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Item Open Access Editorial(2023) Sawyer, AdrianItem Open Access Intergenerational accountability in the times of just transitions(Emerald, online-publication-date) Scobie, Matthew; Norris, Eleanor; Willson, HollyThis study explores the concept of intergenerational accountability to address the grand challenge of a just transition. Intergenerational accountability extends the notion of accountability for the other to include future generations in ways that avoid the trap of long-termism and delayed action. Design/methodology/approach: We follow a critical qualitative case study approach with an Indigenous community in a settler colony. Sources of empirical materials include semi-structured interviews and documentary reviews, analysed abductively through thematic analysis. Findings: Intergenerational accountability extends the notion of accountability for the other temporally by including future generations. Indigenous temporalities offer a way to address concerns that accountability to distant future generations could delay the urgency to act now. Findings suggest that the “eternal present”, where aspirations of ancestors and obligations to descendants coalesce into a contemporary obligation, has the potential to help confront the climate crisis. However, the ability to actively practice these understandings is constrained by commercial “best practice” and the colonial state. These constraints necessitate struggles for Indigenous self-determination that also exist in the eternal present. Originality/value: We extend the concept of accountability for the other to include future generations, but avoid the trap of long-termism delaying action through the eternal present of Indigenous temporalities. However, these temporalities are constrained, so struggles for Indigenous self-determination become closely intertwined with struggles for a just transition.Item Open Access Beyond sustainability reporting: A theoretical framework for ethical sustainability governance(Virtus Interpress, 2024) Suhardjo I; Akroyd, Chris; Suparman MCurrent sustainability efforts, often focused solely on reporting, have not had the expected impact. This conceptual paper proposes a framework based on ethical sustainability governance and incorporates a theory of change (ToC) (Organizational Research Services [ORS], 2004), that seeks to show how organizations can move beyond reporting and embrace ethical governance to achieve sustainable outcomes for people and the planet. Unlike frameworks like ESG (environmental, social, and governance), which emphasize external metrics, our framework prioritizes ethical governance and internal drivers for measurable outcomes. The framework also integrates a ToC which informs the framework’s design by outlining the desired long-term outcomes, necessary preconditions for implementation, specific interventions, and methods for measuring progress. Drawing inspiration from diverse theories such as the triple bottom line (TBL), corporate governance, purpose-led organizations, the theory of planned behavior (TPB), dynamic capabilities theory (DCT), and stakeholder theory, our framework establishes four interconnected pillars: environmental, social, cultural, and technological. It emphasizes that ethical governance needs to be the cornerstone of good sustainability-focused action (Ehrenfeld, 2005). Finally, it emphasizes actionable implementation to increase the likelihood of tangible progress toward sustainability goals. By guiding organizations in implementing ethical governance there is a higher chance that sustainability-focused action plans can enable positive outcomes.Item Open Access Professional Skepticism in Practice: An Analysis of Auditors’ Stories(American Accounting Association, 2023) Xu , Gina; Yang , Cherrie; Fukofuka, Peni TupouProfessional skepticism is a complex and ambiguous construct. Prior research has primarily focused on examining antecedents that affect professional skepticism. Yet, little is known about auditors’ perceptions and experiences of exercising professional skepticism in everyday audit practice. Through analyzing 78 stories collected from interviewing 35 auditors, our research finds that exercising professional skepticism constitutes a sensemaking process that involves noticing discrepant cues, creating interpretations, and arguing with clients to give sense. Within this process, professional skepticism is constructed by auditors’ microlevel actions and interactions in their collective efforts to seek and interpret meanings of discrepant cues. Prior studies highlight the cognitive and psychological nature of professional skepticism at an individual level. Our study provides an incremental understanding of how professional skepticism is enacted and collectively constructed by auditors in practice and shows that the meanings and practices of professional skepticism are fluid and emergent.Item Open Access Evaluating the barriers of blockchain adoption in the Australian logistics industry(Informa UK Limited, online-publication-date) Chen, F.; Vandchali , H. R.; Shi , W.; Koushan, Mona; Jain , VBlockchain technology is widely concerned with the potential to