Reporting in terms of the principles of IAS 41, or equivalent, did not result in comparable financial results in the industry. This is mainly due to valuation challenges experienced and the significant costs of these valuations, contributing to the theoretical gap addressed in this study, where the cognitive theory was applied to determine how to improve the consistency, validity and reliability of the fair valuing of biological assets. The knowledge gap is a result of the inconsistent application of the requirements of IAS 41 which results in incomparable financial results which impairs the decision-making of the users of such information. The results of the study were analysed and contextualised to develop an application guideline to assist the financial statement compilers to present results to users that will enhance their decision-making. This guideline is the result of an investigation on the industry trend and standards on how to value, disclose and report on biological assets in the annual reports; an assessment of the valuation challenges experienced, the valuation factors considered and the frequency thereof; an analysis of the valuation inputs applied and a contextualisation of the various users’ expectations when these financial results are assessed. Such assessment included an inductive content analysis, further grounded theory contextualisation and grouping of the results into a guideline that was tested on various users to ensure the usefulness and validity thereof. The purpose of the study and the developed guideline is to determine how to improve the consistency, the validity and the reliability of the fair valuing of biological assets to derive at informing, comparable, decision-enhancing balances in a cost efficient manner when detailed information is presented. / Centre for Accounting Studies / D. Phil. (Accounting Sciences)

International financial reporting standards (IFRS) är känd för att vara en komplex och kostsamredovisningsstandard, men det finns fortfarande företag som väljer att redovisa enligt IFRS.Studiens syfte är att få en förståelse för att sedan ge förklaring till vilket som är det viktigastemotivet bakom valet att tillämpa IFRS. IFRS som redovisningsstandard är ett krav för noteradebolag, därför har studien riktat in sig på att undersöka onoterade fastighetsbolag och varför deväljer att frivilligt tillämpa redovisningsstandarden. Fastighetsbranschen blev särskilt utvald dåfastigheter i flera år ökat i värde och är ett aktuellt ämne idag. Den teoretiska referensramen hjälperstudien att ge ytterligare förklaring till viktiga begrepp som motiv, redovisningsstandard,förvaltningsfastigheter, anskaffningsvärde, värdering till verkligt värde och kapitalkostnader.Vidare kommer den institutionella teorin belysa varför företag gör vissa val för att säkerställa sinplats på marknaden. Sedan påbörjades den empiriska insamlingen utifrån en kvalitativ metodansatsi form av intervjuer. Respondenterna är särskilt utvalda experter inom redovisning enligt IFRS ochhålls anonyma. I resultatet presenterades tre motiv som ligger till grund för valet att redovisa enligtIFRS. Dessa var harmonisering, legitimitet och värdering till verkligt värde. Efter vidareanalysering kunde slutsatsen dras att det viktigaste motivet för att implementera IFRS varmöjligheten att värdera tillgångar till verkligt värde. Detta styrks genom teoretiska- och praktiskaimplikationer. Fastighetsbolag som strävar efter att låna mera för att kunna investera i merfastigheter och därmed skapa tillväxt, vill värdera sina tillgångar till verkligt värde. Förslag tillfortsatt forskning inom ämnet är bland annat att göra en kvantitativ studie med ett bredare urvalsom även kan komplettera denna studie kring motiv bakom valet att redovisa enligt IFRS föronoterade fastighetsbolag. / International financial reporting standards (IFRS) are known for being a complex and expensiveaccounting standard, but there are still companies that choose to report in accordance with IFRS.The purpose of the study is to gain an understanding and then provide an explanation of which isthe most important motive behind the choice to apply IFRS. IFRS as an accounting standard is arequirement for listed companies, therefore the study has focused on examining unlistedcompanies in the property management sector and why they choose to voluntarily apply theaccounting standard. Companies in the property management sector were specially selected asproperties have increased in value for several years and are a current topic today. The theoreticalframework helps the study to provide further explanation of important concepts such as motives,accounting standards, investment properties, acquisition value, valuation at fair value and capitalcosts. Furthermore, institutional theory will give us further understanding on why companies makecertain choices to secure their place in the market. The study was based on a qualitativemethodological approach in the form of interviews. The respondents are specially selected expertsin accounting in accordance with IFRS and are kept anonymous. The results presented threemotives that form the basis for the choice to report in accordance with IFRS. These wereharmonization, legitimacy and valuation at fair value. After further analysis, it could be concludedthat the most important motive for implementing IFRS was the ability to value assets at fair value.This is substantiated by theoretical and practical implications. Companies in the propertymanagement sector that strive to borrow more to then be able to invest in more properties andthereby create growth, want to value their assets at fair value. Proposals for further research in thesubject include conducting a quantitative study with a wider selection that can also supplementthis study on motives behind the choice to report in accordance with IFRS for unlisted companiesin the property management sector.

