Diploma thesis deals with the issue of statistical reporting Energy regulátory office ČR. The introduction describes the contents regularly published reports on the operation of the electricity system in the Czech Republic. In the thsis deals with the analysis of statistical reports. Processing code in Python and describes its implementation in analytical platform KNIME.

Only a handful of studies focuses on the relationship between the legal origin and the content of CSR reports, based on the institutional differences. The previous studies have contradicting results. The paper aims to add to the body of research by analyzing the relationship between the legal origin and its effect on the content of CSR disclosure. To analyse the content a scoring index is developed following Clarkson, Li, Richardson, & Vasvari, 2008 and Ong 2016. 45 CSR reports from 8 different countries are analysed and the research period is 2018 or FY 2019.  The findings suggest that companies from code law countries do publish more in-depth CSR reports. The key findings are that code law countries disclose more employment related information and that institutional regulations lead to better disclosure. Overall, this study extends the discussion on the effects of the legal origin.

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie studie is onderneem om aan te dui of wetsvoorskriftelikheid as 'n omgewingsfaktor van finansiele verslagdoening in staat is om te verseker dat f inansiele inligting sinvol vir beleggingsbeslui tneming aan gebruikers geopenbaar word. Die volgende fasette is bespreek: (1) 'n Teoretiese verwysingsraamwerk vir finansiele verslagdoening waarin wetsvoorskriftelikheid beklemtoon is. (2) 'n Oorsig van die historiese en huidige uitwerking van wetsvoorskriftelikheid op finansiele verslagdoening. (3) Wetsvoorskriftelikheid as.'n omgewingsfaktor van finansiele verslagdoening in Suid-Afrika. Soos in die Verenigde Koninkryk, die VSA en Australie, het wetsvoorskrif telikheid in Suid-Af rika die bruikbaarheid van f inansiele state aansienlik verbeter maar daar bestaan tekortkominge in Suid-Afrika, wat aangespreek moet word. Om onafhanklike en volgehoue navorsing te verseker, behoort 'n taakmag aangestel te word sodat wetsvoorskriftelike openbaarmaking voortdurend aan die nuutste omgewingsontwikkelinge kan voldoen. Terselfdertyd behoort wetgewing maatskappye te verplig om basiese ontledingsverhoudings te openbaar vir sinvolle belegg ingsbesluitneming. / This research was undertaken to show whether regulation as an environmental factor of financial reporting can provide useful information for making decisions. The following aspects were discussed: (1) A theoretical framework for financial reporting emphasizing accounting regulation. (2) A review of the historical and current influence of regulation on financial reporting. (3) Regulation as an environmental factor of financial reporting in South Africa. As in the United Kingdom, the USA and Australia, regulation of accounting in South Africa has improved the usefulness of financial reporting to a great extent, but there are still shortcomings in South Africa that require attention. To ensure independent and continuous research, it is recommended that a task force be appointed to enable financial disclosure to cope with the latest environmental developments. The South African law should also force companies to disclose basic analytical ratios for meaningful decision-making. / Management Accounting / M.Com. (Accounting)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the last 15 years, growing public awareness of the negative impact of corporate activities has prompted big corporations in the mining, manufacturing and retail sectors to publish reports that communicate their awareness of environmental and social issues. These reports typically take the form of standalone corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports or integrated annual (IA) reports. The publication of these reports is not an isolated event or practice on behalf of each company; the structure and content of the reports are informed by stock exchange policies such as the King Code in South Africa, and reporting frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) on an international level. The nature of corporate social responsibility and CSR reporting has captured the interest of researchers in diverse disciplines. Scholars such as Jones (1995) and Pedersen (2006), working within business and marketing-related fields, have praised CSR reports as a “win-win” concept which encourages corporations to focus on both their financial and social performance. Conversely, scholars such as Banerjee (2003, 2007) and Redclift (2002, 2005) have criticised CSR for being a new form of “greenwashing” and a mechanism that promotes the continued dominance of financially strong institutions. Critical scholars typically adopt a neo-Marxist perspective of neoliberalism and assert that legitimate environmental protection or social transformation and equality cannot take place within the reigning economic paradigm (see Pepper 1984, 1996). This study is a contribution to applied linguistic research into CSR and IA reports, particularly those originating from the Global South. It draws on methods developed within critical discourse analysis (CDA), systemic functional linguistics (SFL) and corpus linguistics to investigate the 2011, 2012 and 2013 CSR and IA reports of six South African companies located in the mining, retail and food manufacturing industries. Drawing on Halliday’s (1978) three metafunctions of texts, Fairclough’s (1989, 2002) three dimensional framework, as well as the Appraisal Framework (White 2001; Martin and White 2005) this study investigates the textual, representational and interpersonal meanings of the selected reports as ones that represent a new, gradually conventionalised genre within modern corporate discourse. In summary, the study contributes to an understanding of CSR and IA reports in three ways: First, it highlights the significant role of the GRI in prescribing, and thus restricting, the structural and discursive features of CSR and IA reports. Second, the study shows how the six companies draw on a limited set of discourses in the reports which all, in some way or another, embed neoliberal ideologies. This suggests that the South African CSR and IA reports function to maintain an established, dominant ideological and discursive order. Third, the degree of reliability of the information in the reports is dependent on how the companies construct themselves in this report. In this regard, the analysis reveals that the companies use a limited set of linguistic resources to construct themselves as strategic, moral and responsible social actors. In a country marked by widespread social inequality and diminishing resources, the findings ultimately suggest that social transformation and environmental protection are unlikely to be achieved if the sustainability discourses of corporate institutions are not publically challenged.

