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1 – 8 of 8Patricia Everaert, Lies Bouten and Annelien Baele
Using upper echelons theory (UET), the purpose of this paper is to unravel the influence of a CEO’s ethical ideology on the presence of corporate social responsibility (CSR…
Abstract
Purpose
Using upper echelons theory (UET), the purpose of this paper is to unravel the influence of a CEO’s ethical ideology on the presence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure on corporate websites. It also considers the CEO’s perception of the importance of CSR (i.e. the extent of the CEO’s detachment from the stockholder-oriented logic and attachment to the stakeholder-oriented logic).
Design/methodology/approach
First, a survey was sent to CEOs of large unlisted Belgian companies. Its intention was to assess CEOs’ ethical ideology along the idealism and relativism dimensions and their perceptions on the importance of CSR (PRESOR-detachment-from-stockholder view; PRESOR-attachment-to-stakeholder view), and to gather some demographics. Second, a content analysis of corporate websites was conducted so as to classify companies as being either CSR disclosing or non-disclosing. Third, the annual accounts of these corporations were investigated and follow-up phone calls were conducted to obtain data on managerial discretion (MD).
Findings
CEOs’ ethical ideology influences the degree to which they detach from the stockholder-oriented logic and attach to the stakeholder-oriented logic. Moreover, when MD is high, the degree of these CEOs’ attachment to the stakeholder-oriented logic is the factor that influences the presence of CSR disclosure on their corporate websites. Finally, CEO’s idealism indirectly influences the presence of CSR disclosure through the effect of idealism on the degree to which CEOs attach to the stakeholder-oriented logic.
Originality/value
This paper shows that, when MD is high, CEOs’ values and perceptions influence CSR disclosure decisions. This study thereby enhances our knowledge regarding the internal drivers of CSR disclosure practices and offers UET as a lens through which the importance of CEOs’ personal characteristics in the decision-making process might be further explored.
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Patricia Everaert, Werner Bruggeman, Gerrit Sarens, Steven R. Anderson and Yves Levant
The purpose of this paper is to describe the experiences of a wholesaler with time‐driven activity‐based costing (TDABC). Three research questions are addressed: How are complex…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the experiences of a wholesaler with time‐driven activity‐based costing (TDABC). Three research questions are addressed: How are complex logistics operations modeled by TDABC? Does TDABC provide more accurate cost information than activity‐based costing (ABC)? How is TDABC cost information used?
Design/methodology/approach
Case study research was performed at a Belgian wholesaler. Interviews were conducted. The cost and activity database was analyzed.
Findings
This case study illustrates that there are logistics operations that cannot be modeled using a single cost driver, as is done with ABC. TDABC uses time equations to estimate the time spent on each activity. The results herein show how the time equations can capture the different complexities, by including different terms or interaction terms in the time equations. The database analysis clearly demonstrates that TDABC provided more accurate cost information than ABC at this case company. ABC oversimplified 64 percent of the activities, and misallocated 55 percent of all indirect costs.
Research limitations/implications
This study is one of the first, investigating the experiences with TDABC. The results are derived from analyzing all activities, at a single case company.
Practical implications
The study illustrates the technique of TDABC and provides a real company example of time equations in logistics. The users declared the TDABC model very useful for profitability reporting and profit management. The time drivers provided insight into the causes of excessive distribution and logistics costs.
Originality/value
This paper complements current discussion on cost drivers and subtasks and logistics costing.
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Gregory Boland, Satoshi Sugahara, Evelien Opdecam and Patricia Everaert
The purpose of this study is to examine empirically the relationship between cultural factors and students’ learning style preferences in the context of the current global…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine empirically the relationship between cultural factors and students’ learning style preferences in the context of the current global convergence in accounting education.
Design/methodology/approach
Kolb's Learning Style Inventory and Hofstede's Value Survey Model for Young People were administered to 244 undergraduate students studying accounting in Japanese, Australian and Belgian universities.
Findings
The outcome of this research revealed that the student groups from Australia and Belgium tended to be more individualistic in their learning and were more willing to learn by doing, while Japanese students do not prefer to learn by doing, but prefer learning by watching.
Originality/value
The results might be of interest to accounting educators to assist them with the smooth introduction of the International Education Standards (IES) by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the International Accounting Education Standard Board (IAESB).