Typischerweise entstehen Rechnungslegungsnormen im Rahmen eines politischen Prozesse, gleich, ob dieser parlamentarisch oder privatrechtlich organisiert ist. Daher sieht sich der Normentstehungsprozess regelmäßig Lobbyingaktivitäten diverser Interessengruppen ausgesetzt. Die vorliegende Arbeit undersucht in vier Manuskripten verschiedenste Bereiche der Entstehung von Rechnungslegungsnormen, sowohl im Rahmen parlamentarischer wie auch privatrechtlicher Regulierungsstrukturen. Manuskript A. bereitet den theoretischen Hintergrund des Rechnungslegungslobbying auf und identifiziert thematische wie auch methodische Forschungslücken. Manuskript B. entwickelt daraufhin eine neuartige Forschungsmethode für Rechnungslegungslobbying, die Elemente der sozialwissenschaftlichen Inhaltsanalyse mit solchen der Diskursanalyse verbindet. Im Rahmen der Anwendung dieser Methode auf die Entstehung des Bilanzrechtsmodernisierungsgesetzes wird gezeigt, dass die Methode in einem parlamentarischen Normentstehungsprozess anwendbar ist. Darüber hinaus werden Potenziale für eine Anwendung auch in privatrechtlich organisierten Rechnungslegungssystemen aufgezeigt. Manuskript C. betrachtet die Rolle der Wissenschaftler in einem deutschen Kontext und verbindet methodisch dabei die Inhaltsanalyse mit historisch-kritischer Forschung. Festgestellt werden kann dabei, dass die Einstellung deutscher Hochschullehrer im Bereich zur Zeitwertbewertung im Rahmen deutscher Rechnungslegung durchaus mit rechnungslegungshistorischen Beobachtungen erklärt werden kann. Manuskript D. widmet sich schließlich der privatrechtlich geprägten Normentstehung auf Ebene des IASV. Mit Hilfe einer interpretativen Inhaltsanalyse und deskriptiv statistischen Verfahren wird gezeigt, dass die Mitarbeiter Numerale im Rahmen bestimmter Dokumente inkonsistent verwenden. Dieses Ergebnis konterkariert die Bemühungen des IASB um Transparenz und lässt Lücken für nicht beobachtbare Einflussnahmen auf die Mitarbeiter des IASB. In ihrer Gesamtheit tragen die vier Manuskripte sowohl methodisch wie auch thematisch zur Fortentwicklung der Forschung im Rechnungslegungslobbying bei. Bislang vernachlässigte Forschungsmethoden werden aufgezeigt, modifiziert und auf eine Vielzahl verschiedener Fragestellungen angewandt. Darüber hinaus untersuchen die Manuskripte insbesondere diejenigen Bereiche des Rechnungslegungslobbying, die bislang von den meisten Forschern in diesem Gebiet vernachlässigt wurden.:I. Lobbying im Rahmen der Entstehung von Rechnungslegungsnormen – Gesamtdarstellung der kumulativen Dissertation … 7 1 Übergeordneter Forschungszusammenhang … 9 2 Übersicht der Manuskripte … 13 3 Ergebnisse der Dissertation … 17 II. Politische Ökonomie der Rechnungslegung – Bisherige Forschungsergebnisse und künftige Forschungsperspektiven unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Lobbyingkonzepts … 25 1 Einleitung … 29 2 Charakterisierung der Politischen Ökonomie der Rechnungslegung … 33 3 Hypothesen und empirische Ergebnisse im Rahmen des Lobbying … 36 3.1 Grundlagen des ökonomischen Lobbyingmodells … 36 3.2 Das individuelle und kollektive Engagement von Akteuren im Prozess der Rechnungslegungsregulierung … 39 3.2.1 Hypothesenbildung … 39 3.2.2 Ergebnisse empirischer Studien … 46 3.3 Der Erfolg von Akteuren im Normensetzungsprozess … 50 3.3.1 Hypothesenbildung … 50 3.3.2 Ergebnisse empirischer Studien … 52 3.4 Kritische Würdigung des Lobbyingansatzes … 53 3.4.1 Überblick … 53 3.4.2 Die Definition von Macht … 54 3.4.3 Offenkundigkeit der tatsächlichen Interessenlage … 59 4 Entwicklung der Lobbyingforschung in der Rechnungslegung … 61 5 Ableitung künftiger Forschungsperspektiven … 65 6 Zusammenfassung … 71 III. Lobbying on Accounting Standard Setting in a Parliamentary Environment – A Qualitative Approach … 83 1 Introduction … 86 2 Background to the Modernization of German GAAP … 90 3 Hypotheses development … 94 4 Research design … 98 4.1 Previous methods in accounting standard lobbying research … 98 4.2 Derivation of a different methodological approach … 99 4.3 