Identification and Ranking of Factors Affecting Innovation in Accounting

The main goal of this research is to identify and rank factors affecting innovation in accounting. In this research, firstly, accounting specialists were selected by purposeful sampling methods, and then qualitative data were collected using open questionnaires. After analyzing the collected data using the phenomenology method, 11 factors were identified. Subsequently, a survey involving 17 faculty members from the accounting departments of Iranian public universities was conducted, and the Bayesian best-worst method was employed to rank these identified factors. Based on the results, the top 3 factors affecting innovation in accounting, in order of importance, include advances in information technology, changes in the business environment, and the level of financial knowledge and analytical skills of accountants. In order to improve the context of innovation in accounting, the results of this research suggest accountants should have general information about business and advances in information technology. They also, as the human capital of the innovation process in accounting, should continuously improve their level of financial knowledge and analytical skills.IntroductionIn recent years, the information technologies, such as cloud service models, big data, artificial intelligence, and blockchain are rapidly transforming the business environments and have raised concerns about the future of the accounting profession. Although these emerging technologies are still designed for the day-to-day work of accountants, they can significantly change the future work of accountants (Moll & Yigitbasioglu, 2019). It seems that in the face of the said technologies, the provision of accounting services, such as bookkeeping, preparing financial statements, preparing tax returns, and auditing, have all been subject to radical innovations (Bowles et al., 2020). According to the accounting literature, a new set of skills is necessary for accountants due to these emerging technologies. This is while job advertisements of Iranian companies (https://www.irantalent.com), still demand traditional job roles for accountants and instead, new job titles, such as fraud investigation specialist and senior data analyst have been emerging that can cover the newly defined job roles of accountants by literature. It seems that to reinforce the position of accountants in organizations, a change in accounting and in other words, the search for innovation in accounting is necessary.To address the lack of accounting literature in the field of innovation, the primary objective of this study is to identify and rank the factors that impact innovation in accounting by using qualitative methods, to initiate the expansion of innovative thinking and the creation of innovative ideas in accounting.MethodologyThis study used the phenomenology method to identify the factors affecting innovation in accounting. The accounting specialists were chosen as an informant using purposeful and snowball sampling methods. The twelve accounting specialists who participated in the research offered a wide range of services, including auditing, consulting, financial statement preparation, and tax accounting. Data collection was carried out mainly by means of an unstructured questionnaire supported by a telephone interview. Finally, by the use of Colaizzi’s method of data analysis, the factors affecting innovation in accounting were identified (Wirihana et al., 2018, p. 31).The Bayesian best-worst method was selected to rank the factors affecting innovation in accounting. The decision-makers were seventeen faculty members in the accounting department of Iranian public universities who had publications that transfer the concept of some sort of innovation in accounting. Bayesian best-worst method is based on pairwise comparison (Mohammadi & Rezaei, 2020). Pairwise comparison data from the decision-makers who participated in the research was collected through a standard questionnaire. Finally, using Python code for the chosen method, the factors affecting innovation in accounting were ranked.Results and DiscussionAccording to the results of Colaizzi’s method of data analysis, eleven factors were identified, and using the Bayesian best-worst method, the optimal weight of all factors was calculated. Table 1 presents the overall optimal weight and rank of factors affecting innovation in accounting. The findings indicate that the factors of advances in information technology (0.127806), changes in the business environment (0.12760311), and the level of financial knowledge and analytical skills of accountants (0.10951763) are respectively the most important factors. According to the optimal weight of all factors, it can be seen that none of the factors are irrelevant to innovation in accounting, because the weight of the least important factor is equal to 0.06665689. In fact, neither factor has an optimal weight lower than 0.065.ConclusionThe field of research into innovation in accounting is new, therefore this research generates new insight into the area. Among the practical implications, the study suggests that accountants consider environmental factors, such as advances in information technology and constantly update their knowledge and skills. It also suggests that they should improve their overall business knowledge by familiarizing themselves with different companies' operations and financial processes. Moreover, it suggests that they develop their analytical skills to be able to clarify the implications of decision-making results. Lastly, this study suggests that to achieve innovation in accounting, the conduct of research related to innovation and the cooperation of accountants can generate ideas to improve innovation in accounting.The study was qualitative in nature, as a result, this study cannot argue that the nature of innovation in accounting and the factors affecting it remain unchanged over time. Therefore, this study recommends more research in this field to contribute to a better understanding of innovation in accounting

Corporate Governance, Investment in Research and Development and Company Performance: A Data Envelopment Analysis Approach Based on Data from a Developing Country

