophies and principles that shape them. The principles that teach and inform about financial literacy defines the premises for base personal and community responsibility. The work invites researchers and practitioners to reconsider financial literacy/financial education and its social foundations. The book will appeal to a range of students, academics and researchers across a number of disciplines, including economics, personal finance/personal economics, business ethics, citizenship, moral education, consumer education, and spiritual education.

The helpful workbook to help practice assessing financial statements Financial statement analysis is essential as part of any well-organized financial portfolio. As a companion piece, Financial Statement Analysis Workbook: A Practitioner's Guide allows readers the opportunity to test and hone the skills put forward in Martin Fridson and Fernando Alvarez's Financial Statement Analysis, a resource devoted to providing the analytical framework necessary to make sense of the sometimes misleading numbers put forth by companies. Scrutinizing financial statements allows one to, for example, evaluate a company's stock price or determine merger or acquisition valuations. The Financial Statement Analysis Workbook, then, provides a pathway to become familiar with these methodologies in order to be prepared to use them in real-world scenarios. With the skills provided within, you can begin to undertake goal-oriented preparation for the practical challenges of contemporary business, and feel confident in your financial decision-making. This is aided by: Question-and-answer sections within this Workbook correspond to each chapter of Financial Statement Analysis Financial statement and computational exercises designed to require analysis and synthesis of concepts covered in the core text A full list of answers in the second half of the book that help explain pitfalls within the questions An essential tool for professional analysts, investors, and students, Financial Statement Analysis Workbook offers the perfect opportunity to help turn theory into reality.

This book explains how and why corporations use the internet for reporting to their stakeholders. While many such books are limited to financial reporting, this book extends to business reporting, environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting and integrated reporting. A key part of it is the impact of the major drivers entering into modern reporting, including the movement to data driven decision making, impact of big data, advanced analytics, and the use of electronic representations of data with tools such as XBRL. It also explores the various vehicles for using the internet, including social media and blogs as well as corporate websites and the websites of regulators. And it delves into the impact of portable devices, like smart phones and tablets. Corporate reporting on the internet is changing fast because of changes in technology and in stakeholder expectations. For example, stakeholders now expect a lot more from companies than they did a few years ago in disclosing the effects of the company on the environment and the effects of the environment on the company. The book describes the evolution of corporate reporting in recent years, the state of the art now and provides a roadmap for companies to follow in the near future - a roadmap they should be starting on now. So this book is of interest to executives in charge of the reporting function for their companies, to students of accounting and management who aspire to corporate reporting responsibilities and to serious investors and others with a strong interest in corporate reporting and the direction in which it is headed. Most importantly, the book lays out a strong case for integrated reporting, what it means, attempts at integrated reporting so far, and the future of integrated websites. It also shows how reporting on the internet is ideally suited to fostering the growth of integrated reporting.

Although the need to expand the boundaries of financial reporting has been discussed since the mid-1990s, little consideration has been given to the evolution and discourses of integrated reporting of non-financial aspects. Yet by investigating how and why an organisation defines and its reporting boundaries, it is possible to understand what is truly "valued" (or not) in its business model. This innovative book reviews the guidelines and frameworks from the major relevant international organisations including: the International Accounting Standards Board, Global Reporting Initiative, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, International Integrated Reporting Council, Carbon Disclosure Standards Board, and the World Intellectual Capital Initiative, and analyses their development and impact on the boundaries of financial and non-financial reporting. Illustrated with case studies and interviews with representatives of these organisations, this concise volume makes a significant contribution to the future of reporting theory and practice. It will be of great interest to advanced students, researchers, practitioners and policy makers.

This book investigates the legitimacy of the current Australian Financial Services Licensee-Authorised Representative (AFSL-AR) licensing model, as specified in the Commonwealth Corporations Act 2001. The book rectifies the deficiency in scholarly attention to this matter by developing a new conceptualised framework for the financial planning discipline. It takes into account theories in agency, legislation, legitimacy and the independent individual regulatory regimes in other professions; thereafter integrating this framework with the financial planning theory to examine the legitimacy, or what was found to be the illegitimacy of licensing advisers via multiple third party conflicted commercially oriented licensees. This book makes a very useful reference to understanding financial planning licencing model in Australia.