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George O. May's (1952) prescient statement that "if accounting had not already become, it was well on its way to becoming a political phenomenon" provides the motivation for this study. Changing socioeconomic relationships in the post-World War II period make it an ideal period to examine the politicalization of accounting. Keynesian economic policies justified active government intervention in the economy to manage demand and ensure full employment. No longer could it be assumed that competitive market forces would ensure that corporations produced goods and services at a socially optimal level or that income would be distributed equitably. Claims that accounting profit provides a measure of managerial efficiency are based on these premises. This dissertation examines the political dynamics of one particular accounting measurement debate--the debate over the determination of business income. Policies, such as wage/price controls, the excess profits tax, and the undistributed profits tax, brought the accounting income determination debate to center stage. The perseverance of the historic cost allocation model in the face of significant economic changes presents a fascinating glimpse of the important role accounting played in justifying continued reliance on the private property rights paradigm. I use retrodiction (reasoning from present to past) to examine why the historic cost allocation model has been so enduring. In my examination, I use personal correspondence, transcripts of Congressional hearings, published financial statements, and relevant journal articles. My analysis indicates that, while accountants empathized with managers who claimed that inflation distorted reported earnings and recognized that a serious measurement scale issue existed, they also recognized that abandonment of historic cost would not be politically feasible. If accountants had adopted a strongly partisan position that favored management with respect to bargaining with labor, this could have undermined the profession's claim to neutrality and opened the standard-setting process to closer political scrutiny. Accountants responded to management in a less visible way. Standard setters adopted techniques that gave managers maximum flexibility in managing income while retaining the aura of objectivity that attached to historic cost.

In this paper, we present the ban on progressive depreciation of housing associations in connection with the change to K-regulatory frameworks. Bokföringsnämnden (2014) stated that progressive depreciation was no longer allowed, and this study explores what kind of implications it had for the housing associations' income statements. Additional problems have been addressed by examining what effects it could have on the perception of that accounting must be based on giving a fair view (Artsberg, 2005), and whether stakeholders can access and interpret this financial information (Burks, 2015). Based on theories that consider that a similar framework is not appropriate for housing associations and non-profit organizations, as for profit driven companies, we have used this criticism on the matter (Burks, 2014; Torres and Pina, 2003). We have also taken into consideration why Bokföringsnämnden decided to prohibit the depreciation method. The empirical study focuses on examining twenty newly constructed housing associations annual reports from 2012 to 2014 to see whether they have had to change their depreciation method, and if this in turn has had an influence on their results, and if this has led to changes in their annual report. The end result of this study is based on a quantitative research which shows that a change has occurred in housing associations' income statements. 95 percent of the sample reported a loss in 2014, while in 2012 only 5 percent showed negative results. In a combined analysis of the use of literature and empirical data, there are clear indications that there is a requirement for new regulatory alternative templates for housing associations to report financial information if they are to present a fair view and enable comparison between associations.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Both the income statement and the cash flow statement of a company provide useful information to the user of financial statements. The net profit after tax in the income statement and the cash from operating activities in the cash flow statement have basically the same transactions as source, however they still differ, because of timing differences between the accrual of income and expenses and the cash receipts or payments thereof, as well as the inclusion of items in the net profit after tax that rather forms part of cash flow from investment activities. A growth in turnover usually coincides with an increase in non-cash working capital. When the company is expanding at too high a rate, too much of his cash resources are taken up by the increase in non-cash working capital and that could lead to cash flow problems. This trend can be plotted on a graph, with a growing net profit after tax and a decline in the