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IASB och FASB utkom i maj 2014 med IFRS 15, en ny redovisningsstandard för intäktsredovisning. IFRS 15 kommer att ersätta de nuvarande standarderna för intäktsredovisning, IAS 18 och IAS 11. Tillämpningen av IFRS 15 kan resultera i mer eller mindre omfattande förändringar av intäktsredovisningen. Intäktsredovisning och effekten som följer av att tillämpa olika standarder och redovisningsprinciper har länge varit föremål för diskussion. Diskussionen bottnar i olika synsätt gällande när recognition av intäkter skall ske, det vill säga vilka rekvisit som skall föreligga för att en intäkt skall tas upp i resultaträkningen/rapport över totalresultat.I denna uppsats tillämpas rekvisitet för intäktsredovisning i enlighet med IFRS 15 och IAS 11 för att belysa effekten i resultaträkningen när respektive rekvisit tillämpas i samband med entreprenaduppdrag. Effekten av de olika rekvisiten för intäktsredovisningen av entreprenader, analyseras genom att tillämpa en modell som belyser olika informationsvärden som uppstår till följd av att rekvisiten tillämpas.Finansiella rapporter syftar till att delge information till intressenter. Vilka rekvisit som underbygger intäktsredovisningen har en nära koppling till informationsvärdet som erhålls. Olika intressenter efterfrågar olika informationsvärden i de finansiella rapporterna. I vissa fall premieras aktualitet och relevans, i andra fall tillförlitlighet. I denna uppsats analyseras två intressentperspektiv kopplat till det informationsvärde som tillämpningen av IAS 11 respektive IFRS 15 resulterar i. Decision-usefulness och stewardship utgör de primära intressentperspektiven som analyseras i denna studie.Syftet med denna studie är således att genom tillämpning av IAS 11 och IFRS 15, analysera konsekvenserna vid respektive tillämpning avseende intäktsredovisning av entreprenader. Vidare utvecklas en förklaringsmodell, underbygg med litteratur inom ämnesområdet, som konsekvent tillämpas för att analysera informationsvärdet som tillämpningen av respektive standard ger upphov till. Studien visar att tillämpningen av de olika rekvisiten kan ge upphov till information som tilltalar olika intressenter utifrån deras informationsbehov. Tillämpningen av IFRS 15 ledde i större utsträckning till varierande informationsvärden än tillämpningen av IAS 11. I studien framkommer även att rekvisiten för intäktsredovisning kan ge upphov till olika effekter i resultaträkningen. / In May 2014 the IASB and the FASB published IFRS 15, a new accounting standard for revenue recognition. IFRS 15 will replace the current standards on revenue recognition, IAS 18 and IAS 11. The application of IFRS 15 may result in more or less extensive changes in revenue recognition. Revenue recognition and the effect resulting from the application of different standards and policies has long been a subject of discussion. The discussion stems from the different views regarding when the recognition of revenue take place, i.e. the necessary prerequisites which must exist for income to be included in the income statement/statement of comprehensive income. In this paper the necessary prerequisite for revenue recognition is applied in accordance with IFRS 15 and IAS 11 in order to highlight the effect in the income statement when the respective necessary prerequisites is applied in the context of construction contracts. The effect of the various necessary prerequisites for revenue recognition of construction contracts is analyzed by applying a model that illustrates the different information values arising from the application of the necessary prerequisites. Financial reports are designed to communicate information to stakeholders. The necessary prerequisites that underpin revenue recognition have a close connection to the information value that is obtained. Different stakeholders demand different information values in the financial statements. In some cases timeliness and relevance is rewarded, in other cases reliability. In this paper a stakeholder perspective is illustrated which is linked to the information value that the application of IAS 11 and IFRS 15 results in. Decision-usefulness and stewardship are the primary stakeholder perspectives that are analyzed in this study. The purpose of this study is to analyze the consequences on revenue recognition by applying IAS 11 and IFRS 15 on construction contracts. The information value resulting from the application of the standards is analyzed through an explanatory model with basis in the subject area. The findings shows that the application of the various necessary prerequisites can lead to information that appeals to different stakeholders based on their information needs. The application of IFRS 15 led in larger extent to various information values than the application of IAS 11. The findings also show that the necessary prerequisites for revenue recognition may give rise to different effects on the income statement. This paper is written in Swedish

