Diploma thesis focuses on comparison of differences between practices of accounting using Czech accounting law and accounting practises using International financial reporting standards (IAS/IFRS). These differences are shown mainly on structure of mandatory accounting statements and on earnings of Kores Europe s.r.o.

The thesis is focused on managerial accounting, which serves as a tool for cost control in the construction business. The first part of my work includes introduction to basic concepts, which may be encountered in the use of management accounting. The second part focuses on the practical application of management accounting. With regard to the documents which I received, this section focuses on deviation control.

This master‘s thesis aims to select significant differences in financial accounting methodologies used in the Czech Republic, the International Accounting Standards and US GAAP. Differences are highlighted by data from the accounting environment of the company TRANS-TECHNIK, spol. s.r.o. The first part defines the different conceptual frameworks in Czech accounting, continental and Anglo-Saxon. The analytical part focuses on the differences in the way of the capturing of selected accounting items featured in the accounting systems, including conditions prevailing in the company.

This diploma thesis deals with selected differences between Czech accounting legislation and International Financial Reporting Standards (IAS/IFRS). Also, the diploma thesis focuses on the assessment of the impacts of selected differences on the company's financial statements and on the impact upon economic result. The final part of the thesis deals with the changes made the picture about the financial position and the performance of the company.

Im Jahr 2005 wurde als Reaktion auf die Unterzeichnung des Kyoto-Protokolls und der damit verbundenen Verpflichtung zur Reduktion von Treibhausgasemissionen der europäische Emissionshandel eingeführt. Versuche der Standardsetter für IFRS und US GAAP zu einer einheitlichen Bilanzierungsregel für Emissionsrechte scheiterten. Seitdem stehen den beteiligten Unternehmen speziell bei Ansatz und Bewertung von Emissionsrechten sowie der Verbindlichkeit für verursachte Emissionen Wahlrechte zur Verfügung. Da unterschiedliche Bilanzierungsansätze zu verschiedenen Resultaten beispielsweise in der Gewinn- und Verlustrechnung führen können, schränkt die Regelungslücke die Vergleichbarkeit zwischen Unternehmen mit unterschiedlichen Bilanzierungsansätzen ein. Dabei wird zudem deutlich, wie wichtig die Offenlegung des gewählten Bilanzierungsansatzes ist. Diese Arbeit beschreibt mit Hilfe einer ausführlichen Literaturrecherche den Diskurs in der Forschung und fasst die theoretisch möglichen Ansätze zusammen. Dem schließt sich eine Analyse aller im STOXX Europe 600 gelisteten Unternehmen an. Untersucht wird, inwieweit die Unternehmen am Emissionshandel beteiligt sind, welchen Ansatz zur Bilanzierung von Emissionsrechten sie wählen und in welcher Vollständigkeit sie den gewählten Ansatz im Geschäftsbericht offenlegen. Insgesamt 70 Unternehmen im STOXX Europe 600 geben eine Beteiligung am europäischen Emissionshandel an, 68 davon erhalten Emissionsrechte kostenfrei von einer staatlichen Stelle zugeteilt. Davon wiederum können 31 Unternehmen sicher einem Bilanzierungsansatz zugeordnet werden; bei den übrigen Unternehmen werden nicht alle relevanten Bilanzierungsentscheidungen offengelegt. Die große Mehrheit dieser 31 Unternehmen wendet den Netto-Ansatz an, bei welchem die zugeteilten Emissionsrechte zu Anschaffungskosten (üblicherweise Null) angesetzt werden. Nur zwei Unternehmen bilanzieren Emissionsrechte nach der 2005 zurückgenommenen, aber weiterhin gültigen Interpretation IFRIC 3. Insgesamt gibt es bezüglich der Bilanzierung von Emissionsrechten in europäischen Unternehmen in Theorie und Praxis Unterschiede, welche die Vergleichbarkeit einschränken. Dies wird durch die häufig unvollständige Offenlegung der Bilanzierungsentscheidung verstärkt. Diese Kritikpunkte sollten aus Sicht der Standardsetter IASB und FASB ausreichend Anlass geben, eine einheitliche Regelung zur Bilanzierung von Emissionsrechten zu entwickeln.

