...Financial Reporting Quality And Corporate Governance: The Portuguese Companies Evidence Introduction The main goal of this paper is to contribute to the study of the type of corporate governance on the financial reporting quality in countries with a tradition of continental accounting. Anglo –Saxon environments has profuse literature about this topic but its applicability to companies with different structures markedly based on Roman law is still at very early stage of understanding. And Portuguese state falls within this context and needs to be widely understood. The main stimulus to carry out this research was the effect of the introduction of corporate Governance rules which is mandatory application to all companies with securities listed on the Portuguese Stock Exchange. The research is on investigation on the type of corporate governance exercised by Portuguese companies and characterization of relationship between the type of financial submitted by Portuguese Companies and the associated level of accounting discretion. Conclusion Research paper concludes that although in formal terms the Portuguese institutions have accompanied the main international guidelines related to corporate governance recommendations, the actual implementation of these rules did not occur. Indeed, the constraints in the economy such as Portugal, Continental type, prevent that the practical implication of the best practice implementation of corporate governance recommendations, will be influenced...
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...Literature Review Kavitha W * and Anita P ** Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now prominent and evident more than ever due to the emphasis laid on businesses regarding environmental, social and ethical issues. The level of CSR activities of the firms is made known to public only through the disclosures. This paper reviews the literature on CSR disclosures and the effect of these disclosures. There are various factors which determine the extent of disclosures like the size of the firm, industry, high visibility, etc. Introduction Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now prominent and evident more than ever due to the emphasis laid on businesses regarding environmental, social and ethical issues. This is because over the recent years, there have been social, political and economic pressures on corporate management to pay attention on social and environmental consequences of corporate activities. These pressures motivated the corporate management to actively participate in a wide range of social welfare activities. CSR now-a-days covers almost all issues like the use of child labor; inequality of employment; environmental impact; involvement in local community; products’ safety; company cultures; brand image and reputation. Apart from this, companies are now disclosing these activities in their annual reports, and one of the parameters to judge the performance of a company is CSR reporting. Corporate Social Responsibility CSR is defined by Naylor...
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...remarkable expansion of international trade and business, the international co-operation among countries and the breaking down of national barriers led to new challenges and new problems too. Problems in the analysis and comparison of financial reports and differences in auditing and taxation practices among countries made necessary the application of International Accounting Standards. Harmonization of this practice in order to get closer to a universal accounting language is affected by many factors such as: economic, financial, social, legal, cultural, political and others. Moreover, the level of preparedness for each country is significantly associated with many other factors. This process, as every new measure, had both positive and negative effects. So, this study highlights the advantages and disadvantages of adopting a uniform set of International Accounting Standards worldwide and also examines their volatility effects. Keywords: International Accounting Standards, Adoption, Positive and Negative Impacts. Introduction Although accounting standards were important determinants of financial reporting quality, they differed significantly across countries. A commonly held belief was that such differences reduce the quality and the relevance of accounting information. Proponents of harmonized...
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...interscience.wiley.com) DOI: 10.1002/bse.657 Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting on the Internet J. Emil Morhardt* Roberts Environmental Center, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA, USA ABSTRACT All material related to environmental and social performance on the corporate internet sites of 454 Fortune Global 500 and Fortune 1000 companies in 25 industrial sectors was analyzed using the Pacific Sustainability Index. Maximum scores for individual sectors were 20–75 percent of the total possible, highest in the largest and most environmentally sensitive sectors and ranging generally linearly, as shown by plotting score versus rank, down to nearly zero in every sector. None of the variation in score is explained by corporate revenue in the Asian and European firms in this sample (revenues greater than about $9 billion), but there is a very weak correlation between score and revenue for American firms of this size, and a stronger one when Fortune 1000 companies (all American) with revenues smaller than this are included, suggesting that, as corporate size reaches a certain threshold, sustainability reporting becomes independent of it. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. Received 18 November 2008; revised 26 April 2009; accepted 1 June 2009 Keywords: corporate environmental reporting; corporate environmental policy; corporate social reporting; corporate social policy; corporate internet reporting; sustainable development Introduction ...
