{"title":"A Survey of Research on Fair Value Accounting for Financial Institutions*","authors":"Darren Henderson, Kaleab Mamo","doi":"10.1111/1911-3838.12391","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3838.12391","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Even though fair value accounting (FVA) enjoys widespread support from standard setters around the world, the practice of marking assets and liabilities to market remains controversial. While FVA affects all firms to a certain extent, financial institutions are most affected due to the nature of the assets that they hold. In this paper, we first discuss fair value measurement and its application before exploring the consequences of FVA, including its impact on regulatory capital. We then discuss key benefits and challenges of FVA. Standard setters believe that FVA provides the most relevant information to financial statement users; however, the increased relevance comes with a cost of reduced reliability due to the estimation involved. More recently, concerns have been raised about FVA leading to procyclicality and contagion that can cause or exacerbate boom and bust cycles. After summarizing the literature, we identify opportunities for additional research.</p>","PeriodicalId":43435,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Perspectives","volume":"24 2","pages":"307-342"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1911-3838.12391","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144220444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Accrual Versus Cash Basis of Accounting in the Canadian COVID-19 Subsidy Programs*","authors":"Amin Mawani, Salim Hajee","doi":"10.1111/1911-3838.12398","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3838.12398","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The principal eligibility criterion for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) during the COVID-19 pandemic was a reduction of at least a prespecified percentage in monthly revenues compared to the same months in the prior year, or compared to January and February 2020 (just prior to the launch of CEWS in March 2020). The revenues could be measured using accrual or the cash basis of accounting. Since subsidy applicants could choose the cash method of accounting and use January and February 2020 as reference periods, seasonal businesses that generated most of their revenues in January and February could claim subsidies without experiencing any reductions in revenue. We illustrate how a seasonal business with higher monthly accrued revenues compared to the pre-pandemic year could be eligible for CEWS by using the cash basis of accounting in the subsidy application even though it would not qualify using the accrual accounting method. It seems inequitable for business or wage subsidies to be based on the choice of accounting methods. There is no sound public policy reason to subsidize (or tax) one firm more than another just because they use a different method of accounting. Evaluating accounting methods embedded within government subsidy programs is an important endeavor to ensure neutrality and effectiveness of public spending programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":43435,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Perspectives","volume":"24 2","pages":"423-440"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1911-3838.12398","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144220108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Embracing the Perks of Faulty Roadmaps: A Literature Review of Sociological Perspectives on Budgeting*","authors":"Kai DeMott","doi":"10.1111/1911-3838.12394","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3838.12394","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This literature review provides an overview of sociological perspectives on budgeting. The organizational relevance of budgeting has made it the subject of many perspectives and comprehensive reviews. However, the “niche” of sociological budgeting research deserves more attention as it helps us understand how and why budgets thrive—not necessarily by providing direction, but precisely because they offer faulty roadmaps that evoke conflict, human interaction, individual reflection, power struggles, and change. The study reviews 115 publications concerned with these social dynamics of budgeting. The analysis is structured along Czarniawska-Joerges and Jacobsson's (1989, <i>Accounting, Organizations and Society 14</i>(1), 29–39) discussion of three interrelated social functions of budgeting: a symbolic performance, a means of communication, and an expression of values. Based on this analysis, the study endorses sociological perspectives as a fruitful and often underrepresented resource to advance the discussion of the benefits and drawbacks of budgeting, identifying promising areas for future research that remain largely underexplored.</p>","PeriodicalId":43435,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Perspectives","volume":"24 2","pages":"553-591"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1911-3838.12394","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144220109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Are Breaks Always Helpful? The Interaction of Work Breaks and Working Memory Capacity on Accounting Error Detection*","authors":"David Aizenberg, Alyssa S. J. Ong, Xin Geng","doi":"10.1111/1911-3838.12400","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3838.12400","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Accounting review tasks undertaken by supervisors are crucial in the discovery of discrepancies. Most individuals believe that in this context the majority of breaks taken are beneficial, rather than harmful, to work performance. This study explores the improvement that breaks can bring to accounting tasks and how individuals' working memory capacity (WMC) moderates the relationship between breaks and task performance. Through an experiment, we find that when breaks are assessed together with WMC, low-WMC participants who took a break between tasks did not perform better on a review task than those who did not take a break. Break-taking was most beneficial to review task performance for individuals with high WMC. Although prior break research has mostly been studied in a blue-collar setting, exploring the impact of breaks on performance in an accounting setting is important as psychology research findings do not always translate into this context.