This research examines the nature of the organisational change that has taken place in the UK Clearing banks over the last fifteen years. It draws from and informs organisational change processes to help understand the effects of environmental disturbance, that is, the changes in the regulatory framework. The effect of environmental disturbance is assessed in terms of the levels and impacts of the changes on values (culture), organisational structures, management, accounting and control systems. The key objective is to critically evaluate the role of a changing accounting system within the framework of organisational change in a UK Clearing Bank, acknowledging that accounting can play powerful roles in the processes of organisational change. This research locates the development and introduction of the new accounting system (ABC) in the context of organisational change and the changes that have taken place in both this single case study and in the wider organisational context of the financial services industry. Organisational change is considered on two levels: The first level looks at organisational change in relation to the Clearing banks in general. The changing nature of the banking organisation is depicted over three decades using Laughlin's (1991) model of organisational change. This research shows that the UK Clearing banks were ill-equipped to deal with the changes they faced in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. From the more general perspective, the thesis shows how the different levels of the banking organisation became out of balance and how in the 1980s and 1990s efforts were made to re-gain that balance. At the second level, attention is focused on the introduction of a new accounting system in one of the UK Clearing banks. The development and implementation of the ABC system is traced over a period of two years in relation to the specific organisational context. The research shows that the ABC system was both a response to, and, a facilitator of organisational change, helping ultimately to shift perceptions and understandings of the notion of cost, and create new visibilities in relation to cost in the Clearing department. Laughlin's (1991) model is used again to show how as a response to the kick, there were changes in the organisation structure and decision processes. The research traces the accounting system change, (as part of the change in the design archetype), detailing the organisational members' perceptions of the new accounting system, from its development through to its implementation. The research shows how the introduction of this new accounting system created change of a second order nature in the Clearing department. A 'middle range' thinking approach, (Laughlin 1995) has been adopted. Skeletal theoretical models were used in order to enhance understanding of the empirical data of the case study. In turn, the theoretical framework is extended and enhanced by the empirical situation in which it is applied.

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The purpose of this paper is to propose an alternative to the current U.S. corporate tax system. This paper analyzes the qualities of a “good” tax, theories of international neutrality, the two major international tax systems, and how the U.S. hybrid system falls short of these criteria. The current U.S. tax system is inefficient and overly complex. This paper will show that the U.S. tax system has major shortcomings, and will explore the popular proposals for reform. After demonstrating the strengths and weaknesses of the proposals, this paper concludes that a territorial income tax system with certain protections for income shifting is ideal for U.S. corporations.

Pressures for the harmonisation of accounting practice in Cameroon arose out of UDEAC Acts which had already been incorporated into Cameroon law and required all companies in the Anglophone and Francophone provinces of the country to adopt the OCAM Plan, a variant of the continental European uniform accounting systems. The aim of this study is threefold: (i) to assess whether or not the characteristic features of the OCAM Plan are compatible with indigenous cultural values; (ii) to investigate the implementation problems associated with the OCAM Plan; and (iii) an inquiry into the factors which affect compliance with the Plan's extensive mandatory disclosures by domestic and transnational companies. The research design involved some degree of triangulation - i.e. both qualitative (case study) and positivist (questionnaire survey) modes of inquiry were used to study the same problem. The findings of the case studies and questionnaire survey indicate a broad dichotomy between the accounting values of the Anglophones on the one hand and those of the Francophones on the other. These results led to the conclusion that, by and large, the advantages or disadvantages of the OCAM Plan are not absolute as suggested in the literature. Rather, the way in which individuals of different backgrounds perceive its pros and cons seem largely dependent on their own accounting sub-culture values. Overall, the results indicate that the design of the Plan is more positively in tune with the accounting values of the French/Francophone Cameroonian groups than those of their Anglo-American/Anglophone Cameroonian counterparts. Whilst this appears inconsistent with the linkage between accounting and societal values postulated by Gray (1988) and the cultural determinism models enunciated by some scholars (e.g. Perera, 1989; Belkaoui, 1990; Belkaoui and Picur, 1991), the mismatch was explained in terms of some ecological and institutional influences within a cybernetic paradigm. (Now unrestricted)

