Maria L. Roxas, Lucia Peek, George Peek and Thorsten Hagemann
Recent advances in the Internet have afforded professional accounting firms a form of promotion to enhance their image as technologically competent. Currently, over 2,000…
Abstract
Recent advances in the Internet have afforded professional accounting firms a form of promotion to enhance their image as technologically competent. Currently, over 2,000 accounting firms have Web sites registered with The List of CPA Firms Directory. The objective of this paper is to conduct a preliminary content analysis of the web pages of accounting firms. A total of 346 Web sites were randomly selected. The contents of the Web pages were examined and analysed for inclusion of client choice factors, basic company information, value added features, and graphics. The registration of the accounting firms’ Web sites by search engines, Web yellow pages, CPA directories, and state CPA societies was also investigated. Generally, firms did a good job of providing basic client desired information about the firm, but they must register their Web sites with search engines that are commonly available and must encourage more interactivity with existing and potential clients by providing free information such as newsletters and links to relevant Web sites. They need to develop greater expertise in using the specific features and advantages of the Internet medium.
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Describes a “live interactive” case in which internal auditing graduate students provided audit services to a university’s Department of Accountancy. The department were preparing…
Abstract
Describes a “live interactive” case in which internal auditing graduate students provided audit services to a university’s Department of Accountancy. The department were preparing for an American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation visit. Students participating in the project took the role of an evaluation team and performed a mock AACSB review. They were required to determine whether and how the Accountancy Department faculty perceived they were achieving the department’s stated mission and educational objectives which will also be assessed by the AACSB review team. The project simulates an internal audit in which students determine whether an organization’s personnel accomplished their established goals. The project allows students to utilize standard internal audit procedures from a textbook in a real world audit engagement. Students also have the opportunity to practice a variety of professional skills, especially effective interviewing, which is an important skill for auditors to develop and practice. The case can be expanded by focusing on a different group of university constituents, such as students or alumni, or by addressing the college’s or university’s goals and mission statements. It is also adaptable to any organizations that have stated mission and goals statements.
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Paul Gerard Halman, Elske van de Fliert, M. Adil Khan and Lynda Shevellar
The purpose of this paper is to present an argument showing the importance of education as a disaster response activity, and why it must figure more prominently in financial and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an argument showing the importance of education as a disaster response activity, and why it must figure more prominently in financial and material support for humanitarian disasters.
Design/methodology/approach
A critical review of the literature and case studies that have considered humanitarian response activities is carried out, drawing together conclusions on the varied impacts of Education in Emergencies (EiE) on affected populations and identifying the need for more research in this area.
Findings
Despite rhetorical commitments to education as an emergency response activity, it is often dismissed as non-life saving, and receives the poorer share of funding and resources from humanitarian budgets. It places lower in the consciousness of states and donors than traditional response activities, yet rates highly by affected communities. However, education is both life-saving and life-sustaining when taking into account the impact of education beyond teaching and learning. The processes and effects of education as part of emergency response need to be better understood, and further research that links education and its life-saving capability will strengthen its case.
Originality/value
This paper argues how immediate response to restore education functions in affected communities after an emergency can significantly contribute to child protection and health. It provides compelling reasons for the status of EiE as a response activity, adding to the voice of more than 200 million people affected by disasters every year, many of whom continue to prioritise education.
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Lucia Gibilaro and Gianluca Mattarocci
This paper aims to examine the relevance of cross-border activity in the European banking sector, evaluating the role of differences in regulation to explain the level of interest…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the relevance of cross-border activity in the European banking sector, evaluating the role of differences in regulation to explain the level of interest in entering foreign markets.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample considers all banks in the European Union (EU 28) existing at year-end 2017, and information about the ultimate owners’ nationality to classify local and foreign banks is collected. The analysis provides a mapping of regulatory restrictions for foreign banks and evaluates how they impact the role of foreign players in the deposit and lending markets.