Bakgrund: Ersättning till verkställande direktörer är ett ämne som blossar upp i samhällsdebatten med jämna mellanrum, speciellt vid skandaler där en VD:s agerande går att ifrågasätta. Trots att rörlig ersättning funnits i mer än 130 år i Sverige och ämnet uppmärksammas i dagstidningar, finns det begränsad forskning kring ämnet.  Syfte: Att få en fördjupad förståelse för hur fastighetsbolag i Sverige, med ett högt börsvärde, ersätter sina verkställande direktörer med rörlig ersättning. Vidare att se hur dessa företag utformar sina ersättningsprogram samt skapa en förståelse för varför det finns incitament för rörlig ersättning. Studien syftar även till att ge en förståelse för hur den svenska bolagsstyrningen är uppbyggd samt tillföra kunskap avseende normbildningen av ersättning till VD.  Referensram: Avsnittet inleds med en redogörelse kring svensk bolagsstyrning samt normbildningen avseende ersättning. Vidare görs en fördjupad redogörelse kring ersättning för verkställande direktörer och ersättningsprogram. Avsnittet följer av en presentation av agentteorin som sedan sätts i ett svenskt perspektiv. Slutligen avslutas avsnittet med en redogörelse av två perspektiv på redovisning samt redovisning av värdeförändringar i förvaltningsfastigheter.  Metod: Undersökningen bygger på en metodkombination där både kvalitativa samt kvantitativa metoder använts. Årsredovisningar har varit underlag för insamling av data varvid en dokumentärstudie utförts med en sekventiell design. Vidare har ett icke-sannolikhetsurval tillämpats där urvalet baserat sig på ett subjektivt urval.  Slutsats: Informationsvärdet i företagens årsredovisningar varierar avseende ersättning till VD. Utbetalande av rörlig ersättning sker kontant i de undersökta företagen. Andelen rörlig ersättning för VD uppgår, i de undersökta företagen, till ca 20% av total ersättning. Kortsiktiga ersättningsprogram är dominerande i dessa företag. Vidare är redovisningsbaserade mått mest frekvent använda i företagens ersättningsprogram, men kompletteras upp med andra prestations mått. Justeringar av verkligt värde för fastighetsbestånden avspeglas inte i VD:s rörliga ersättningar, således är förvaltarskap utmärkande för VD i fastighetsbolag. / Background: CEO remuneration is a topic that recurs in the public debate at regular intervals, especially in the case of scandals where a CEO’s action can be questioned. Even though variable remuneration has existed for more than 130 years in Sweden and the subject is noticed in daily newspapers, there is limited research on the subject.  Purpose: To gain a deeper understanding of how real estate companies in Sweden (with a high market capitalization) reward their CEOs with variable remuneration. Furthermore, to see how the companies design their incentive-program and to gain an understanding of why there are incentives for variable remuneration. The study also aims to provide an understanding of how the Swedish corporate governance are organized and to add knowledge regarding the setting of norms for CEO remuneration.  Framework: The section begins with a description of Swedish corporate governance and the standards regarding CEO remuneration. Furthermore, an in-depth report is made regarding CEO remuneration and incentive-programs. The section continues with a presentation of Agency Theory, which is then put into a Swedish perspective. The episode ends with a description of two perspectives in accounting and reporting of value changes in investment properties.  Method: The study is based on a combination of methods where both qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Annual reports have been the basis for data collection, whereby a documentary study was carried out with a sequential design. Furthermore, a non-probability sample has been applied where the sample was based on a subjective sample.  Conclusions: The information value regarding CEO remuneration, in the annual reports, differ among the corporations. Payment of variable remuneration is made in cash. The share of variable remuneration for the CEO amounts to approx. 20 percent of total remuneration, according to the investigated corporations. Short-term incentive-programs are dominant in these corporations. Furthermore, accounting-based key performance indicators are most frequently used in the corporation’s incentive- programs, however they are supplemented with other key performance indicators. Fair value adjustments for the property holdings are not reflected in the CEO’s variable remuneration, thus stewardship is distinctive for CEOs in real estate companies.

