This paper seeks to reply/comment on the paper by Keith Hooper et al., titled “‘Knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing’: accounting for heritage assets”.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to reply/comment on the paper by Keith Hooper et al., titled “‘Knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing’: accounting for heritage assets”.
Design/methodology/approach
This note uses the economic theory of public goods to complement the explanation and analysis of Hooper et al's article on accounting for public heritage assets by New Zealand museums.
Findings
Using public goods theory from economics, the paper explains why the “sector neutral” approach, which underlies the application of commercial accounting standards to public heritage assets, is unsound; why “fair market prices” cannot be obtained for public heritage assets because of their being public goods; and why they should be accounted for outside the statement of financial position as assets held in trust by the custodial entities.
Originality/value
The opposition of some of the museums to the accounting standards being imposed on them is soundly based in the economic theory of public goods.
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Johan Christiaens, Jan Rommel, Allan Barton and Patricia Everaert
In recent years, accrual accounting has become increasingly popular in many governments. Yet some questions remain unresolved. Previous literature questioned whether all…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent years, accrual accounting has become increasingly popular in many governments. Yet some questions remain unresolved. Previous literature questioned whether all governmental assets should be capitalized. Whereas those studies mostly focussed separately on a limited number of assets, such as infrastructure, military assets or heritage assets, the purpose of this paper is to expand these views by taking a holistic approach to their treatment.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a literature review combined with archival data, being the IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards).
Findings
The analysis distinguishes between the business and government sectors of the economy and argues that business accounting for assets cannot be applied to the public sector without significant modification. Secondly, within the public sector, it is argued that “businesslike assets” (such as normal buildings and equipment) should be distinguished from “specific governmental assets” (such as art galleries), where the latter should be reported off balance sheet as community assets held in trust by governments for community enjoyment.
Practical implications
The current paper presents a solution for recognizing capital assets in different situations.
Originality/value
The paper reveals some basic differences in points of view between the governmental dimension versus a businesslike dimension in considering capital assets.
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Public heritage facilities – national parks, art galleries, museums and so on – are now required by professional accounting standards in Australia to be valued and included in…
Abstract
Public heritage facilities – national parks, art galleries, museums and so on – are now required by professional accounting standards in Australia to be valued and included in government general purpose financial statements as assets. This study challenges the appropriateness of such an accounting treatment in relation to the SAC4 definition of assets and the purported usefulness of the information. Instead it is argued that these facilities are public goods, and that commercial accounting principles should not be applied to them. The article explains the nature and significance of public goods and how they differ from private goods. It explains why commercial accounting principles are irrelevant for public heritage facilities because their objectives are social rather than financial and why commercial valuations are irrelevant and unreliable if applied to them. Finally, it is contended that the facilities are assets held in trust for the nation by government and hence should not be included in its general purpose financial reports.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept, need and requirements for accountability in the public sector, and how the use of outsourcing activities on a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept, need and requirements for accountability in the public sector, and how the use of outsourcing activities on a commercial‐in‐confidence basis negates the accountability requirement and can lead to inefficiency. This thereby negates the major benefit claimed for outsourcing.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper adopts a normative approach based on political science and economic theory to analyse the concept of accountability and its ramifications. It uses the redevelopment of a public football stadium as a case study to illustrate the consequences of commercial‐in‐confidence outsourcing.
Findings
The postulated consequences are confirmed by the case study.
Research limitations/implications
Information about potential problems generally becomes available only after the event when it is too late to correct the problems. However the analysis and empirical evidence have important implications for policy making to curtail the practice.
Originality/value
The paper highlights the importance of freely available information concerning public sector operations to help ensure efficiency in resource use. It is the public sector counterpart to Adam Smith's “invisible hand” which brings about efficiency in private sector markets.
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Preventing and tackling bullying effectively are important agenda for schools to safeguard all children’s well-being, engagement and sense of belongingness. Children perceived to…
Abstract
Preventing and tackling bullying effectively are important agenda for schools to safeguard all children’s well-being, engagement and sense of belongingness. Children perceived to be different from their peers tend to have a higher risk of being bullied at school, in particular, children with disabilities. It can be challenging for teachers to stop bullying that targets children with disabilities. This chapter considers bullying as a barrier to ensuring inclusive and quality education for everyone. It draws on findings from an ethnographic study concerning the status of inclusion of children identified as having learning difficulties in mainstream schools in China, by listening to what children and teachers have to say (Wang, 2016). The study found that the child participants were subject to forms of bullying. They found it useful to gain support from others when bullying happened, and they showed empathy towards peers’ well-being. The teacher participants reflected on the dilemmas and challenges of dealing with bullying and were keen to share experiences about what they found helpful in addressing the issue. The chapter discusses how insights about bullying learned from children and teachers can be used to inform the enactment of inclusive pedagogy. It is concluded that an inclusive pedagogical response that recognizes every child’s voice is necessary for tackling bullying and co-creating an inclusive environment.
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– The purpose of this paper is to combine conceptual and documentary research.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to combine conceptual and documentary research.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on a range of New Zealand curriculum documents and on the history of English subject in the New Zealand context, it maps aspects of the contestation that has accompanied the development of various versions of the subject over time. It also explores ways in which the subject has always drawn on a range of primary disciplinary discourses through a process of recontextualization (Bernstein, 2000).
Findings
Based on this analysis, it problematizes the conventional location of literary study within the English curriculum, arguing that this arrangement disadvantages English as an additional language (EAL) students with an interest in literature. As another plank in the argument, it argues that literary study is itself currently disadvantaged by being linked to narrowly conceived notions of textual practice and the pervasive power of high-stake assessment technologies in constructing content and pedagogy.
Originality/value
A solution to both problems is offered, arguing a case for relocating literary study in an expanded Arts curriculum. The paper then goes on to draw on the concept of disciplinary literacy, to argue a case for the “reinvention” of the English teacher as a cross-disciplinary resource teaching a re-framed subject renamed “Disciplinary Rhetorics”. It concludes by discussing the implications of these two re-envisionments for English teacher identities and the construction of their professional content and pedagogical knowledge.