In this dissertation, I examine the changes to the nature of the accounting paradigms of U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) over the course of the U.S. GAAP and IFRS convergence project. I further examine whether the changes to the nature of IFRS following convergence impacts the financial reporting quality. The motivation for this study is to provide an initial review of the progress of the convergence process between U.S. GAAP and IFRS that aims to converge both sets of standards towards more principles-based paradigms. The ultimate goal of the convergence process was the development of globally recognized high quality financial reporting standards (FASB, 2002) and the development of principles-based accounting standards was identified as an essential component of such a goal. Extant literature and professional practice agree that U.S. GAAP is more rules-based whereas IFRS is more principles-based. Thus, both the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) agreed that the convergence process would be an ideal vehicle to converge both sets of standards towards more principles-based paradigm. I document that over the course of the convergence project, the underlying accounting paradigm of U.S. GAAP has remained consistent whereas the accounting paradigm of IFRS has become more rules-based. Amendments to existing International Standards and newer standards added over the course of the convergence have moved IFRS towards a more rules-based nature which was not the intended outcome of the convergence process. I further examine if the changes in rules vs. principles-based nature of IFRS has impacted the accounting quality. Using a firm level instrument developed in Folsom et al. (2016) that measures the extent to which firms rely on principles-vs –rules-based accounting, standards I find a relation between firm reliance on principles-based standards and earnings persistence. I also find an association between firm reliance on principles-based standards and earnings ability to predict future cash flows as well as concurrent returns. More, importantly the results of my study provide initial evidence that these associations are significantly manifested in the post-convergence period.

The principles versus rules debate has long since been a conversation in the accounting world, but the conversation heated up in the early part of the 21st century on the heels of a few highly publicized accounting frauds. In an increasingly globalized business environment, convergence between the more rules-oriented US GAAP and more principles-oriented IFRS is becoming more and more relevant. This study attempts to better inform that debate, exploring the accounting conceptual framework, United States legal environment, and the costs and benefits of adopting a more principles-oriented set of accounting standards. This study concludes that, though there would likely be some costs initially, principles-oriented standards give managers the ability to produce more relevant, comparable, and reliable financial statements, and can even serve to deincentivize fraudulent behavior. By adjusting the incentive structure, managers would no longer be offered protection by bright-line rules, instead required to more faithfully represent the economic reality of their firm. However, though rules-oriented standards like lease accounting are in need of improvement, due to the complex nature of some transactions, not all standards can be solely principles-oriented. As such, the FASB should develop a propensity away from rules, detailed guidance, and exceptions whenever possible.

This thesis focuses on the use of a child welfare principle in human assisted reproduction in the UK, as contained in section 13 (5) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended). Given the principle is applied prior to conception, I argue that it should be distinguished from the familiarly known child welfare principle in child law and thus my focus is on the pre-conception welfare principle (PCWP). The aim of this thesis is to provide an argument for abolition of the PCWP from UK regulation. This thesis aims to add to the debate and complement the existing body of legal and philosophical literature which has critically analysed the function of the PCWP from various perspectives. It does so by highlighting the importance of terminology throughout the work and focusing on the broader implications of the PCWP in practice. I argue that the implications of the PCWP go far beyond its position in the legislation and in order to substantiate that central argument, I separate the function of the PCWP assessment into distinct categories of harm based regulation. Before doing so, however, I critically analyse the development of the PCWP; I consider its function as a regulatory method and I challenge whether it has a defendable ethical position in the current framework. Overall, I argue against the PCWP and the harm threshold rationale underpinning it in practice. In Part I, I first set out the background to this type of research and explain why this work is important for challenging unjustified state intervention on reproductive choice. Second, I set the scene by outlining the development of the welfare principle in child law; the legislative chronology of the PCWP and the function of Principles Based Regulation (PBR) in the current regulatory framework. This entails setting out a number of assumptions, arguments and debates surrounding the concepts of welfare and harm and how these have been framed in regulation; in addition to setting out a central theme of this thesis, which is an argument that the regulation of the PCWP does not meet requisite standards of consistent, transparent, objective, proportionate and contextually-sensitive regulation. These assumptions and vii arguments are vital for understanding the basis on which this work challenges the suitability of the PCWP in the current regulatory framework. Part II of the thesis contains the papers and delivers the arguments against the PCWP in sequence. The overall aim of Part II is to present the central argument of the thesis and answer the research questions set out in the introduction. To accomplish this, the thesis first explores how the borders of child welfare have been defined by child law and judge-made law in wrongful life cases or cases involving the withdrawal or withholding of treatment from sick children. This is followed by a chronological and comparative legislative assessment of the development of the regulation of child welfare in the context of the PCWP. This develops into the main argument of the thesis which demonstrates the application of PCWP in practice departs from benchmark standards of better regulation. The thesis moves on to provoke a fresh debate on the relationship between pre-conception child welfare and the familial and genetic harm thresholds which are mandated by the PCWP assessment. The concept of harm is explored in a philosophical sense and the arguments culminate in a contention that no single philosophy underpins the PCWP, and that there is therefore no good reason to retain a principle which is problematic in both a functional and substantive sense. The thesis concludes with an overview of the progression of the main themes in this thesis, as well as identifying some promising opportunities for future research which have arisen as a result of this work.