cash flow from operating activities. The two lines move away from each other when there is a significant difference between the net profit after tax and the cash flow from operating activities. This study tries to measure the angle between the two lines where they reach the danger zone. Users of financial statements will be able to use this as an indicator of companies that are going to be in cash flow trouble over the next period. In order to measure this angle when the company reaches the danger zone, 365 listed industrial companies were studied. The net profit after tax and the cash flow from operating activities were both transformed into an index, with cash flow relative to net profit. The difference between the index strings was calculated. This study only focuses on companies with an index-difference where the cash flow from operating activities is smaller than the net profit after tax. An index-difference of -2 was identified as the possible danger zone. In order to substantiate this figure, companies with an index-difference of -2 or larger negative that still were listed at the time of the study were examined to find the reason for the difference. Items that do not form part of the cash flow from operating activities cannot be used in the calculation of the index-difference, because it will generate a permanent difference between the net profit after tax and the cash from operating activities. Companies that have a huge negative index-difference only because of such items are not in the danger zone. 33 companies with an index-difference of -2 or more negative were identified. Focus was placed on the thirteen companies that did not have losses and that were still listed at the time of the study. Six of these companies were removed from the danger list after the individual examination, because of other reasons for the difference rather than an increase in non-cash working capital. That leaves seven companies that are shown by this study to be in danger to get into serious cash flow trouble in the foreseeable future. A few additional companies were examined which led to another six companies being placed on the danger list. Only time will tell whether these companies do get into serious financial difficulty. If so, the index-difference can be calculated as an indicator of the point when a company, regardless of a strong growth in turnover, and sometimes because thereof, does not generate enough cash from operating activities to finance the growth in non-cash working capital. Unless the company has a holding company that is willing to pour more cash into the company, or unless the company can do a successful rights issue, it will find itself in the position where it cannot finance the expansion and also cannot obtain more additional funding. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Beide die inkomstestaat en kontantvloeistaat van 'n maatskappy verskaf nuttige inligting aan gebruikers van finansiële state. Die netto wins na belasting uit die inkomstestaat en die kontantvloei uit bedryfsaktiwiteite uit die kontantvloeistaat het basies dieselfde transaksies as bron, maar verskil tog, hoofsaaklik vanweë tydverskil in die erkenning van die toevalling van inkomste en uitgawes en die kontantontvangstes en -betalings daarvan, asook vanweë die insluiting van items in die netto wins na belasting wat eerder deel vorm van die kontantvloei uit investeringsaktiwiteite. Wanneer die maatskappy 'n groei in omset toon, gaan dit gewoonlik gepaard met 'n toename in nie-kontant bedryfskapitaal. Wanneer die maatskappy te vinnig groei, word te veel van sy kontantbronne vasgevang in die verhoogde nie-kontant bedryfskapitaal en dit kan lei tot kontantvloeiprobleme. Hierdie tendens kan op 'n grafiek uitgebeeld word met 'n stygende netto wins na belasting, terwyl die kontantvloei uit bedryfsaktiwiteite daal. Wanneer daar 'n aansienlike verskil tussen die netto wins na belasting en die kontantvloei uit bedryfsaktiwiteite is, beweeg die twee lyne uit mekaar. Dié studie poog om die grootte van die hoek tussen die twee lyne wanneer die gevaarsone bereik word, te bepaal. Dit kan dan deur gebruikers van die finansiële state as 'n aanduiding gebruik word om te voorspel watter maatskappye oor die volgende tydperk kontantvloeiprobleme sal hê. Ten einde die grootte van die hoek te meet waar die maatskappy die gevaarsone binne beweeg is 365 genoteerde industriële maatskappye se data bestudeer. Die netto wins na belasting en die kontantvloei uit bedryfsaktiwiteite is beide as 'n indeks uitgedruk, laasgenoemde relatief tot eersgenoemde. Die verskil tussen die twee indeks-reekse is bereken, naamlik die indeks-verskil. Die studie is slegs gefokus op maatskappye met 'n indeks-verskil waar die kontantvloei uit bedryfsaktiwitete kleiner is as die netto wins na belasting. 