Utility of inflation accounting data to investors

The objective of financial reporting is to provide information about an entity which is useful to a wide range of users in making economic decisions. This study empirically investigates the utility of inflation accounting data to investors, by examining the ability of this data to explain the share prices of UK listed companies. Previous research supports a relation between historical cost accounting data and share prices from a conceptual and empirical perspective. Prior evidence from studies on the utility of inflation accounting data to investors is mixed. However, many of these suffer from methodological problems which cast doubts on their ability to evaluate the utility of inflation accounting data. This study overcomes some of the problems encountered in earlier studies and incorporates additional research design features. In evaluating inflation accounting data, this study explores whether or not company policy towards the disclosure of inflation accounting data in the premandatory period is associated with the explanatory power of this data. The investigation was undertaken for 2 periods to discover whether or not a learning lag exists in relation to the inflation accounting data. To achieve the objectives of this study, a recently developed cross sectional valuation model was used. The model incorporates measures from both the balance sheet and income statement, which allows the value relevance of key financial report disclosures to be assessed. The analysis reveals evidence supporting the utility of inflation accounting data to investors. The results show that a company's policy towards disclosing inflation accounting data in the premandatory period is associated with the explanatory power of this data. The significance of the inflation accounting data appears to be greater for the companies disclosing inflation accounting data in the premandatory period (Supportive Companies), than for companies which commenced disclosure in the first mandatory period (Reluctant Companies). There is also, evidence showing a differential response to the inflation accounting data for the Supportive and Reluctant Companies. The analysis fails to find any evidence of a learning effect in respect of the inflation accounting data

Approaches to learning of Irish students studying accounting

Several reports on accounting education have identified the development of students' learning to learn as the primary objective of accounting education. Higher education research identifies the approach to learning as a significant factor in the overall student learning experience. If accounting educators are to find ways to improve the educational experience of their students, they must understand how students learn and the effects of the learning context on learning approaches. This study examines the approaches to learning adopted by first year students enrolled on the B.A. in Accounting and Finance and the BBS at Dublin City University and assesses the impact of a number of contextual variables on these learning approaches

Motivations, expectations and preparedness for university: a study of accounting students in Ireland, the UK, Spain and Greece.

While evaluating the appropriateness of accounting education within universities has occupied researchers for many years, the harmonisation of the tertiary education process across Europe, through the Bologna Declaration, generates the need for comparative studies. This paper measures the motives, expectations and preparedness of students commencing the study of accounting at universities in four European countries. The findings reveal that while all students are motivated to progress to higher education for career-oriented reasons and to seek intellectual growth, considerable variation is evident between the students in the four settings with regard to motives, confidence, perceptions of preparedness for university and expectations concerning study effort. All of these factors may impact on students’ achievement of the common learning outcomes espoused by the Bologna process. There is a need for further research to enrich our understanding of educational processes across Europe and to consider the impact of harmonisation activities on students’ learning

Irish secondary students' perceptions of the work of an accountant and the accounting profession

Research shows that the perceptions that people hold are an important influence on career decisions. This study examines Irish secondary school students' perceptions of the work of an accountant and the accounting profession. Students are found to hold a traditional view of the profession considering it to be boring, definite, precise and compliance driven. Students who are studying accounting in school have less negative views than those not studying the subject. Females view accounting as more definite, precise and compliance driven than males. Students' perceptions are influenced by the study of the subject at school, the factual media and teachers. They believe that society holds the profession in high esteem but lower than some other professions. These findings suggest that if the profession is to be successful in attracting students who have the skills and attributes to become effective accountants, it must seek to influence students' perceptions of accounting by providing them with a realistic portrayal of the work of an accountant.Students' perceptions, careers in accounting, career decisions, status of professions,

A Qualitative Exploration of Oral Communciations Apprehension

Prior research has identified communication apprehension, or fear of communicating, as a major factor which inhibits an individual’s willingness to communicate and his/her capability to develop effective communication skills. While many prior studies have measured oral communication apprehension of students, there has been little qualitative exploration of the phenomenon. This study was conducted by interviewing first-year business and accounting students at a higher education institution in Ireland who were identified as encountering varying levels of oral communication apprehension. The experiences of the students in communicating in different contexts are analysed and the impact of factors such as fear of peer evaluation, prior communication experiences and preparation are considered

