The efficiency of the top Mega yacht builders across the world: a financial ratio-based data envelopment analysis

This research provides an application of a non-parametric analytic technique (Data Envelopment Analysis, DEA) in measuring the performance of the mega yacht sector. It analyses the efficiency of the top mega yacht companies across the world in 2005-2013 by offering a model useful for comparing inefficient shipbuilders with the efficient ones. This paper adopts an output-oriented version of DEA based on financial ratios where inputs are not utilised. In order to handle missing data, we test and compare two different techniques: the deletion one and the multiple linear regression analysis (MLRA). We find that DEA can be a complement or alternative tool to ratio analysis to evaluate corporates’ performance. We also find that the most efficient shipbuilders are those based in the most prosperous countries. Finally, the MLRA efficiency scores are more reliable and consistent with the firms’ annual reports and financial ratios

Management of the Neapolitan Public Banks' Crisis in the Late XVIIIth Century: The Model of "Banco Generale" as an Instrument of Going Concern Settlement

The troubled political and financial events of the Kingdom of Naples under the Bourbon dominion in the late 18th century outline the environmental perimeter in which the business phenomenon, subject of this investigation, will be deepened: the unification of the Neapolitan public banks under the shared aegis of “National Bank of Naples” in 1794. The analysis will aim to examine thoroughly the complex reasons underlying the last and irreversible crisis of the ancient Neapolitan public banks highlighting how the structural, functional as well as conceptual characteristics of these institutes changed in response to the socio-economic scenario shifts. Particularly, the contribution intends to look critically at the general reorganisation of the banking institution, initiated by Ferdinand IV, reconstructing the normative corpus using a large collection of primary sources, collated through meticulous archival research, and secondary ones, arising from historiographical and academic literature. For this purpose, the work integrates into the research unit of History of Companies and Public Institution, by adopting a theoretical perspective of historical-administrative origins

Management of the Neapolitan Public Banks' Crisis in the Late XVIIIth Century: The Model of "Banco Generale" as an Instrument of Going Concern Settlement

The troubled political and financial events of the Kingdom of Naples under the Bourbon dominion in the late 18th century outline the environmental perimeter in which the business phenomenon, subject of this investigation, will be deepened: the unification of the Neapolitan public banks under the shared aegis of “National Bank of Naples” in 1794. The analysis will aim to examine thoroughly the complex reasons underlying the last and irreversible crisis of the ancient Neapolitan public banks highlighting how the structural, functional as well as conceptual characteristics of these institutes changed in response to the socio-economic scenario shifts. Particularly, the contribution intends to look critically at the general reorganisation of the banking institution, initiated by Ferdinand IV, reconstructing the normative corpus using a large collection of primary sources, collated through meticulous archival research, and secondary ones, arising from historiographical and academic literature. For this purpose, the work integrates into the research unit of History of Companies and Public Institution, by adopting a theoretical perspective of historical-administrative origins

Dalla Scuola Superiore di Commercio alla Facoltà di Economia (1868-1935)

The Venetian University Ca’ Foscari was officially established in 1968 although it roots in the ‘Regia Scuola Superiore di Commercio’ – the Advanced School of Commerce – which was founded exactly a century before. This School was the first of its kind in Italy and among the early ones as well all over the world. Indeed it represented the national reference for the following foundation of similar Institutions in our Country. During the start-up phase, the School of Commerce experienced alternate stages, given the fluctuation of the number of entrants whereas from the end of the 19th century onwards its activity would be strengthened. Henceforth, the impressive academic activity developed both by the Venetian School of Commerce and by other ‘sister-Schools’ – which had been established in the meanwhile – would lead to the ennoblement of Business curricula for University programs, thus reaching its climax with the foundation of the Business Faculties

Management of the Neapolitan Public Banks' Crisis in the Late XVIIIth Century: The Model of "Banco Generale" as an Instrument of Going Concern Settlement

The troubled political and financial events of the Kingdom of Naples under the Bourbon dominion in the late 18th century outline the environmental perimeter in which the business phenomenon, subject of this investigation, will be deepened: the unification of the Neapolitan public banks under the shared aegis of “National Bank of Naples” in 1794. The analysis will aim to examine thoroughly the complex reasons underlying the last and irreversible crisis of the ancient Neapolitan public banks highlighting how the structural, functional as well as conceptual characteristics of these institutes changed in response to the socio-economic scenario shifts. Particularly, the contribution intends to critically discuss the social and political implications of the extensive reform promulgated by the central government, under King Ferdinand IV, for the restoration of the Neapolitan banking system. The normative corpus was reconstucted basing on a large collection of primary sources, collated through meticulous archival research, and secondary ones, arising from historiographical and academic literature. For this purpose, the work integrates into the research unit of History of Companies and Public Institution, by adopting a theoretical perspective of historical-administrative origins. According to the examined sources, the inadequacy of the royal measures led to a deep systemic crisis, which resulted to be fatal for the ancient Neapolitan banks