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Patricia Everaert, Stijn Loosveld, Tom Van Acker, Marijke Schollier and Gerrit Sarens
Despite appearing in the literature over 10 years ago as a potentially exciting cost management technique, there is still limited agreement about the nature of target costing. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite appearing in the literature over 10 years ago as a potentially exciting cost management technique, there is still limited agreement about the nature of target costing. The purpose of this study is to explore the characteristics of target costing, and to test whether these characteristics were adopted in three European companies that used target costing.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper draws on case study data, collected at three manufacturing companies (consumer electronics, machinery, and transportation equipment).
Findings
The paper identifies eight characteristics of target costing, based on the early Japanese case descriptions. These characteristics are related to the way a target is set and how progress towards that target is measured. The findings of the case studies confirm these characteristics. However, some differences were found regarding the interpretation of the strict rule that “the target cost cannot be exceeded at product launch”.
Research limitations/implications
The results indicate that future research on the adoption of target costing cannot be disconnected from its characteristics. Further studies might investigate whether degree of openness to suppliers, leadership position, time pressure and position in the supply chain can explain the noted differences in characteristics among companies.
Practical implications
The characteristics identified in this paper provide an aid to researchers and managers considering target costing. Detailed case descriptions provide best practices examples for other companies.
Originality/value
This study is the first empirical paper concerned with describing the typical characteristics of target costing. By exploring the characteristics, we hope to inspire others to further explore this interesting phenomenon.
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Patricia Everaert and Werner Bruggeman
Investigates the impact of using cost targets during new product development (NPD), in terms of design quality, product cost and development time. An NPD environment with cost…
Abstract
Investigates the impact of using cost targets during new product development (NPD), in terms of design quality, product cost and development time. An NPD environment with cost targets is compared with an NPD environment where design engineers receive no specific cost targets, but are expected to “minimize” the cost level of future products. The impact of cost targets versus no‐cost targets is investigated in combination with high/low time pressure. The 2 * 2 factorial design was tested in a laboratory experiment that simulated a real design process, with customers asking for the highest design quality. The results demonstrate that cost targets during NPD lead to lower‐cost new products, while not impairing design quality or development time. However, under high time pressure, cost targets lead design engineers to work longer on the design, without a corresponding cost decrease.
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Johan Christiaens, Jan Rommel, Allan Barton and Patricia Everaert
In recent years, accrual accounting has become increasingly popular in many governments. Yet some questions remain unresolved. Previous literature questioned whether all…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent years, accrual accounting has become increasingly popular in many governments. Yet some questions remain unresolved. Previous literature questioned whether all governmental assets should be capitalized. Whereas those studies mostly focussed separately on a limited number of assets, such as infrastructure, military assets or heritage assets, the purpose of this paper is to expand these views by taking a holistic approach to their treatment.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a literature review combined with archival data, being the IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards).
Findings
The analysis distinguishes between the business and government sectors of the economy and argues that business accounting for assets cannot be applied to the public sector without significant modification. Secondly, within the public sector, it is argued that “businesslike assets” (such as normal buildings and equipment) should be distinguished from “specific governmental assets” (such as art galleries), where the latter should be reported off balance sheet as community assets held in trust by governments for community enjoyment.
Practical implications
The current paper presents a solution for recognizing capital assets in different situations.
Originality/value
The paper reveals some basic differences in points of view between the governmental dimension versus a businesslike dimension in considering capital assets.
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Deborah Branswijck and Patricia Everaert
The purpose of this paper is to compare intellectual capital disclosure in the prospectus of an initial public offering (IPO) with the intellectual capital disclosure in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to compare intellectual capital disclosure in the prospectus of an initial public offering (IPO) with the intellectual capital disclosure in the subsequent annual report. The first objective was to investigate whether companies make a commitment toward intellectual capital disclosure. The second objective was to investigate whether companies report more on intellectual capital in the prospectus.
Design/methodology/approach
This study investigated the prospectus and annual report using a sample of 55 firms that applied for an initial listing in Belgium and The Netherlands from 2005‐2009. A coding framework of 86 items was used to perform the content analysis.
Findings
The existence of intellectual capital disclosure commitment was confirmed. Moreover, the results demonstrated that companies report more extensively on intellectual capital in their prospectus in comparison to their annual reports.
Originality/value
This paper documents the first study to provide empirical evidence on the existence of intellectual capital disclosure commitment. Therefore, it offers a new path for future intellectual capital disclosure research.
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