Adoption Of Accrual Accounting Research Articles

Adoption of Accrual Accounting in the Brazilian Public Sector: a Case Study in Light of Regulation Theory

Objective: To identify existing gaps in the adoption of full accrual accounting in the public sector, with a focus on analyzing the financial statements of the Ministry of Defense (MD), and to investigate the application of accrual accounting in the public sector, considering its complex regulations. Theoretical Framework: For the analyses, the theoretical foundation is based on the theory of regulation applicable to accounting regimes in the public sector. Methodology: The research, using the Ministry of Defense (MD) as a case study, adopted a multifaceted methodological approach, including a case study, literature review, and documentary analysis. Data sources included books, dissertations, scientific articles, and legislation. Documentary analysis focused on the MD's Financial Statements, accessed through the government portal, covering the years 2018 to 2022. The research also employed content analysis techniques, following the methodology suggested by Sampaio and Lycarião (2021), to evaluate the content of the information in relation to the established objectives. Results and Conclusions: The research identified that there is already partial adherence of the public sector to international standards, as the cash basis is still observed for revenues, and areas for improvement were noted, such as the adoption of the Statement of Comprehensive Income in the context of the public sector. Research Implications: It was observed that regulatory changes are important instruments for influencing the accountability processes of the public sector. Originality/Value: The research emphasizes the partial adoption of international public accounting standards and suggests further discussions and analysis to achieve complete adherence, confirming a gap between the implementation of standards and their practical application.

The Path toward Accrual Accounting in the Public Sector from the Perspective of Italian Municipalities

The goal for the coming years set by the European Union to harmonize public sector accounting is to implement a single accrual-based accounting system for all public administrations. Italy is moving towards full adoption of this accounting system for all local authorities by 2026 and can be seen as an example of a country in transition from a modified cash accounting system to a full accrual accounting one. This research makes use of semi-structured interviews with key actors in the accounting departments of municipalities in Emilia-Romagna, one of the most economically developed regions in Italy, to assess whether the current public accounting system is ready to move to full accrual accounting and whether the transition would be considered beneficial for Italian municipalities. The results show that municipalities are still far from the full implementation of accrual accounting, both in terms of the maturity of the system and the usefulness of the information. The research contributes to understanding the level of accountingmaturity in the public sector and helps to identify the main critical issues for the full adoption of accrual accounting, finding new paths to be followed to make its implementation effective. At the international level, this work may be useful for all countries that are changing their accounting systems to understand what measures need to be taken to facilitate the transition to full accrual accounting in the public sector.

Intelligibility of communication with stakeholders after accounting system change: an exploratory data analysis of Italian universities

PurposeThis study aims to explore the intelligibility of communication with stakeholders as a result of accrual accounting adoption. It focuses on changes in the use of visual forms and the readability of text that occurred immediately after the adoption of accrual accounting in performance reports of Italian public universities.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collect the stakeholder section of performance reports published before and after accrual accounting adoption. Then, the authors use manual and computer-assisted textual analysis. Finally, the authors explore the data using principal component analysis and qualitative comparative analysis.FindingsThis study demonstrates that switching from cash to accrual accounting provokes immediate changes in communication patterns. It confirms the significant reduction of readability and increase in visual forms after accruals accounting adoption. The results indicate that smaller universities especially put effort into increasing intelligibility while implementing a more complex accounting system. This study also finds a relation between the change in readability and the change in visual forms that are complementary, with the exception of several very large universities.Practical implicationsThe findings underline the possibility of neutralising the adverse effects of accounting reform associated with its complexity and difficulties in understanding by the use of visual forms and attention to the document’s readability.Originality/valueThis paper adds a new dimension to the study of public sector accounting from the external stakeholder perspective. It provides further insight into the link between accrual accounting adoption and readability, together with the use of visual forms by universities.

ENHANCING ACCRUAL ACCOUNTING ADOPTION IN THE MALAYSIAN PUBLIC SECTOR: CHALLENGES AND THE KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

The transition from cash-based accounting to accrual accounting in the public sector has become a subject of growing interest globally, driven by the pursuit of improved financial transparency, accountability, and decision-making. This paper critically reviews existing literature pertaining to the challenges and success factors associated with the implementation of accrual accounting in the Malaysian public sector context. The literature review unveils a multifaceted array of challenges that hinder the seamless adoption of accrual accounting. These challenges range from the complexities of transitioning institutional structures and processes to the intricacies of aligning human resources with the demands of accrual-based financial reporting. By shedding light on the intricate dynamics of accrual accounting implementation, this paper contributes to the ongoing dialogue on strengthening financial governance, transparency, and accountability within the Malaysian public sector. Keyword(s) : Accrual accounting, implementation challenges, success factors, Malaysian public sector, resistance to change

Conceptual Framework on Antecedents of True and Fair View Reporting Surrounding Migration to Accrual-Based Accounting by Public Sector Entities: A Case of Federal Statutory Bodies (FSB) in Malaysia