The study was necessitated by the fact that the throughput rates of accounting students studying at distance learning institutions in South Africa are disturbingly low when compared to students studying at residential universities. Bearing in mind the magnitude of the University of South Africa’s (Unisa’s) market share of accounting students in South Africa, it was pivotal to comprehend the unique challenges related to retention and throughput of these students. This thesis reports on a case study of the use of mobile phones in an Accounting module by applying the theories of didactic conversation and transactional distance to understand the retention and throughput rates of the Accounting students in an open distance learning (ODL) environment. Considering the landscape of accounting education in South Africa, the specific challenges faced by accounting students at Unisa and the recent scholarly discourse on retention and throughput of distance education students, this study contributes to the limited theoretical understanding of students’ retention and throughput rates in an Accounting module at Unisa. This theoretical understanding has been obtained through combining the transactional distance theory of Moore (1973) and the didactic conversation of Holmberg (1982) in a single conceptual framework. By applying this framework, this thesis makes an original contribution to the deepening understanding of the retention and throughput rates of accounting students in an ODL environment. The study has shown that retention and throughput rates can be improved through the lessening of the transactional distance between facilitator and student and by improving the quality and extent of the two-way didactic conversation in the learning process. To this effect, the study provided empirical evidence of the successful use of various complementing technology interventions, suitable for accounting students with time constraints, to enhance the learning process. / Management Accounting / D. Com.

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the United States Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) have reaffirmed their commitment to accomplishing the convergence of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and US Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (US GAAP), following their March 2010 progress report. Among the standards subject to this convergence project, is IAS 23 - Borrowing Costs. Taken at face value, the convergence of IAS 23 (IFRS) and SFAS 34 (US GAAP), and looking at convergence in general, the idea is productive and beneficial. It will lead to more comparative information as it eliminates the differences. The downside, however, could very easily be that convergence might just be taking place for the sake of convergence, and that the end result might not necessarily lead to more comparative and cost effective information. When specifically considering the convergence of the two borrowing costs standards (SFAS 34 and IAS 23), it is clear that differences remain even after their convergence, and therefore it does not promote comparability. The revision of IAS 23 might actually have been more costly and less beneficial, rather than the other way around. The first article in this dissertation claims that the mandatory capitalisation of borrowing costs is more costly than not, and that the IASB did not adequately consider the cost implications in their decision to change IAS 23, as well as that the benefits obtained from the capitalisation of borrowing costs are not that noticeable in practice. Participants in this study also seemed to agree that the application of IAS 23 is fairly difficult. Delving deeper into the technical aspects of IAS 23, a number of questions also arise relating to its application. This appears to be substantiated by the findings in the second article where instances were identified where the opinions of the participants relating to, for instance, what would be regarded as a 'substantial period of time', were divided. Differences relating to the above above viii may lead to one person capitalising borrowing costs, while another in the same situation would not. On the upside, a few instances were identified where participants were not as divided in their views. Therefore, although there appear to be some uncertainties within IAS 23, there are fewer than one would have expected. In summary, the revised IAS 23, in other words, the mandatory capitalisation of borrowing costs on qualifying assets, was viewed by participants as being more costly and difficult to apply than not and they felt that some technical uncertainties do exist within IAS 23. Recommendations have been made in this dissertation based on the useful information obtained. / Thesis (M.Com. (Accountancy))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the United States Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) have reaffirmed their commitment to accomplishing the convergence of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and US Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (US GAAP), following their March 2010 progress report. Among the standards subject to this convergence project, is IAS 23 - Borrowing Costs. Taken at face value, the convergence of IAS 23 (IFRS) and SFAS 34 (US GAAP), and looking at convergence in general, the idea is productive and beneficial. It will lead to more comparative information as it eliminates the differences. The downside, however, could very easily be that convergence might just be taking place for the sake of convergence, and that the end result might not necessarily lead to more comparative and cost effective information. When specifically considering the convergence of the two borrowing costs standards (SFAS 34 and IAS 23), it is clear that differences remain even after their convergence, and therefore it does not promote comparability. The revision of IAS 23 might actually have been more costly and less beneficial, rather than the other way around. The first article in this dissertation claims that the mandatory capitalisation of borrowing costs is more costly than not, and that the IASB did not adequately consider the cost implications in their decision to change IAS 23, as well as that the benefits obtained from the capitalisation of borrowing costs are not that noticeable in practice. Participants in this study also seemed to agree that the application of IAS 23 is fairly difficult. Delving deeper into the technical aspects of IAS 23, a number of questions also arise relating to its application. This appears to be substantiated by the findings in the second article where instances were identified where the opinions of the participants relating to, for instance, what would be regarded as a 'substantial period of time', were divided. Differences relating to the above above viii may lead to one person capitalising borrowing costs, while another in the same situation would not. On the upside, a few instances were identified where participants were not as divided in their views. Therefore, although there appear to be some uncertainties within IAS 23, there are fewer than one would have expected. In summary, the revised IAS 23, in other words, the mandatory capitalisation of borrowing costs on qualifying assets, was viewed by participants as being more costly and difficult to apply than not and they felt that some technical uncertainties do exist within IAS 23. Recommendations have been made in this dissertation based on the useful information obtained. / Thesis (M.Com. (Accountancy))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This dissertation examines the intersection of spiritual values and material life at Syon Abbey, a wealthy Brigittine double monastery in late medieval England. As an institution it was, paradoxically, directed primarily toward an evangelical goal, while being focused on contemplative women who were strictly enclosed. In this dissertation, I assert that this apparent contradiction was resolved through a high degree of collaboration between the abbey’s religious women and men. I argue that Brigittine monasticism, and that of Syon in particular, was uniquely attuned to metaphors and meanings of materiality, which enabled the abbey to transform the women’s mundane material life of food, clothing, architecture, work, finance, and even bureaucracy, into spiritual fruits to be shared with the Syon brethren through dialogue within confessional relationships, and subsequently, with the laity through the media of sermons, sacraments, books, and conversation. I use the abbey’s extensive household financial accounts in conjunction with Brigittine writings and monastic legislative documents to examine the intersection of ideal material life and its spiritual meaning on the one hand, and the abbey’s lived materiality as reflected in its internal economic and administrative actions, on the other. The central question is the degree to which Syon’s material life was one of luxury in keeping with what the Order’s founder, Saint Birgitta, would have seen as worldly excess, or one of moderate asceticism, in keeping with the Brigittine Rule. Major findings are that in most respects (financial management, gender power, officer appointments, clothing, and some aspects of food), Syon’s materiality was lived in accordance with the Rule and the Brigittine mission, but that in some respects, it erred on the side of elite display and consumption (the majority of food items and the architecture and decoration of the abbey church), and in others, the source material is too incomplete to enable conclusions (the decoration of monastic buildings and the distribution of alms). In addition, by analysing the income from boarding of visitors and offerings from pilgrims, I examine the degree of Syon’s impact on the laity and how it changed with the approaching Dissolution, concluding that the abbey had a significant impact that declined only when legal restrictions were applied.

