Mock Graduation Diploma

While teaching at Linfield College, Dr. Bob Jones participated in a summer research course at the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies, studying radioisotopes. Dr. Jones was awarded a mock diploma from Old Bremsstrahlung University as a Dabbler in Radio-Isotope Procedure - the highest of three levels that could be awarded. This entitled him to use the credential DRIP after his name. Jones was a professor of physics at Linfield College from 1955-1987.https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/lca_bobjones/1007/thumbnail.jp

Information and Accountants in the Role of Strategic Planning

This article on strategic planning practices is based upon a field study of five world-class companies. The strategic planning practices discussed in this article were extracted from the corporate environment. The information contained in this article, however, is of value alike to CPAs assisting with the enhancement of strategic planning practices in corporations and public accounting firms

Fraud Requirements in SSARS 10

With the issuance of Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARS) 10, Performance of Review Engagements, which is effective for review engagements for periods ending on or after Dec 15, 2004, the AICPA Accounting and Review Services Committee requires accountants performing review engagements to make inquiries regarding fraud. Furthermore, the management representation letter must address fraud. The authors reviewed the comment letters that the AICPA received in response to the exposure draft for SSARS 10 and conducted a survey of practitioners after the statement was issued. SSARS 10 amends SSARS 1, Compilation and Review of Financial Statements, primarily by expanding inquiries during review engagements to include fraud and by requiring that the management representation letter address fraud. Review engagements provide limited, not positive, assurance. While additional inquiries and disclosures in management\u27s representation letter should be relatively easy to incorporate, the authors could find no substantive reasons for these procedures to be considered necessary

Strategic Planning at Five World-Class Companies

Most successful executives know that strategic planning offers the best way to deal with their changing world. Information is central to successful strategic planning. A field study of 5 world-class companies revealed details regarding information used for strategic planning and the role of management accountants in this process. Key executives were interviewed at: 1. Johnson Controls, 2. Coors Brewing Co., 3. Schering-Plough, 4. Xerox, and 5. 3M Company. The executives were interviewed to find out how their companies did strategic planning. Issues addressed included the distinction between strategic and long-range planning, the strategic planning process, information used for strategic planning, and the role of accounting in strategic planning. Results of the field study are discussed

What Is Fraud and Who Is Responsible?

Research shows that fraudulent activity affecting the financial statements is more prevalent than ever despite the increased attention devoted to the prevention and detection of fraud by companies and professional accountants. Fraud is a critical issue for preparers and users of financial statements, as well as auditors. Each group’s association and involvement with the financial statements is from a slightly different perspective. Even though all individuals in the financial reporting process share the responsibility for the integrity of the financial statements, different perspectives of fraud can and do affect each group’s interpretation of fraudulent activity and responsibility for the prevention and detection of fraud. Accordingly, two questions must be asked: What constitutes fraud, and who is responsible for the detection of fraud? This paper examines the similarities and differences in the definition of fraud, as documented by ten professional organizations, as well as who is responsible for fraud detection

Your EQ Skills: Got What it Takes?

Your EQ skills: got what it takes? So you thought the CPA exam was your last test? Read on. Question: Is success in life and career determined primarily by rational intelligence (the IQ or intelligence quotient) or emotional intelligence (the EQ or emotional quotient)? In other words, what\u27s more important: intelligence or intuition? Historically the professional accounting literature has placed little emphasis on behavioral issues such as EQ, although human behavior underlies most of what is written and taught about professional accounting. Now managers place increased value on behavioral skills that help people in the workplace. Look at this statistic: The productivity of one-third of American workers is measured by how they add value to information. Doesn\u27t that describe CPAs exactly? This article will examine the ways in which EQ is crucial to CPAs\u27 success and how they can cultivate EQ if they haven\u27t got a lot of it. The AICPA and the Institute of Management Accountants recognize that emotional intelligence skills are critical for the success of the accounting profession. In CPA Vision 2011 and Beyond: Focus on the Horizon (www.cpavision.org), the AICPA identifies emotional ..

Earnings Management and Its Implications

In the wake of continuing, highly publicized financial frauds and failures, the accounting profession has placed renewed emphasis on issues related to earnings management and earnings quality. Staff Accounting Bulletin 101, Revenue Recognition in Financial Statements, which was issued in December 1999 in response to the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission report, illustrates the importance of earnings to the SEC. The SEC and the public are demanding greater assurance about the quality of earnings. Notwithstanding the grave threat that abusive earnings-management practices pose to the reliability and accuracy of financial statements, the accounting profession may be reluctant to address this issue. While there is evidence that accounting educators are attempting to make accounting students aware of abusive earnings-management practices, further efforts are needed by state societies and public accounting firms to better equip CPAs with the tools necessary to identify earnings-management techniques. Education could help to reduce the expectations gap between auditors and financial statement users

Weighing the Public Interest

In 1981, the AICPA addressed the issue of going concern status through SAS 34, The Auditor\u27s Considerations When a Question Arises About an Entity\u27s Continued Existence. In 1988, the AICPA issued SAS 59, The Auditor\u27s Consideration of an Entity\u27s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern, which remains the authoritative guidance. To determine if additional guidance on the topic of going concern is provided by accounting organizations, the authors contacted the AICPA and the state CPA societies. The authors found that none of these organizations provide additional literature or guidance in this area. Several individuals have criticized the current literature and called for additional guidance in the area of going concern. The authors believe that the Commission on Auditors\u27 Responsibilities\u27 recommendations for improving and specifying the responsibilities of independent auditors should be revisited and the going concern opinion should be eliminated. Considering that litigation is not a serious threat, one can see that eliminating the going concern opinion is the favorable option

Earnings Quality: It\u27s Time to Measure and Report

Earning\u27s quality is an important aspect of evaluating an entity\u27s financial health, yet investors, creditors, and other financial statement users often overlook it. Earnings quality refers to the ability of reported earnings to reflect the company\u27s true earnings, as well as the usefulness of reported earnings to predict future earnings. The SEC and the investing public are demanding greater assurance about the quality of earnings. There is significant need for the development of a uniform definition and a consistent model to measure earnings quality. An Earnings Quality Assessment (EQA) is a proposed model that is consistent with this definition. The EQA recognizes many of the fragilities of GAAP, and takes into account factors that are expected to affect future earnings but that are not explicitly disclosed in the financial statements. Auditors\u27 EQA reports will provide higher-quality information to financial statement users and meet the SEC\u27s demand for greater assurance about the reliability of earnings figures