This thesis presents an account of the nature of structured propositions and addresses a series of questions that arise from that proposal. Chapter 1 presents the account and explains how it meets standard objections to such views. Chapter 2 responds to the objection that this version of propositionalism is really a form of sententialism by arguing for the distinct advantages of the propositionalist view. Chapter 3 argues against a closely related view of propositions by way of general principles about how to construct such theories. Chapter 4 illustrates how a theory of propositions of the sort proposed can be defended against a recent argument that propositions need not play a central role in linguistic theory.

A central consideration in constructing a theory of the firm is the divergent preferences of managers and investors. Managers have incentives to take actions (shirk, consume perquisites) not in the best interests of the firm. Accounting reports are a primary method by which managers make assertions about their actions or the results of their actions. Auditing is a mechanism by which managers can purchase external verification of their disclosures. This dissertation develops the demand for auditing in two multiperiod environments. The first environment allows the manager to disclose with impunity. In such a case the manager's demand for auditing depends on the ability of the manager to obtain the cooperative solution without auditing. The second environment permits the investors to bring suit against a manager suspected of issuing fraudulent disclosures. In that environment, a cooperative solution can be obtained without auditing. The results of 16 experiments designed to test the analytical assertions suggests that there is a demand for auditing, regardless of whether or not legal recourse is present. Both the availability of auditing and the availability of legal recourse induces a higher level of managerial effort. The highest level of managerial effort was seen when both auditing and legal recourse were available, despite the prediction that the presence of a legal system would make auditing useless. The investors tended to overbid and the markets with auditing reduced that tendency. Truthful disclosures were generally only seen when legal recourse was available.

The main objectives of this study are: (1) to examine the role of the company annual reports in investment analysis in Malaysia; and (2) to evaluate the importance of the annual reports as a source of information for analysts to make investment decisions. In order to achieve these research objectives the study begins with a review of the uses and users of financial statements and it is pointed out that one of the important groups of users of the financial statements are the ‘sophisticated’ investors. Prior studies, using tests of the Efficient Market Hypothesis and investors survey, are presented and discussed. The review of prior studies concludes that the area of research into the importance of annual reports for investment decisions are important and that no similar studies involving developing countries had been carried out. The accounting environment in Malaysia was presented to illustrate the regulations and statutes governing the preparation and presentation of information in company annual reports. In the discussions regarding the investment situation in Malaysia, the major characteristics of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange were introduced. A two stage research methodology was adopted in the current research. The first stage involves a survey and analysis of a sample of annual reports of companies listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. This survey revealed instances of companies not complying with the International Accounting Standards adopted by the accounting profession in Malaysia. The second stage consists of a postal questionnaire survey of investment analysts working in institutional investing firms, merchant banks and stockbrokers regarding importance of the annual analysis. Their perceptions of the reports for investment The results of the above surveys are presented together with recommendations to reduce the weaknesses of the annual reports of Malaysian companies. Finally, related areas for further research are suggested at the end of the thesis.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a direct test of higher-order and lower-order writing abilities needed for police report writing. This test was specifically designed to address report writing deficiencies experienced by police in the training academy. Descriptive statistics were examined, and relationships between this test and writing ability dimensions included on a separate, indirect, multiple choice test were investigated. Direct and indirect scores were correlated with training academy performance. Because both tests assessed higher-order and lower-order writing abilities, comparisons were made to determine which type of test was most appropriate for assessing the different types of writing skills. Results indicated that the direct test was a valid predictor of academy performance. Direct methods of measurement were found to be better than indirect methods for assessing higher-order writing skills. For lower-order writing skills, the indirect method appeared to be a better measure than the direct method.

M.Sc. (Environmental Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the Degree: Master of Commerce School of Accountancy 2015 / This thesis examines the functioning of the Financial Investigations Panel (FRIP) as a mechanism of accountability in the South African financial reporting environment. Detailed interviews with a sample of technical experts are used to reveal the significant source of coercive, normative and mimetic isomorphic pressure the FRIP is able to exert, acting on the organisations themselves, as well as on the individual preparers and their auditors. This thesis provides the first account of how the FRIP is capable of exerting institutional isomorphic pressure on organisations, those charged with governance, individual preparers and external auditors. In doing so the research contributes to the limited body of interpretive corporate governance research in South Africa, offers evidence in support of the JSE’s decision to establish a proactive monitoring review and, finally, offers support to the fact that South African corporate reporting requirements can be enforced and are not just symbolic. / MT2017