The study was necessitated by the fact that the throughput rates of accounting students studying at distance learning institutions in South Africa are disturbingly low when compared to students studying at residential universities. Bearing in mind the magnitude of the University of South Africa’s (Unisa’s) market share of accounting students in South Africa, it was pivotal to comprehend the unique challenges related to retention and throughput of these students. This thesis reports on a case study of the use of mobile phones in an Accounting module by applying the theories of didactic conversation and transactional distance to understand the retention and throughput rates of the Accounting students in an open distance learning (ODL) environment. Considering the landscape of accounting education in South Africa, the specific challenges faced by accounting students at Unisa and the recent scholarly discourse on retention and throughput of distance education students, this study contributes to the limited theoretical understanding of students’ retention and throughput rates in an Accounting module at Unisa. This theoretical understanding has been obtained through combining the transactional distance theory of Moore (1973) and the didactic conversation of Holmberg (1982) in a single conceptual framework. By applying this framework, this thesis makes an original contribution to the deepening understanding of the retention and throughput rates of accounting students in an ODL environment. The study has shown that retention and throughput rates can be improved through the lessening of the transactional distance between facilitator and student and by improving the quality and extent of the two-way didactic conversation in the learning process. To this effect, the study provided empirical evidence of the successful use of various complementing technology interventions, suitable for accounting students with time constraints, to enhance the learning process. / Management Accounting / D. Com.