Content analysis … 102 4.4 Analysis of structured text material … 109 5 Evaluation of the analyzed materials … 110 5.1 Empirical results and interpretation … 110 5.2 Research quality and limitations … 117 6 Conclusion and further research … 122 IV. A Historical View on the Political Fair Value Debate in Germany … 131 1 Introduction … 134 2 Fair value accounting and academic participation in accounting standard-setting in the context of the reform of German Commercial Code … 138 2.1 The parliamentary procedure of changing German Commercial Code … 138 2.2 Some theoretical background of fair value accounting … 140 2.3 Some theoretical background of academic participation in accounting standardsetting … 143 2.4 Concluding implications … 145 3 Analysis of arguments used by academics … 146 3.1 Research design … 146 3.2 Academics’ arguments … 152 4 Analysis of academics’ arguments in the context of German accounting history … 154 4.1 Research design … 154 4.2 Argument 1: vagueness … 155 4.3 Argument 2: fair value and crises … 159 4.4 Argument 3: German accepted accounting principles … 162 4.5 Conclusion … 168 5 Concluding remarks … 171 Appendix 1: The market for excuses … 173 Appendix 2: Non-author-coders for the academics’ statements … 177 Appendix 3: Academics’ arguments and coding results … 178 V. What They Mean When They Use Quantifiers – An Empirical Investigation of IASB’s Staff Analysis Paper on ED 9 … 187 1 Introduction … 190 2 Theoretical Background … 193 2.1 The role of the staff within the IASB and the standard-setting due process … 193 2.2 IASB’s Joint Venture project … 196 3 Methodological Approach … 200 3.1 General considerations … 200 3.2 Determination of the research question … 201 3.3 Determination of the research material … 201 3.4 Construction of a system of categories … 202 3.5 Definition of categories … 202 3.6 Determination of units of analysis … 203 3.7 Coding … 203 3.8 Data analysis … 206 3.9 Presentation and interpretation of results … 208 4 Statistical Analysis … 209 4.1 Descriptive Statistics … 209 4.2 Mean-median-tests … 213 4.3 Concluding interpretation … 218 5 Qualitative Analysis … 221 6 Conclusion … 227 / Typically, accounting standards emerge within a political process, be it that this process is driven by a parliament or a private institution. Consequently, the whole process is subject to lobbying efforts by several interest groups. Four essays examine various parts of processes of emergence of accounting standards in parliamentary as well as private standard setting environments. Essay A. provides the theoretical background concerning lobbying on accounting standards and identifies research potential, in terms of topics as well as methods. Essay B. develops an innovative research method for research of lobbying on accounting standards combining elements of content and discourse analysis. It is proven that this research design is applicable in a parliamentary setting. Moreover potentials for research in private settings are identified. Essay C. focuses on academics in accounting standard setting in a German context and combines a content analysis with historical research. For the attitude of German accounting academics concerning fair value accounting in a German context it is shown that German accounting history may be a source of explanation. Finally, essay D. focuses on a private standard setting institution, namely the IASB. Using a content analysis and descriptive statistics, it is shown that the IASB staff uses quantifiers in certain documents inconsistently. This finding counteracts the IASB’s efforts towards transparency. Through all four essays a contribution to accounting standard lobbying is made. Alternative research methods are introduced, modified and used for a variety of lobbying areas. Moreover, the essays focus on groups in the context of accounting standards lobbying that have not yet been paid attention by most accounting researchers.:I. Lobbying im Rahmen der Entstehung von Rechnungslegungsnormen – Gesamtdarstellung der kumulativen Dissertation … 7 1 Übergeordneter Forschungszusammenhang … 9 2 Übersicht der Manuskripte … 13 3 Ergebnisse der Dissertation … 17 II. Politische Ökonomie der Rechnungslegung – Bisherige Forschungsergebnisse und künftige Forschungsperspektiven unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Lobbyingkonzepts … 25 1 Einleitung … 29 2 Charakterisierung der Politischen Ökonomie der Rechnungslegung … 33 3 Hypothesen und empirische Ergebnisse im Rahmen des Lobbying … 36 3.1 Grundlagen des ökonomischen Lobbyingmodells … 36 3.2 Das individuelle und kollektive Engagement von Akteuren im Prozess der Rechnungslegungsregulierung … 39 3.2.1 Hypothesenbildung … 39 3.2.2 Ergebnisse empirischer Studien … 46 3.3 Der Erfolg von Akteuren im Normensetzungsprozess … 50 3.3.1 Hypothesenbildung … 50 3.3.2 Ergebnisse empirischer Studien … 52 3.4 Kritische Würdigung des Lobbyingansatzes … 53 3.4.1 Überblick … 53 3.4.2 Die Definition von Macht … 54 3.4.3 Offenkundigkeit der tatsächlichen Interessenlage … 59 4 Entwicklung der Lobbyingforschung in der Rechnungslegung … 61 5 Ableitung künftiger Forschungsperspektiven … 65 6 Zusammenfassung … 71 III. Lobbying on Accounting Standard Setting in a Parliamentary Environment – A Qualitative Approach … 83 1 Introduction … 86 2 Background to the Modernization of German GAAP … 90 3 Hypotheses development … 94 4 Research design … 98 4.1 Previous methods in accounting standard lobbying research … 98 4.2 Derivation of a different methodological approach … 99 4.3 Content analysis … 102 4.4 Analysis of structured text material … 109 5 Evaluation of the analyzed materials … 110 5.1 Empirical results and interpretation … 110 5.2 Research quality and limitations … 117 6 Conclusion and further research … 122 IV. A Historical View on the Political Fair Value Debate in Germany … 131 1 Introduction … 134 2 Fair value accounting and academic participation in accounting standard-setting in the context of the reform of German Commercial Code … 138 2.1 The parliamentary procedure of changing German Commercial Code … 138 2.2 Some theoretical background of fair value accounting … 140 2.3 Some theoretical background of academic participation in accounting standardsetting … 143 2.4 Concluding implications … 145 3 Analysis of arguments used by academics … 146 3.1 Research design … 146 3.2 Academics’ arguments … 152 4 Analysis of academics’ arguments in the context of German accounting history … 154 4.1 Research design … 154 4.2 Argument 1: vagueness … 155 4.3 Argument 2: fair value and crises … 159 4.4 Argument 3: German accepted accounting principles … 162 4.5 Conclusion … 168 5 Concluding remarks … 171 Appendix 1: The market for excuses … 173 Appendix 2: Non-author-coders for the academics’ statements … 177 Appendix 3: Academics’ arguments and coding results … 178 V. What They Mean When They Use Quantifiers – An Empirical Investigation of IASB’s Staff Analysis Paper on ED 9 … 187 1 Introduction … 190 2 Theoretical Background … 193 2.1 The role of the staff within the IASB and the standard-setting due process … 193 2.2 IASB’s Joint Venture project … 196 3 Methodological Approach … 200 3.1 General considerations … 200 3.2 Determination of the research question … 201 3.3 Determination of the research material … 201 3.4 Construction of a system of categories … 202 3.5 Definition of categories … 202 3.6 Determination of units of analysis … 203 3.7 Coding … 203 3.8 Data analysis … 206 3.9 Presentation and interpretation of results … 208 4 Statistical Analysis … 209 4.1 Descriptive Statistics … 209 4.2 Mean-median-tests … 213 4.3 Concluding interpretation … 218 5 Qualitative Analysis … 221 6 Conclusion … 227

