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Multiple benefits may be gained from academic staff undertaking pracademic experiences as part of their continuing professional development. A pracademic experience may increase collaborations between practitioners, academics and their tertiary institutions in terms of research and teaching. Academics can demonstrate the relevance, significance, and impact of their empirical research which then can support the practitioner's narrative to stakeholders. Teaching practices may improve as critical curriculum gaps are identified and the curriculum aligned with current professional practice. This paper promotes the proposition that a pracademic experience may also assist an academic to model, scaffold and coach employability skills to students. To provide evidence of the potential benefits from these collaborations, a case study, based upon the author-academic's experiences transitioning into the role of an insolvency file accountant, is included within the paper. The various benefits derived by the academic, the host practitioner, and the academic's home university from engaging in the pracademic experience are discussed.

This paper examines the influence of an authentic assessment item on three dimensions of oral communication in accounting education: skills, self-efficacy, and relevance. An explanatory mixed methods design is used to explore students' perceptions of their development. The results indicate that an elevator pitch assessment has a positive impact on all three dimensions. In particular, the employed video technology fosters greater self-awareness and a more accurate perception of skill levels, and enhances students' self-efficacy. The contextualised learning experience also enables students to better appreciate the relevance of oral communication to their future careers. The paper extends the literature on video technology, self-efficacy, and generic skills development in accounting education, and provides relevant stakeholders with evidence of an authentic activity that can assist with bridging the skills-expectation gap.

Multiple benefits may be gained from academic staff undertaking pracademic experiences as part of their continuing professional development. A pracademic experience may increase collaborations between practitioners, academics and their tertiary institutions in terms of research and teaching. Academics can demonstrate the relevance, significance, and impact of their empirical research which then can support the practitioner's narrative to stakeholders. Teaching practices may improve as critical curriculum gaps are identified and the curriculum aligned with current professional practice. This paper promotes the proposition that a pracademic experience may also assist an academic to model, scaffold and coach employability skills to students. To provide evidence of the potential benefits from these collaborations, a case study, based upon the author-academic's experiences transitioning into the role of an insolvency file accountant, is included within the paper. The various benefits derived by the academic, the host practitioner, and the academic's home university from engaging in the pracademic experience are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (Al) is defined as the ability of a digital computer or robot to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence such as logical deduction, learning or creativity. This article considers how the insolvency profession is currently being, and may in the future be, impacted by Al, what measures can be adopted to benefit from such digital disruption and what progress has been made towards a digital insolvency practice. In measuring such progress, this article reports the results of an online national survey of registered bankruptcy trustees and registered liquidators within Australia, conducted over July 2017 to February 2018. The aim of the survey was to investigate the risks and opportunities of technology-driven automation and innovation within insolvency. The article concludes with a discussion of the need for collaboration between key stakeholders within and outside of the insolvency profession to accelerate progress towards a digital insolvency practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevention of fraudulent phoenix activity is an increasing issue for the Australian Government and the loss of taxation revenue that results from these arrangments can be significant. For this reason, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has played a major role in the development of anti-phoenix regulation and, in particular, the 2012 amendments to the director penalty regime seemed largely aimed at that issue. Typically however, the ATO will have two competing roles in the context of phoenix arrangements, being the primary collector of Australian taxation revenue and also a major creditor in the resulting corporate insolvency. Therefore, two key questions arise - how pervasive should the ATO's collection powers be and to what extent should they be used to control fraudulent phoenix activity if the ATO is competing for funds against other creditors in the limited pool available. This article argues that there are several competing policy imperatives relevant to controlling fraudulent phoenix activity, and that legislative responses should consider the ATO's role as both creditor in insolvency and collector of taxation revenue. Furthermore, the roles of the ATO and ASIC in relation to combatting phoenix activity need to be clarified. This article suggests that a framework based on decentred regulation might provide a better approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian public's perception of Corporate Insolvency Practitioners (CIPs) continues to be assailed by criticism of CIP Remuneration. To determine if the Australian public and particularly creditors can be assured that CIP Remuneration is "value for money" this article considers two research questions: Who should assess if the CIP provides value for money and how to assess if the CIP provides value for money? Using a case study analysis, the article identifies the main criticisms of the current court review process of CIP remuneration. Central to such criticisms are the practical difficulties of judicial officers applying the principles of reasonableness and proportionality in reviewing CIP remuneration claims. In answering the two research questions, CIP remuneration reforms outlined in the Insolvency Law Reform Act 2016, as well as alternative review measures, are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The release by the Australian Treasury on Friday, 7 November 2014 of the Insolvency Law Reform Bill ( ILRB) 2014 throws the spotlight once again on corporate insolvency law reform in Australia. Significantly, the ILRB 2014 identifies amongst its purposes two objectives with respect to Corporate Insolvency Practitioner (CIP) remuneration reform. Namely, to promote market competition on price and quality and improve the overall confidence in the professionalism and competence of insolvency practitioners. This paper considers whether the proposed CIP remuneration reforms outlined in the ILRB 2014 will effectively achieve these objectives. Where it is considered that reforms are misdirected, further changes, informed by UK insolvency reform proposals, are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the influence of an authentic assessment item on three dimensions of oral communication in accounting education: skills, self-efficacy, and relevance. An explanatory mixed methods design is used to explore students' perceptions of their development. The results indicate that an elevator pitch assessment has a positive impact on all three dimensions. In particular, the employed video technology fosters greater self-awareness and a more accurate perception of skill levels, and enhances students' self-efficacy. The contextualised learning experience also enables students to better appreciate the relevance of oral communication to their future careers. The paper extends the literature on video technology, self-efficacy, and generic skills development in accounting education, and provides relevant stakeholders with evidence of an authentic activity that can assist with bridging the skills-expectation gap. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]