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This article examines the impact of integrated financial management information systems (IFMIS) implementation and business process re-engineering (BPR) in developing economies. Implementing an IFMIS will streamline manual tasks, automate processes and facilitate decision-making in government financial management with the assistance of BPR. This article will be helpful to practitioners and policy-makers in managing potential obstacles during the implementation and adoption of IFMIS and BPR in least developed countries (LDCs). Implementing business process re-engineering (BPR) through integrated financial management information systems (IFMIS) can improve financial processes and organizational performance in least developed countries (LDCs). To ensure its successful adoption, however, in-depth research needs to be conducted into the challenges, facilitators and best practices related to its use in local authorities. This article contributes to the literature with a case study on Malawi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Research in Finance & Accounting is the property of Journal of Research in Finance & Accounting and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of De Computis is the property of Asociacion Espanola de Contabilidad y Administracion de Empresas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims at enriching literature on accounting change by studying the role of the agents in the accounting reform of the Colegio Universidad de Osuna (CUO, College and University of Osuna) in the last quarter of the eighteenth century. The paper explores how, in the period 1775-1777, the CUO modified its rules, including its accounting procedures, to prevent its disappearance. Those modifications were aimed at aligning the CUO with the new Enlightenment institutional framework regarding academic requirements and economic rationality. The visitor who prepared the new rules, Miguel Benito Ortega, played a central role in this process. The paper explores the circumstances that favored Ortega's role as an agent of change and those that caused the brief and incomplete application of its rules, which contributed to CUO surviving some years but that it would be closed definitively in 1824.

Transition economies have undertaken an accelerated series of reforms after the collapse of communism, aiming at the (re)construction of market institutions. In this paper we build on a geopolitical perspective, and on accounting profession literature to map the accounting reforms in post-communist Romania. We find that accounting reforms are reflecting broader processes of globalisation and Europeanization. By examining the 'territorial' disputes over the Romanian accounting reform and the successive leadership of groups of experts from France and United Kingdom we draw attention on the drivers of accounting reforms. These are not limited to the technical aspects of accounting and the interests of the actors, but have their roots embedded in the broader geopolitical setting. In the case of Romania, the European Union accession guides the path and pace of accounting reforms, having as general background the globalisation of accounting regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reform in the Russian Federation raises a number of problems, including the regulation of capital and liabilities accounting. The object of the study is the International Financial Reporting Standards impact on the domestic accounting system development, reflecting the economic processes globalisation and digitalisation, the emergence of new accounting objects and increasing requirements for the reporting quality. The essence of newly emerging accounting categories was analysed in the article, the definitions of “liabilities” in the International Financial Reporting Standards and domestic practice were compared. It was identified, that gaps in the capital and liability accounting caused by the lack of a unified conceptual apparatus, the presence of estimated values, the use of an accountant professional judgment that affects the information quality in reporting, the backlog of legislative regulation in terms of accounting for digital objects as authorized capital. The accounting and reporting issues in the reporting of operations of the business social orientation were considered. Possible ways of solving the liability accounting problems are presented, including the conceptual apparatus unification, the accounts chart modernisation, the development of recommendations regarding the application of the accountant professional judgment, the expansion of requirements for the information list on the economic entity activities presented in the accounting (financial) statements, and the International Financial Reporting Standards application.

Severe fiscal problems, the insufficient comparability of financial information and increasing demands for better accountability require national governments and international organizations to change their current accounting regimes and to move towards a system of standardized accounting practices. As the International Public Sector Accounting Standards have insufficiently moved Europe towards accounting harmonization in recent years, the European Commission currently aims to suggest the adoption of European Public Sector Accounting Standards. Based on a multinational survey among budget experts, the current article investigates budget experts' perceptions towards adopting the European Public Sector Accounting Standards. The findings compare attitudes towards new accounting practices and European Public Sector Accounting Standards reform expectations on a comparative basis, and relate them to the current national accounting system and contextual factors. Empirical results indicate great variation in terms of European Public Sector Accounting Standards reform expectations across countries. The study concludes with discussing the implications of the findings for international accounting research, accounting harmonization and the development of a European accounting system. Points for practitioners: In this early stage of European Public Sector Accounting Standards development, understanding the factors associated with a country's decision to adopt them could be helpful for practitioners and professionals. The current study identifies information technology costs as a potential barrier to implementing the European Public Sector Accounting Standards. Politicians and standard setters might take this into account while developing the European Public Sector Accounting Standards. Furthermore, this article reveals that encouraging the voluntary introduction of accrual accounting in the first stage of European Public Sector Accounting Standards development might be the appropriate approach of the European Commission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific approach pinpointed in this paper aims at outlining the serious changes that have occurred in Romania regarding the accounting system operating in the Public Sector. These evolutions have been triggered by the demand to adjust the whole entire system to the latest circumstances dominating the socio-economic, political and legal landscapes. I have undertaken a normative research steered at the investigation of the implementation process of the “International Public Sector Accounting Standards” (IPSAS) on Romanian grounds (which was underlined by the recent evolutions occurring in accounting laws and regulations).

