business with COnFiDenCe icaew.com/academic iCAew promotes and funds, through its charitable trusts, high-quality independent academic research of interest to the accountancy profession and the wider business community. this publication was produced with the help of a grant from iCAew's charitable trusts. these trusts support educational projects in accountancy and related subjects. All researc...

This paper is based on the findings of a questionnaire survey conducted on large manufacturing firms in Australia and Japan during 1997. The results of the survey have revealed a number of important differences between the two countries. For example, while management accounting practices of the Australian companies place an emphasis on cost control tools at the manufacturing stage, those of the...

Management sometimes exploits the quest of shareholders for higher return on equity capital, by taking advantage of accounting rules gaps or violating them. The Beneish earnings detection manipulation model, is an attempt to reveal such illegal or at least unethical practices. Evidence regarding the use of “creative” accounting practices, based on that model, during the massive equity fund rais...

The value-added tax (VAT) is an indirect tax, supported by the final consumer of the good/service that it is applied. During the productive and commercial cycle, the companies pay VAT according to the value added on the good/service. Quite recently appeared in the fiscal system of different states, VAT has a big spreading area. The taxation rates are different from a country to another, accordi...

Moizer (1997) summarises the evidence on audit firm reputation in financial communities, noting that there is considerable evidence that Big Six firms are differentiated from other firms. These audit firms are the same group of firms we refer to as “professional accountancy firms” in the context of their more general role in providing a range of accountancy services. In this paper, we argue tha...

The International Journal of Accountancy (IJA) is published by the Department Accountancy, Faculty Commerce and Management Studies, University Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. It an interdisciplinary accountancy research journal, publishing enquiries accounting, management auditing, taxation, governance issues their impacts on policy, practice society. IJA encourages better understandings related matters t...

Purpose New work health and safety (WHS) legislation in many Australian States and Territories places specific due diligence obligations on the officers of an organisation. This paper questions whether imposing an enforceable WHS duty of care on accounting and finance officers is justified and appropriate. Design / methodology / approach The paper critically examines the capacity of accountants...