This thesis is concerned with the classification of accounting information from the recording phase through to the reporting phase. Various criticisms on the way information is presented in financial statements, especially in the balance sheet and income statement ware found in the literature. Classification models for accounting information have been proposed in the literature but the main disadvantages of these models are that they are inherently static in nature and do not embed the notion of time. To further test the various criticisms of present classification structures, 1) a comprehensive literature survey of the criticisms of present accounting classification structures as presented by researchers in the literature was conducted, 2) a questionnaire was prepared and sent out to companies in industry, academics as well as analysts in order to test these criticisms, and 3) an analysis of the financial statements (balance sheet and income statement) of 93 companies listed on The JSE Securities Exchange South Africa (JSE) was undertaken. The outcome of the above three (3) actions led to the following hypothesis: The current classification of accounting information, from the recording phase to reclassification in the reporting phase, does not supply users of such information with the necessary information for decision-making purposes. In this regard a comprehensive classification framework for accounting information is proposed, with the following properties: • A well-defined set of attributes will be used, ultimately to classify a transaction into a static sub-framework to aid decision-making. • Time will be used to classify a transaction at the time of recording and later to reclassify it at the time of reporting. • The proposed framework will guide the classifier as to how an item finds its way into a static structure. Classification has as its step the identification of all the attributes known at the time of recording and reporting of the items implicitly involved in a transaction. These attributes in essence define the items that are to be classified into a structure as well as allowing for relationships to be drawn among the said items. One of the advantages of classification is the creation of (new) knowledge or information. The utility of such information depends on the quality of the classification performed. Normally the responsibility for classification at both the recording and reporting phases rests with the accountant. The resultant classification should provide enough information to users of financial statements, especially financial managers, to allow them to reclassify the given information to suit their own needs. An important influence on a classification framework for accounting information is the various requirements put forward by a variety of users of such information. Some of these requirements may conflict with one another. It is proposed in this thesis that a distributed union of all requirements of users be taken and all conflicting requirements be removed from the union (i.e. simply put all requirements into one group and remove all those that conflict with one another). Classification is then performed for the result. Additional information may be supplied in the statements to cater for the requirements outside the result. The classification framework for accounting information proposed in this thesis is made up of three (3) sub-frameworks as follows: • A normative sub-framework that defines a number of attributes for a transaction and which is based on the recording (past) and reporting (present) phases of accounting information. This framework also takes transactions with future aspects into account • A decision sub-framework which follows directly on the normative sub-framework and which directs the classifier as to where a transaction should be classified in a final, static sub-framework. • A static sub-framework which shows where items implicitly involved in a transaction are finally classified. Classification frameworks are proposed for both the balance sheet and the income statement. The balance sheet framework embodies a temporal component, a decision component and a static structure. A different classification layout for the income statement, including a temporal component and a static structure, is also proposed in this thesis. / Thesis (DCom (Financial Management Sciences))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Financial Management / unrestricted

Sedan 2005 är det obligatoriskt för noterade bolag att upprätta sin koncernredovisning enligt de internationella redovisningsstandarderna IFRS/IASB. Syftet är att uppnå likartade redovisningsprinciper inom EU. En viktig förändring till följd av denna reglering är att företag nu tillåts välja att värdera vissa tillgångar till verkligt värde. Det kan efter införandet uppfattas av många som att vi lever i en verkligt värde-värld. Tidigare studier i bland annat Storbritannien och Tyskland visar att så inte är fallet. Syftet med studien är att beskriva och analysera hur de svenska företagen på Large Cap har utnyttjat IAS-förordningen, som tillkom 2005 avseende värdering av icke-finansiella anläggningstillgångar, då de har möjligheten att välja mellan historiskt anskaffningsvärde och verkligt värde. Studien utgår från en kvantitativ metod där en totalundersökning av de börsnoterade företagen på Large Cap gjorts. Data gällande hur företagen värderar sina icke-finansiella anläggningstillgångar har samlats in genom en dokumentstudie, där årsredovisningar från år 2014 har studerats. Studien visar en begränsad användning av värdering till verkligt värde för icke-finansiella anläggningstillgångar i Sverige. När det används, handlar det uteslutande om värdering av Förvaltningsfastigheter, något som överensstämmer med studier som gjorts i andra länder.