This study clarifies the accounting reform applied in Algeria through the implementation and usage of the financial accounting system, In an attempt to give the international dimension to the accounting practices of the Maghreb countries, then the study tries to evaluate the usage of the accounting system in accordance with the accounting and economic environment requirements, in order to propose a systematic mechanism to ensure the modernization of the accounting system. The study concluded that the accounting reform must continue to be applied periodically and not gradually, in order to ensure the continuity of the compatibility between local accounting environment and international accounting framework. Consequently, the study suggests the necessity of establishing a specialized committee to undertake the calibration tasks at the local level to develop the accounting profession and to give it an international dimension as well .Also, The factors that enhance the achievement of the goals of accounting reform are to benefit from the prevailing accounting practices in different countries and to understand the environmental variables to achieve the effectiveness of compatibility with international standards, and to adapt the accounting system according to the Algerian economic environment, with taking into account the parallel development of both of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific approach pinpointed in this paper aims at outlining the serious changes that have occurred in Romania regarding the accounting system operating in the Public Sector. These evolutions have been triggered by the demand to adjust the whole entire system to the latest circumstances dominating the socio-economic, political and legal landscapes. I have undertaken a normative research steered at the investigation of the implementation process of the "International Public Sector Accounting Standards" (IPSAS) on Romanian grounds (which was underlined by the recent evolutions occurring in accounting laws and regulations). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Polish Journal of Management Studies is the property of Czestochowa University of Technology, Faculty of Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper shows how ongoing accounting reforms in Brazilian local governments were affected by a shift from a universal to a gradual implementation approach. Deadlines being postponed led to a decrease in local governments' willingness to reform. This effect varied according whether the accountants involved depended on commercial software to operate a particular accounting policy. An important finding from this research was that software providers are to some extent setting the IPSAS implementation agenda in Brazil. Moving deadlines for the adoption of new accounting rules and procedures had a major impact on public sector accounting reforms in Brazil. Politicians and mangers need to be aware of the importance of setting and sticking to deadlines, as well as backing up their deadlines with the necessary resources. More attention needs to be given to the design of IPSAS reform initiatives, as well as to the extent to which commercial software providers and private sector accounting firms can affect how governments are able to prioritize and implement accounting policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic & Managerial Researshes is the property of Faculty of Economic Sciences, Commercial & Managerial Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Finance & Business Economies Review is the property of Finance & Business Economies Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article aims to explore the perception of local government (LG) financial officers on the users, the uses, and the utility of the consolidated financial report in Italy, since it was one of the first countries to expressly provide for compulsory adoption. A questionnaire was sent to a statistical stratified sample of LG, collecting 133 responses (response rate 17%). The results, tested through the structural equation model we observe that social legitimization pressure rather than accountability patterns or performance analysis drive more the adoption process. The evidence indicates that the report is perceived as a potential tool for pursuing performance assessment strategies in a group context. However, this potentiality depends on the coordination effort made by the LG. The article finds out the rise of the topic of the public governance and the role of coordinating the local public group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For years among the Romanian accounting was understood as a planned and consolidated accounting, with the principles and common practices of the communist society. But december1989 not only meant the end of the communist regime, but also the end of the centralized economic system, thus requiring the adoption of a so-called liberal economy based on market values. Accounting begins to be seen as a business management tool deployed in an economy "in transition ", hence the need to define new accounting practices. (Diaconu, 2006) The necessity of accounting reform in Romania aimed at continuous improvement of the Romanian accounting system.