revolutionize the logistics industry by sharing tamper proof information in a decentralized manner, facilitating building trust among parties. However, the adoption rate in the Australia logistics industry has lagged behind other industries. To address this issue, this study utilizes a fuzzy DEMATEL method to investigate the barriers of blockchain technology adoption in the logistics industry. Thirteen key barriers are identified and categorized based on the technology- organization- environment (TOE) framework. By comparing the individual fuzzy DEMATEL results based on interviews with experts for the Australian logistics industry, the cost of investment and integrating difficulties among logistics network partners are identified as the most prominent barriers, while the cost of investment, incapability of human resources, and lack of management support are the key cause barriers. Also, the top-ranked barriers mainly belong to the organizational contexts under the TOE framework. The paper provides a critical theory foundation for successful implementation of blockchain in the logistics industry. Besides, it can provide practical insights for practitioners to balance their resources in addressing the barriers in BCT application.Item Open Access Demystifying the Value-Added Tax Act implications of fixed property transactions in South Africa(2024) Hassan , Muneer E.; Bornman , Marina; Sawyer, AdrianThe South African Value-Added Tax (VAT) Act lacks a logical structure for fixed property transactions, making it difficult to teach, apply and administer. This study examines the organisational structure of the VAT Act as an element of legal complexity. The study establishes guidelines to simplify VAT implications for fixed property transactions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted following a literature review. Research shows that improving statute structure, layout and organisation improves readability. This study confirms that the fixed property provisions of the VAT Act complicate the law, increasing compliance and administrative costs. The literature review and interview findings support the development of the guidelines to simplify complex transactions in the VAT Act. The principles in the guidelines include section grouping, headings and subheadings and clear signposting, and in this article these are applied to practically illustrate the VAT implications for fixed property transactions.Item Open Access Increasing microfinance risk tolerance through revenue sharing: An experiment(Informa UK Limited, 2021) Clark, Jeremy; Spraggon, JMicrofinance has been found to be less effective for high risk/return borrowing groups. We report a group liability microfinance lab experiment that tests a mechanism to raise repayment rates among such borrowers. The mechanism offers partial revenue sharing among groups of borrowers, agreed to before individual business outcomes are realized and loan repayment is due. Such revenue sharing makes loan repayment optimal under more outcome states, increasing the expected benefit to each borrower of repayment to qualify for future loans. We further test the effect of allowing borrowers to renege on revenue sharing agreements after learning their business outcomes, prior to loan repayment decisions. Our results illustrate the problem that exogenously higher risk/return borrowing groups achieve lower loan repayment rates than lower risk/return borrowing groups. We find evidence that optional revenue sharing significantly increases high risk borrowers’ repayment rates, but that most of this gain is lost if they can renege on revenue sharing agreements.Item Open Access Treatment drop-in in a contemporary cohort used to derive cardiovascular risk prediction equations.(BMJ, 2024) Liang J; Jackson RT; Pylypchuk R; Choi Y; Chung, Claris Yee Seung; Crengle S; Gao P; Grey C; Harwood M; Holt A; Kerr A; Mehta S; Wells S; Poppe KBACKGROUND: No routinely recommended cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction equations have adjusted for CVD preventive medications initiated during follow-up (treatment drop-in) in their derivation cohorts. This will lead to underestimation of risk when equations are applied in clinical practice if treatment drop-in is common. We aimed to quantify the treatment drop-in in a large contemporary national cohort to determine whether equations are likely to require adjustment. METHODS: Eight de-identified individual-level national health administrative datasets in Aotearoa New Zealand were linked to establish a cohort of almost all New Zealanders without CVD and aged 30-74 years in 2006. Individuals dispensing blood-pressure-lowering and/or lipid-lowering medications between 1 July 2006 and 31 December 2006 (baseline dispensing), and in each 6-month period during 12 years' follow-up to 31 December 2018 (follow-up dispensing), were identified. Person-years of treatment drop-in were determined. RESULTS: A total of 1 399 348 (80%) out of the 1 746 695 individuals in the cohort were not dispensed CVD medications at baseline. Blood-pressure-lowering and/or lipid-lowering treatment drop-in accounted for 14% of follow-up time in the group untreated at baseline and increased