'n Indeks-verskil van -2 is geïdentifiseer as die moontlike gevaarsone. Ten einde hierdie syfer te steun is die maatskappye wat ten tye van die navorsing steeds genoteer is en 'n indeks-verskil van -2 of groter negatief het, individueel ondersoek om die rede vir die indeks-verskil vas te stel. Items wat op 'n ander plek in die kontantvloeistaat as in die bedryfsaktiwiteite hanteer word, kan nie in ag geneem word in die berekening van die indeks-verskil nie, aangesien dit 'n permanente afwyking tussen die netto wins na belasting en kontant uit bedryfsaktiwiteite sal veroorsaak. Maatskappye wat dus bloot as gevolg van sodanige items 'n groot negatiewe indeks-verskil het, val nie in die gevaarsone nie. 33 maatskappye is geïdentifiseer met 'n indeks-verskilvan -2 of groter negatief. Daar is gefokus op die dertien maatskappye wat nie verliese gely het nie en steeds ten tye van die afhandeling van die studie genoteer was. Ses van hierdie maatskappye is tydens die individuele ondersoek van die gevaarlys gehaal aangesien daar ander redes vir die groot indeks-verskil was as 'n toename in nie-kontant bedryfskapitaal. Dit laat dan sewe maatskappye wat deur dié studie aangedui word as om moontlik finansiële probleme op te tel binne die afsienbare toekoms. 'n Paar addisionele maatskappye is ondersoek, waarna 'n verdere ses op die gevaarlys geplaas is. Slegs die tyd sal leer of die betrokke maatskappye wel in 'n finansiële verknorsing beland. Indien wel, kan hierdie indeks-verskil bereken word en as 'n aanduiding gebruik word van die punt wanneer 'n maatskappy, in baie gevalle ten spyte van goeie groei in omset, maar dan ook juis as gevolg daarvan, nie genoeg kontant uit bedryfsaktiwiteite genereer om die groei in nie-kontant bedryfskapitaal te finansier nie. Tensy die maatskappy 'n houermaatskappy het wat bereid is om nog kontant te stort in die maatskappy, of tensy die maatskappy 'n suksesvolle regte-uitgifte kan maak, vind hy homself in die posisie dat hy nie die uitbreiding kan finansier nie en dat hy ook nie meer addisionele finansiering kan bekom nie.

Den svenska idrottsrörelsen har gått över från att vara en amatör- och folkrörelsebaserad verksamhet till en mer kommersiell och professionell verksamhet. Det finns ett ökat fokus på arbetet med att förbättra redovisningen hos ideella föreningar, därför att det finns en ökad oro kring kvalitén. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur de ekonomiansvariga i de ideella idrottsföreningarna upplever arbetet med den ekonomiska redovisningen och utifrån detta diskutera möjliga orsaker till varför ideella idrottsföreningars redovisning varierar i kvalité. För att uppfylla syftet genomfördes åtta kvalitativa intervjuer. Representanter från sex idrottsföreningar som är anslutna till Riksidrottsförbundet deltog i studien. Dessutom intervjuades två anställda på ett distriktsidrottsförbund. Våra resultat tyder på att de ekonomiansvariga upplever att arbetet med att upprätta den ideella idrottsföreningens redovisning tar mycket tid. Detta kan vara ett tecken på att redovisningen har vuxit i omfattning. Vidare kan denna ökade omfattning leda till tidsbrist som möjligen kan påverka redovisningens kvalité. Tidsbristen kan möjligen göra att redovisningen som en ideell idrottsförening producerar inte kan uppfylla de kvalitetsförbättrande kriterierna som finns gällande redovisning. / The Swedish sports movement has developed from sporting among common folks and amateurs to a more commercial and professional movement. The work of improving nonprofit accounting has been focused on since there are rising concerns about the quality of the accounting. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the bookkeepers experience working with the accounting, and on this basis, discuss possible causes as to why non-profit sports organizations’ accounting varies in quality. The study has been conducted through eight qualitative interviews. The participants were six representatives from non-profit sports organizations and two representatives of a District Federation from the Swedish Sport Confederation. Our study indicates that the bookkeepers find the accounting time consuming. This could be a sign that the scope of this kind of accounting has grown. This growth might further affect the quality of the accounting due to an increasing lack of time, which in turn could possibly lead to the accounting produced by a non-profit sports association not fulfilling the qualitative characteristics.

This thesis provides new insight into the EMU’s impact on the Euro-area firms’ performance, by examining the firms’ accounting rates of return and financial cash flows. The impact is evaluated separately for the EMU formation and the physical Euro adoption, and over different time horizons. The existing literature does not directly examine these issues. This study uses the regression model of the difference-in-differences approach to examine 121 Euro-area and North American firms, covering 14 sectors, over the period from 1992 to 2008. The results indicate a positive impact of the EMU on the firms’ financial cash flows, especially after the Euro adoption, which support the related literature. However, the accounting rates of return suggest a mostly negative impact. The magnitude of the impacts declines over time. The results are robust with respect to GDP as a control variable. The study also reports the EMU’s impact on 4 major industrial sectors. / viii, 68 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm