It has been argued for many years that if applied effectively, information can be a valuable organisational resource; indeed, many contend that it is the lifeblood of the organisation. This view is supported by the academic literature, which identifies a wide range of factors that influence perceptions of strategic information value. For example, information quality and information accessibility have both been widely discussed. The use of information for enabling organisational change in organisations, for marketing activities, and for strategic planning have also been the subject of academic investigation. However, whilst the literature in this domain is fairly extensive, it is largely theoretical, rather than empirical, in nature and it also tends to be highly fragmented, addressing narrow aspects of value. The primary aim of this study was to undertake a holistic exploration of the factors affecting the perceived value of strategic information, using rigorous empirical methods. Moreover, the research sought to address the question of why organisations typically fail to treat information as a formal asset, even though they perceive it to be valuable resource. To explore these broad objectives, a three-phase approach was adopted combining the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods of research. More specifically, the study commenced with a questionnaire-based survey that was designed to validate the initial conceptual framework. This was followed by a phase of the research, which utilised detailed case studies in eight major UK based commercial organisations, to explore how perceptions of information value were affected by the implementation of data warehouses. The final phase of the study sought to validate the research findings and explore their wider implications, through the utilisation of on-line focus groups. The research project has produced several key findings. It has provided evidence that information accessibility and information quality are critical constructs that impact the perceived value of information. It has confirmed that a number of business activities, such as marketing, are highly dependent on the use of information. It has suggested that improvements in the accessibility and quality of information can lead to the improved effectiveness of these business activities, and that this can lead to the attainment of more substantial measurable business benefits. Finally, the research has also suggested that although most organisations consider information to be valuable, few give serious consideration to formally classing information as an asset, and none appear to measure the value of their information assets. It is believed that this study has made a number of significant contributions to the literature. It has provided a holistic view of the dimensions that can impact the perceived value of strategic information. Most importantly, from an academic perspective, it has produced empirically based evidence on the relationships between a wide-range of dimensions and the perceived value of information, on attitudes to information being considered an asset, and the actions organisations take to measure the value of information assets. It has been argued that without a clear understanding of the value of information, it is difficult to manage it appropriately, and consequently it is also difficult to ultimately attain the value of the information. By providing afar clearer and holistic picture of the factors affecting the value of information, coupled with many important new insights about the management of information, the results of this study should help to ensure that organisations can fully realise the value of their strategic information resources.

Both marketing researchers and practitioners realise that having customer relationships that enhance a firm's competitive advantage is an important strategic issue and that there is a need for relationship value measurement. But the research on relationship value measurement is limited, especially from a seller's perspective, despite numerous calls for it. The reason for the limited research might be that the nature of customer relationships is complex, largely intangible, and long-term oriented. Baxter and Matear's (2004) study directly addresses the issue of the measurement of the intangible part of the value of a business-to-business relationship from a seller's perspective. Synthesising an intellectual capital model into the relationship marketing literature, Baxter and Matear (2004) propose an intangible relationship value (IRV) model for assessing the value of the intangible part of the resources that sellers gain through their relationships with their business buyers. The IRV model has been empirically tested and supported in New Zealand's manufacturing industry. The current study replicated Baxter and Matear's (2004) study in order to further assess the validity of the IRV model and its scales. Exploratory factor analysis was used first to identify the dimensionality of the IRV. Then the four aspects of construct validity - reliability, and convergent, discriminant, and nomological validities - were examined. The exploratory factor analysis of the focal relationship value items in the questionnaire found six first-order dimensions of the IRV. As expected, these six first-order value dimensions are the same as in the Baxter and Matear (2004) study: competence, attitude, intellectual agility, relationships, organisation, and renewal and development. Further exploratory factor analysis of the summated scales of these six first-order values found two higher-order value dimensions: the human intangible value dimension and the structural intangible value dimension. Thus the dimensionality of the IRV model is supported in the current study. The exploratory factor analysis retained 36 out of the initial 42 measures developed by Baxter and Matear (2004). These 36 retained measures include 20 of the 22 measures in Baxter and Matear's (2004) final purified scales. The validity of these 36 measures was then further investigated. The reliability examination found that the measurements of the six first-order IRV constructs are reliable in the current study. Evidence was also found for the convergent and discriminant validities in the measurements of the human and structural intangible value, the convergent validity in the measurement of the IRV, and the nomological validity of the IRV construct. Thus, the 36 measures retained in the final results of the current study are valid for the respondents in the current study. The findings suggest that Baxter and Matear's (2004) intellectual capital approach to measuring IRV is appropriate. It has potentially provided a way to assess intangible value in relationships. Based on the dimensions and the measures provided by the IRV model, sellers can systematically assess the potential IRV of their current and potential customer relationships, and make their strategic decisions on how to manage these customer relationships accordingly.