significantly with increasing predicted baseline 5-year CVD risk (12%, 31%, 34% and 37% in <5%, 5-9%, 10-14% and ≥15% risk groups, respectively) and with increasing age (8% in 30-44 year-olds to 30% in 60-74 year-olds). CONCLUSIONS: CVD preventive treatment drop-in accounted for approximately one-third of follow-up time among participants typically eligible for preventive treatment (≥5% 5-year predicted risk). Equations derived from cohorts with long-term follow-up that do not adjust for treatment drop-in effect will underestimate CVD risk in higher risk individuals and lead to undertreatment. Future CVD risk prediction studies need to address this potential flaw.Item Open Access The effect of school zone on housing prices: evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in New Zealand(Informa UK Limited, 2024) Sun P; Coupé T; Clark, JeremyWe analyse a quasi-experiment where a much sought-after state secondary school with no close substitutes unexpectedly reduced its enrolment zone twice over a three-year period. We use difference-in-differences to estimate the impact of the two downsizings on housing sales prices. We use controls for housing characteristics for pooled cross section or housing fixed effects for repeat sales, test for parallel trends, and conduct numerous robustness checks. In our main analysis, we find the first downsizing may decrease housing prices between 3.2% and 12.9%, with most estimates statistically significant, while the second downsizing may decrease prices between 2.1% and 7.2%, with most estimates insignificant. Tests in the pre-treatment period suggest parallel trends cannot be rejected, though some cross section interactions are significant when the two downsizings are analysed separately. We conclude the school zone’s first downsizing likely had a negative effect on housing prices of a small to moderate magnitude.Item Open Access The 2020 Nobel Memorial Prize in economics: the Canterbury connection(Informa UK Limited, 2021) Watt, RichardThe 2020 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics (officially known as The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel), was awarded to two professors from Stanford University, Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson, ‘for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats’. What is probably less well-known is the notable impact made by two New Zealand economists, both economics graduates from the University of Canterbury, in shaping the theory of auctions for which the prize was awarded. This paper looks at the ‘web of influence’ among the two New Zealand economists and the two new Nobel prize winners in as far as the development of auction theory is concerned.Item Open Access Debt Finance and Economic Activity in the Euro-Area: Evidence on Asymmetric and Maturity Effects(2023) Guender, Alfred; Das, K; Donald, LThis paper presents a model of alternative sources of credit – bank vs. bond finance - to examine the credit substitution hypothesis. Our framework produces testable hypotheses about the behaviour of price- and quantity-based information variables. Examining data from ten Euro-area countries, we find that a credit spread outperforms a finance mix as a predictor of economic activity in both time series and pooled data regressions. There are clear signs of asymmetric and maturity effects in the data. Positive changes in the credit spread predict decreases in economic activity while negative changes bear no informative content. The asymmetric effect is exceptionally strong in pooled data and is present in short-term, long-term, and total credit spreads. In country-specific time-series regressions the asymmetric signalling property is strongest for the long-term credit spread. By contrast, we find no substantive evidence that changes in a quantity-based finance mix have robust predictive power.Item Open Access Workplace Ageism: Discovering Hidden Bias(Informa UK Limited, 2013) Malinen, Sanna; Johnston LBackground/Study Context: Research largely shows no performance differences between older and younger employees, or that older workers even outperform younger employees, yet negative attitudes towards older workers can underpin discrimination. Unfortunately, traditional "explicit" techniques for assessing attitudes (i.e., self-report measures) have serious drawbacks. Therefore, using an approach that is novel to organizational contexts, the authors supplemented explicit with implicit (indirect) measures of attitudes towards older workers, and examined the malleability of both. Methods: This research consists of two studies. The authors measured self-report (explicit) attitudes towards older and younger workers with a survey, and implicit attitudes with a reaction-time-based measure of implicit associations. In addition, to test whether attitudes were malleable, the authors measured attitudes before and after a mental imagery intervention, where the authors asked participants in the experimental group to imagine respected and valued older workers from their surroundings. Results: Negative, stable implicit attitudes towards older workers emerged in two studies. Conversely, explicit attitudes showed no age bias and were