A commentary on the global position of South African accounting research

The South African designation of Chartered Accountant is comparable to similar designations in most developed countries. However, the research outputs of Accountancy academics in South Africa seem to lag far behind those of their counterparts abroad. This article discusses the results of several inquiries into the status of South African Accounting research in a global context, and identifies several reasons and possible remedies for low research output.

A humanistic approach to South African accounting education

Humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers made a distinction between traditional approaches and humanistic `learner-centred\' approaches to education. The traditional approach holds that educators impart their knowledge to willing and able recipients; whereas the humanistic approach holds that educators act as facilitators who assist learners in their learning processes. As a learning theory, humanism refers to the belief in the innate ability of humans to learn, and the creation of an environment in which students are given `Freedom to Learn\'. South African accounting education has, by and large, followed the traditional approach rather than the humanistic approach. This article attempts to expand on the existing references to a humanistic approach through a more detailed exposition and application of the educational theory of Carl Rogers in the context of South African accounting education. The prospects of a humanistic approach in accounting education are then discussed and some practical strategies provided in relation to a specific third-year undergraduate accounting unit offered in South Africa.

Enhanced student learning in accounting utilising web-based technology, peer-review feedback and reflective practices: A learning community approach to assessment

Higher education is becoming a major driver of economic competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy. Maintaining the competitive edge has seen an increase in public accountability of higher education institutions through the mechanism of ranking universities based on the quality of their teaching and learning outcomes. As a result, assessment processes are under scrutiny, creating tensions between standardisation and measurability and the development of creative and reflective learners. These tensions are further highlighted in the context of large undergraduate subjects, learner diversity and time-poor academics and students. Research suggests that high level and complex learning is best developed when assessment, combined with effective feedback practices, involves students as partners in these processes. This article reports on a four-phase, cross-institution and cross-discipline project designed to embed peer-review processes as part of the assessment in two large, undergraduate accounting classes. Using a social constructivist view of learning, which emphasises the role of both teacher and learner in the development of complex cognitive understandings, we undertook an iterative process of peer review. Successive phases built upon students’ feedback and achievements and input from language/learning and curriculum experts to improve the teaching and learning outcomes.

Creative adaptations: Integrating Feldenkrais principles in contemporary dance technique to facilitate the transition into tertiary dance education

As conservatoire-style dance teaching has traditionally utilised a hierarchical approach through which the student must conform to the ideal requirements of the conventional technique, current discourse is beginning to question how dance training can develop technical acuity without stifling students' ability to engage creatively. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the field of somatics and its relationship to tertiary dance training due to the understanding that this approach supports creative autonomy by radically repositioning the student's relationship to embodied learning, skill acquisition, enquiry and performance. This research addresses an observable disjuncture between the skills of dancers graduating from tertiary training and Australian dance industry needs, which increasingly demand the co-creative input of the dancer in choreographic practice. Drawing from Action Research, this paper will discuss a project which introduces somatic learning approaches, primarily from Feldenkrais Method and Hanna Somatics, to first-year dance students in their transition into tertiary education. This paper acknowledges previous research undertaken, most specifically the Somdance Manual by the University of Western Sydney, while directing focus to the first-year student transition from private dance studio training into the pre-professional arena.

Firms’ information system characteristics and management accounting adaptability

This study explores the relationship between the qualities of an information system and management accounting adaptability (MAA) and effectiveness in firms. Design/methodology/approach I develop and empirically test a model where the qualities of the information system and management accounting effectiveness are mediated by MAA. Findings Information system flexibility (ISF) and shared knowledge had a significant and positive correlation with MAA, which in turn had a positive and significant correlation with management accounting effectiveness. There was also a moderation effect of ISF on the correlation betweeen information system integration and MAA. Research implications Information system integration may not lead to management accounting stability, but the lack of flexibility of a system and a lack of cooperation between the stakeholders might lead to its stagnation. Practical implications Organizations are advised to implement solutions that are relatively flexible and modular, as well as encourage cooperation between stakeholders to fully leverage and improve the existing and future systems. Originality/value The study extends the discourse on the interaction between management accounting and information systems by exploring the role of a number of factors that drive MAA.

