Accounting and Management Review | Revista de Contabilidade e Gestão

Editorial

2025-03-27T14:27:22+00:00

Spotlighting the international historical accounting community and contemplating the future

2025-03-27T15:30:41+00:00

Looking back and looking forward, this study spotlights the dimensions of the international accounting history community, contemplates what accounting is, and envisions its future. Extending and updating an earlier study by Carnegie and Rodrigues (2007), this investigation renders an understanding to the present day of arrangements for organising accounting history in various countries and regions. Specifically, the study elucidates the global dimensions of accounting history by means of associations or special interest groups operating in Australia and New Zealand, China, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the UK and the USA, and the positioning of the community in France. The study seeks to enhance understanding of the nature, spread and dynamics of this international community during the mid- 2020s, identifying several key drivers of the internationalisation and organisation of the historical accounting community. In contemplating accounting’s future – the fodder of accounting historians of tomorrow – attention is drawn to facilitating a global awareness and understanding of accounting as a multidimensional “technical, social and moral practice” for enabling “the flourishing of organisations, people and nature” (Carnegie et al., 2021a, p. 69; 2021b). This development is cast as a prime opportunity for fresh and exciting directions in accounting for shaping a better world.

The role of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in sustainable development: case studies

2025-03-27T16:07:50+00:00

In the 20th century, the concept of sustainable development emerged, aiming to preserve nature and promote long-term continuous progress, ensuring that present needs are met without compromising the needs of future generations. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which represent the majority of the business fabric, not only in Portugal but also in the European Union, play a crucial role in this process. The relationship between SMEs and sustainability is influenced by their economic contribution, proximity to the local community, and ability to drive rapid social changes in favor of sustainability. The aim of this work is to understand how SMEs can contribute to the pursuit of sustainable development. Through five case studies, we have shown how different Portuguese SMEs have approached sustainability in innovative and effective ways. Each case study highlights the strategies used, the challenges faced and the benefits achieved.

Implementation of management accounting in the Portuguese public administration and perception of its purpose

2025-03-27T16:21:02+00:00

This study seeks to examine how financial officers within the Portuguese central public administration perceive the impact of implementing management accounting reform on control, transparency, and management reporting. The research methodology is based on a questionnaire sent to all central public administration organizations in Portugal and the data were analysed using a structural equation model by the Partial Least Square tool. Our results show the perception of financial officers about the implementation of management accounting has a very significant positive effect on increasing the quality of management reports, transparency, and control of public administrations. Thus, it can be concluded that public sector financial officers perceive that the intended objectives of the accounting reform are being successfully achieved. This is a unique opportunity to study the implementation of the management accounting reform, allowing us to know the perceptions of those financial officers about the impact that the implementation of management accounting has on management control, transparency, and reporting. Our study focused only on the central government in Portugal, with a response rate of 34%, requiring also an extended analysis in the setting of local and regional governments, once both were also targets of this reform. This study aids public institutions in understanding the advantages of implementing management accounting; this includes aspects such as control, enhancing organizational efficiency and effectiveness, improving transparency in public spending, and elevating the quality of reporting. This study contributes to shedding light on the role of management accounting in making decisions more aligned with the needs of society.

The level of implementation of Public Management Accounting Standard in the municipalities of Porto district

2025-03-27T16:35:38+00:00

The Public Administration’s Accounting Standardisation System has been a reference for public accounting in Portugal since 2015. The application of the public accounting standard 27, the management accounting standard, has been minimal, despite its importance in calculating costs, planning, and decision-making. This study aims to analyse its implementation level in Porto’s district municipalities. From 2020 to 2022, the Reports and Accounts were analysed concerning management accounting disclosures. The results show that only six out of 18 municipalities implemented the standard at two levels – high and intermediate. This low level of implementation can compromise the credibility of public institutions and make accountability to society difficult, damaging citizen trust and participation in the management of public resources. This study contributes to harmonizing public accounts by implementing accounting standard 27 and can lead to political reflections on the challenges faced in its application, to guide the creation of measures and programs aimed at this type of public entities, fundamental to the exercise of State functions at the local level.

Conditions and impact of IPSAS adoption by emerging economies and developing countries – a literature review

2025-03-27T17:14:58+00:00

From the adoption of IPSAS [International Public Sector Accounting Standards] is expected to improve public sector financial reporting, through increased reliability, transparency, comparability and relevance of financial information. This article presents a general literature review on the adoption of IPSAS by countries, considering that the process of economic globalization increasingly reinforces the importance of harmonizing accounting practices and principles. Focus is given to the situation of emerging economies and developing countries, namely the difficulties and barriers, as well as the benefits associated with the transition process. Methodologically, the research was carried out in repositories of scientific and technical information. This article offers a starting point for more in-depth empirical investigations in this field, particularly on various aspects related to the transition from public accounting in emerging economies and developing countries to accrual accounting based on IPSAS, identifying some research gaps.