more susceptible to change intervention, such that attitudes became more positive towards older workers following the experimental manipulation. Conclusion: This research demonstrates the unconscious nature of bias against older workers, and highlights the utility of implicit attitude measures in the context of the workplace. In the current era of aging workforce and skill shortages, implicit measures may be necessary to illuminate hidden workplace ageism. © 2013 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.Item Open Access Editorial(2024) Sawyer, Adrian; Tan Lin MeiItem Open Access Editorial(2024) Sawyer, Adrian; Tan, LMItem Open Access Unpacking Environmental, Social, and Governance Score Disparity: A Study of Indonesian Palm Oil Companies(MDPI AG, online-publication-date) Suhardjo , Iwan; Akroyd, Chris; Suparman , MeilianaThis study investigates the inconsistencies in ESG scores assigned by different rating agencies. Focusing on two Indonesian palm oil companies, this paper examines the link between their reported sustainability performance and the resulting ESG scores. This study employs content analysis to assess how the companies disclose information around double materiality, stakeholder engagement, and certifications. Additionally, the methodologies used by two rating agencies are reviewed to identify potential misalignments. The analysis reveals discrepancies in the ratings, suggesting factors like differences in the level of engagement with each company and scoring methodologies might be at play. This highlights the need for standardized sustainability reporting and more transparent rating methodologies within the palm oil industry. While limited to two companies and two agencies, the findings can inform efforts to improve transparency both in sustainability practices and scoring methodologies. This would ultimately lead to more reliable ESG scores, benefiting all related stakeholders. To goal of this study is to promote responsible practices in the palm oil industry by emphasizing the impact of reporting practices.Item Open Access “A war waged with numbers”: Accounting and accumulation by alienation in Australia’s border industrial complex(Emerald, 2023) Scobie, Matthew; Laird LThis paper explores the role of accounting and accountability techniques in contributing to Australia’s border industrial complex. Design/methodology/approach: We use the political thought of Behrouz Boochani to explore the role that accounting techniques play at the micro and macro level of his dialectic of alienation and freedom. Firstly, we explore the accounting and accountability techniques detailed in Boochani’s No Friend but the Mountain, which gives an account of his life in Manus Prison, and the accounting techniques he experienced. Secondly, we explore the discourse of alienation created within the annual reporting of the Australian Federal Government regarding the border industrial complex. Findings: We argue that the border industrial complex requires the alienation of asylum seekers from their own humanity for capital accumulation, and that accounting and accountability techniques facilitate this form of alienation. These techniques include inventorying, logging and queuing at the micro level within Manus Prison. This alienates those trapped in the system from one another and themselves. Techniques also include annual reporting at a macro level which alienates those trapped in the system from the (White) “Australian Community”. However, these techniques are resisted at every point by assertions of freedom. Originality/value: We illustrate the role of accounting in accumulation by alienation, where the unfreedom of incarcerated asylum seekers is a site of profit for vested interests. But also that this alienation is resisted at every point by refusals of alienation as assertions of freedom. Thus, this study contributes to the accounting literature by drawing from theories of alienation, and putting forward the dialectic of alienation and freedom articulated by Boochani and collaborators.Item Open Access Unethical practices in response to poor student quality: An Australian perspective(2016) Steenkamp, Natasja; Roberts RThe purpose is to ascertain accounting academics’ perceptions whether (a) the standard of accounting education at Australian universities has deteriorated, (b) the quality of undergraduate students has deteriorated in recent years, and if the latter (c) impacted them, their jobs, their teaching and ethical practices, and (d) is obstructing the attractiveness of accounting academia as a career. An on-line survey was sent to accounting academics at 39 Australian universities to investigate participants’ perceptions about the deterioration in the standard of accounting education and the quality of undergraduate students and the impact on respondents’ well-being, ethical practices and their job satisfaction. The majority of respondents believe the standard of accounting education and the quality of undergraduate students have deteriorated. Many academics have experienced increased frustration, disillusionment, and struggle with workload. Respondents experience institutional pressures to achieve higher pass rates, deal