Reforming the accounting system in the Republic of Moldova and its harmonization with IFRS and European directives takes almost three decades and is a complex technical route which involves important financial and human resources. The given paper aims to present and interpret the innovative way in which the accounting system reform was achieved, how international accounting standards and European directives have been transported into national legislation in order to identify the main waves of the accounting reform and the regulatory changes made by the regulator, of the benefits and costs, advantages and disadvantages arising from the implementation of the reformed regulatory framework. In order to achieve and develop all the methodological aspects needed to understand this scientific approach, we have proposed to formulate a series of research questions: What was the objective of the accounting reform and to what extent the degree of harmonization of accounting with the provisions of IFRS and the acquis was achieved? What were the main waves of the reform of the accounting system and what changes were made by the regulator to achieve this goal? What were the benefits and costs of such an approach? Why should we explore the experience of the Republic of Moldova? In this research, the authors developed and tested research hypotheses: H1. The objective of reforming the accounting system of the Republic of Moldova in order to harmonize it with the provisions of the IFRS and the acquis communautaire has been achieved; H2. The accounting reform was carried out in three waves and was directly influenced by the change in the regulatory framework; H3. The accounting reform had both benefits and costs. The methodological and theoretical-scientific support of the researches undertaken was the fundamental works in the field, as well as various publications from periodical literature in the country and abroad. Much of the research work has been directed towards documentary, based on national, European and international literature, the sources of documentation being among the most diverse, from legislation in the field, articles published in various journals, reports, guides, textbooks, monographs, to information published on the Internet. The documentation and data collection has been complemented by practical observations, archive data, which have provided control over the information analyzed and used in our research. The responses are obtained by applying, as a method of research, the phenomenological interpretive analysis, the documentary and analytical research, the comparative opinion and analysis, thus being categorized as qualitative empirical research. The results and conclusions of this research are closely related to the potential future contribution to advancing the stage of knowledge of the field under consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Contabilidade e Organizações is the property of Revista de Contabilidade e Organizacoes and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this article is to gain a deeper understanding of the matters related to the implementation of globally adequate standards and regulations in China, the manners in which accounting rhetoric has operated to facilitate China's transition in the direction of a market economy, and the market configuration of the accounting profession in China. The literature on large-scale current advancements in government accounting and financial reporting in China, the function of global companies and institutions in the progress of the accounting profession in China, and the effect of political and cultural dogma on Chinese accounting systems is relevant to this discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central Government of Malta has had an accrual accounting reform in process since 1999. Originally, the accrual accounting reform envisaged developing and implementing a tailor-made set of accounting standards. These were developed but not implemented. In 2011 the central Government of Malta decided instead to fully adopt IPSAS. By means of documentary research, supported by interviews, this study tries to identify the underlying factors that led to this decision. The institutional theoretical framework is used to analyse the findings. The findings show that, in Malta, credibility is regarded as the most important factor, which will be provided by the adoption of internationally recognised and accepted standards. It is claimed that EU pressure had nothing to do with the Maltese government's decision on accounting policy, but an undercurrent of such potential pressure is experienced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to 2007, in order to encourage international investment, China operated two parallel financial reporting systems, one based on Chinese GAAP for domestic investors and the other based on IFRS for international investors. In 2007, after a series of reforms to harmonise Chinese GAAP with IFRS, this system was replaced by a single set of standards for both classes of investor. We evaluate the impact of this significant change on earnings quality for stocks quoted on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges for the period 2003–2013. Using tests of earnings smoothing and early loss recognition, we identify three key features. Firstly, earnings quality improved consistently over the period. Secondly, prior to the reforms of 2007, IFRS earnings were of superior quality to Chinese GAAP earnings. A third and important finding is that earnings quality under Chinese GAAP after the 2007 reforms is comparable to that under pre-2007 IFRS. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In 2014, the European Union approved a set of secondary legislation--known as the fourth generation of procurement directives -- which involves the transition towards strategic procurement and attempts to go deeper into the possibilities of "socially responsible procurement". In a nutshell, it talks about the massive quantity of public funds for procurement (In Spain it is around 20% of the GDP) and fulfilling the ambitious objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy. This strategy establishes three main priorities: a) intelligent growth through more efficient investments in education, investigation and innovation; b) sustainable growth driving a low carbon economy and fighting against global warming; and c) inclusive growth, highlighting job creation and poverty reduction. In relation to this strategy, the European Commission has issued "50 proposals for improving our work, business and exchanges with one another" and "Twelve levers to booost growth and strengthen confidence". One of these twelve priorities is a revised and modernised regulatory framework for public contracts to achieve, among other aims, environmentally sustainable, socially responsible and innovative procurement. However, the procurement potential has encountered some difficulties with certain elements of the procurement requirements and especially with the interpretation of the contractual principles. These are central, but most are skewed towards the purely economic aspect of procurement. As a result, social and environmental aspects are placed at different levels, but properly linked to the main subject matter of each contract. In this view, "the most advantageous economic proposal" barely serves the general interests attached to the contract and creates a clash between the main subject matter and the main goal of the general interest. These difficulties are reflected in the high number of consultations and conflicts resolved in the courts: the social clauses have a place in several areas of the contract but in practice, all of them present almost insoluble problems in their "link to the subject matter of the contract" and as regards the procurement principles (free competition, equality and non-discrimination). This is what happens when their inclusion has been demanded as a criterion for adjudication of the contract and even, to a lesser extent, as a special condition for execution. At this moment, the present study has found many resolutions of consultative agencies in matters of procurement as well as court rulings that show the difficulties: in a word, the "ubiquity" of social clauses has become a problem of "location". The Public Administrations that are more sensitive towards incorporating social elements in their contractual activity have ended up testing different legal formulas, through imaginative definitions of the contract, for instance, or, the riskiest, passing legislation they require their procurement staff to stand by. All the possibilities devised pose legal validity problems, as shown in several judicial proceedings. Our proposal calls for taking advantage of the moment of regulatory reform obliged by the 2014 Directives to advance the role of procurement in achieving objectives of general interest and social character. Moreover, we consider that both the Europe 2020 strategy and the Directives require that changes be projected in the following areas: 1. From a negative point of view (i.e. determining consequences for everyone who violates social (or other) postulates), the warranty of the State, in the execution of public contracts, is required to ensure that economic operators comply with their legal obligations in environmental, social or labour matters. 2. The active or positive level is more complex because we do not see many differences between current and previous directives. The recitals of Directive 2014/24 / EU show a wish to advance the inclusion of social criteria, but there are problems in their mandatory use and their generalization to all public contracting activity. In Spain the draft bill incorporates some interesting innovations: the list of tiebreakers include insertion companies, non-profit entities, companies that incorporate measures favouring the extension of gender equality. They have also introduced new options in the special conditions of implementation of a social nature and are firmly committed to supporting small and medium enterprises. In any case, the most important obstacle is the requirement of linkage to the subject matter of the contract, although there is a certain flexibility in the new rules to the extent that it seems not to be required to be "direct". We believe that the solution to the problem is to accept that social clauses and public contracts serve different purposes, in a natural process, and are not called unfailingly to interbreed. That is why, in line with some doctrines, we advocate proposals that have already been made for a comprehensive vision that understands that recruiting is not an objective in itself, but an instrument at the service of public needs of a very different character. The principle of efficiency requires linking the use of public funds (obviously also intended procurement) to the satisfaction of the general interest, a generic goal which materializes in multiple purposes (social, ecological, innovation and research, ...). From the foregoing we put forward some concrete proposals: a) clear identification of the area where social clauses should be included in the contract; b) removing the rigidity of the direct link with the subject matter of the contract and interpreting this linkage in a broader and more flexible way; c) requiring the objectives to include evaluation of the impact on recruitment. The latter proposal is also linked to the impact analysis, an essential ingredient of the so-called smart regulation which is also part of the Europe 2020 Strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper attempts to analyse from a critical perspective the recent reform of local governmental accounting in Spain, in order to identify some weak points that will need in the future further developments. This reform has been introduced by two main accounting instructions that develope the accounting standards to be applied by Spanish local authorities for financial reporting purposes. Those new standards are in force since the first of January 2015. Design / methodology / approach: The paper is structured in three parts, which follow three different approaches. The first part uses a descriptive approach in order to present the evolution and stages of accounting standards process in Spain. The second part uses a deductive approach to identify the main guidelines