The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of investment in research and development (R&D) in relationship between corporate governance and company performance in the Tehran Stock Exchange. In this regard, ownership concentration and debt ratio were used as the criteria for corporate governance. The statistical population included all companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange, 161 of which were selected as the statistical sample and investigated from 2004 until 2014. The statistical regression analysis of mixed data in the Baron and Kenny model (1986) and hierarchical regression analysis were employed to test the research hypotheses. The results indicated that corporate governance was a factor influencing company performance and R&D activities. The results also indicated that investment in R&D improved company performance. Furthermore, the research evidence showed a minor role for the R&D investment variable in mediating the relationship between corporate governance and company performance, and thus could not play a moderating role in this relationship. Keywords: Ownership Concentration, Debt Ratio, Company Performance, Investment in R&D JEL Classifications: C61, G30, M4

Investigating the Impact of Information Asymmetry on Cost of Capital

The impact of asymmetric information on cost of capital is issue that many researches have resulted in financial literature. This study examines the impact of information asymmetry on cost of capital of the firms listed in Tehran Stock Exchange. For this reason, we investigate 4 different criteria of cost of capital including cost of equity capital, capital cost of retained earnings, capital cost of liability and weighted average cost of capital. The study sample includes 94 companies listed in Tehran stock exchange for a period of 7 years (2005-2012). We used panel data simple and multiple analyses to examine the Hypothesis. Based on the results we find that there are significant relationship between Information Asymmetry and two criteria of cost of capital (cost of equity capital and capital cost of liability). But there aren’t any significant relationship between Information Asymmetry and other two criteria (weighted average cost of capital and cost of retained earnings). Given the above results, it can be stated that the operational definition of cost of capital is affecting on the presence or absence of the relationship with information asymmetry

Comparing the Effect of Inhaler N-Acetyl Cysteine and Intravenous Dexamethasone on Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Premature Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial

peer reviewe

Hydroalcoholic extract of Passiflora incarnata improves the autistic-like behavior and neuronal damage in a valproic acid-induced rat model of autism

Experimental autism in rodents can be caused by prenatal valproic acid (VPA) exposure. Some diseases, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), insomnia, opiate withdrawal, and generalized anxiety disorder can be treated by consuming Passiflora incarnata, due to the possession of bioactive compounds like alkaloids, phenols, and flavonoids. The present study aims to investigate the role of the hydroalcoholic extract of Passiflora incarnata in behavioral and oxidative stress aberrations induced by VPA. On the gestational day (GD), 12.5, pregnant Wistar rats received VPA (600 mg/kg subcutaneously). Male pups were treated with the extract (30,100, and 300 mg/kg) from postnatal day 35 to the end of the experiment, and underwent behavioral testing to evaluate locomotion, repetitive, and stereotyped movements, anxiety, and social and cognitive behaviors. After behavioral testing, the blood sample was taken from the left ventricle to determine serum catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Then the animals were euthanized and their brains were taken out for histological assays of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and CA1 hippocampus with hematoxylin/eosin. The total phenol and flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of the extract were also measured. A significant improvement was observed in behavioral disturbances, particularly with 300 mg/kg of Passiflora. Moreover, the formation of oxidative stress markers significantly decreased at this dose. The extract also reduced the percentage of damaged cells in the CA1 and PFC. The results indicated that Passiflora extract could ameliorate VPA-induced behavioral aberrations possibly due to the antioxidant actions of its bioactive compound

β-Sitosterol Alters the Inflammatory Response in CLP Rat Model of Sepsis by Modulation of NFκB Signaling

Purpose. Sepsis originates from the host inflammatory response, especially to bacterial infections, and is considered one of the main causes of death in intensive care units. Various agents have been developed to inhibit mediators of the inflammatory response; one prospective agent is β-sitosterol (βS), a phytosterol with a structure similar to cholesterol. This study is aimed at evaluating the effects of βS on the biomarkers of inflammation and liver function in cecal ligation and puncture- (CLP-) induced septic rats. Methods. Thirty male Wistar rats were divided equally into six groups as follows: sham, CLP, CLP+dexamethasone (DX, 0.2 mg/kg), CLP+βS (1 mg/kg), CLP+imipenem (IMI, 20 mg/kg), and CLP+IMI (20 mg/kg)+βS (1 mg/kg). Serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, AST, ALT, and liver glutathione (GSH) were assessed by ELISA. Liver expression levels of TNF-α and NF-κBi mRNAs were evaluated by RT-qPCR. Results. Serum concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, ALT, and AST and mRNA levels of TNF-α and NF-κBi were all significantly higher in septic rats than in normal rats (p<0.05). Liver GSH content was markedly lower in the CLP group than that in the sham group. βS-treated rats had remarkably lower levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, NF-κBi, AST, and ALT (51.79%, 62.63%, 41.46%, 54.35%, 94.37%, 95.30%, 34.87%, and 46.53% lower, respectively) and greater liver GSH content (35.71% greater) compared to the CLP group (p<0.05). Conclusion. βS may play a protective role in the septic process by mitigating inflammation. This effect is at least partly mediated by inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Thus, βS can be considered as a supplementary treatment in septic patients