with sub-par core skills, treat students as clients and increase student retention. As a result, a significant number of academics, have inflated grades or deflated coursework in order to ameliorate these pressures. Nonetheless, despite these challenges, the majority is not actively seeking to change jobs or leave academia, but agree that it is not a good time for others to aspire an academic career in accounting.Item Open Access Stuck in Limbo: how sensemaking discrepancy over strategy-related performance leads to disjointed collaboration in an international joint venture(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2023) Zhao , Xiaoli; Stiles, DavidA major issue in international business is why many International Joint Ventures (IJVs) fail to live up to partners’ expectations. Research into why IJVs underperform centres on differences between partners’ equity, resources, technical knowledge and cultural values, but seldom internal sensemaking conflicts. We address this research gap: specifically, the sense managers make of their own and their partner managers’ perceived performance in relation to strategy practices, and the effects of sensemaking upon collaboration. Some IJV studies examine outright organizational failure, but we focus on a common situation where partner firms’ expectations about each other’s performance are not met. Our case is a major Sino-New Zealand dairy IJV in a Limbo-like state of severe sensemaking discrepancy. Here, managers struggled to perform strategy effectively in a context of mutual misunderstanding and profound miscommunication, rooted in sensemaking differences. Using a strategy practice lens, we explore how this sensemaking discrepancy arose over organizational identity, learning and experience, strategizing, communication and trust. This eroded meaningful cooperation over strategy, leading to disjointed collaboration: a new concept capturing a state of compromised engagement, where the IJV continued operationally, but collaboration became increasingly difficult. We provide a theoretical framework to help understand sensemaking discrepancy in IJVs, based on a reconceptualization of sensemaking discrepancy in terms of own and others’ expected and perceived performance. We also offer essential practice-based insights into cognitive barriers to strategy collaboration.Item Open Access Globalisation and tax administration – a New Zealand perspective(2023) Sawyer, AdrianThe work of the G20 and OECD in relation to Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) 1.0, and more recently with BEPS 2.0, has shown unprecedented levels of cooperation between revenue authorities globally. While the work to date has increased the sharing of information and improved cooperation on cross-border investigations, it has also led to enhancements (some currently at the policy refinement stage) that expand the tax base (such as new taxing rights for jurisdictions where value has been added), and buttress existing core tax concepts (such as residence and source). This article, taking the form of a case study, examines and reflects upon how these policy developments are impacting revenue authorities, with a focus on New Zealand. It traverses the administrative direction and political influences over the last six to eight years, within the wider context of Inland Revenue’s Business Transformation project (BT) that was completed in 2022. Digitalisation has been critical to the way Inland Revenue has navigated the challenges it faces, many of which are common to tax administrations globally. In general terms, New Zealand is a ‘strong supporter’ of the work of the G20/OECD with respect to BEPS but would not be considered to be a leader. Being a small jurisdiction, New Zealand is less impacted by BEPS issues, but nevertheless it faces its fair share of administrative challenges, including the ongoing impact of COVID fiscal reforms on tax administrations.Item Open Access Understanding accounting students' intentions to use digital badges to showcase employability skills(Informa UK Limited, 2023) Steenkamp, Natasja; Fisher, Richard; Nesbit, TrevorBy incorporating employability skills within the accounting curriculum, universities face the issue of how best to recognise students’ achievements. Digital badges are emerging as a potential means to recognise such achievements. Being shareable on social media sites, such as LinkedIn, and on other platforms, badges allow students to showcase their attainment of employability skills to potential employers. As student acceptance is a prerequisite to the success of this technology, this exploratory study examines accounting students’ perceptions of badge usefulness and ease of use, and whether these influence their intentions to use them for job applications. We also examine factors that contribute to these perceptions. A survey is undertaken of accounting students within a single university. Results suggest that both subjective norm and perceived usefulness directly influence intentions, while job application relevance and perceptions of external control have important indirect effects. Implications for universities are discussed and future research opportunities identified.