Following a series of reporting scandals in the early 2000s, several researchers studied the gradual shift toward more principles-based accounting systems. There seems to be a general belief that the adoption of international principles-based accounting standards will improve financial reporting quality worldwide, although little evidence is provided for this claim. At the same time several studies claim that heterogeneity in countries’ environmental factors will not lead to harmonized accounting practices and that important differences will remain even though there is common international accounting system. This study contributes to the literature regarding a shift toward more principles-based standards by investigating the effect of increased requirements’ flexibility on disclosure practices in an international environment characterized by harmonized accounting regulations but heterogeneous disclosure practices. The standards that are used are IFRS 8 Operating segment and its predecessor IAS 14R Segment Reporting. IFRS 8 took effect from January 1 2009. The countries included in the study represent the four largest economies in Europe, namely the UK, Germany, France and Italy. The methodology used is quantitative and follows a positivistic research approach. This study investigates the impact that a regulatory change has on disclosure practices by observing data reported in the annual reports and asserts the eventual differences between the two standards and across the four countries. The study provides evidence of only a marginal change in segment disclosure practices after the introduction of IFRS 8. The change is mostly characterized by a loss of key information indicating that more flexible requirements negatively impact accounting practices. This implies that if the purpose of a regulatory change is to assure a certain level of information, more rigid requirements are to be preferred. Further, this study shows that, opposed to expectations; disclosure practices are more heterogeneous under more rules-based standards. However, there is indication that the reason for increased homogeneity is that companies listed in the UK and Germany, presenting a higher amount of segment information under IAS 14R, have decreased the information under IFRS 8. It seems thus that standard enforceability decreases under more flexible disclosure requirements.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka vad de redovisningsansvariga i mindre fastighetsbolag har för uppfattning om det kommande K3-regelverket. Studien har en kvantitativ och deduktiv ansats. Empiri har samlats in via webbenkäter som skickats ut till företag. Empirin har sedan analyserats och jämfört med tidigare forskning och teorier. Resultatet från studien visar framförallt att kunskapen om K3-regelverket är låg hos respondenterna. Det beror troligtvis på att K3-regelverket ännu inte har införts och börjat tillämpats av företagen. Resultatet visar även att detta regelverk har mestadels negativa associationer. Förslag till framtida forskning är att undersöka hur de mindre företagen uppfattar K3-regelverket efter införandet. Ytterligare förslag är att undersöka vad revisorerna anser om K3-regelverket,  att undersöka i hur stor utsträckning de mindre företagen faktiskt väljer K3 samt undersöka vilka faktorer som väger tyngst vid valet att använda K3. / The aim of this study is to find out what the accountants in smaller real estate companies think about the upcoming K3 framework. The study has a quantitative and deductive approach. Empirical data were collected through online questionnaires sent to companies. The empirical data were then analyzed and compared to previous researchs and theories. The results from the study indicate that the knowledge about the K3-framework is low among the respondents. It is probably due to that the K3-regulations haven't been applied by companies yet. The results also show that the companies have mostly negative opinions about the framework. Proposals for future research are to examine how the smaller companies perceive the K3 framework after the introduction. Further proposals are to examine what the accountants think about K3 regulations, to examine the extent to which smaller firms actually choose K3 and examine the underlying factors when companies choose to apply K3.

