Zugl.: Köln, Univ., Diss., 2008

This thesis induces a theory for the pre-measurement phase of the asset recognition process in the financial reporting domain centred upon the use of the induced artefact-based asset recognition criteria which are applicable to all assets. In common with standard-setting bodies, such as the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), I adopt a social constructionist stance (Miller, 1994). It is one that is constructed from a process of consultation. I consult in order to, first, explore the accounting asset recognition process from a conceptual point of view and, second, so that my social construction in that regard can be legitimised, for the most part, on the basis of a consensus of those consulted. However, unlike the standard setters‘ regulatory process, my analysis is structured using a grounded theory approach. The target audience comprises those experts who have been and/or who are currently involved in some way with the development of the IASB‘s conceptual framework (CF) project, including IASB board members. Different data collection methods were adopted combing both qualitative and quantitative data. In respect of the qualitative research, I carried out two sets of interviews. The first set was conducted with Canadian Accounting Standards Board members in May 2008 and International Accounting Standard Board members in June, 2008. The second set was conducted with more International Accounting Standard Board members, UK-Accounting Standard Baord members and other experts within the area being studied. These two sets of interviews were useful for determining the preliminary concepts and categories in the open coding and axial coding structure. In respect of the quantitative research, the concepts and categories raised from the first two sets of interviews were then used to construct an on line questionnaire. The questionnaires were emailed to national standard setters in Canada, the USA, Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom. This has been followed up with an interview with UK ASB director to help in finalising the theory saturation and to validate the reliability of the generated theory. The generated theory demonstrates a three-circled set of criteria for the pre-measurement phase of an asset recognition process. The three-circled set of asset recognition criteria presented in this thesis breaks free from the narrow definitional and rule based perspective of accounting epistemology to offer an alternative view based on the recognition of artefacts.

Tax havens are of signicant importance in the current global economy. The wealth hidden in these havens is estimated to add up to $6000 billion and this issue is linked with wealth inequality and money laundering. Identication of tax havens differs between sources, and blacklists are often politicised. Activists, experts and academics have claimed recently that the US serves as a tax haven for foreign tax-evading households. The tax environment in the US does favor foreigners; they are for example exempt from paying taxes on interest income generated by bank deposits and it is easy to set up entities hiding the identity of the ultimate owner. The effects of two international initiatives implemented to battle tax evasion in offshore centres are studied in this paper. These are the European Savings Directive and the Common Reporting Standard, under which the US does not cooperate. Using bilateral cross-border bank deposit data, it is estimated whether tax evaders moved their wealth to the US as a result of these measures. The results of the difference-in-difference approach neither confirm nor reject the claims that the US is being used as a tax haven by foreign households. Estimates on the effects in cooperating tax havens can not rule out the possibility that the Common Reporting Standard did not have its intended effect on tax evaders.

Mannheim, Univ., Diss., 2008.

Diss. Univ. zu Köln, 2008. / Business and Economics (German Language) (Springer-11775) (GWV).

Diss. Univ. zu Köln, 2008. / Business and Economics (German Language) (Springer-11775) (GWV).

