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This study revisits the issue of the usefulness of the Statement of Cash Flows (SCF) by examining the perceptions of mutual fund investment analysts in India on the relative usefulness of the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Notes to the financial statements and reports of Chairperson, Directors, and Auditors. Six testable hypotheses were developed and tested. The evidence of this study, drawn from a mail survey that achieved a high response rate, suggests that the SCF is read significantly less thoroughly, poses greater difficulty in understanding, and is perceived to be less useful than any of the other components of annual reports. The results of the study are also compared against those reported in similar studies undertaken in New Zealand and Malaysia, which show significant differences. A possible explanation for the contrasting results of the current survey is that Indian regulation allows only for an indirect format for presenting the statement of cash flows. The results of the survey suggests a pressing need for the Indian regulators to modify the format of reporting the SCF or give an option to companies accorded under IAS ‐7 (revised).

This study examines the incentives motivating listed companies in Malaysia to voluntarily choose the Direct Method over the Indirect Method in reporting cash flow from operating (CFO) activities in their 1997 annual financial reports following the adoption of the IAS 7 (Revised) Statement of Cash Flows (SCF), which was used prior to the current standard MASB No. 5 Cash Flow Statement promulgated by the Malaysian Accounting Standards Board (MASB) in 1999. Adopting the signalling perspective, the general hypothesis of this study is that the choice of the Direct Method over the Indirect Method in reporting CFO activities is to maximize a firm’s value via engagement in quality signalling to the market. Specifically, it is hypothesised that such decision is influenced by the firm’s level of managerial efficiency, financial risk, size, its auditor, and industry membership. The sample consists of 231 firms listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange; 32 firms in the treatment group (Direct Method) and 199 firms in the control group (Indirect Method). Based on the results from the univariate and multivariate analyses, we found all variables to be in the hypothesised directions. However, we infer that the decision to choose the Direct Method for reporting CFO activities in SCF is significantly influenced by the firm’s level of managerial efficiency, size, and its auditor. Thus, there is support for the general hypothesis of maximization of the value of the firm via quality signalling. The authors gratefully appreciate the helpful comments of the discussant and workshop participants at the 11th Asian‐Pacific Conference on International Accounting

This study examines the perceptions of Malaysian investment analysts on the usefulness of statement of cash flows compared with other sections in the annual report. Namely, the Chairperson's Statement, Director's Report, Profit & Loss Account, Balance Sheet, Auditor's Report, and the Notes to the Financial Statements. The inference of this study, drawn from a mail survey, suggests that investment analysts perceive the statement of cash flows to be as useful as the balance sheet and less useful than the profit and loss account but more useful than the other sections forming the basis of the study. It is read less thoroughly than the balance sheet and profit and loss account and poses greater difficulty in understanding, however, surprisingly, requires less explanation. A comparison with a prior New Zealand study indicates differences between the two studies. Plausible reasons are proffered for these differences.

This paper examines why a sample of Singaporean listed companies voluntarily report Value Added Statements (VASs) in their annual reports. Given prior studies regarding the factors motivating disclosure of VASs in Australia, this study seeks to compare its findings with those prior studies. The result suggests that the decision to voluntarily report VAS is positively related to firm's interest coverage, size, and industry membership, of which the latter two variables, firm size and industry membership, are also found to be significant in the Australian studies. In addition, while firm's effective taxation burden and leverage are significant predictors in the Australian studies, they are not significant in this study. Explanations are advanced for differences in the results of the studies between the two countries.

The objective of this study is to undertake a qualitative study to examine the influence of religion, specifically Islam, on corporate governance statement disclosure in the annual reports of three major Malaysian banks, both conventional and Islamic banks. It has been argued that given the characteristics and values espoused by Islam, there is an expectation that in Malaysia, an Islamic organization ‐like the Bank Islam ‐ should make additional governance disclosures that would set it apart from conventional banks. The evidence thus far seems to suggest that the role of Islam has not been as expected. Specifically, being an Islamic organization (by virtue of label attached to and/or the nature of its operations) and/or having Malays/Muslim directors leading such Islamic organization have not resulted in better corporate governance practices and disclosure relative to other secular banking institutions that have fewer Malay/Muslims directors. Possible implications of these findings are proffered in the paper.