This thesis compares and contrasts rules-based and principles-based approaches to the regulation of derivative securities and examines these approaches in the context of derivative securities regulation in Thailand and Québec. It highlights the importance of derivatives regulation by briefly noting the role of derivatives in the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Context is provided by briefly noting the complexity and riskiness of derivatives, and the function of intermediaries in derivatives markets. With this context in mind, literature on rules-based regulation and principles-based regulation is examined. The two approaches are described and the advantages and disadvantages of each approach are highlighted. The thesis posits that the approach in Thailand is predominantly rules-based while the approach in Québec is predominantly principles-based. The thesis then argues that Québec may have been better positioned than Thailand to adopt a principles-based approach, given its longer experience with trading in public securities markets, its greater degree of specialization in derivatives markets, and the significantly higher volume of derivatives trading in Québec. These factors may have promoted a greater degree of regulatory expertise and self-regulatory organization experience. It is then argued that even though Thailand, and countries at a similar stage of derivatives market development, may not be in as good a position as Québec to adopt a principles-based regulatory approach, once the derivatives market has been established, a shift to principles-based regulation is, nonetheless, likely to better serve the regulatory goals of risk management and innovation.

Les propriétés des matériaux ferroélectriques proviennent principalement de l’influencedes conditions aux limites et des déformations sur la polarisation. Cette influence est encoreplus grande à de petites échelles ou des structures particulières de la polarisation apparaissent,comme les vortex dans les cubes quantiques ou des structures en rayures dans lescouches minces. Pour le calcul, à très basses échelles, de telles structures de polarisation, lesHamiltonien effectifs, basés sur les calculs ab-initio sont les plus utilisés. Parallèlement Lesmodèles continus sont préconisés à plus grandes échelles. Néanmoins, il n’existe pas de lienentre ces deux modèles. Le but de cette thèse est alors de construire une approche permettantde relier ces deux modèles et par cela même ces différentes échelles.Notre modèle se base sur un Hamiltonien effectif écrit pour le titanate de baryum enfonction de la polarisation et des déformations. Cet Hamiltonien est reformulé de façon àdécrire un milieu continu. Les difficultés de cette reformulation proviennent des interactionsnon locales. Le résultat est alors un système d’équations aux dérivées partielles, décrivantl’équilibre et les conditions aux limites. La température est ensuite introduite de façon effectivedans les coefficients de ces équations. Notre modèle ressemble fortement aux modèlesde Landau.Une telle approche est appliquée dans les cubes quantiques et les couches minces óu l’organisationdes domaines dépend de la taille. Les résultats montrent l’implication de la méthodedes éléments finis sur la précision. La formation de vortex dans les cubes quantiquesest bien reproduite. L’agencement en domaines de polarisation alternée dans les couchesminces est elle aussi bien reproduite pour les couches minces. De plus en augmentant l’épaisseurde ces couches minces, la périodicité de cet agencement alterné est modifié, comportementdécrit par la loi de Kittel qui est ici calculée et comparée aux résultats expérimentaux. / Physicals properties of ferroelectric materials mainly arise from the fact that the polarizationis strongly influenced by strain and electrical boundary conditions, which may changeits orientation and magnitude. At small scales, this influence is even stronger and unusualdomain structures are produced like vortices in quantum dots or stripes in thin films. For thecalculation of domain structures, at small scales, first-principle-based effective Hamiltonianare widely used whereas at higher scales, continuum models are predominants. Nevertheless,in between there is no computational method connecting both scales. Therefore„ thegoal of this dissertation is to develop and build new approaches in order to bridge these twoseparated scales.Our model stems for classical effective Hamiltonian, written for barium titanate as afunction of the polarization and strain. This Hamiltonian is then formulated in order tocorrespond to a continuous description. Difficulties arise from non local interactions. In theend, the Hamiltonian is transformed into a set of partial differential equations describing theequilibrium and the boundary conditions. The temperature is then introduced in such a waythat makes evolve the coefficients of those sets of equations. We therefore reconstructed aLandu-like model.Such approach can be applied in quantum dots and thin films where the domain organizationdepend on the size. The results show how to apply finite element in order to obtainpatterns of polarizations with the wanted precision. The vortices shapes of domain patternin quantum dots is well reproduced. The stripes-like polarization pattern is also well reproducedin thin films. Besides expanding thickness of those films change the periodicity ofthose stripes, behaviour described by the Kittel law. This law is calculated and compared tomeasurements.