Enforcing and communicating sustainability is one of the biggest challenges for retailers in today’s business environment. Retailers are facing pressure from various stakeholders since the topic of sustainability is constantly moving up the agendas of companies, politics, and the media. Additionally, it is intensely discussed by a critical public. This dissertation consists of three related studies – one conceptual study and two research studies – that analyze sustainable behavior, reporting and communication in grocery retailing in Germany. In particular, sustainable behavior is compared across different retail formats. In the first study, the business model of grocery discounters and supermarkets is compared with respect to the impact on sustainability. The cost-leadership strategy applied by discounters is analyzed regarding its influence on strong and weak sustainability. The second article focuses on supermarkets, discounters and organic supermarkets. Based on the sustainability reports it is examined which information is disclosed and which legitimation strategies are applied if negative impacts have to be reported. The analysis revealed that, even within the same industry and country, a wide range with respect to quality levels of sustainability reporting exists. Furthermore, all retailers are reluctant about reporting negative aspects and frequently use similar legitimation strategies. The third article deals with communication of sustainability of both supermarkets and discounters comparing sustainability reporting and communication in the stores. It is shown that no clear difference between sustainability reporting of discounters and supermarkets was observable. However, supermarkets outperformed discounters with respect to in-store communication.:I. Sustainable Retailing – German Grocery Retailers and their Challenge of Communicating Sustainability 1 Introduction 1.1 Relevance and development of sustainability in academic research 1.2 Practically relevance 2 The entire Research Project 2.1 Related research, research questions and research objectives 2.2 Classification within related research streams 2.3 Overview publication status 3 Article Summary 3.1 Summary Article A: Discount Grocery Retailing: Cost-Leadership-Strategy versus Sustainability – Does it fit together? 3.2 Summary Article B: Sustainable Grocery Retailing: Myth or Reality? – A Content Analysis 3.3 Summary Article C: How do Supermarkets and Discounters communicate about Sustainability? – A comparative Analysis of Sustainability Reports and In-Store Communication 4 Dissertation Results, Contribution and Implications 5 Limitations and Future Research 6 Outlook 7 References II. Article A: Discount Grocery Retailing: Cost-Leadership-Strategy versus Sustainability – Does it fit together? 1 Introduction 2 Literature Review 2.1 Grocery discounters and traditional supermarkets 2.2 Cost-leadership-strategy and lean management within economic sustainability 2.3 The concept of “strong” and “weak” sustainability within sustainability research 3 Research Design 3.1 Research method 3.2 Analytical approach 4 Findings 4.1 Procurement and supply chain 4.2 Logistics and transportation 4.3 Store concepts and store design 4.4 Energy consumption and environment 5 Discussion and Analysis 5.1 “Strong sustainability” 5.2 “Weak sustainability” 5.3 Cost-leadership strategy contradicting sustainability 6 Conclusion, Limitations and Future Research 7 References III. Article B: Sustainable Grocery Retailing: Myth or Reality? – A Content Analysis 1 Introduction 2 Literature Review 3 Research Design 3.1 Research method and data collection 3.2 Analytical approach 4 Findings 4.1 General characteristics 4.2 Sustainability focus areas and coverage of GRI standards 4.3 Analysis of legitimating strategies 5 Discussion 5.1 Evaluation of sustainable reporting quality (RQ 1 and RQ 3) 5.2 Evaluation of reporting “negative aspects” for focus areas (RQ 2 and RQ3) 6 Conclusion 7 References IV. Article C: How do Supermarkets and Discounters communicate about Sustainability? A comparative Analysis of Sustainability Reports and In-Store Communication 1 Introduction 2 Literature Review 2.1 The challenge of sustainability from the retailer perspective 2.2 Extant research about sustainability communication by retailers 3 Research Design 3.1 Research method and data collection 3.2 Analytical approach 4 Findings 4.1 General characteristics and readability analysis 4.2 Readability analysis 4.3 Identification and comparison of available data 4.4 Store observations 5 Discussion 5.1 Comparison of the sustainability communication between supermarkets and discounters (RQ1) 5.2 Comparison of results from different research approaches (RQ2) 6 Conclusion 7 References

