Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka och förklara hur olika egenskaper hos ledarskapsfigurer (Verkställande direktör, ekonomichef) kan påverka goodwillnedskrivningar samt det redovisade värdet av goodwill. Metod: Studien tar en deduktiv ansats och grundas på en dokumentstudie, hypoteser har formats och analyserats samt därefter accepterats eller förkastats. Teoretiskt perspektiv: Studiens grundläggande teoretiska perspektiv är agentteorin samt den positiva redovisningsteorin. Andra teorier som belyses i studien är bland annat teorin om verkligt värde och beteende teorin inom bolag. Empiri: Studien är kvantitativ och består av data som insamlats från årsredovisningar av bolag noterade på Stockholmsbörsen. Slutsats: Datamaterialet kunde inte påvisa någon signifikans mellan nyckelpersonernas beteende och deras påverkan på goodwillnedskrivningar samt det redovisade värdet av goodwill. / Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explain how different individual factors at an executive level (CEO, CFO) has an effect on goodwill impairments and the accounted value of goodwill. Methodology: The paper has an deductive approach and is based upon a document study at firms listed at Nasdaq OMX Stockholm. Theoretical perspective: The essential theoretical perspective is positive accounting theory and the agency theory. Other theoretical perspectives in this paper are fair-value theory and the behavioral theory of the firm. Empiric foundation: The empirical foundation in this paper is quantitative and is based on data collected from annual reports from the firms that are listed at the Nasdaq OMX Stockholm. Conclusions: The collected data couldn’t find any significance between the behavior of the key persons and goodwill impairment and the accounted value of goodwill.

Background and problem: This paper illuminates the problem with temptation of earnings management. However, there are particular disadvantages when companies use this technique because it creates an information asymmetry at the stock market. Problem of earnings management is although not a new phenomenon there issue is the quality of financial reporting. The development is concerning, since recently the performance of financial report has a negative trend, a trend that could harm the financial world. If a company does not provide meaningful information the fundamentals of capital market lose confidence. Purpose: This study has two purposes. The first purpose is to evaluate the ability of various discretionary accruals model at Stockholm Exchange Market. The second purpose is concerning a new model in purpose to understand and reveal earnings management. Boundaries: Data contains only business corporations at large cap and operate at the Stockholm Stock Exchange market. Furthermore is this research based on a time series data from year 2000 – 2009 and cross section data from year 2009. Method: The approach of the methodology are inspired of prior earnings management research, as Healy (1985), DeAngelo (1986) and Jones (1991) which have relied on discretionary accruals to detect earnings management. Conclusion: The result indicates that the Jones modified model is the most powerful models to explain earnings management, which also is consistent with prior studies. The result from the extended Jones modified model indicates no improvement, concerning on revealing earnings management. Further, the results confirm that the null hypothesis can be rejected at 1% significant level but the F-value fall drastically compare to Jones modified model. Suggestions for further research: One suggestion is that more research should be conducted in order to develop accounting policies aimed at limiting the application of earnings management. Alternatively, future research should base on data that measures the phenomenon of earnings management at a deeper level. Yet there are some obstacles to gather desire data and therefore it is not easily accessible. / Bakgrund och problem: Den här studien undersöker resultatstyrning, då det finns både fördelar och nackdelar med att tillämpa denna metod. Problemet med resultatstyrning är dock inte ett nytt fenomen, där tidigare studier visar att kvalitet på den finansiella rapporteringen kan ifrågasättas. Företagens årsredovisning skall speglar en rättvisande bild av verksamheten och således är utvecklingen oroväckande eftersom trovärdigheten för den finansiella rapporteringen har fått en negativ trend, en trend som kan skada den finansiella marknaden. Syfte: Den här studien utvärdera och jämföra hur befintliga disketionära modeller förhåller sig på Stockholmsbörsen. Dessutom utvecklas en förbättringsmodell. En model med förklaringsvariabler som ger ett nytt och/eller annorlunda perspektiv på fenomenet. Avgränsningar: Undersökningen omfattar endast företag som är registrerad på large cap och verkar på Stockholmsbörsen. Data som används i studien är dels en tidsserie data från år 2000-2009 och dels tvärsnittsdata från år 2009. Metod: Den här undersökningen tillämpar liknande metoder som tidigare studier, beträffande resultatstyrning såsom Healy (1985), DeAngelo (1986) och Jones (1991) där de definierar diskretionär avsättning som vinstmanipulering. Slutsats: Resultaten visar att Jones modified model förklara och upptäcker resultatstyrning på ett bättre sätt än de andra modellerna. Denna slutsats överrensstämmer med tidigare studier. Resultaten från den utökande Jones modified model visar inte några förbättringar. Dock förkastar den noll hypotesen på 1 % signifikansnivå men F-värdet sjunker kraftigt jämförelsevis mot Jones modified model. Förslag till vidare forskning: Ett förslag är att framtida forskning bör bedrivas i syfte för att utveckla redovisningsprinciper som begränsar resultatstyrning. Alternativt förslag är att samla in data som mäter resultatstyrning på en djupare nivå, dock är det problematiskt med dagens

