1. What is the meaning of harmonisation of international accounting standards ?
How would you define comparability, consistency and uniformity of the accounting standards?
Critically evaluate the arguments for greater accounting uniformity
Refer to the following material in answering
-Barlev, B. and J.R. Haddad ‘Harmonization, comparability, and fair value accounting', Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance 22(3) 2007, pp.493-509.
-Eaton, S.B. ‘Crisis and the consolidation of international accounting standards: Enron, the IASB, and America', Business and Politics, 7(3) 2005.
-Tarca, A. ‘The case for global accounting standards: arguments and evidence', Report to the Trustees of the IFRS Foundation, 22 October 2012.
-Tweedie, D. and T.R. Seidenstein (2004). ‘Setting a global standard: the case for accounting convergence', Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business 25(3) 589
2. How much discretion should a firm have in what it needs to report?
How should enforcement mechanisms be devised?
Discuss the factors affecting reporting incentives for firms.
Refer to the following materials when answering the question
-Leuz,C.‘Different approaches to corporate reporting regulation: how jurisdictions differ and why', Accounting and Business Research 40(3)2010, pp.229-56.
•Zeff,S.A. ‘Some obstacles to global financial reporting comparability and convergence at a high level of quality', The British Accounting Review 39(4)2007, pp.290-302.
• Zeff,S.A.‘The evolution of the IASC into the IASB ,and the challenges it faces', The Accounting Review 87(3)2012,pp.807-37.
3. What was behind the rise of accounting standards to the prominence they have today? your argument should refer to international political economy.
To what extent are efforts towards harmonization of accounting standards motivated by self-interest? Substantiate
How can ingrained neo-liberal pathologies be challenged in the way global international accounting is designed and controlled?