First principles study of magnetism in divalent Eu perovskites

A comparative first principles study has been carried out for EuLiH3 (ELH) and EuTiO3 (ETO) using the generalized gradient approximation +U approach. While ELH exhibits ferromagnetic ground state for all volumes, the magnetic ground state of ETO has the tendency to switch from G-type antiferromagnetic to a ferromagnetic state with change in volume. The marked difference in magnetic behavior and magnitude of the nearest neighbors exchange interaction of both the compounds are shown to be related to the difference in their respective electronic structure near the Fermi level. The Ti 3d states are shown to play predominant role in weakening the strength of the exchange interaction in ETO.

Implementing best practice principles in the delivery of a Learner Driver Mentor Program in rural Queensland: A case study report

Learner Driver Mentor Programs (LDMPs) assist disadvantaged learner drivers to gain supervised on-road driving experience by providing access to vehicles and volunteer mentors. In the absence of existing research investigating the implementation of Best Practice principles in LDMPs, this case study examines successful program operation in the context of a rural town setting. The study is based on an existing Best Practice model for LDMPs, and triangulation of data from a mentor focus group (n = 7), interviews with program stakeholders (n = 9), and an in-depth interview with the site-based program development officer. The data presented is based upon selected findings of the broader evaluation study. Preliminary findings regarding driving session management, support of mentors and mentees, and building and maintaining relationships with program stakeholders, are discussed. Key findings relate to the importance of relationships in engagement with the program and collaborating across sectors to achieve a range of positive outcomes for learners. The findings highlight the need for the program to be relevant and responsive to the requirements of the population and the context in which it is operating.

Accounting for individual variability in the von Bertalanffy growth model

Estimation of von Bertalanffy growth parameters has received considerable attention in fisheries research. Since Sainsbury (1980, Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 37: 241-247) much of this research effort has centered on accounting for individual variability in the growth parameters. In this paper we demonstrate that, in analysis of tagging data, Sainsbury's method and its derivatives do not, in general, satisfactorily account for individual variability in growth, leading to inconsistent parameter estimates (the bias does not tend to zero as sample size increases to infinity). The bias arises because these methods do not use appropriate conditional expectations as a basis for estimation. This bias is found to be similar to that of the Fabens method. Such methods would be appropriate only under the assumption that the individual growth parameters that generate the growth increment were independent of the growth parameters that generated the initial length. However, such an assumption would be unrealistic. The results are derived analytically, and illustrated with a simulation study. Until techniques that take full account of the appropriate conditioning have been developed, the effect of individual variability on growth has yet to be fully understood.

Principles of Pitch Organization in Béla Bartók's 'Duke Bluebeard's Castle'

The topic of my doctoral thesis is to demonstrate the usefulness of incorporating tonal and modal elements into a pitch-web square analysis of Béla Bartók's (1881-1945) opera, 'A kékszakállú herceg vára' ('Duke Bluebeard's Castle'). My specific goal is to demonstrate that different musical materials, which exist as foreground melodies or long-term key progressions, are unified by the unordered pitch set {0,1,4}, which becomes prominent in different sections of Bartók's opera. In Bluebeard's Castle, the set {0,1,4} is also found as a subset of several tetrachords: {0,1,4,7}, {0,1,4,8}, and {0,3,4,7}. My claim is that {0,1,4} serves to link music materials between themes, between sections, and also between scenes. This study develops an analytical method, drawn from various theoretical perspectives, for conceiving superposed diatonic spaces within a hybrid pitch-space comprised of diatonic and chromatic features. The integrity of diatonic melodic lines is retained, which allows for a non-reductive understanding of diatonic superposition, without appealing to pitch centers or specifying complete diatonic collections. Through combining various theoretical insights of the Hungarian scholar Ernő Lendvai, and the American theorists Elliott Antokoletz, Paul Wilson and Allen Forte, as well as the composer himself, this study gives a detailed analysis of the opera's pitch material in a way that combines, complements, and expands upon the studies of those scholars. The analyzed pitch sets are represented on Aarre Joutsenvirta's note-web square, which adds a new aspect to the field of Bartók analysis. Keywords: Bartók, Duke Bluebeard's Castle (Op. 11), Ernő Lendvai, axis system, Elliott Antokoletz, intervallic cycles, intervallic cells, Allen Forte, set theory, interval classes, interval vectors, Aarre Joutsenvirta, pitch-web square, pitch-web analysis.