Findings
Results show that the lower are the capital adequacy requirements, the higher are the amounts of loans and deposits offered by non-European Economic Area banks and, additionally, the higher the probability of having a foreign bank operating in the country.
Originality/value
This paper provides new evidence on regulatory arbitrage opportunities in the EU and outlines differences among EU countries not previously studied.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine Anzac Day commemoration in schools during World War 1.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine Anzac Day commemoration in schools during World War 1.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical research from newspapers and education department publications is used to illustrate key themes in these commemorations.
Findings
Despite claims made at the time that school commemorations did not promote militarism, the available evidence proves the fallacy of these assertions. Moreover, schools became very significant sites for the institutionalising of Anzac Day and shaping it in quite specific ways.
Originality/value
While other authors have examined the militarisation of schools in Australia in the early decades of the 20th century, no study has focussed on schools specifically in relation to Anzac Day.
Corporate crimes are crimes committed in the course of otherwise legitimate working procedures in respectable organisations. Although corporate crimes can cause many forms of…
Abstract
Corporate crimes are crimes committed in the course of otherwise legitimate working procedures in respectable organisations. Although corporate crimes can cause many forms of physical, moral and financial damage, in practice the administration of criminal justice is rather lenient. Should the harmful behaviour of corporations be curbed by the intensification of criminal justice? In this paper the author rejects this option. He prefers fostering the social responsiveness of organisations, i.e. strengthening the ability of organisations to comply with existing social expectations. Responsive means that these expectations are properly assessed and are taken into account in the decision‐making. The author specifies two conditions which determined the extent of responsiveness and proposes several strategies for responsive regulation. Responsive regulation is based upon negotiation and persuasion. Only in this context can penal sanctions be effective; responsive regulation in the shadow of criminal law.
Scott B. Beyer, J. Christopher Hughen and Robert A. Kunkel
The authors examine the relation between noise trading in equity markets and stochastic volatility by estimating a two-factor jump diffusion model. Their analysis shows that…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors examine the relation between noise trading in equity markets and stochastic volatility by estimating a two-factor jump diffusion model. Their analysis shows that contemporaneous price deviations in the derivatives market are statistically significant in explaining movements in index futures prices and option-market volatility measures.
Design/methodology/approach
To understand the impact noise may have in the S&P 500 derivatives market, the authors first measure and evaluate the influence noise exerts on futures prices and then investigate its influence on option volatility.
Findings
In the period from 1996 to 2003, this study finds significant changes in the volatility and mean reversion in the noise level and a significant increase in its relation to implied volatility in option prices. The results are consistent with a bubble in technology stocks that occurred with significant increases in noise trading.
Research limitations/implications
This study provides estimates for this model during the periods preceding and during the technology bubble. The study analysis shows that the volatility and mean reversion in the noise level are much stronger during the bubble period. Furthermore, the relation between noise trading and implied volatility in the futures market was of a significantly larger magnitude during this period. The study results support the importance of noise trading in market bubbles.
Practical implications
Bloomfield, O'Hara and Saar (2009) find that noise traders lower bid–ask spreads and improve liquidity through increases in trading volume and market depth. Such improved market conditions could have positive effects on market quality, and this impact could be evidenced by lower implied volatility when noise traders are more active. Indeed, the results in this study indicate that the level and characteristics of noise trading are fundamentally different during the technology bubble, and this noise trading activity has a larger impact during this period on implied volatility in the options market.
Originality/value
This paper uniquely analyzes derivatives on the S&P 500 Index in order to detect the presence and influence of noise traders. The authors derive and implement a two-factor jump diffusion noise model. In their model, noise rectifies the difference of analysts' opinions, market information and beliefs among traders. By incorporating a reduced-form temporal expression of heterogeneities among traders, the model is rich enough to capture salient time-series characteristics of equity prices (i.e. stochastic volatility and jumps). A singular feature of the authors’ model is that stochastic volatility represents the random movements in asset prices that are attributed to nonmarket fundamentals.