ED 90 – the ripple effect of IPSAS 46 Measurement

2025-03-27T17:26:20+00:00

This article is a technical review of ED 90 (Exposure Draft) issued by the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) in 2024 in view of the applicability of IPSAS 46, the new standard on measurement in public sector financial reporting applicable from 1 January 2025. After summarising the requirements of IPSAS 46, the review analyses the ED as to the anticipated effects of these requirements on existing IPSAS. Particular attention is given to the areas that appear problematic, from the questions put forward by the IPSASB itself to the respondents of the ED, and when alternative views are presented on particular issues. Current operational value is coveted as an important measurement basis that fills a gap in the previous valuation methods applicable across the standards. Even though falling under the current value model, it is different from fair value, with the aim of the IPSASB being to target the specific requirements of the financial measurement of public sector assets that lack an active market. However, there are still uncertainties surrounding the applicability of current operational value for standards like IPSAS 31 Intangible assets and IPSAS 43 Leases. These uncertainties reflect the underlying problem of referring to techniques (such as discounted cash flow techniques) that are popularly used in private sector accounting. The review concludes that the historic cost model remains the more relevant model to be used in public sector accounting. The current value model necessitates the use of estimates which would be questioned in the public sector context. Whatever approach is taken, such estimates are subjective and should not be included as transactions in the accounting system. Only in this way can accountability, transparency and equity be maintained from financial reporting by public sector entities.

Handbook of Accounting, Accountability and Governance

2025-03-27T17:33:11+00:00

This Handbook of Accounting, Accountability and Governance, published in 2023, and edited by the distinguished professors Garry Carnegie and Christopher Napier, has already been the subject of at least three book reviews i, and is fundamentally a very relevant compilation of knowledge for an international, diverse audience. Ranging from researchers, educators, practitioners, to legislators and regulators, this audience includes everyone interested in learning more about the triad accounting, accountability and governance, and its multifaceted nature. The fundamental premise established from the very beginning by the editors is that “accounting, accountability and governance inter-relate as the threes side of a triangle. Fundamentally, accounting performs accountability, accountability nurtures governance, governance presumes accounting” (Carnegie & Napier, 2023, p. 1, emphasis in the original). The Handbook starts with an introduction that outlines the rationale and structure of the subsequent chapters, their contents, the careful process of selection of authors conducted by the editors, and suggestions on how it can be used in teaching and research. It is a very useful starting point, which carefully sets the scene for the remaining chapters.

A Investigação em contabilidade e a sua relação com o ensino e a prática da contabilidade em Portugal

2025-03-27T17:40:58+00:00

A contabilidade exerce influência e por sua vez é influenciada por uma multiplicidade de agentes, órgãos, instituições e processos, tendo vindo a ser considerada como uma prática social e institucional, não podendo mais ser considerada como um dispositivo neutro que meramente documenta e relata factos da atividade económica (Miller, 1994; Potter, 2005).

Os objetivos das universidades compreendem uma combinação de atividades de investigação, ensino e a interação com a sociedade (Blaxter et al., 1998; Lubbe, 2014; Tucker & Scully, 2020). Assim, os docentes do ensino superior da área da contabilidade, para além do ensino da contabilidade, têm de fazer investigação, a qual possui um peso muito relevante na avaliação do seu desempenho. O ensino e a investigação são, pois, as duas atividades principais das instituições de ensino superior (Glover et al., 2012; Tight, 2016; Tucker & Scully, 2020). Também é frequente os académicos de contabilidade realizarem trabalhos de prestação de serviços solicitados pela sociedade às instituições de ensino superior, potenciando assim uma interligação entre estas e a sociedade (Arquero et al., 2016; Lubbe, 2014).

Os académicos possuem liberdade científica, uma vez que decidem as questões a investigar e os temas a abordar na sua investigação. No entanto, nos últimos tempos, os governos, editores e instituições de ensino e investigação têm exercido maior influência, por meio de práticas de gestão, esquemas de medição e decisões políticas sobre o que pode ser submetido a revistas e o que é valorizado, tendo-se tornado em criadores de limites, e, por sua vez, os académicos em máquinas de produção (Arquero et al., 2016; Guthrie & Parker, 2014).