U.S. GAAP and the software industry in particular, are on the verge of a major alteration in revenue-recognition accounting standards. The IASB-FASB joint revenue-recognition project is due to be finalized over the next year with the result being a shift from a rules-based set of accounting standards to a principles-based standard. The purpose of this research is to examine financial statement preparers' software revenue-recognition decisions under a principles-based accounting standard compared to a rules-based accounting standard both with and without a personal incentive to maximize revenue. The 2 X 2 between-subjects experiment examines the revenue-recognition judgments and decisions of financial statement preparers involved in applying rules-based standards (U.S. GAAP) and a principles-based standard (IASB-FASB Exposure Draft: Revenue from Contracts with Customers) with and without a personal incentive to maximize revenue. The study included 127 experienced financial statement preparers with an average of 20 years of experience and 82% at a manager/director level or above. The results indicate financial statement preparers applying rules-based standards in a revenue-recognition scenario provide less accurate revenue decisions than when applying a principles-based standard. Moreover, the results did not show that a personal incentive influenced the financial statement preparers in their revenue-recognition decisions. Surprisingly, in the rules-based and principles-based scenarios where a personal incentive was not present, the arithmetic mean recommended revenue amounts were higher. In providing the amount of judgment required to determine the revenue to be recognized, there was not a statistically significant difference in the amount of judgment required between subjects applying rules-based standards and subjects applying principles-based standards. The arithmetic means for rules-based subjects and principles-based indicated some judgment however not significant judgment was required. This is interesting to note as so few subjects correctly answered the revenue amount and neglected to fully apply the guidance.

This thesis considers the applicability of 'new governance' techniques within the field of emerging biotechnologies. Through three contrasting case studies I construct an argument in favour of new governance, contending that the qualities of this regulatory trend (flexibility, reflexivity, nuance, open discourse, and participation - 'regulatory desirables' ) have much to offer the regulation of emerging biotechnologies. The first case study examines the existing European and international regulatory frameworks for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This case study explores the role of (bio)ethics within the regulatory process through each progressive stage: design, operation, and assessment. The regime's failure to provide adequate space for ethical reflection, and the limited role of ethics throughout the regulatory process prompts a proposal for an alternative approach that recognizes the multiple contexts in which regulation operates, and is able to accommodate the socio-ethical nuances of the GMO products being assessed. This case study analyses a traditionally structured regulatory framework. It exemplifies a number of qualities that I consider undesirable in the context of regulating biotechnologies: inflexibility, lack of reflexivity, lack of nuance within the regime, absence of ethical discussion, absence of participation from all interested/affected parties. In the second and third case studies I show how these 'regulatory undesirables' can be addressed through new governance techniques. The second case study focuses on the international regulation of stem cell research; I propose developing a polycentric, principles-based regulation (PBR) regime. The third case study centres on the international governance of the gene synthesis industry; here I recommend adopting a risk-based regulation (RBR) approach. In both these fields, voluntary, interdisciplinary, international organisations have collaborated to produce guidelines, codes, protocols, standards, and statements addressing matters of practice. I argue that these 'soft law' documents form the ideal starting point for the development of more sophisticated regulatory regimes in both fields. Furthermore, I argue that the informal organisations producing these documents are, in certain instances, best placed to step into the role of 'regulator' due to their in-depth, inside knowledge of the field, and network. Thus, I collapse the regulator-regulatee distinction held in traditional, 'command and control' style systems, as these organisations typically include those who would traditionally be seen as the 'regulatee'. Each case study considers the nuances of context vis-à-vis the regulatory approach advocated. I conclude by engaging in a comparative analysis of these three case studies, drawing out the qualities, characteristics and considerations that I regard as essential to the construction of responsible, facilitative governance frameworks across the field of emerging biotechnologies. I conclude that new governance is best suited to achieving these (aforementioned) 'regulatory desirables'.