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...Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal Corporate social reporting and reputation risk management Jan Bebbington Carlos Larrinaga Jose M. Moneva Article information: Downloaded by University of Strathclyde At 07:57 17 October 2014 (PT) To cite this document: Jan Bebbington Carlos Larrinaga Jose M. Moneva, (2008),"Corporate social reporting and reputation risk management", Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 21 Iss 3 pp. 337 - 361 Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09513570810863932 Downloaded on: 17 October 2014, At: 07:57 (PT) References: this document contains references to 70 other documents. To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight.com The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 10839 times since 2008* Users who downloaded this article also downloaded: Jeffrey Unerman, (2008),"Strategic reputation risk management and corporate social responsibility reporting", Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 21 Iss 3 pp. 362-364 Carol A. Adams, (2008),"A commentary on: corporate social responsibility reporting and reputation risk management", Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 21 Iss 3 pp. 365-370 Pekka Aula, (2010),"Social media, reputation risk and ambient publicity management", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 38 Iss 6 pp. 43-49 Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by 117974 [] For Authors If you would like to...
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...15 ECTS Spring 2014 The evolution of CSR Reporting in the Banking Sector of Greece An analysis of specific characteristics of CSR Reporting Author Papakostopoulos, Georgios Supervisors Jonnergård, Karin Loft, Anne 2014-10-20 1 2 Abstract Title The evolution of CSR Reporting in the Banking Sector of Greece An analysis of specific characteristics of CSR Reporting. Seminar Date 2014-06-02 Course BUSN69, Degree Project – Accounting and Auditing Author Georgios Papakostopoulos Supervisors Karin Jonnergård and Anne Loft Keywords Banks, CSR, Development, Reporting, Standardisation Purpose This thesis aims to examine the development of CSR reporting in the banking sector. The emphasis is set on a number of characteristics. Trends for standardization will be also examined Methodology The methodology undertaken is generally based on a qualitative research approach through a combination of content analysis with interviews. The research has a partly longitudinal, inductive and comparative character. Theoretical Perspectives The theoretical aspects that were used in the analysis were a combination of the theoretical framework of the Legitimacy, Stakeholder and Institutional theory with the reporting requirements from a number of standards, guidelines, initiatives and indices. Empirical Foundation The empirical material consists from Corporate Social Responsibilities reports that...
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...The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0268-6902.htm MAJ 23,4 The impact of government and foreign affiliate influence on corporate social reporting The case of Malaysia Azlan Amran School of Management, University Science Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia, and 386 S. Susela Devi Faculty of Business and Accountancy, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Abstract Purpose – This paper seeks to investigate the influence of government and foreign affiliates, particularly; multinational companies on corporate social reporting (CSR) development in an economy, where CSR awareness is low coupled with weak pressure group activism. Design/methodology/approach – This is a cross sectional study that focuses on the information contained in the annual reports for year 2002/2003. This research uses content analysis as method to measure the extent CSR. Findings – Based on regression analysis, the study evidences on the impact of government influence. However, the impact of foreign affiliation variables is not evident. Institutionalisation of the government’s aspirations and commitment to CSR is perhaps the most appropriate description for Malaysian CSR practice. Research limitations/implications – There are two main limitations of this study. Firstly, this study examines the annual reports for one year. Secondly, this study is annual reports centric. It does not examine any other stand alone reports that the respondents might...
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...é The Effects of Mandatory IFRS Adoption in the EU: A Review of Empirical Research October 2014 Information for Better Markets An initiative from the ICAEW Financial Reporting Faculty The Effects of Mandatory IFRS Adoption in the EU: A Review of Empirical Research forms part of the Information for Better Markets thought leadership programme of ICAEW’s Financial Reporting Faculty. ICAEW operates under a Royal Charter, working in the public interest. As a world leading professional accountancy body, ICAEW provides leadership and practical support to over 142,000 members in more than 160 countries, working with governments, regulators and industry to ensure the highest standards are maintained. The ICAEW Financial Reporting Faculty provides its members with practical assistance and support with IFRS, UK GAAP and other aspects of business reporting. It also comments on business reporting issues on behalf of ICAEW to standard setters and regulators. Its Information for Better Markets thought leadership programme subjects key questions in business reporting to careful and impartial analysis so as to help achieve practical solutions to complex problems. The programme focuses on three key themes: disclosure, measurement and regulation. We welcome comments and enquiries on this report and on the other aspects of the Information for Better Markets programme. To contact us, please email bettermarkets@icaew.com. © ICAEW 2014 All rights reserved. If you want...