In the context of a changing world, and faced with a scientific analysis that unequivocally links corporate activity with climactic changes which might threaten humankind, any study of financial reporting needs to be placed in perspective. If the science is correct, then it is the contention of this thesis that capital market activity is complicit in the destruction of the Earth’s biosphere and that accounting, in terms of the rules that govern corporate activity and the financial reporting, is an essential link in this chain. Previous research has sought to demonstrate links among social disclosure, social performance and financial performance and this thesis seeks to extend that literature by conducting two further studies, not to aid investors in their quest for further abnormal returns, but to understand the potential for financial markets to contribute to responsible business practice and the quest for sustainable development. The first study was a statistical examination of the relationships between social and environmental disclosures and market performance of the UK’s largest companies. It utilised longitudinal and cross-sectional data over a 10 year period and was tested for linear and non-linear relationships. As expected, no direct relationship between share returns and social disclosure was detected but, on further examination, the longitudinal data revealed a relationship between consistently high (or low) returns and a predisposition to high (or low) disclosure. The second study was a qualitative, interview based inquiry into what companies report in terms of social and environmental information and how markets gather and utilise that information. Senior executives from twelve FTSE companies were interviewed to gain an understanding of why this practice had grown so significantly over the last two decades, who their intended audience might be and the place such information had in their interactions with capital markets. Thereafter, senior executives from three Mutual Assurance Companies were interviewed to seek an understanding of the nature of information they required, and upon which their investment decisions were based. The findings of this study confirmed that social and environmental issues are of limited interest to markets except where they can be identified as relevant in terms of risk or governance. It also confirmed that there is a strong PR motivation in releasing social and environmental reports, which has little to do with improving social performance. On the market side there was confirmation that financial returns, even in ethical funds, were the main driver behind portfolio selection. The rather depressing conclusion from these studies is that serious moral and ethical issues are eschewed by companies and markets alike, where the focus remains on short-term performance measures.

The English brewing trade continues to be of social and economic significance having played an important cultural role well into the 21st century. It was, albeit it in 18th century London, initially at the forefront of the British Industrial Revolution. This required unprecedented levels of capital investment to finance the porter breweries that proved highly profitable and created long lasting brewing family dynasties such as Whitbread. This pattern was replicated in provincial 19th century England supported by an effective transport infrastructure, which led to the formation of national companies such as Bass Ratcliffe and Gretton at Burton upon Trent Staffordshire. Although the brewing sector has been covered in several trade and individual brewing company narrative histories the role of brewery management and particularly the role of accounting in the management process has remained a `mystery' (Gourvish and Wilson 1994: 397). The brewery accounting agenda has also been absent from the accounting history debates without any substantive academic work having been devoted to this important industry. The thesis has been constructed within a disciplinary framework, which has been derived from the work of the French philosopher and historian of thought Michel Foucault (1977), and developed further by the leading Foucauldian accounting historians Hoskin (1993), Hoskin and Macve (1986) and Loft (1986). Modern discipline is perceived as a duality of knowledge and power, which is exercised through disciplinary processes whereby performance and behaviour is conditioned by strategies of power. This becomes an omnipresent web of power relations which are the micro-physics of power within which Foucauldian accounting historians include the accounting discipline. This disciplinary approach is used here to explore accounting as an historical process in the English brewing industry from 1700 until 1939 as a management tool in the decision making process. Arguably this disciplinary approach will provide a body of historical accounting knowledge where none currently exists and also examine the robustness of the Foucauldian paradigm within this particular industrial context. It will be shown that this approach unsuccessfully explains accountings role within the English brewing industry between 1700 and 1939.