A research report submitted In partial fulfilment of the Degree: Master of Commerce School of Accountancy 2015 / Using an exploratory interpretive research approach and IFRS 13 as a case study, this thesis investigates the factors which affect the decision to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards. Detailed interviews with a sample of some of South Africa’s preparers’ of financial information and audit managers are used to gain an understanding of what factors influence companies, other than those in the financial services sector, to adopt early IFRS 13. The research findings are particularly significant as very little interpretive research has been performed on financial reporting from a South African perspective. In addition, the research performed to date has primarily considered the adoption of IFRS as a whole rather than a particular standard within IFRS. In addition, the fact that IFRS 13 has only recently been released offers an invaluable opportunity to study how current international accounting developments are being internalised by South African corporates. Through the interview process it was determined that the majority of the interviewees did not elect to early adopt IFRS 13. As a result, the rationale of the decision to not early adopt IFRS 13 was discussed and explored. It was found that technical constraints - such as the need to provide staff training and the requirement to provide additional accounting disclosure – discouraged the early adoption of the standard. Factors such as the effect of adoption on earnings, decisions made by competitors as well as the relevance of the standard to business operations were also considered as part of this decision. Overall, the interviewees showed a logic of resistance towards the standard and the standard setters which is manifested, not by misapplication of the standard, but by dismissing its ability to provide more useful information to users of financial statements and delaying its adoption.

Determinants influencing consumer eco-innovation adoption and green curtailment behaviors in a travel context are at the center of this thesis. Previous research on green consumer behavior has uncovered that internalized personal attitudinal factors such as values, beliefs, and norms are influential in determining mainly non-consumption and post-purchase behaviors. This thesis extends the understanding of a moral basis of green consumer behavior by exploring the influences of attitudinal factors on both car curtailment behaviors, and on consumer adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation – the alternative fuel vehicle. The integrated influences of innovation specific characteristics, car habits, knowledge and social norms, are also examined. Furthermore, differences between AFV adopters and non-adopters are explored, and the notion of consumers performing purchase and curtailment behaviors for different reasons is utilized in the development of nuanced profiles of three distinct consumer groups. Four studies, which build on two quantitative data collections on adopters and non-adopters of AFVs in Swe­den, are included in this thesis. In the first study, similarities and differences among adopters and non-adopters of AFVs, and the effects of attitudinal factors (values, beliefs, and norms), knowledge, and sociodemo­graphics on the adoption decision are analyzed. The results show that knowledge and personal norms are strong predictors of AFV adoption and that the VBN theory is applicable in this context. The main implication from the study is that high-involvement green purchase deci­sions, such as eco-innovation adoption, can be viewed as morally based. In the second study, a set of determinants influencing both curtailment of car use and willing­ness to adopt a less environmentally harmful vehicle are analyzed. Biospheric values, per­sonal proenvironmental norms, and car habit strength are found to influence both types of behaviors in different ways. The main implication from this study is that green purchase deci­sions and curtailment behaviors within a specific context are determined by partly different factors but personal norm is a strong predictor of both types of behaviors. The third study extends the findings from the previous one in segmenting consumers on cur­tailment behaviors and proenvironmental purchases. Three distinct types of consumers emerge from the data. The Non-greens are found to exhibit the lowest levels of green attitudes and behaviors, and the strongest car habits. The Curtailers are distinguished by performing primar­ily reductionist behaviors, and by being the most willing to reduce negative environ­mental impact of car use. The Ecovators are found to be the most inclined to purchase eco-innovations and also display the greenest values. The study shows that green consumers are a heterogeneous group that can be separated on the basis of green curtailment behaviors and proenvironmental purchase decisions, and that there seems to be no inherent contradiction in being an early adopter of new green technology (such as the AFV) and also having high levels of proenviron­mental values, beliefs, and norms. In the final study, innovation specific characteristics and consumer innovativeness factors are integrated with normative and attitudinal determinants influencing AFV adoption. The results show that personal and social norms, consumer novelty seeking, and four perceived innovation characteristics influence the adoption decision. Differences between AFV adopters’ and non-adopters’ ratings of AFV specific attributes are also analyzed. The contribution of this study is the integration of VBN theory and the DOI framework and the empirical conclusion that eco-innovations need to deliver on both traditional and proenvironmental attributes in order to be perceived as attractive by consumers. In sum, this thesis demonstrates the importance of proenvironmental personal norms for consumer adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation such as the AFV.

強制報導資產減損的目的為希冀企業能夠真實反映出資產的公平價值，使會計資訊能夠有更完整的報導。 本研究探討的主題一為上市公司選擇適用三十五號財務會計準則公報之時點是否會受到管理階層之盈餘管理動機與公司特性所影響。實證結果顯示，當上市公司有未預期的負營運績效時，管理階層會自願提前認列資產減損來達到洗大澡的目的，而一旦提前適用三十五號財務會計準則公報時，管理階層也會同時選擇認列鉅額的資產減損比例來達成盈餘管理的目的，與釋放潛在獲利改善的訊息給投資大眾。 本研究探討的主題二為上市公司認列資產減損金額比率是否會受到管理階層之盈餘管理動機與公司特性之影響。實證結果顯示，上市公司認列減損金額時，除受到管理階層洗大澡動機的影響外，也會將公司本身之固定資產比率、負債比率與公司規模等公司特性列入考量，而非只是單純的應公報要求認列資產減損而認列損失。 與三十五號財務會計準則公報的本意相反，實證結果顯示資產減損的報導在強制認列之後，似乎未使財務報表的品質提升，反映出企業的真實價值，而是給予經理人更多空間與誘因操縱盈餘。 / Accounting Research and Development Foundation in Taiwan (the Accounting Standards Setting Body in Taiwan) issued Statement Financial Accounting Standards No.35, “Accounting for the Impairment of Assets”on July 2004. Prior to SFAS No.35, accounting for assets impairment often remains room for substantial judgments and estimates without any specific regulation. The new statement was issued primarily to establish guidelines to recognize impairment of assets that reflects more true value of the enterprises. The statement was effective for fiscal year 2005. The board encouraged early application of the standard. The purposes of this research are to find out (i) if companies manage earnings by adopting SFAS No.35 earlier and what characteristics of firms will tend to adopt it earlier, and (ii) when a company recognizes impairment of assets, does the amount of the impairment affected by the motivation for earnings management of other characteristics of the company. The empirical analysis reveals “taking a big bath” of earnings management behavior and the growth of fix assets are the factors influencing the decision of early adoption of the accounting standard. Another empirical result suggests that when companies have higher unexpected losses, they tend to recognize large amount of impairment loss to improve the quality of the earnings in the future. Companies that chose to adopt SFAS No.35 earlier appeal to have a great amount of impairment loss too. Finally, the characteristics of companies such as high fixed assets ratio, high debt ratio, and small size are also the factors leading to the recognition of a larger amount of impairment loss.