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Under the guidance of Professor Wang Zhuquan’s channel-based working capital management concept, this paper, using a sample of A-listed companies from 2007 to 2013, aims to explore the possibility of measuring vendor relationships from the supply chain (channel) perspective for the first time, making universal testing for working capital management based on vendor relationships. Through systematically answering the question of who is the biggest beneficiary of working capital management based on vendor relationships and to discuss whether suppliers are more willing to provide “timely help” to weak enterprises or to exert an “icing on the cake” effect on strong enterprises, this paper provides a systematic explanation of the causes and economic consequences of working capital management based on vendor relationships.

The authors constructed three models to test the hypotheses of this study. Model (1) explores the cause of working capital management based on vendor relationship from three angles: market position, industry competition degree and property right. Models (2) and (3) examine the economic consequences of working capital management based on vendor relationship from the two aspects of alleviating financing constraints and improving enterprises’ sustained growth capability.

Working capital management based on vendor relationships has a more significant “timely help” effect on weak companies, which was proved by the inclination of companies with lower market positions, higher industrial competition and private ownerships to adopt working capital management based on vendor relationships. From the perspective of economic consequences, while China’s listed companies benefit generally from working capital management based on vendor relationships, the weak enterprises are the biggest beneficiaries. Based on vendor relationships, the weak enterprises can relieve financing constraints and improve continuous growth capacity. It provides further evidence that suppliers could provide “timely help” to weak enterprises.

The results of this study find that the competition between supply chains replaces the competition among enterprises, and suppliers are more willing to provide “timely help” to weak enterprises rather than to exert an “icing on the cake” effect on strong enterprises. In addition, the working capital management based on vendor relationships facilitates the cooperation of enterprises and suppliers and improves the overall efficiency of the supply chain.

The authors point out that the existing research confuses the operational liabilities formed based on the “transaction” relationship with the financial liabilities formed based on the “investment” relationship, which not only exaggerates the value of leverage but also underestimates the level of protection that companies provide for creditors alone. That is, the confusion of concepts not only triggers the problem of leverage misestimate but also triggers the short-term financial risk misestimate. The performance of “nominal leverage” and “nominal short-term solvency” based on total assets calculation cannot reflect the real leverage level and the real short-term financial risk of enterprises.

To distinguish the concepts of “assets” and “capital” and rationalize the relationship between “transactions” and “investments”, authors systematically design the “real leverage” indicators and “real short-term solvency” indicators, and measure the degree of misestimate of leverage and short-term financial risk indicators by traditional research. On this basis, this paper describes and analyses the trends of leveraged misestimate and short-term financial risk misestimate of listed companies in China and analyses which companies have more serious leverage misestimate. And it helps readers to form an objective understanding of the leveraged misestimate and short-term financial risk misestimate of listed companies in China.

Firstly, the overall high level of leverage of listed companies in China in the traditional sense is largely because of the misestimate of indicators. And this kind of misestimate is more serious among firms that have advantages in trading, such as state-owned enterprises and firms with higher market shares. Secondly, for most firms with normal solvency, traditional research systematically overestimated the negative impact of “nominal leverage” on financial risk indicators (represented by short-term solvency). The overestimation is significant in firms with serious leverage misestimate. Thirdly, indicators’ misestimate of the traditional research makes the banks cannot make effective credit decisions according to the firm's “real leverage” and “real short-term solvency”.

Firstly, clarify the differences between the concepts of “assets” and “capital”, and clarify the level of “real leverage” of listed companies in China, which is conducive to the process of “de-leveraging”. Secondly, revise the problem of misestimate of related indicators, so that financial institutions can clearly identify the true profitability and real risk level of the entity domain, and thus improve the effectiveness of credit decisions.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the implementation of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) on Nigeria’s financial reporting quality.

The study employed a survey research design to determine the effects of the implementation of the IPSAS on Nigeria’s financial reporting quality. Partial Least Square 3(SmartPLS 3) technique of analysis was applied to achieve the research objective.

The study found that accountability positively and significantly affects the quality of financial reporting in Nigeria. Specifically, IPSAS has improved the level of accountability, which in turn improved Nigeria’s financial reporting quality.

The study only explored two explanatory variables whereas other variables such as transparency, corruption minimization, comparability and faithful representation were not considered in this study. It is, therefore, recommended that further studies could expand the scope to cover some other variables not included in this paper.

IPSAS-Accrual has engendered the Nigerian Government to launch the Asset Tracking and Management Project (ATMProject) in order to easily track its assets for the purpose of accountability. Thus, accountability was discovered in this study to be the most essential factor to enhance the quality of financial reporting using accrual-based IPSAS in Nigeria.

Accountability will impact positively on the lives of Nigerians in relation to the application of public funds to impact on the lives of the masses.

The statistical significance of accountability found in this study, using partial least square technique of data analysis, will further enhance financial integrity in the country.