Titel: K2 eller K3 : Motiv till att redovisa enligt K3  Författare: Adrian Zhubi och Albert Zhubi  Färdigställt: Våren 2016  Handledare: Eva Berggren Bakgrund: BFN har sedan 2004 gett ut allmänna råd, vilket har medfört att K-projektet skapats där företag delas in i fyra olika kategorier beroende på företagsstorlek. K-projektets vanligaste regelverk är huvudregelverket principbaserade K3 och alternativregelverket regelbaserade K2. Sedan 2015 är det obligatoriskt för samtliga aktiebolag och ekonomiska föreningar att tillämpa ett av dessa två regelverk. Företag bör därmed reflektera över dess verksamhet och intressenter vid val av regelverk. Valet kan ställa krav på att årsredovisningen ska vara relevant för intressenter. Vi vill därför med studien undersöka vilka väsentliga skillnader som förklarar att företag väljer K3 framför K2. Detta utifrån redovisningsrådgivares perspektiv.  Syfte: Syftet med studien är att förklara vilka skillnader som ligger bakom att företag föredrar K3 istället för K2 utifrån redovisningsrådgivares perspektiv.  Problemformulering: Vad anser redovisningsrådgivare förklarar företags val av K3 framför K2?  Metod: Studien består av en kvalitativ ansats. Den empiriska datan består av totalt fem intervjuer, varav en är pilotintervju. Studiens respondenter består av tre revisorer, en redovisningsexpert samt en redovisningsspecialist. Respondenterna har olika erfarenheter och är från olika revisionsbyråer. Resultat: Studien visar att redovisningsrådgivare anser skillnader i materiella, immateriella och finanisella anläggningstillgångar i K2 och K3 gör att företag föredrar K3. Avsättningar, uppskjuten skatt och intressenter är även påverkande faktorer. Samtliga respondenter var eniga om att K2 är enklare att tillämpa då regelverket innehåller handfasta regler för redovisning. K3 ställer större krav på kunskap vid professionell bedömning då regelverket tar hänsyn till en komplex verksamhet med fler företagsintressenter. / Title: K2 or K3 : Reasons to account according to K3  Authors: Adrian Zhubi and Albert Zhubi  Published: Spring 2016  Tutor: Eva Berggren  Background: Since 2004 BFN has given accounting standards, which started the K-project that divides companies into four different categories based on company size. The K-project's most common regulations are the main regulation principles-based K3 and the alternative regulation rules-based K2. Since 2015 it became mandatory for all joint-stock companies and economic associations to apply one of these two regulations. Companies should therefore reflect on its business and stakeholders when making a choice of regulation. This requires that the annual report should be relevant to the stakeholders. With the study we therefore want to examine the main differences that explains why companies choose K3 instead of K2 from accounting advisors’ perspective.  Aim: The aim of the study is to describe why companies prefer K3 instead of K2 according to accounting advisors.  Formulation of the problem: What do accounting advisors consider explains the companies’ choice of K3 instead of K2?  Methodology: The study is based on a qualitative approach. The empirical data contains a total of five interviews, one of those is a pilot interview. The study's respondents are three auditors, an accounting expert and an accounting specialist. The respondents have different experiences and are from different accounting firms. Results: The study shows that accounting advisors consider differences in tangible, intangible and financial assets between K2 and K3 makes companies prefer K3. Factors as depositions, deferred taxes and stakeholders also affects the choice. According to the study’s respondents, K2 is easier to apply because the regulation contains robust rules for accounting. K3 require greater knowledge at professional judgement, because the regulation includes companies with a complex business with many stakeholders.