The purpose of this paper is to explore if Jamaican authorities can improve revenue earnings from cruise tourism in the post Covid-19 period by improving the standards of current…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore if Jamaican authorities can improve revenue earnings from cruise tourism in the post Covid-19 period by improving the standards of current attractions, adding new ones and allowing more citizens to participate.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review was undertaken, supported by discussions with other authors who have written and published previous work on cruise tourism, and conversations with prominent tourism industry representatives.
Findings
All cruise lines operating in the Caribbean have islands to exclusively entertain their guests and yet, Caribbean islands need more integration. Each island currently negotiates separately with cruise lines to determine the “head tax” payable. Cruise lines could give guests a more authentic experience by employing more workers from the region and tourism workers could improve their earnings by working more closely with cruise lines. Caribbean governments can expand access to more attractions by improving their road network across the islands.
Research limitations/implications
Further investigation could include: ways to integrate more Caribbean islands, negotiations between cruise lines and the Caribbean islands as a group, making Caribbean workers more attractive to the cruise industry and, the cruise lines' appetite for more diversified attractions within the Caribbean region.
Practical implications
This study should raise the consciousness of the Jamaican government and tourism administrators about the fact that Jamaica has far more attractions than that of those present in the market. More Jamaicans could receive training to provide direct or indirect service within the cruise industry. Increased engagement of Jamaican workers would lead to improved economic wellbeing for them and their families and the country as a whole.
Social implications
Jamaicans might take better care of their environment if they stood a chance of benefiting more from cruise tourism. They might see clearly how cruise tourism impacts their communities. Further, citizens might take better care of their environment and keep it healthier and attractive. They might be even more self-disciplined in their behaviour and reduce crime and violence to acceptable levels.
Originality/value
This paper provided a simple perspective on how disconnected Caribbean islands are reflected in the wide variance in head tax charged by each island. Caribbean Governments should examine the various ways in which lack of integration has affected the region as a whole and agree on a framework for wider cooperation. If the Caribbean islands negotiate with cruise lines as one group, they may enhance their negotiating power. Each government within the region can conduct a comprehensive audit of attractions and include them in their development plan. Governments could involve their citizens more as providers of service to the cruise tourism business. Cruise operators could also see that there is wisdom and economic benefit arising from engaging more workers from the Caribbean.
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Nancy J. Razza, Laura Schwartz Dayan, Daniel Tomasulo and Michelle S. Ballan
The purpose of this paper is threefold: to document the relationship between intellectual disability (ID) and psychopathology; to raise awareness of the ongoing lag in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is threefold: to document the relationship between intellectual disability (ID) and psychopathology; to raise awareness of the ongoing lag in professional training for psychologists in the area of mental health treatment for people with intellectual disabilities; and, to provide recommendations for advancing professional education and, ultimately, adequate mental health treatment availability for people with intellectual disabilities.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews the literature on prevalence of mental health problems in people with intellectual disabilities. At the same time, the paper reviews the training of psychologists relative to the burgeoning growth in awareness of the mental health needs of people with intellectual disabilities.
Findings
The paper concludes that ID is a significant risk factor for psychopathology. In addition, the paper concludes that the education of psychologists regarding the mental health needs of people with intellectual disabilities is insufficient. The authors document the need for incorporating research and treatment advances related to intellectual disabilities and mental health into to the professional training of psychologists. The paper also describe the potential this training holds for improving both the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and the overall competence of psychologists.
Practical implications
This paper provides a literature-based rationale for the need to include education in the mental health needs of people with intellectual disabilities into the general training of mental health professionals. In addition, it provides specific recommendations for how such training can be incorporated into graduate psychology programs.
Originality/value
This paper provides mental health professionals with a review of the growth in understanding of the enormous, unmet mental health needs of people intellectual disabilities, and of the critical role of ID in development of mental health problems. Moreover, this paper builds the case for an important revision in the training of psychologists to include competence in understanding and treating mental health problems across the full spectrum of intellectual functioning.