Validation of the approaches and study skills inventory for students (assist) using accounting students in the USA and Ireland: a research note

This paper examines the validity of the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) for use with accounting students in the United States (USA) and Ireland. Using factor analysis, the three expected learning approaches - deep, strategic and surface apathetic - were clearly identified. Furthermore, comparable factor patterns were revealed for both cohorts of students. These findings offer US and Irish accounting educators the opportunity to develop a better understanding of the learning of their students and the potential to undertake comparative research.approaches to learning, ASSIST, US and Irish accounting students,

The relationship between learning approaches and learning outcomes: a study of Irish accounting students

The higher education literature demonstrates that a student's approach to learning is a critical factor in determining the quality of the learning outcome. This is the first study undertaken in an Irish context which examines the relationship between accounting students' approaches to learning and their learning outcomes. The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) is used to measure the approaches to learning adopted by first year students in their study of management accounting. Students' learning outcomes are represented by their performance in the various assessment components of that module. Gender differences are specifically considered in this study. The analysis reveals that for the full group the deep and strategic approaches are positively associated with high academic performance and the instrumental approach is associated with poor performance. This relationship exists for female students but, surprisingly, there is little evidence of a relationship between performance and learning approaches for male students. This may be explained by male students failing to effectively report their actual approach to learning.Learning Approaches, Learning Outcomes, Assist, Academic Performance, Gender Differences,

Motives, expectations, preparedness and academic performance: a study of students of accounting at a spanish university

Understanding the motives, expectations and preparedness of students is important for accounting educators, as they seek to develop learning environments that promote high quality learning outcomes. This paper examines these factors with a sample of entry level students on a Business and Management degree at a Spanish university. The study also explores the influence of these antecedent variables on academic performance in the first accounting module. The data were collected using a Spanish version of the MEPU questionnaire, which was developed by Byrne and Flood (2005 and 2007). The analysis revealed that students are motivated by a combination of intrinsic and vocationally-oriented factors and feel well prepared for higher education. Interest in accounting, experience of the subject at school, academic self-confidence and university access scores were all significantly correlated with performance. Some interesting gender differences were identified and variation among regular and repeating students was also examined

Motivaciones, expectativas y preparación de los estudiantes: un estudio sobre los estudiantes de Contabilidad en la universidad española

Understanding the motives, expectations and preparedness of students is important for accounting educators, as they seek to develop learning environments that promote high quality learning outcomes. This paper examines these factors with a sample of entry level students on a Business and Management degree at a Spanish university. The study also explores the influence of these antecedent variables on academic performance in the first accounting module. The data were collected using a Spanish version of the MEPU questionnaire, which was developed by Byrne and Flood (2005 and 2007). The analysis revealed that students are motivated by a combination of intrinsic and vocationally-oriented factors and feel well prepared for higher education. Interest in accounting, experience of the subject at school, academic self-confidence and university access scores were all significantly correlated with performance. Some interesting gender differences were identified and variation among regular and repeating students was also examinedLa comprensión de los motivaciones, expectativas y preparación de los estudiantes es un aspecto de gran relevancia para el profesorado de contabilidad, en la medida en que es un conocimiento clave para lograr entornos de aprendizaje que promuevan resultados de aprendizaje de calidad. Este trabajo estudia estos factores en una muestra de estudiantes de nuevo ingreso de la Licenciatura en ADE. Como segunda cuestión, aborda la relación entre estas variables antecedentes y el rendimiento académico en contabilidad. El instrumento usado es la adaptación al español de cuestionario MEPU (Byrne y Flood (2006 y 2007). Los resultados indican que los estudiantes están motivados por una combinación de motivos intrínsecos y vocacionales y presentan un nivel alto de confianza en cuanto a su preparación para la educación superior. El interés en el área contable, la experiencia previa con las materias de contabilidad en secundaria la auto-confianza académica y las medidas de rendimiento previo (nota de acceso) son variables significativamente correlacionadas con el rendimiento académico en contabilidad. Los resultados indican, asimismo, que existen diferencias significativas asociadas al sexo y entre alumnos de nuevo ingreso y alumnos repetidore