The audit firms play an important role in the capital markets by verifying that auditors provide reliable information to the decision makers. However, trust in auditing firms has been questioned following Enron‘s failure and accounting scandals at WorldCom and other companies. As a result, Arthur Anderson failed and the number of big audit firms fell to four firms and no one knows who might be next. Defond and Francis (2005) believe that a critical trigger occurred when Deloitte & Touch issued a “clean” peer review report on Arthur Andersen in December 2001, just a few weeks before Andersen publicly announced that it had shredded documents related to Enron audit. The credibility and integrity of the profession‘s self-regulation program was immediately in doubt. To protect public interests and to restore confidence in the capital markets, the USA government issued the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in 2002. Similarly, the Financial Reporting Council in the UK provided the Professional Oversight Board with similar mission. This thesis aims to explore the role of independent audit regulators in promoting confidence in the audit profession, and analyse the big four firms’ strategies that react toward these regulatory changes in the audit markets. The lack of studies in this area supports the use of grounded theory as a research methodology. 24 semi-structured interviews were conducted with the top management level of the audit regulators and big four firms’ partners. This study contributes to the literature as it provides a better understanding of the satisfaction of the big four audit firms toward the new independent regulators, and how these firms react toward the additional requirements of the independent inspectors.

This thesis examines how the implementation process of Expected Credit Loss Model in the accounting standard IFRS 9 – Financial instruments is perceived and interpreted and how these factors can affect comparability in accounting. One of the main changes with IFRS 9 is that companies need to account for expected credit losses rather than just incurred ones. The data is primarily collected through a web survey where all of Nordic banks and credit institutes with a minimum book value of total assets of euro 1 billion, are invited to participate. The presentation of the collected data from the web survey is reported relative frequencies in tables. The analysis is carried out with the assistance of the theoretical framework consisting of Positive Accounting Theory and Agency Theory. The conclusion of the thesis is that how the level of information in the implementation process is interpreted and perceived can affect comparability in accounting negatively due to the room for subjective interpretations.

Forskningsproblem Sedan 2013 får svenska kommuner reservera medel i enresultatutjämningsreserv (RUR) för att utjämna skatteintäkteröver en konjunkturcykel. Behov finns att förklara efterlevnadenav denna nya, frivilliga redovisningsreglering. Syfte Syftet med studien är att beskriva och förklara tillämpning ochefterlevnad av RUR i svenska kommuner. Metod 16 hypoteser härleds utifrån befintlig redovisningsteori. Dessaprövas genom en dokumentstudie av 289 årsredovisningar.Dessutom intervjuas 2 ekonomichefer. Resultat 122 svenska kommuner (42 %) har reserverat medel till(tillämpar) RUR. Endast 5 kommuner (4 %) har korrektredovisning (efterlevnad) av RUR. Medelkommunen avviker 40% från lagstiftningen. Kunskapsbidrag De statistiska analyserna visar att finansiell styrka, politiskmajoritet och revisionsbyrå kan förklara tillämpning ochefterlevnad av RUR. Intervjustudien indikerar även att resurserinom kommunen, graden av engagemang hos tjänstemän samtandra kommuner påverkar RUR. / Problem Since 2013, Swedish municipalities have the opportunity toreserve funds to a municipal balancing reserve (MBR), inorder to equalize tax revenues during an economic cycle.There are needs to explain the compliance of this new,voluntary accounting regulation. Purpose The aim of this study is to describe and explain accountingchoice and compliance of MBR in Swedish municipalities. Method 16 hypothesis are derived from existent accounting theory.They are tested through a document study of 289 annualreports. Furthermore, 2 CFOs are interviewed. Results 122 Swedish municipalities (42 %) have reserved funds toMBR. Only 5 municipalities (4 %) have excellentcompliance. On average, municipalities deviate 40 % fromthe legal requirements. Contribution The statistical analyses show that financial strength, politicalmajority and audit firm can explain practice and complianceof MBR. The interviews also indicates that resources withinthe municipality, the level of commitment among theofficials and other municipalities influence MBR.

