The value relevance of non-financial performance indicators: new cues from the European fashion industry

By | 2017-12-27T17:41:38+01:00 December 27th, 2017|

Dainelli Francesco, Giunta Francesco/ Financial Reporting, Riviste / Fascicolo: 3-2011

Intangible assets and related performance measures assume increasing importance in valuation processes. Value relevance studies testify to their importance through an analysis of market stock prices. We aim to examine the value relevance of non-financial indicators in European fashion companies. The indicator selected is the “change in mono-brand stores”. Applying the models proposed by current literature, we have refuted the value relevance hypothesis. However, refining both the “operationalization” of the concepts and the related result analysis procedure, the value relevance is confirmed. In this way, we contribute to increasing the generalizability of this research trend and to fuel the debate concerning the standardization process of this information. In particular, following in the footsteps of the Gartner/EBRC project, supported by AICPA (Gartner-EBRC, 2010), our results can help the national and international standard setters to pinpoint the indicators that really matter for the fashion industry and standardize their communication.

Keywords: Intangibles, value relevance, financial measures, non-financial measures, fashion industry, mono-brand stores

 

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Dialogue with standard setters. EFRAG in Academic Research: a Survey

By | 2017-12-29T17:43:44+01:00 December 27th, 2017|

Fiume Raffaele/ Financial Reporting, Riviste / Fascicolo: 1-2013

The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) was established in 2001 to provide input to the development of accounting standards and to provide the European Commission with technical expertise on Accounting matters. Its main task is to advice to the European Commission before it endorses standards. The key role in the European institutional environment has given to EFRAG a significant capability of influencing the standard setting process conducted by IASB. In a more substantial perspective, the main role of EFRAG is to participate to the development of IFRSs so that they can be endorsed for use in the European Union. A review of EFRAG’s present structure and of the documents it has issued shows that its activity has gone far beyond advising the European Commission and the Accounting Regulation Committee during the endorsement process; EFRAG has also been pursuing a proactive role in its involvement with IASB and IFRIC and in the improvement of accounting directives. In doing this, it has been obtaining a growing interest among institutions, preparers and users, as confirmed by the funding of, and participation in, working groups by these stakeholders. EFRAG’s activities can be intuitively considered relevant for Accounting studies.  Il could be interesting to analyze the “real” influence of EFRAG’s output on accounting rules and practice and the perception of this influence by its stakeholders, starting from European Commission. Moreover, evidences about the interest of Scholars in EFRAG’s activities and about the relevance given to academic research in EFRAG’s action could contribute to a better understanding of the attention EFRAG and Accounting scholars pay each other. […]

Keywords: Intangibles, risks related to intangibles, risk reporting, disclosure, banking sector, content analysis

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An exploratory study of intangibles risk disclosure in annual reports of banking companies from the UK, US, Germany and Italy – Some descriptive insights

By | 2017-12-29T17:44:43+01:00 December 27th, 2017|

Durst Susanne/ Financial Reporting, Riviste / Fascicolo: 1-2013

Intangibles are viewed as the key drivers in most industries, and current research shows that firms voluntarily disclose information about their investments in intangibles and their potential benefits. Yet little is known of the risks relating to such resources and the disclosures firms make about such risks. In order to obtain a more balanced and complete picture of firms’ activities, information about the risky side of their intangibles is also needed. This exploratory study provides some descriptive insights into intangibles-related risk disclosure in a sample of 16 large banks from the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Germany and Italy. Annual report data is analyzed using the three Intellectual Capital dimensions. Study findings illustrate the variety of intangibles-related risk disclosure as demonstrated by the banks involved.

Keywords: Intangibles, risks related to intangibles, risk reporting, disclosure, banking sector, content analysis

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Regulating through the “Logic of Appropriateness” and the “Rhetoric of the Expert”: The Role of Consultants in the Case of Intangibles Reporting in Germany

By | 2017-12-27T14:29:20+01:00 December 27th, 2017|

Girella Laura, Zambon Stefano/ Financial Reporting, Riviste / Fascicolo: 3-2013

The paper provides some insights into the rationales, processes and actors according to which Intangibles Reporting (IR) has reached a (soft) regulatory stage in the German business context since the mid 2000’s. It draws on the “logic of appropriateness” (March and Olsen, 1992; 1997) combined with the “rhetoric of the expert” (Czarniawska, 1997) in order to examine the documents published in relation to IR. The analysis demonstrates how in Germany this (soft) regulation of reporting of these resources has been mainly realized by a group of management consultants. It is of a particular interest that in the Guidelines they have devised and promoted, the ad hoc organizational figure, the moderator, that has been identified as central for the proposed intangibles reporting does not belong to the accounting domain. This way, the work contributes and expands on previous debates in relation to the “professional jurisdiction” that has made claim throughout the arena of Intangibles by accountants (Napier and Power, 1992; Power, 2006), illustrating an example of an alternative site in which its professionalization and regulation can occur (Cooper and Robson, 2006). Specifically, it is suggested that the actors and the ways in which regulation is created and perpetuated have sometimes to be disentangled from the ones created within the accounting field.

Keywords: Regulation, experts-Consultants, Germany, appropriateness, intangibles

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