Accounting for goodwill: the pioneering thought of Gino Zappa (1910)

The accounting treatment of goodwill is still debated in the academic and professional accounting environment in order to find the best approach applicable in a general ac-cepted accounting standard for this particular item. From an examination of the ac-counting research on the goodwill it is possible to observe a strong historical analysis on the topic with different lines of research. Following the framework of Ding et al (2008) that analyze the different phases of the accounting treatment for goodwill in a period running from 1880 to the new century, this paper aims to highlight how the is-sue of the accounting treatment of goodwill had already been widely discussed in the first scientific work by Gino Zappa (1910), who is considered the father of the modern Italian “Economia Aziendale”. Gino Zappa in his volume “Assessment of Financial Statements” presented concepts of the accounting treatment for goodwill basically in accordance with modern IAS 38, thus demonstrating the high level of progress of the first XX century Italian theoretical studies. This analysis shows the pioneeristic thoughts of the Author that influenced the Italian accounting up to today and how the social and economic environment have an impact on the lack of their application

Unification and Dual Closure in the Italian Accountancy Profession, 1861–1906

Drawing on Parkin’s (1979) concept of dual closure, this paper examines the attempt to secure the regulation of the accountancy profession in post-unification Italy. The state’s establishment of a class of ‘expert accountants’ in 1865 represented an imperfect closure of the profession. In consequence, a chain of closure attempts ensued. These ventures involved shifting constructions of dominant and subordinate occupational groups and the deployment of diverse strategies to achieve usurpationary and exclusionary forms of closure. The study reveals that the achievement of state regulation of the profession in 1906 reflected the successful pursuit of usurpationary closure by a subordinated group within the accountancy field. However, it also points to the failure of the profession’s efforts to make incursions into the jurisdictions of higher status occupations, especially lawyers, who wielded considerable socio-political power in newly unified Italy. Consistent with the findings of previous studies, the paper confirms the complexity and uncertain outcomes of closure projects in the accountancy profession

Le discipline economiche e aziendali nei 150 anni di storia di Ca' Foscari

The Venetian University Ca' Foscari was officially established in 1968 although it roots in the 'Regia Scuola Superiore di Commercio' – the Advanced School of Commerce – which was founded exactly a century before. This School was the first of its kind in Italy and among the early ones as well all over the world. Indeed it represented the national reference for the following foundation of similar Institutions in our Country. During the start-up phase, the School of Commerce experienced alternate stages, given the fluctuation of the number of entrants whereas from the end of the 19th century onwards its activity would be strengthened. Henceforth, the impressive academic activity developed both by the Venetian School of Commerce and by other 'sister-Schools' – which had been established in the meanwhile – would lead to the ennoblement of Business curricula for University programs, thus reaching its climax with the foundation of the Business Faculties

The history of accounting history research: an analysis of 115 years of Rivista Italiana di Ragioneria e di Economia Aziendale

During the time the accounting history research is improved with a large numbers of publications (Carnegie et al., 2003; Fleischman and Radcliffe, 2005; Carmona, 2006). Following the studies that analyse the patterns of publication on the history of accounting research (Anderson, 2002; Carnegie and Potter, 2000; De Serra Faria, 2008; Fleischman & Schuele, 2009; Bisman, 2011) this study contribute to literatures that analysing the accounting history publications in the generalist journals with a long time analyses regarding the 115 years of continuous publication on Rivista Italiana di Ragioneria ed Economia Aziendale in Italy. The results of this analysis showed the periods of "peak" of publications, the concentration of historical articles according to a specific classification, and the distribution of articles for years and author (gender characteristic) through the life of the journal in order to increase our knowledge on the patterns of historical publications. The work has some limitation: the first one is the examination of one case study “Rivista Italiana di Ragioneria e di Economia Aziendale” without a national or international comparison on the basis that is the only one with 115 years of publication and the second one for the classification criteria that implies an arbitrary choices