The global move towards sustainability and sustainability reporting, the rise and influence of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and triple bottom line reporting, together with the launch of the King III Report, and revision of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listing requirements in South Africa, both requiring the preparation of an integrated report, have resulted in a uniquely altered information environment, in which investors are required to make investment decisions. The value-relevance of this new sustainability information is however to date untested in a South African context. The introduction of the Social Responsible Investment (SRI) Index in South Africa provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the value-relevance of such new reporting. This research report tests the GRI, using the SRI Index as a proxy, to determine whether this accepted reporting standard is recognized as being valuerelevant, from both a short term and long term perspective, on the JSE over the period 2004 to 2012. The short term value-relevance is tested using cumulative average abnormal returns in an event study methodology, while the long term effect was investigated using a 4-tiered portfolio construction technique, which uses the SRI Index category rankings to define the portfolios. The results indicate that true to the long term nature of sustainability information, in the short term the quality of sustainability and sustainability reporting has no effect on the market value of a company. However, in the long term, a positive effect was found where the SRI listed portfolio, and the SRI best performer portfolio, significantly outperformed the non-listed portfolio on a consistent basis as measured using relative performance. The SRI persistent best performer portfolio however underperformed all other portfolios. This is however due to an overwhelming lack of diversification due to a low number of shares in the portfolio, as well as the portfolio being severely overweight in resource shares, which tend to be the best reporters, due to their large environmental impact. The research report therefore concludes that investing in a higher quality SRI/GRI sustainability portfolio, as opposed to a lower quality portfolio, resulted in excess returns to the investors over the period 2004-2012.

A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of Masters of Commerce in Accounting 2016. / This paper explores the logics of resistance to fair value accounting, which entails the motivations to resist, as well as the mechanisms of resistance. It applies an interpretive approach to investigate this, using data collected from interviews with a sample of South African accounting professionals. The study demonstrates that while fair value accounting is being applied in the financial statements of organisations from a legalistic perspective, the application is superficial and ceremonious due to an established culture of compliance, and the need for funding, which engenders a ‘tick the box’ approach. The superficiality of application is complimented with a range of motivations to resist IFRS 13, which stem from practical concerns as well as theoretical, to create for a resistant attitude to fair value accounting. This resistance has been evidenced in this study, to manifest in various mechanisms that can be employed to avoid fair value accounting. These mechanisms are indicative of decoupling since they involve gaps being created between the purpose of financial statements, and the financial statements prepared, without blatant disregard of fair value accounting principles. These findings have been used to formulate recommendations which may be useful for preparers of financial statements, auditors and standard setters alike. While the aim of the study is not to identify deficiencies of fair value accounting principles, the consequence of exploring logics of resistance to fair value accounting is that it highlights areas that require further assessment in order to achieve the objectives of standards. / MT2017

O presente trabalho possui o objetivo de investigar se a adoção das IFRS mudou a relação da variação do valor justo dos derivativos no valor de mercado em instituições financeiras do mundo e em particular no Brasil entre os anos de 2005 e 2015. A abordagem desta pesquisa é empírico-analítica e para a análise dos modelos propostos foi utilizada a técnica de dados em painel e realizados testes de adequação para melhor estimação. A hipótese investigada é que a variação do valor justo dos derivativos, associada à adoção das IFRS, podem influenciar o valor de mercado da empresa. Adicionalmente, foi realizada análise complementar segregando o valor justo dos derivativos entre os que foram designados para hedge e os não de hedge. Nos modelos completos foram considerados controles como o Tamanho do banco, Índice de Basileia, a ocorrência da Crise em 2008, o número de analistas que seguem a instituição e o sistema jurídico para a amostra mundial. Após os testes empíricos, não foram encontradas relações estatisticamente relevantes entre a variação do valor justo dos derivativos após a adoção das IFRS e o valor de mercado das companhias investigadas tanto no Brasil como no mundo, de uma forma geral. A pouca liquidez do mercado de capitais do Brasil, o tratamento dos derivativos pelas normas locais do Banco Central antecedente ao IFRS e a utilização de bases de dados secundárias com grande presença de dados faltantes para a amostra mundial podem explicar esse resultado. / The objective of this study is to investigate whether the adoption of IFRS has changed the relationship of the derivatives fair value on the market value of financial institutions in the world and in particular in Brazil between 2005 and 2015. The approach of this research is empirical-analytical and for the analysis of the proposed models, the panel data technique was used and adequacy tests were performed for better estimation. The investigated hypothesis is that the variation of the derivatives fair value, associated with the adoption of IFRS, can influence the market value of the company. In addition, a complementary analysis was performed segregating the derivatives fair value between those that were designated for hedge and the non hedge. In the full models, controls such as Bank Size, Basle Index, the occurrence of the Crisis in 2008, the number of analysts who followed the institution and the legal system for the world sample were considered. After the empirical tests, there were no statistically significant relationship between the variation of the derivatives fair value after the adoption of the IFRS and the market value of the companies investigated in Brazil as in the world, in general. The low liquidity of the Brazilian capital market, the treatment of derivatives by the local standards of the Central Bank of Brazil prior to IFRS and the use of secondary databases with a large presence of missing data for the world sample may explain this result.