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":43435,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Perspectives","volume":"24 3","pages":"669-693"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Effect of Operating Leverage on Managers' Capital Investment Decisions*","authors":"Sangmok Lee","doi":"10.1111/1911-3838.12397","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3838.12397","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Holding all else constant, a larger proportion of fixed costs in the cost structure (i.e., higher operating leverage) implies a greater profit volatility for a given level of demand fluctuation. In a setting where operating leverage is irrelevant to the choice of investment projects, I experimentally examine whether managers under high operating leverage (as opposed to low operating leverage) choose a less profitable project for lower variability in anticipated earnings. Inconsistent with the hypothesis, I find that the level of operating leverage has an insignificant impact on managers' investment choices, providing preliminary evidence that managers may correctly identify the level of operating leverage as irrelevant. Notably, providing the cost structure information to managers, regardless of whether it pertains to high or low operating leverage, increases the likelihood of selecting the more profitable investment. Additional analyses suggest that the excerpt on operating leverage might prime managers to deliberate more on the investment decisions. Managers who receive the cost structure information dedicate more time to assessing the investment projects, which in turn aids in identifying the more profitable project.</p>","PeriodicalId":43435,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Perspectives","volume":"24 2","pages":"393-422"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1911-3838.12397","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144220048","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Meskerem Lifeline Charities: A Nonprofit Organization Audit in Ethiopia*","authors":"Ryan Stack, Bertrand Malsch, Luther Otieno","doi":"10.1111/1911-3838.12392","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3838.12392","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This CPA-style case focuses on Eddie Kimpembe. Eddie is a trained CPA auditor and former nonprofit organization (NPO) manager working at a Kenyan public accounting firm. The firm has received an invitation to undertake the audit of a significant aid NPO operating in Ethiopia. Besides the normal considerations that exist when deciding whether to accept a new client, the Ethiopia audit presents many logistical and timing challenges. Students must help Eddie navigate the risks of accepting the client and develop an initial audit planning memo.</p>","PeriodicalId":43435,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Perspectives","volume":"24 4","pages":"891-900"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1911-3838.12392","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145695557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Job Market Competency Requirements for Accounting Professionals: A Comparative Analysis of Online Job Ads from SMEs and Large Enterprises*","authors":"Sylvestre Uwizeyemungu, Jacques Bertrand","doi":"10.1111/1911-3838.12396","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3838.12396","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Compared to large enterprises (LEs), small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have unique characteristics that may affect their needs in several areas. Thus, the “one-size-fits-all” approach to meeting the needs of both groups of enterprises would be inappropriate in different circumstances. In this study, we examine the current competency requirements of the Canadian market for professional accounting jobs with the following research question in mind: To what extent do SMEs' requirements for professional accounting positions differ from those of large companies? The study draws on person-environment fit theory and job market signaling theory. It is based on a content analysis of 310 online job postings (of which 111, or 35.8%, are from SMEs) for accounting professionals or for positions requiring strong accounting knowledge. Our results show a complex picture made up of similarities and differences between SMEs and LEs' requirements when recruiting professionals in accounting-related positions. The study points to some paradoxes and contributes to the debate about the evolution of accounting education in relation to specific business needs. In particular, the study suggests that SMEs' competency requirements are not necessarily commensurate with the needs dictated by their specific context. From a practical point of view, the results of the study could be of interest to SME managers and organizations dedicated to SMEs' development; recruitment services; national accounting organizations, such as the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada; and the academic and professional communities involved in the training of professional accountants.</p>","PeriodicalId":43435,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Perspectives","volume":"24 2","pages":"343-391"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1911-3838.12396","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144220437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Wildfire Guardians and the Complexity of Not-for-Profit Accounting*","authors":"Michael J. Marin, Elisa Zuliani","doi":"10.1111/1911-3838.12395","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3838.12395","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Wildfire Guardians (WG) case presents students with management accounting and financial reporting issues related to a not-for-profit (NFP) organization dedicated to managing and reducing the severity of wildfires in Canada. The case situates students in the role of the newly appointed CFO, who is tasked with analyzing WG's accounting issues, assessing the financial implications of a new strategic opportunity, and making recommendations that could shape the organization's future. By engaging with this case, students will gain insights into real-world challenges and dilemmas faced by NFP organizations and will sharpen their skills in fund accounting, financial decision-making, and the application of accounting standards for NFP organizations.</p>","PeriodicalId":43435,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Perspectives","volume":"24 4","pages":"883-889"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1911-3838.12395","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145695043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kai Bauman, Tasha Brooks, Chris Burnley, Leah Hudson
{"title":"Island Kelp Limited: An Instructional Case*","authors":"Kai Bauman, Tasha Brooks, Chris Burnley, Leah Hudson","doi":"10.1111/1911-3838.12393","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3838.12393","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This case can be used in a graduate assurance or financial reporting class or an undergraduate capstone course. It incorporates more traditional financial reporting and auditing issues with current topics, including Indigenous perspectives, sustainability considerations, and data visualization. The student, in the role of an auditor of a small but growing organization with progressive goals, is asked by the partner to analyze the audit and financial reporting issues. The client is also considering entering a new agreement with a local First Nation and has asked for the firm's advice on the strategic fit.</p>","PeriodicalId":43435,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Perspectives","volume":"24 4","pages":"873-881"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1911-3838.12393","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145695520","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}