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...Journal of Economic Perspectives—Volume 17, Number 3—Summer 2003—Pages 71–92 Executive Compensation as an Agency Problem Lucian Arye Bebchuk and Jesse M. Fried E xecutive compensation has long attracted a great deal of attention from financial economists. Indeed, the increase in academic papers on the subject of CEO compensation during the 1990s seems to have outpaced even the remarkable increase in CEO pay itself during this period (Murphy, 1999). Much research has focused on how executive compensation schemes can help alleviate the agency problem in publicly traded companies. To understand adequately the landscape of executive compensation, however, one must recognize that the design of compensation arrangements is also partly a product of this same agency problem. Alternative Approaches to Executive Compensation Our focus in this paper is on publicly traded companies without a controlling shareholder. When ownership and management are separated in this way, managers might have substantial power. This recognition goes back, of course, to Berle and Means (1932, p. 139) who observed that top corporate executives, “while in office, have almost complete discretion in management.” Since Jensen and Meckling (1976), the problem of managerial power and discretion has been analyzed in modern finance as an “agency problem.” Managers may use their discretion to benefit themselves personally in a variety y Lucian Arye Bebchuk is the William J. Friedman Professor...
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...is to identify and determine the contributing factors which influence the contents of a firm‟s sustainability reporting through combined social and environmental accounting and management perspectives. Design/methodology/approach: This paper analyzes the disclosed sustainability indicators of a major Australian financial institution, Westpac, through the application of the research method content analysis. The theoretical framework will be shaped by the consideration of legitimacy theory and the Balanced Scorecard approach. Findings: The results indicate that the four perspectives of a traditional Balanced Scorecard are related to the main sources of influential inputs to Westpac‟s sustainability reporting – existing frameworks, stakeholder engagement mechanism, employee involvement and traditional shareholders‟ financial information needs. It also reinforced the argument that the focus of organisational legitimacy is a key resource of organisation survival. Originality/value: This research contributes to the literature on social and environmental disclosures including the research of Do, Tilt and Tilling (2007) and Baxter, Chua and Strong (2010) which was based on the sustainability management and reporting of Westpac. Keywords Balanced Scorecard, Legitimacy, Sustainability, Page 1 Introduction This paper considers sustainability management and reporting in the Australian private sector context. It aims to evaluate an Australian publicly listed firm‟s continuous...
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...the responsibility of the Directors; the work carried out by the auditors does not involve consideration of these matters. Accordingly, the auditors accept no responsibility for any changes that may have occurred to the financial statements since they were initially placed on the website. Legislation in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. Disclaimer Except where you are a shareholder, this material is provided for information purposes only and is not, in particular, intended to confer any legal rights on you. This Annual Report and Accounts does not constitute an invitation to invest in Unilever shares. Any decisions you make in reliance on this information are solely your responsibility. The information is given as of the dates specified, is not updated, and any forward-looking statements are made subject to the reservations specified on the final page of the Report. Unilever accepts no responsibility for any information on other websites that may be accessed from this site by hyperlinks. Annual Report and Accounts 2007 Growing as One Adding Vitality to life The Unilever Group Unilever N.V. (NV) is a public limited company registered in the Netherlands, which has listings of shares and depositary...