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how a financial literacy interface model could contribute towards the comprehensibility of financial information to decision makers in organisations. The way individuals and institutions use the concept of financial literacy suggests that different people attach different meanings to this construct. In order to establish a conceptual model for financial literacy, this study endeavours to formulate what financial literacy entails as well as decision makers’ expectations of financial information. The increase in the volume and complexity of financial information often outstrips the abilities of users to understand and interpret it for decision-making purposes. A financial literacy interface provides an opportunity window for decision makers in organisations to break through their fears and concerns in using financial figures and language. Users of financial information differ vastly with regard to their level of financial capability and sophistication, and preparers of financial information should take cognisance of the fact. The study revealed that financial literacy is a complex phenomenon and that the term encompasses more than the individual terms “financial” and “literacy”. It further endeavoured to develop a financial literacy interface model as a coordinating interface between financial information and decision makers. / Thesis (DCom)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Financial Management / unrestricted

Background: Family firms represent the majority of firms worldwide, and are regarded as a crucial part of the global economy. Despite that, there is little known about their objectives of financial reporting i.e how they use, produce and value their financial reports. In accounting literature two objectives of financial reporting are presented, a stewardship objective and a decision usefulness objective. Previous research within family business have found that family firms differ from non-family firms and that family firms utilize socioemotional wealth protection as a main reference point when making decisions.  Purpose: This study aims to provide an understanding of how family firms perceive the objective of their financial reporting and how this is shaped by SEW. Method: The study was conducted using a qualitative method and implemented through semi-structured interviews. Nine family firms participated in the study, where eight family members were interviewed and two non-family members.  Conclusion: The result suggest that four out of the five FIBER dimensions (of SEW), family influence and control, identification of family members with the firm, binding social ties and emotional attachment influence the family firm's objective of their financial reports. Meanwhile, for the fifth dimension, renewal of family bonds to the firm through dynastic succession, our study suggests that future successions do not have an influence on the family firm's perceived objective of financial reporting.

Bakgrund: Studien har genomförts för att undersöka och analysera förvärvsupplysningars användbarhet i årsredovisningar respektive integrerade rapporter från och med år 2013 till och med år 2016. Tidigare studier undersöker integrerade rapporters beslutsanvändbarhet utifrån ett investerarperspektiv, vilket kopplas till reaktioner i bolagens aktiepris ochaktieavkastning. Syfte: Syftet med vår studie är att undersöka skillnader i hur väl integrerade rapporter respektive årsredovisningar från noterade europeiska bolag, fungerar som beslutsunderlag för investerare i bolag som genomfört förvärv. Därtill är syftet att undersöka och analysera i vilken utsträckning integrerade rapporter är mer beslutsanvändbara än traditionella årsredovisningar. Genomförande: Studien utgår från en kvantitativ ansats där vi mäter hur aktiepris och aktieavkastning reagerar på årsrapporternas innehåll av förvärvsupplysningar. Detta föregås av innehållsanalyser av årsrapporterna vilka slutligen inkluderas i våra regressionsanalyser för besvarande av syftet. Resultat: Utifrån innehållsanalysen är integrerade rapporter generellt bättre på att ge beslutsanvändbara förvärvsupplysningar. Detta återspeglas i en större reaktion på de förvärvande bolagens aktiepris. Gällande aktieavkastningen uteblir reaktionen både för integrerade rapporter och traditionella årsredovisningar. Rörande upplysningar om goodwill reagerar aktiepriset för både integrerade rapporter och årsredovisningar, medan reaktioneni aktieavkastning uteblir. / Background: This study has been conducted to investigate possible differences in how integrated reports and traditional annual reports provide information about acquisitions for European listed companies from 2013 to 2016. Previous studies on integrated reporting have mainly focused on investigating whether these reports serve as a base for decision-usefulness for investors and how reporting companies' stock returns are subsequently improved after the issuance of annual reports as integrated reports, where results have varied. Aim: The purpose of our study is to investigate differences in how well integrated reports and annual reports from listed European companies serve as a basis for investors in companies that have completed acquisitions. In addition, the purpose is to investigate and analyse the extent to which integrated reports are more decision-useful than traditional annual reports. Completion: The study is based on a quantitative approach where we measure how stock price and return on equity react to acquisition information in annual reports. This is preceded by a content analysis of the annual reports, which is ultimately included in our regression analysis. Results: We find that integrated reports are generally better in acquisition disclosures than traditional annual reports. Furthermore, we find that stock prices of companies with integrated reports receive a more significant reaction in response to the disclosure of acquisition information than traditional annual reports. Such significance does not exist for the stock returns of both types of reporting companies. Lastly, we find that share prices of both types of reporting companies significantly respond to goodwill and intangible assets disclosures.