Diploma thesis deals with the comparison of financial statements in accordance with Czech accounting regulations and International Financial Reporting Standards. The theoretical section is divided into several chapters devoted to IFRS, conceptual framework, convergence project and Czech legislation. The main part of the theoretical section is divided according to individual financial statements, where particular related requirements are put into a comparison. Practical section of the thesis concerns financial statements of the Czech Post prepared in accordance with Czech legislation and financial statements of the Slovak Post, which is committed to disclose under IFRS. Conclusion summarizes the main differences which have been identified.

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued International Financial Reporting Standard No. 8 (IFRS 8) “Operating Segments” in November 2006 as a part of its convergence programme with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB); the new standard became effective for periods beginning on or after 1/January/2009 (IASB, 2006a). IFRS 8 supersedes the previous international accounting standard (IAS): IAS 14 Revised (IAS 14R) “Segment Reporting” (IASC, 1997). IFRS 8 requires segments to be identified in accordance with the management approach. In particular, operating segments are to be identified on the basis of internal reports that are “regularly reviewed by the Chief Operating Decision Maker (CODM) to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance” (IASB, 2006a, para 5). There are two main objectives to this study: (i) to assess the impact of IFRS 8 on the segmental disclosures of Jordanian listed firms in their annual reports for 2009 when the standard became effective; and (ii) to explore the perceptions of external auditors, preparers and users (investors and analysts) of financial statements about this new segmental reporting standard. A decision usefulness theoretical framework underpins the research; the research was carried out by using a disclosure index analysis and semi-structured interviews. The two objectives of this thesis were investigated by employing these two methods; a disclosure index and semi-structured interviews. The research is located in Burrell and Morgan’s (1979) functionalist paradigm using a decision usefulness theory lens. The findings suggest that IFRS 8 has had a significant and sizeable impact on the segmental disclosure practices of Jordanian companies in 2009 compared to disclosure practices in annual reports for 2008 based on IAS 14R; a sample of reports for 109 first market Jordanian listed companies were investigated. The disclosure index findings indicate that the Jordanian listed companies provided more disaggregated segmental information, published data on additional segmental items and supplied new Entity-Wide Disclosures (EWDs) in accordance with IFRS 8’s management approach. For example, 10% of the sample companies provided segmental information for the first time in 2009. The Jordanian listed companies provided details about more disaggregated business segments (where the mean number of segments rose from 2.4 to 2.7) and geographic segments / EWDs (where xii the mean number of segments increased from 1.5 to 1.8). The average disclosure index score rose from 18.6% in 2008 to 30.6% in 2009. In addition, 27% of the sample companies went beyond the requirements of IFRS 8 by identifying the CODM in their annual reports for 2009. With regards to the semi-structured interviews, 31 participants agreed to provide their views on IFRS 8. The respondents indicated that the quantity and quality of segmental information provided under IFRS 8 in annual reports for 2009 was “better” than that disclosed in 2008; it was more understandable, relevant, reliable and comparable than the segmental information which had previously been reported. Their responses also indicated that the implementation of IFRS 8 did not appear to cause any difficulties for external auditors, preparers and users during 2009; most interviewees reported that IFRS 8 was not a problematic standard. They believed that the disclosure of segmental information increased, published segmental information became more organised and better explained and the segmental information disclosed was more transparent. The current study is the first of its kind in Jordan, and adds to the growing literature on financial disclosure; it therefore fills a gap about segmental disclosure in developing countries. It is also exploratory in nature, since very little is known about segmental reporting practices in Jordan. Thus, this study’s findings represent a significant contribution to knowledge.

The objective of this study is to add to the body of research concerning International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). To accomplish this objective, it will examine whether Canada’s adoption of IFRS, which replaced Canadian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), appears to affect the reported financial performance of Canadian public mining companies. Financial information for 2010 from the audited financial statements, as stated under IFRS and Canadian GAAP, were used to compute selected financial ratios. These financial ratios were tested to determine if statistically significant differences in their dispersion and central tendency resulted from adopting IFRS. It was found that no statistically significant differences existed in the dispersion of the ratios. However, statistically significant differences were found in the central tendency of three of the ratios: quick ratio, return on assets, and comprehensive return on assets. The results of this study will provide valuable information for investors, Canadian public mining companies, and government policy makers in other countries around the world.

Zugl.: Münster (Westfalen), Universiẗat, Diss., 2007.

Zugl.: Hannover, Universiẗat, Diss., 2007.

No description available.

No description available.