企業因為經濟自由化、貿易國際化潮流之影響，逐漸成為資本集中與技術密集之經營型態。為求擴充生產規模、增加產品種類、分散投資風險、拓展國際市場等目的，因而成立新公司或兼併其他公司，或購買其他公司之股份，或母公司與子公司交叉持股，而形成關係企業之組織型態，已成為普遍趨勢。職是，關係企業之經濟發展與經營模式，已然占有重要之地位。 關係企業具有特殊屬性，舉凡管理組織、生產規劃、人事制度、市場行銷、財務風險、獲利能力、公共事務與社會歸屬，均有相當程度之影響力。我國公司法對於關係企業專章之規範，仍有不足之處，導致受一九九八年亞洲金融風暴影響所及，爆發若干關係企業之經營弊端，其中以股票流通市場之證券交易違法行為，最為嚴重。綜觀其原因，除肇始於東南亞金融危機及國際不景氣環境外，亦顯示關係企業在股票市場存有許多問題，諸如負責人欠缺誠信、掏空公司資產，造成企業發生危機，發生多起上市或上櫃公司之經營弊端，嚴重損害公司、股東權益與債權人利益，並衝擊社會投資人與整體經濟，值得探討研究。 本論文研究方向，以法制理論、比較法學及實證案例為基礎，論述關係企業證券交易之違法行為，以股票流通市場為中心，並闡述近年來若干重要之關係企業案例，分析法院裁判之論處法律邏輯。包括關係企業之市場操縱行為（違約交割、沖洗買賣、相對委託、連續交易炒作行為）、關係企業「護盤」之違法性、關係企業之內線交易行為，等重要項目。亦討論關係企業藉由無形資產之高估或低估而買賣有價證券之非常規交易行為，兼述國際會計準則公報之規範，佐以實際案例研究。此外，亦闡論關係企業財務預測制度與證券交易違法行為之牽連、證券投資人之保護。 本論文內容之參考文獻資料，包括學位論文（例如前輩先進之博碩士論文）、教授學者之著作書籍、著名期刊與國內外網站資訊。所參考資料則以我國與美國法制文獻為主，至於其他國家之部分，則略以要旨參酌。最後，再針對作者執業律師參與關係企業案例之辯護瞭解，提出若干防弊機制之建議，俾供各界參考。 / UNLAWFUL ACTS BY AFFILIATED ENTERPRISES RESPECTING SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS WITH A FOCUS ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE MARKET Abstract Due to the impact of economic liberalization and trade internationalization, operations of enterprises have gradually become capital-intensive and technology-intensive. In order to increase production, expand product line, spread out investment risks, and develop international markets, enterprises have established new companies, merged with others, and purchased shares of other companies, or have engaged in cross-holding of shares between parent companies and subsidiaries. As a result, the formation of affiliated enterprises has become a popular trend. The economic development and business model of affiliated enterprises have likewise become important issues. Affiliated enterprises have their unique attributes; their management organization, production planning, personnel policy, marketing, financial risks, profitability, public affairs, and social affiliation have significant impact on enterprises. Due to inadequacies in the regulations on affiliated enterprises in Taiwan’s Company Law, several affiliated enterprises were exposed to have engaged in fraudulent business operations as a result of the 1998 Asian financial crisis. Among these, most serious were cases involving unlawful securities transactions in the stock market. An analysis of the factors leading to such anomaly shows that in addition to the Southeast Asian financial crisis and international economic slowdown, problems caused by of affiliated enterprises in the stock market, such as integrity and credibility issues on the part of the persons-in-charge and their swindling of company assets, resulted in corporate crises. Many incidents of business malpractices in public or OTC companies occurred, severely undermining the interests of companies, shareholders, and creditors, as well as those of the public investors and the overall economy. All these are worthy of further exploration and study. This paper uses legal theories, comparative jurisprudence, and empirical studies to discuss the unlawful activities in securities transactions by affiliated enterprises. This paper focuses on the stock market to explain the major cases involving affiliated enterprises in recent years and to analyze the legal grounds in the court’s decision on punishment. The cases covered include market manipulation by enterprises, default of securities delivery, wash sales, matched order, manipulation of series of transactions, the unlawfulness of stock market intervention by affiliated enterprises, and insider trading by affiliated enterprises. In addition, this paper discusses the transaction anomalies resulting from overvalue or undervalue of intangible assets by affiliated enterprises. Regulations on the International Accounting Standards gazette are explained and supplemented by actual case studies. In addition, this paper explores the inter-relation between financial forecast systems in affiliated enterprises, unlawful activities in securities transaction, and investor protection. Reference literature used in this paper includes academic dissertations, publications by professors and scholars, periodicals, and information from local and foreign Web sites. Reference materials are based primarily on literature on Taiwan and U.S. laws, supplemented by summary of information from other countries. Finally, recommendations of mechanisms to prevent malpractices are put forward, drawing on the author’s experience as defense lawyer for affiliated enterprises.