The main goal of this thesis was to obtain an understanding of the way in which accounting practices that are constantly in transition generate the information that is disclosed in corporate annual reports (CARS). The study shows that CARS may be seen as a product of two main interrelated information processing systems, the first being the mandatory financial information system (MFIS) and the second the discretionary information system (DIS). The MFIS uses accounting practices such as generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), which include International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), International Accounting Standards (IASs), JSE regulations and the Companies' Act requirements, in producing the information disclosed in CARS. The needs of users to reduce the uncertainty and risks in their decision making have an influence on the constantly evolving accounting practices. Standard-setting bodies play a major role in the development and refinement of GAAP. On the other hand, the DIS, in order to provide a complete picture of business entities, uses discretionary accounting practices to produce the contextual information contained in CARS. These discretionary accounting practices are also currently in transition. They cater for the production of information on the business environment, and provide an operating and financial review, overview of strategy, forward-looking information, key performance indicators and information on corporate governance and transparency. Standard-setting bodies may be able to use the contextual information contained in CARS to develop and refine the GAAP used by the MFIS. / Thesis (DComm(Accounting Sciences))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Financial Management / DCom / unrestricted

The broad aim of this research was to assess the decision-usefulness of environmental reports produced by South African companies that are listed on the Johanessburg Securities Exchange (JSE) to users of the reports. The study was motivated by a lack of research on the decision-usefulness of environmental reports in South Africa. The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase in form of a content analysis evaluated the decision-usefulness of the environmental reports of top 100 JSE-listed South African companies using a control list and a judgement scale. The second phase in form of a questionnaire survey was aimed at determining, the information needs of users of environmental reports produced by South African companies (that are listed on the JSE), the extent to which they read and employ the reports for making decisions. In addition, this phase was meant to ascertain the degree of users' satisfaction with the decision-usefulness of the environmental reports as well as elicit their suggestions on ways of improving the reports. Furthermore, the second phase was aimed at determining the users’ perception of the relative importance of environmental reports as well as ascertaining whether there was an expectation gap between the users and the preparers of the reports with regard to their decision-usefulness. The results of the content analysis phase of the study indicate that the environmental reports of the sampled companies were decision-useful, however their decision-usefulness varied widely. Although decision-useful, the environmental reports of the sampled companies were not comparable. In addition, the environmental reports of companies from sectors with a significant impact on the environment, and those of large companies were more decision-useful than the reports of companies from sectors with an insignificant impact on the environment and those of smaller companies. The results of the questionnaire survey phase of the study indicate that users prefer balanced environmental reports that disclose both negative and positive aspects that identify and describe key relevant issues, that are specific and contain accurate information, and that provide future oriented information. In addition, users prefer environmental reports that identify and address key stakeholders and their concerns, demonstrate the integration of environmental issues into core business processes, and that compare quantitative impacts against best practice. Furthermore, the results also indicate that users do read environmental reports, mostly from companies’ websites Portable Document Format (PDF) annual reports and that they mostly use the environmental reports for research, their own knowledge, and to hold companies accountable. However, users are not fully satisfied with the decision-usefulness of the environmental reports as they feel that there is a need to improve the reports in order to make them more decision-useful. The results also indicate that users perceive environmental reports to be more important than any other type of reports, most notably the financial reports. Comparing the responses of the users to those of preparers on various issues pertaining to the decision-usefulness of environmental reports, significant differences were found between the views of the two groups. These differences provide ample evidence that is consistent with the existence of an environmental reporting expectation gap in South Africa. This study makes several original contributions to environmental reporting literature, most notable of which is that, it is the first study in the South African context to empirically evaluate the quality (decision-usefulness) of environmental reports in line with the accounting conceptual frameworks and the GRI guidelines combined. By so doing, the study introduces to the academic literature an extensive five dimensional qualitative characteristic framework for evaluating the quality (decision-usefulness) of environmental reports. In addition, the study uniquely employs the decision-usefulness theory to provide insights into the environmental reporting practices of South African companies that are listed on the JSE. In so doing, it re-contextualises the theory that is typically employed in explaining financial reporting, and demonstrates its applicability in explaining the decision-usefulness of the environmental reporting practices of South African companies that are listed on the JSE. / Accounting / D. Com. (Accounting)