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...economic, social and environmental performance Evolution of the main indicators 2011 Turnover (in millions of euros) Sales 2010 13,793 12,527 Results and cash flow (in millions of euros) Operating profit (EBITDA) Operating profit (EBIT) Net income Net income attributable to the parent company Cash flow 3,258 2,522 1,946 1,932 2,613 2,966 2,290 1,741 1,732 2,540 Financial and management ratios ROE ROCE 28% 37% 30% 39% Other relevant information Number of stores Net openings Number of markets with commercial presence Number of employees % men/women Overall energy consumtion (Tj) Number of suppliers Social investment (in millions of euros) 5,527 483 82 109,512 20.5/79.5% 3,381 1,398 14 5,044 437 77 100,138 19.5/80.5% 3,230 1,337 11 Highlights Sales 13,793 12,527 9,435 10,407 11,048 10,000 7,500 15,000 12,500 5,000 2,500 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Sales by geographical Rest of Europe 45% Spain 25% America Asia and the rest of the 12% world 18% Net profit 2,500 1,946 1,741 1,258 1,262 1,322 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Number of employees 0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 79,517 109,512 100,138 92,301 89,112 Inditex´s Annual Report addresses its economic, social and environmental performance for the purposes of achieving the maximum transparency in its relationship with all...
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...H8032-Prelims.QXD 7/1/06 11:08 AM Page i CIMA’S Official Learning System CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting, 2006 Syllabus Certificate Level Fundamentals of Ethics, Corporate Governance and Business law David Sagar Larry Mead Philippa Foster Back H8032-Prelims.QXD 7/1/06 11:08 AM Page ii CIMA Publishing is an imprint of Elsevier Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK 30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803, USA First edition 2006 Copyright © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone (ϩ44) (0) 1865 843830; fax (ϩ44) (0) 1865 853333; e-mail: permissions@elsevier.com. Alternatively you can submit your request online by visiting the Elsevier web site at http://elsevier.com/locate/permissions, and selecting Obtaining Permission to use Elsevier material Notice No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. British Library Cataloguing in Publication...
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...World Finance A Case Study in Ethics Edited by Paul H. Dembinski, Carole Lager, Andrew Cornford and Jean-Michel Bonvin Enron and World Finance Also by Observatoire de la Finance From Bretton Woods to Basel Finance & the Common Good/Bien Commun, no. 21, Spring 2005 Ethics of Taxation and Banking Secrecy Finance & the Common Good/Bien Commun, no. 12, Autumn 2002 Will the Euro Shape Europe? Finance & the Common Good/Bien Commun, no. 9, Winter 2001–2 Dommen, E. (ed.) Debt Beyond Contract Finance & the Common Good/Bien Commun, Supplement no. 2, 2001 Bonvin, J.-M. Debt and the Jubilee: Pacing the Economy Finance & the Common Good/Bien Commun, Supplement no. 1, 1999 Dembinski, P. H. (leading contributor) Economic and Financial Globalization: What the Numbers Say United Nations, Geneva, 2003 Enron and World Finance A Case Study in Ethics Edited by Paul H. Dembinski Carole Lager Andrew Cornford and Jean-Michel Bonvin in association with the Observatoire de la Finance Selection, editorial matter and Chapters 1, 2 and 16 © Observatoire de la Finance Remaining chapters © contributors 2006 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting...
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...ActivityBased Costing in Portuguese Telecommunications* Maria Major1, 2 and Trevor Hopper3 1 Departamento de Finanças e Contabilidade, ISCTE – Escola de Gestão, Av. das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal. 2 UNIDE Researcher. 3 Manchester School of Accounting and Finance, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK. * The authors wish to thank Bob Scapens, Sven Modell, Salvador Carmona, Angelo Riccaboni, John Burns, Mahmoud Ezzamel, Caroline Lambert, Rui Vieira, Aldónio Ferreira, and other participants at the EAA Congress 2002 and IPA 2003 for comments on earlier versions of this paper, and Joao Ribeiro and Jodie Moll for their insights on institutional theory. Also, the authors are grateful to Marconi, and Maria João Mendes and Mário Lima for their support of this project. The first author is grateful to “Fundação Para a Ciência e Tecnologia” for financial support. Extending New Institutional Theory: Regulation and ActivityBased Costing in Portuguese Telecommunications ABSTRACT This paper investigates why a Portuguese telecommunications firm adopted activity-based costing (ABC). Theoretically it draws from New Institutional Sociology. An intensive, holistic case study revealed that ABC was implemented to improve competitiveness and efficiency. However, it was also an isomorphic response to pressures from a chain of institutions, especially its parent company, management consultants, national and European Union regulatory agencies, financial markets, and consumer...
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