of the reform and the third part uses a critical and deductive approach to identify some weak points of the reform. Results / Research limitations /: implications The first part of the paper presents the evolution and stages of the setting of accounting standards process for Spanish local authorities that started 25 years ago, pointing out the relevant changes introduced by the last reform introduced in 2015. This process started first at central government level in the eighties, and the reforms introduced were progressively shifted to lower levels of Public Administration such as local governments and regions. The second part of the paper tries to identify the main guidelines that according to the authors have inspired the 2015 reform, focusing its attention on three main questions using a deductive approach: the strong influence of business accounting, the adaptation of local governmental accounting new regulations to those previously introduced at central government level and the compatibility of the accounting standards introduced with the International Accounting standards introduced by the Public Sector Committee of the International Federation of Accounting, that are now in force. The influence of business accounting on governmental accounting has traditionally been very strong in Spain, a country were the paradigm of the superiority of business accounting over public sector accounting has always been accepted by legislation and accounting profession. The fact is this influence explains why the introduction of accrual basis in governmental accounting has not been difficult to achieve in Spain, specially considering that all the Charts of Accounts introduced in the Public Sector have always followed the model of previous Charts introduced for the business sector The influence of central government accounting has been also very strong in local government accounting, considering that all the Chart of Accounts previously introduced at central government level have been progressively extended and adapted for local authorities, as it has occurred in 2015. With respect to the adaptation of Spanish local government accounting standards to those issued by the International Federation of Accountants through its Public Sector Accounting Committee, it has to be stressed that this adaptation has been a basic guideline of the reform, even if no mandatory or compulsory instructions from the European Union have established the need to do so, The third part of the paper identifies, using a deductive and critical approach, some weak points of the reform. Those points are basically related with the following facts: a) The complexity of the accounting system for a great part of its users. This complexity is certainly due to the influence of business accounting, that has inspired the development of a quite complex developed system of financial accounting, especially in the case o small sized municipalities. b) The structure of the models of annual accounts and reports. The structure of annual accounts is the same as the adopted for business entities, including additional statements concerned with the budget execution of revenues and expenses. And the fact is that information included in financial statements concerned with the equity position are considered not relevant by most information users c) The need of summarized and abbreviated reporting information would perhaps be useful also for users with a lack of financial and accounting culture, that often have found important problem to understand fairly the financial reports provided.d) The development of cost accounting has been introduced by the reform even if this question will require further efforts by many municipalities that are not still used to develop it. Spanish governmental accounting legislation requires presenting information on economy, efficiency and effectiveness of public services, and this is why the development of cost accounting will require in the future a significant attention in order to provide this kind of information for accounting users.e) Consolidation of financial annual reports is not a general practice in spanish local authorities, even if it will be required for years ending after the 1st of January 2017. Even if he present reform has not introduced rules or standards useful for developing it, the future presentation of consolidated financial statements will require in a near future further regulations still to be issued. f) The need for budgetary stability is a clear paradigm that is inspiring Public Management in all the levels of spanish Public Administration. Budgetary Laws in Spain establish requirements for budget deficit and debt limits that are calculated in national accounting statistics using SEC 95 criteria. Even if those criteria are sometimes different of those developed by governmental accounting at microeconomic level, and have not been affected by the recent reform, some accounting users require information of how the municipality has managed his debt and deficit using SEC 95 terms. Unfortunately, this information is still not developed in notes to the financial statements g) The establishment of a legal regulation that forces local authorities to audit externally its annual accounts on a regular and annual basis is the last fact to be stressed. This last question is considered as the main weak point of an accounting system that has introduced significant improvements with this recent reform, such as the definition of a conceptual framework based on accrual accounting. Practical conclusions and original value: The paper main conclusion suggests that the above points should require in the future further developments and attention, in order to improve the scope, relevance, reliability and understandability of the Spanish system of local governments financial reporting and accounting. As financial reports issued by local authorities in accordance with the 2015 will not be available until the end of 2016, those statements will be the basis for further empirical research, in order to establish how accounting information users evaluate the usefulness and convenience of the reforms introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)