Both marketing researchers and practitioners realise that having customer relationships that enhance a firm's competitive advantage is an important strategic issue and that there is a need for relationship value measurement. But the research on relationship value measurement is limited, especially from a seller's perspective, despite numerous calls for it. The reason for the limited research might be that the nature of customer relationships is complex, largely intangible, and long-term oriented. Baxter and Matear's (2004) study directly addresses the issue of the measurement of the intangible part of the value of a business-to-business relationship from a seller's perspective. Synthesising an intellectual capital model into the relationship marketing literature, Baxter and Matear (2004) propose an intangible relationship value (IRV) model for assessing the value of the intangible part of the resources that sellers gain through their relationships with their business buyers. The IRV model has been empirically tested and supported in New Zealand's manufacturing industry. The current study replicated Baxter and Matear's (2004) study in order to further assess the validity of the IRV model and its scales. Exploratory factor analysis was used first to identify the dimensionality of the IRV. Then the four aspects of construct validity - reliability, and convergent, discriminant, and nomological validities - were examined. The exploratory factor analysis of the focal relationship value items in the questionnaire found six first-order dimensions of the IRV. As expected, these six first-order value dimensions are the same as in the Baxter and Matear (2004) study: competence, attitude, intellectual agility, relationships, organisation, and renewal and development. Further exploratory factor analysis of the summated scales of these six first-order values found two higher-order value dimensions: the human intangible value dimension and the structural intangible value dimension. Thus the dimensionality of the IRV model is supported in the current study. The exploratory factor analysis retained 36 out of the initial 42 measures developed by Baxter and Matear (2004). These 36 retained measures include 20 of the 22 measures in Baxter and Matear's (2004) final purified scales. The validity of these 36 measures was then further investigated. The reliability examination found that the measurements of the six first-order IRV constructs are reliable in the current study. Evidence was also found for the convergent and discriminant validities in the measurements of the human and structural intangible value, the convergent validity in the measurement of the IRV, and the nomological validity of the IRV construct. Thus, the 36 measures retained in the final results of the current study are valid for the respondents in the current study. The findings suggest that Baxter and Matear's (2004) intellectual capital approach to measuring IRV is appropriate. It has potentially provided a way to assess intangible value in relationships. Based on the dimensions and the measures provided by the IRV model, sellers can systematically assess the potential IRV of their current and potential customer relationships, and make their strategic decisions on how to manage these customer relationships accordingly.

Abstract Problem: In today’s business environment, rising demand in financial reporting and frequent changes in accounting frameworks lead to an increased focus on reliability in Fair Value Measurement (FVM) and disclosures. The frequent changes in accounting frameworks create a challenge for managers in measuring accounting estimates accurately and have been an exceedingly difficult task. The difficult task is that of the auditors. How would auditors endorse and ensure the reliability and relevance of financial statements? Also how could they evaluate the accuracy of the measurement of fair values as presented in the financial statements? (IFAC, 2011, ISA 540). Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the methods and approaches used by auditors while auditing fair values from practical perspectives. Method: A multiple case study with pure qualitative methods and an inductive approach has been adopted. The qualitative method used a semi-structured interview to collect data.  Result: The result shows that by understanding the challenges and following the phases of auditing, auditors can maintain the quality of financial reporting. Four key audit phases are relevant to audit FVM. These are: understanding the Client-Business environment, Engagement, Internal Control, and Planning phases of auditing. Furthermore, the results revealed key challenges of auditing FVM and disclosures. These challenges are information insufficiency in the market (reliability), competence, auditors’ lack of fair value audit exposure, and the manager's leadership role and style. Moreover, as previous studies on FV have primarily relied on synthesis of academic literature, the thesis contributes knowledge to academia by using an empirical approach.