Gauge theory of a group of diffeomorphisms. I. General principles

Any (N+M)-parameter Lie group G with an N-parameter subgroup H can be realized as a global group of diffeomorphisms on an M-dimensional base space B, with representations in terms of transformation laws of fields on B belonging to linear representations of H. The gauged generalization of the global diffeomorphisms consists of general diffeomorphisms (or coordinate transformations) on a base space together with a local action of H on the fields. The particular applications of the scheme to space-time symmetries is discussed in terms of Lagrangians, field equations, currents, and source identities. Journal of Mathematical Physics is copyrighted by The American Institute of Physics.

Public trust in Australian charities: Accounting for cause and effect

This paper reports on a study of the key determinants of public trust in charitable organisations, using survey data commissioned by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Data analysis used partial least squares structural equation modelling to examine both antecedents of trust and the influence of trust on charitable donative intentions. We found that people tend to trust charities with which they are familiar, and which are transparent in their reporting. Organisational size, importance, reputation and national significant were also antecedents of trust. People are more likely to volunteer or donate to charities they trust. The practical implications of this are that charities seeking to enhance their volunteer and donation base should pay attention to their marketing, reputation and disclosure activities, as well as to doing good work on an ongoing basis in the community. Theoretically, the implications are that transparency and reputation do not result directly in donations and volunteering, but they do create trust, and it is trust which then leads to donations and volunteering.

Electricity pricing in New Zealand and the Australian State of Queensland: Accounting for the impact of sector restructuring

The electricity industries of New Zealand (NZ) and the Australian state of Queensland have undergone substantial structural and regulatory reform with the common intent to improve economic efficiency. Deregulation and privatisation have been key elements of the reform but have been approached differently by each jurisdiction. This study traces the link between structural and regulatory regimes and asset valuation, profits and, ultimately, pricing. The study finds that key drivers in recent price increases are the government-owned generation and retail sector in NZ and the government-owned distribution sector in Queensland. It is concluded that, contrary to the rationale for the imposition of regulatory controls in a nonmarket environment, the regulatory regimes appear to have contributed to higher rather than lower pricing structures.

An analysis of risk management disclosures: Australian evidence

- Purpose Communication of risk management practices are a critical component of good corporate governance. Research to date has been of little benefit in informing regulators internationally. This paper seeks to contribute to the literature by investigating how listed Australian companies in a setting where disclosures are explicitly required by the ASX corporate governance framework, disclose risk management (RM) information in the corporate governance statements within annual reports. - Design/methodology/approach To address our study’s research questions and related hypotheses, we examine the top 300 ASX-listed companies by market capitalisation at 30 June 2010. For these firms, we identify, code and categorise RM disclosures made in the annual reports according to the disclosure categories specified in Australian Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations (ASX CGPR). The derived data is then examined using a comprehensive approach comprising thematic content analysis and regression analysis. - Findings The results indicate widespread divergence in disclosure practices and low conformance with the Principle 7 of the ASX CGPR. This result suggests that companies are not disclosing all ‘material business risks’ possibly due to ignorance at the board level, or due to the intentional withholding of sensitive information from financial statement users. The findings also show mixed results across the factors expected to influence disclosure behaviour. Notably, the presence of a risk committee (RC) (in particular, a standalone RC) and technology committee (TC) are found to be associated with improved levels of disclosure. we do not find evidence that company risk measures (as proxied by equity beta and the market-to-book ratio) are significantly associated with greater levels of RM disclosure. Also, contrary to common findings in the disclosure literature, factors such as board independence and expertise, audit committee independence, and the usage of a Big-4 auditor do not seem to impact the level of RM disclosure in the Australian context. - Research limitation/implications The study is limited by the sample and study period selection as the RM disclosures of only the largest (top 300) ASX firms are examined for the fiscal year 2010. Thus, the finding may not be generalisable to smaller firms, or earlier/later years. Also, the findings may have limited applicability in other jurisdictions with different regulatory environments. - Practical implications The study’s findings suggest that insufficient attention has been applied to RM disclosures by listed companies in Australia. These results suggest that the RM disclosures practices observed in the Australian setting may not be meeting the objectives of regulators and the needs of stakeholders. - Originality/value Despite the importance of risk management communication, it is unclear whether disclosures in annual financial reports achieve this communication. The Australian setting provides an ideal environment to examine the nature and extent of risk management communication as the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) has recommended risk management disclosures follow Principle 7 of its principle-based governance rules since 2007.