This research seeks to determine the success of turnaround strategies adopted by corporations in Thailand following post‐bankruptcy reorganization plans approved by the Thai Central Bankruptcy Court.

The study uses a sample of 101 companies whose reorganization plans have been confirmed by the Thai Central Bankruptcy Court in the period 1999‐2002, with performance measures to 2005.

The results indicate that over a three‐year reorganization period successful companies were found to be most likely to adopt cost and expense reduction, company size reduction and disposal of non‐core assets while operational strategies aimed at reconfiguring internal operations and systems were not likely to be associated with successful companies.

The data suggests, subject to limitations, the selection of restructuring methods may differ between those companies which successfully reform and those which do not. Companies pursuing successful turnaround strategies were found most likely to adopt cost and expense reduction, company size reduction and disposal of non‐core assets as significant operational strategy.

Prior research in Thailand has not investigated turnaround strategy of successful and unsuccessful companies. The result of the study has practical significance as it provides information of use to regulators, management, lenders, creditors, practitioners, and investors. The prevailing economic conditions worldwide suggest the need for replication and continual refinement of research in this area, not only in Thailand but elsewhere.

This study examines the determinants of voluntary highlights statement presentation in Singapore from 1992 to 1994. Agency and Political Costs theories are used to formulate hypotheses to explain management motivation for the presentation of highlights statement in their annual report. It is hypothesised that the presentation of highlights statements is positively related to firm size, performance, leverage and industry membership in the Industrial and Commercial, and Finance Sectors. Four explanatory variables are used to test the hypotheses, with 3 proxies for firm size and 2 measures of firm's performance. The results of univariate and multivariate tests substantiate the hypotheses for firm size, performance and industry. However, in the multivariate regression for the pooled sample, the voluntary presentation of highlights statements was found to be negatively related to leverage of the firm.

This research seeks to investigate the role of key corporate governance mechanisms in determining a firm's post‐bankruptcy performance following reorganisation.

The study is based on agency theory and uses a unique sample of 111 filing companies whose reorganisation plans have been confirmed by the Thai Central Bankruptcy Court during the period 1999‐2002.

The results indicate that monitoring and incentive mechanisms are significant determinants of a firm's post‐bankruptcy performance. The key monitoring mechanism is ownership concentration, measured by shares held by the largest shareholder, whereas the critical incentive mechanisms are cash compensation and percentage of common shares held by the plan administrator. The results indicate that these mechanisms can mitigate agency problems in previously insolvent companies and increase post‐bankruptcy performance over a three year period.

The study is timely given that many organisations are facing rebuilding programs following the impact of the global financial crisis. Prior research in Thailand and elsewhere has not measured bankruptcy reorganisation outcomes in terms of the difference of actual financial performance to predicted performance and in relation to the governance factors of the reorganisation process. Neither has this aspect been considered within an agency theory framework. This provides a unique opportunity to consider these variables based on the theoretical framework of agency theory and to evaluate the importance of governance mechanisms in reorganisation proceedings.

A number of literature contributions have underlined the importance of developing value-added logistics activities or VALS in order to help improve customers’ satisfaction. However, there is usually very little attention given regarding where to perform these VALS. This study aims to: (1) identify a comprehensive set of factors which may influence the location of VALS, (2) to analyze to what extent those factors influence location decisions, and (3) to distinguish the determinants behind the location choices for distribution centers and for the kind of VALS that will be developed in these distribution centers.

In this paper, we will present a conceptual framework on the locations of VALS in view of the identifying determinants for assigning VALS to logistical centers. We argue that the optimal location of VALS is determined by complex interactions between the determinants at the level of the choice of a distribution system, distribution center location factors, and different logistical characteristics regarding products.

An agenda for a social constructionist perspective on corporate communication. It seeks to do so by focusing on the mission statement as an aspect of corporate communications. Previously unpublished research on mission statement design and use in the UK is used as a basis for an analysis of the theoretical assumptions which are often presupposed in corporate communications. It is suggested that these assumptions represent one (cognitivist) model of communication meaning‐making. The alternative model of socially constituted meaning‐making is developed in the context of mission statement use. Some further, more general suggestions are made concerning the implications of social constructionism for corporate communications.