El presente trabajo de investigación tiene como finalidad evaluar el impacto financiero en las perdidas crediticias esperadas de las cuentas por cobrar comerciales a partir de la aplicación de la NIIF 9 en el sector de Telecomunicaciones. Esta nueva norma entrará en vigencia a partir del año 2018, y proporciona lineamientos específicos para el registro de la provisión por incobrables. Es por ello que las empresas deben considerar los cambios que surgirán en el registro de la provisión, así como el modelo a seleccionar, y esto se desarrollará a partir de nuestra investigación cualitativa y cuantitativa. Como parte de la metodología de investigación, se obtuvo las opiniones de expertos y colaboradores de las mismas empresas del sector, a través de entrevistas a profundidad y encuestas. Del mismo modo, se desarrolló un caso práctico con el fin de dar mayor énfasis en el efecto de la aplicación de la NIIF 9 en el ámbito contable. Después de analizar los datos recolectados y haber identificado las diferencias entre la NIC 39 y la NIIF 9, se exponen las conclusiones y recomendaciones a las empresas de Telecomunicaciones. / The purpose of this research work is to evaluate the financial impact on the expected credit losses of trade accounts receivable from the application of IFRS 9 in the Telecommunications sector. This new standard will become effective from the year 2018, and provides specific guidelines for the registration of bad debt provision. That is why companies must consider the changes that will arise in the record of the provision as well as the model to be selected, and this will be developed from our qualitative and quantitative research. As part of the research methodology, expert opinions were obtained and collaborators of the same companies in the sector, through in-depth interviews and surveys in the same way, a case study was developed in order to give more emphasis in the effect of the application of IFRS 9 in the accounting field. After analyzing the data collected and having identified the differences between the NIC 39 and IFRS 9, the conclusions and recommendations are presented to the Telecommunications companies. / Tesis

To consider the international trend and enhance the global competitiveness of Taiwan enterprises, the Government committed to convert the domestic accounting standards to International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS). Taiwan Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No.10, ¡§Inventories¡¨, was revised to adopt IFRS and effective on January 1, 2009 under this background. New SFAS No.10 has different rules on inventory evaluation and has significant impacts on inventory decision-making and operating profits, which may cause much high pressure on companies¡¦ operating performance. Based on this assumption, this research would like to know whether adopting the new SFAS No.10 can affect earnings management behavior by studying the relations between inventories related financial factors and accrual-based earnings management. This research takes the absolute value of discretionary accruals (ADA) from the Modified Jones Model as a measuring indicator of earnings management; and selects six sequential quarterly financial statements of listed companies in Taiwan Stock Exchange Market before and after adopting new SFAS No.10. The total sampling periods are twelve quarters from the third quarter of 2007 to the second quarter of 2010. The empirical results of this study are summarized as follows: 1.After adopting New SFAS No.10, the levels of using discretionary accruals for earnings management are significantly reduced. 2.Gross Profit Margin and Inventory Turnover Rate both have significant correlations with using discretionary accruals for earnings management. 3.Companies have shorter product life cycles are more evident in using discretionary accruals for earnings management. 4.Fixed Assets to Total Assets Rate and Provision of Inventory Loss both have no significant correlations with using the discretionary accruals for earnings management.

This thesis provides a narrative account of the development of the sector-neutral financial reporting standard FRS-37: Consolidating Investments in Subsidiaries, applicable to both government and the private sector in the New Zealand institutional setting. The protracted promulgation of this accounting standard over eight years is the research event of interest. New Zealand's overhauled Public Finance Act 1989 introduced a requirement for the Crown to produce accrual consolidated accounts prepared in accordance with GAAP. Consolidation GAAP was vague however and a preferential modified equity accounting method was used throughout the development period of FRS-37. This seemed contradictory to the sector-neutral GAAP stance since the method was not allowed in the private sector. After FRS-37 was approved the Crown was required to present financial reports incorporating its interests in State Owned Enterprises and Crown entities on a fully consolidated basis. Subsequently international developments in government accounting put the viability of so-called NZ GAAP into question. The research objective was to better understand what happened. The historical method of Porter (1981) is used to trace the changes shaping the event. This involved consideration of antecedent and subsequent conditions around the event as well as its internal development. The event of FRS-37 commenced in September 1993 following the establishment of the Accounting Standards Review Board by the Financial Reporting Act 1993 which necessitated the development of a sector-neutral consolidation standard for approval, and concluded around October 2001 when FRS-37 was approved. The comparative antecedent period commencing around 1985 indicated the contextual conditions leading into the event, and the subsequent period to 2006 following FRS-37's implementation showed changed conditions that confirmed the event's conclusion. The contribution of this thesis is that it documents the defined event and explains what happened, offering understanding of the issues around consolidation accounting, sector-neutral GAAP and public sector financial management.