Bakgrund: 97 procent av alla svenska företag har stått inför valet mellan regelverken K2 och K3. De nya regelverken, som gäller för mindre företag, ska tillämpas i alla årsredovisningar efter den 1 januari 2014. Tidigare studier i redovisningsval visar att företag inte alltid är rationella, utan att helt andra faktorer påverkar valen, därför uppkom intresset av att undersöka vad som påverkat företag i valet mellan K2 och K3. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att förklara vad som har påverkat mindre aktiebolag i deras val mellan K2 och K3. Vidare är syftet att förstå på vilket sätt dessa faktorer har påverkat mindre aktiebolags val. Metod: Studien utgår ifrån ett deduktivt angreppssätt där positiv redovisningsteori och institutionell teori används för att förklara valet mellan K2 och K3. Studien inleds med en kvantitativ undersökning genom databasinsamling och telefonenkäter som sedan kompletteras med kvalitativa intervjuer. Slutsats: Resultatet visar att variablerna Bransch, Koncern och Revisionsbyrå kan förklara mindre aktiebolags val mellan K2 och K3. Studien visar även att medvetenheten om vilket regelverk som följs, hos företag är väldigt låg. För att förklara redovisningsval behövs alltså argument från både positiv redovisningsteori och institutionell teori. / Background: 97 percent of all Swedish companies have faced the choice between the regulations K2 and K3. The new regulations, which apply to smaller companies, shall be applied in all financial statements after January 1, 2014. Previous studies in accounting choices show that companies are not always rational but completely different factors affects their choices, therefore arose the interest to investigate what has influenced companies in their choice between K2 and K3. Purpose: The aim of this study is to explain what has affected smaller companies in their choice between K2 and K3. The study further intends to create understanding on how these factors have affected smaller companies’ choices. Method: The study is based on a deductive approach, where Positive Accounting Theory and Institutional Theory are used to explain the choice between K2 and K3. The study starts with a quantitative database collection and telephone questionnaires, which is complemented by qualitative interviews. Conclusion: The study shows that variables such as Industry, Group affiliation and Auditing firm may explain smaller companies’ choice between K2 and K3. The study also shows that the companies’ awareness of what rules they follow is very low. To explain accounting choices this study needed arguments from both Positive Accounting Theory and Institutional Theory.

No description available.

Este trabalho procura investigar as bases teóricas e normativas para o reconhecimento contábil das operações em descontinuidade, que são partes representativas de um negócio que estão sendo vendidas, transferidas ou abandonadas. O objetivo é verificar se o reconhecimento e a evidenciação contribuem para o aumento da capacidade do usuário em realizar projeções acerca do desempenho futuro da empresa. A teoria da contabilidade traz uma série de parâmetros em termos de reconhecimento, mensuração e evidenciação dessas operações, que pode ser utilizada na elaboração de normas contábeis. Dois conjuntos de normas foram analisados: as norte-americanas e as internacionais do IASC. Um estudo comparativo foi realizado, seguido da elaboração de um estudo de caso prático em que se observam as conseqüências da não existência de normas no Brasil e como a informação poderia ser apresentada segundo as regras norte-americanas e do IASC. / This work tries to investigate the theoretical and normative bases for accounting recognition of discontinuing operations, which are representative parts of a business being sold, spun-off or abandoned. The objective is to verify if recognition and disclosure contribute to the increase of the user's capacity in accomplishing projections concerning the future performance of the company. Accounting theory brings a series of parameters in recognition, measurement and disclosure terms, which can be used in the elaboration of accounting standards. Two groups of standards were analyzed: the US-GAAP and the international standards of IASC. A comparative study was accomplished, followed by the elaboration of a practical study case in that are observed the consequences of no existence of rules in Brazil and how the information could be presented according to US-GAAP and of IASC.

Esta pesquisa investiga se os resultados contábeis de empresas publicados no Brasil apresentam reconhecimento tempestivo e assimétrico de perdas econômicas na ocorrência de sinais contemporâneos de mau desempenho, atributo de conservadorismo condicional. Através da análise de dados balanceados em painel, efetuaram-se regressões multivariadas utilizando os Modelos de Componentes Transitórios nos Lucros, de Apropriações Contábeis e Fluxos de Caixa, de Apropriações Discricionárias e modelos correlatos. Foram examinados os números contábeis de amostra de 110 Companhias de Capital Aberto e de 2.700 Companhias de Capital Fechado, coletada junto à SERASA, compreendendo o período de 1995 a 2004, abrangendo cerca de 20.000 demonstrações contábeis de sociedades por ações brasileiras. A tese de que os lucros publicados por essas empresas não contêm o atributo do conservadorismo condicional ? as empresas brasileiras não antecipam oportunamente o registro de perdas econômicas ? não pôde ser rejeitada aos níveis usuais de significância estatística. Adicionalmente, foram caracterizados, estatisticamente, evidências de gerenciamento de resultados contábeis, o que distingue o comportamento preponderantemente oportunista dos gestores responsáveis pela divulgação dos agregados contábeis. Ademais, tal característica assinala a baixa eficiência informacional das demonstrações contábeis em sua função de servir como suporte para a elaboração e o monitoramento de contratos entre as firmas e seus públicos de interesse. As companhias de capital fechado não apresentaram ? também com significância estatística ? diferenças relevantes na qualidade informacional de seus relatórios em relação às suas congêneres de capital aberto. Os resultados da pesquisa sugerem que condições institucionais locais ligadas às formas contratuais adotadas pelas firmas brasileiras não incentivam economicamente a demanda de informações contábeis publicadas para o monitoramento ex-post dos contratos com as empresas pesquisadas. Enfim, a ausência dos atributos dos relatórios contábeis aqui estudados conduz à ilação de que não são publicados com a intenção de reduzir a assimetria informacional existente entre agentes associados às firmas e os gestores destas. Ao contrário, pode-se aduzir que o comportamento observado busca preservar benefícios privados do controle das empresas para os gestores, não se constatando a presença de eficiência informacional nos relatórios contábeis pesquisados. / This research project examines whether the published numbers in the financial reports in Brazil present an asymmetric and timely recognition of economic losses upon occurrence of contemporary signs of a poor performance, which is an attribute of conditional conservatism. Through the analysis of balanced panel data, multivariate regressions were made using the Earnings Transitory Components, Accrual Accounting and Cash Flows and Discretionary Accrual Models and other correlative models. Financial reports of a sample of 110 public companies and 2,700 private companies were examined. These financial reports, encompassing about 20,000 financial statements of Brazilian corporations, were obtained from SERASA and covered the period 1995-2004. The thesis that the published profits by these companies do not contain the conditional conservatism attribute? the Brazilian companies do not timely anticipate economic losses? could not be rejected considering the usual levels of statistical significance. Moreover, evidence of earnings management have been statistically characterized, which points out a preponderantly opportunist behavior from the managers in charge of disclosing accounting numbers. Furthermore, such feature indicates poor informational efficiency of the accounting statements when used as a supporting tool for the preparation and monitoring of contracts between companies and their stakeholders. The closely-held companies did not show-- also with statistical significance-- relevant differences in the informational quality of their reports compared to other publiclyheld companies of similar nature. The results from the research suggest that local institutional conditions associated with contractual arrangements adopted by Brazilian companies do not economically encourage a demand for published accounting information for the ex-post monitoring of contracts with the researched companies. Finally, the absence of these accounting reports? attributes leads us to the conclusion that they are not published with the purpose of reducing informational asymmetry between agents associated with those companies and their managers. Otherwise, it can be inferred that this behavior aims to preserve the managers? private benefits of company?s control, not being observed informational efficiency in the researched financial reports.

A Contabilidade deve ser capaz de prover seus usuários com informações úteis, a serem utilizadas no processo gerencial de tomada de decisões. Assim, os relatórios contábeis devem estar revestidos de relevância e retratar fielmente a real posição do patrimônio de uma entidade a qualquer momento, em seus aspectos físicos, operacionais, financeiros e econômicos. Entende-se que, para atender a essas finalidades, a Contabilidade deveria reconhecer os acréscimos e decréscimos de riqueza no patrimônio de uma entidade continuamente, quando de fato ocorressem. A forma como essas variações patrimoniais se configuram é através do reconhecimento de receitas e a confrontação com as respectivas despesas. Idealmente, o reconhecimento de receitas deveria ocorrer quando elas fossem de fato obtidas pela entidade. Com base no exposto acima, foi formulado o problema de pesquisa desta dissertação, que é o seguinte: De que forma o reconhecimento dos acréscimos e decréscimos de riqueza das entidades no momento em que de fato ocorrem é tratado pela Contabilidade em seus relatórios? E, com base nesse problema de pesquisa, formularam-se as seguintes hipóteses de pesquisa: a) se os relatórios contábeis forem baseados nos Princípios Fundamentais de Contabilidade, então não reconhecerão os acréscimos ou decréscimos de riqueza das entidades no momento em que de fato ocorrem; b) se os relatórios contábeis forem baseados na abordagem gerencial da Gestão Econômica, então reconhecerão os acréscimos e decréscimos de riqueza das entidades no momento em que de fato ocorrem. A revisão de bibliografia efetuada, bem como o exemplo de aplicação dos conceitos extraídos da literatura contábil permite afirmar que a prática contábil atual, baseada nos Princípios Fundamentais de Contabilidade, não retrata os acréscimos e decréscimos de riqueza das entidades continuamente, quando de fato ocorrem, uma vez que as receitas são reconhecidas basicamente de forma pontual, quando de sua realização. Em muitas situações, a obtenção e a realização de uma receita ocorrem conjuntamente, entretanto, em outras isso não ocorre. Já a abordagem gerencial da Gestão Econômica reconhece os acréscimos e decréscimos de riqueza no patrimônio das entidades continuamente, quando de fato ocorrem, de tal forma que o reconhecimento de receitas é efetuado quando elas são obtidas. Por conseqüência, ambas as hipóteses de pesquisa desta dissertação foram comprovadas, e o problema de pesquisa atendido. / The Accounting must be capable of providing users with useful information to be used in the managerial decision-making process. Thus, the financial statements have to be relevant and reflect properly the real financial position of the equity of an entity at any time, in its physical, operational, financial and economic aspects. To attend these purposes, the Accounting should recognize the increases and decreases of wealth in the equity of an entity continuously, when they really occur. The form in which these variations are configured is through the recognition of revenues and confrontation with the respective expenses. Ideally, the recognition of revenues should occur when they are actually obtained by the entity. Based on the concepts above, the problem of this study research was formulated: In what way the increases and decreases of wealth of the entities are treated by the Accounting in his financial reports? And, based on the problem of research, the following hypothesis of research were formulated: a) if the financial reports are based in the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, then they will not recognize the increases and decreases of wealth of the entities when they really occur; b) if the financial reports are based on the managerial approach of the Economic Management, then they will recognize the increases and decreases of wealth when they really happen. The research done in Accounting books, as well the example of application of the concepts presented and discussed in this study let asseverate that the actual accounting practices, based on the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, does not portray the increases and decreases of wealth of the entities continuously, when they really occur, once the revenues are recognized basically punctually, when of his financial realization. In many situations, the obtainment and the financial realization of revenues occur simultaneously, however, in others that do not happen. In the other hand, the managerial approach of the Economic Management recognizes the increases and decreases of wealth in the equity of the entities continuously, when they really happen, in a way that, the revenues are recognized when they are really obtained. As a result of this study, the two hypothesis of research were confirmed, and the problems of research attended.