In the spirit of interdisciplinary critical accounting studies and in light of the IASB’s on-going Conceptual Framework project, this thesis problematises and proposes a re-conceptualisation of two fundamental financial accounting practices: recognition and measurement of assets. In order to do so, the thesis steps outside financial accounting’s conventional disciplinary resources of economics and finance. It proposes to mobilise Ferdinand de Saussure’s semiology, which, defined as a theory of social sign systems, provides a meaningful delineation of financial accounting as a purposeful sign technology. With such a lens and with a research approach of going beyond IASB’s proclaimed concepts and narrative to its nuanced prescriptions, the thesis challenges taken-for-granted assumptions with regard to the market-based nature of Fair Value measurement and the characterisation of judgement involved in recognition. With respect to value measurement, the thesis harness semiology to fracture the dichotomy between the market and the entity perspectives, which is generally assumed in extant accounting research and policy-making. It is shown how the IASB’s Fair Value measurement prescriptions demonstrate semiology's two-dimensional 'value constellation', where the asset’s value is not merely relational (and not intrinsic) but, importantly, relational in two distinct dimensions. It is a product, first, of differentiation from other values in the market and, second, of interrelation with other values in the specific entity. With a semiological theorisation of the financial statement, market-based and entity-specific perspectives serve as complementary inputs rather than contradictory outputs. With respect to recognition, the thesis proposes to shift the locus of judgment from questions of recognition thresholds (probability and reliability) to the under-investigated issue of the asset’s separability from the firm’s general cash flow. It is shown how the IASB’s procedures manifest the semiological principle of ‘reciprocal articulation’: accounting entities (e.g., ‘assets’) are not passive representations of pre-existing economic resources, but rather a product of delimiting – carving out – the asset/resource from the broader category (or the entire firm). With such theorisation, the crux of recognition is separability, which is never natural or technical, but rather anchorless and reciprocal. The thesis thereby sheds light on the plasticity of recognition for both tangible and intangible assets. With its theory-informed analysis the thesis offers a set of conceptual instruments – value constellation and reciprocal articulation – as the logic of the balance sheet as a sign technology: its semio-logic. With Saussure’s ground-breaking linguistic semiology, it offers a parallel financial-numeric semiology: an Accounting Semiology.

No description available.

Integration of operation management goals with the mission of organization requiresadoption of measures capable of pulsing mission accomplishment situation whileoperations are going on. Supply chain, as an increasingly used concept in operationsmanagement, could be supported by the concepts of customer satisfaction and profitmargin to get integrated with main goals of any for-profit organization. Value chain viewprovides such insight and lets the mission of the organization remain in focus while lowerleveldecisions and functional processes are dealt with.Every activity in a value chain could be cost driver and / or value driver. Configuration ofthese cost and value drivers refers to their locational and relational position. Afteragreement on what are going to be core values for the organization, relative positions ofvalue chain activities should be consciously reviewed periodically to identify opportunitiesfor contributing to core values of organization through repositioning or redesigning andstrengthening value activities. The term value chain reconfiguration implies to suchstrategic revision decisions.Opportunities – and threats – for improving performance of the organization not only liewithin internal chain of value activities of the organization, but also could be found out ofthe organization boundaries and among its extended value chain. Acquiring of externalgains needs sound analysis and cost and benefit evaluations for making decision regardingthe way of reacting to the identified opportunities. Virtual value chain orchestration asproposed by its introducer provides a framework for identifying and capturing suchopportunities.Gauging the results of reconfiguration of the value chain, calls for implementingmeaningful criterion so that it reflects captured value in accordance with the destined goal.Taking profit margin of the value chain as master value for organization, the thesis workproposes usage of a less-known profitability indicator, economic value added (EVA) as themeasure which should be focused on in order to evaluate success or failure of firm-levelvalue chain reconfiguration efforts. / Uppsatsnivå: D

This thesis is focused on the basic area of financial accounting -- measurement. It deals with principal measurement bases and mentions their advantages and disadvantages. In the key part of this thesis there is a definition of fair value and analysis its application under IFRS. Further it includes Exposure Draft: Fair value measurement. In the conclusion there is a smaller research regarding using of fair value by companies quoted at the Prague Stock Exchange.

The master's thesis focuses on the accounting concept of profit or loss. In the first part, the contemporary approach to the issue from both theoretical and practical point of view is described with the main focus on the determination of the distributable profit. The capital maintenance and value measurement are also dealt with for this purpose. Following the theoretical basics laid down in the previous part, the main approaches of classical balance theories are explained and their advantages and disadvantages pointed out in relation to their possible use in practice. The thesis contains illustrative examples and ends with a draft of a usable methodology based on the various concepts described in the text.

In recent times, the significance of fair value in financial reporting is gaining momentum and current debates are moving in the trend of full fair value reporting. Small and medium-sized entities are not let off in this instance. The move to new reporting standards results in numerous challenges for diverse interest groups such as auditors, preparers and regulators. The main objective of the study was to establish the fair value implementation challenges facing SMEs in the agricultural sector in Ghana. This study established that, in Ghana, commodity markets do not exist and that farmers do not have access to market information. The study also established that there is high IFRS implementation cost, inadequate training and education for preparers of financial statements and academic education not focusing on agricultural accounting. In light of these challenges, the study recommends improving capacity building through user training and education and establishment of commodity markets. / Financial Accounting / M. Phil. (Accounting Sciences)