Following the institutional reforms in Malaysia, the Federal Government issued Treasury Circular PS 1.2/2020. Federal Statutory Bodies (FSBs) are now required to adopt the Malaysian Public Sector Accounting Standard (MPSAS) as the standard for preparing financial statements. While most private sectors strongly embrace accrual accounting systems and derive many benefits from them, the practice and application in the public sector, including FSBs, is still in its infancy. Therefore, this study examines the antecedents of true and fair view reporting in the context of migration to accrual accounting by FSB in Malaysia. This study is due to the lack of research on accrual accounting in the public sector, as researchers rigorously focus on the private sector that controls the economy. In addition, there are few studies on the conversion of the public sector in emerging economies to accrual accounting. The study provided a conceptual discussion on the antecedents that potentially affect the true and fair view reporting through the adoption of accrual accounting. The discussion is expected to benefit many stakeholders, especially regulators and policymakers, as emerging economies such as Malaysia continue to actively pursue institutional reforms. By adding new variables from the study so that they can be used in various and extensive aspects of the research.

The use and perceived usefulness of public sector financial statements by politicians – evidence from Croatia

PurposeThis study analyses to what extent politicians use public sector entities' financial statements along with the politicians' perceptions of the usefulness of such statements in the politicians' decision-making. The authors analyze financial statements' use and usefulness when the statements are prepared on a modified accrual basis and in the setting where there is the intention of full accrual accounting adoption. In addition, this study provides information about the use of the individual components of financial statements and investigates the reasons why the statements may not be used.Design/methodology/approachThis study was conducted using a questionnaire. The authors surveyed politicians that are members of Croatian public sector bodies. To conduct this research, the politicians were contacted by telephone over the period from February to April 2022.FindingsThe findings of this study are of potential interest to researchers, regulators and policy makers. The findings show that most politicians use financial statements, but the politicians' perception of the statements' usefulness when the statements are prepared on a modified accrual accounting basis is greater than the politicians' actual use of the statements. The findings also show that in the process of making decisions, politicians use the selected financial statements that contain information of interest to the politicians; that the politicians tend to gravitate to the use of reports on revenue, expenses, receipts and expenditure prepared on modified accrual bases which are closer to budgetary reporting; that the politicians use the information that supports the politicians' sphere of responsibility as enforced by legislation.Originality/valueThis study provides insights into the use and usefulness of financial statements in public sector setting where modified accrual accounting is used to prepare the statements and reports. This study provides additional evidence on the significance of legal setting to the financial reporting in public sector.

Accounting capacity on accrual accounting adoption in Vietnamese public sector organizations—a moderated moderation model of leadership quality and digital transformation

This study examines the association between accounting capacity and organizational readiness for change to adopt accrual accounting (ORCA) in public sector organizations. Furthermore, it explores the role of leadership quality and digital transformation as moderators of this association. Survey data from 179 public sector organizations in Vietnam, a transition economy, were used to test the research model. The findings indicate that accounting capacity has a positive relationship with ORCA, and this relationship is further strengthened by greater leadership quality and digital transformations. Moreover, the moderating effect of leadership quality on the effects of accounting capacity and ORCA is amplified in organizations with a high level of digital transformation. Additionally, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Determinants of accrual accounting adoption: The role of organizational culture

This study aims to investigate the relationship between communication, training, educational background and the adoption of accrual accounting. It also examines whether organizational culture moderates the relationship between these factors and the adoption of accrual accounting. The census sampling method was utilized to choose 44 finance division staff for this investigation. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using Smart PLS version 3.0 was employed in this paper for data analysis. In addition, a systematic questionnaire was issued to the heads of financial divisions and administrative staff in Riau city, Indonesia, in order to collect relevant data. The findings of this study revealed that the adoption of accrual accounting is influenced by communication and training, while educational background has insignificant effect. Furthermore, the interaction between training and communication in accrual accounting adoption is moderated by organizational culture. Meanwhile, organizational culture does not moderate the relationship between educational background toward the adoption of accrual accounting. Therefore, this study assists local governments in providing feedback on the implementation of various government accounting policies. Moreover, it offers information on local government coordination and solutions for accrual-based accounting systems adoption, which can be utilized as a reference for the public and local government in creating and fully adopting relevant policies. Finally, it can be used to establish and improve administrative structures in the public sector.

Negative effects of the adoption of accrual accounting in the public sector: a systematic literature review and future prospects

PurposeSince the 1980s, governments worldwide have been implementing the move from cash to accrual accounting. Scholars initially considered the appropriateness of this accounting reform to be self-evident, but later they have expressed critical views. This paper systematises the existing literature intending to reflect on the adverse effects of adopting accrual accounting in the public sector and identify implications for future research.Design/methodology/approachThe present study builds on a systematic literature review of 106 academic articles published between 1980 and 2021. It is based on the “preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses” (PRISMA) method. Synthesising research through a transparent, rigorous and replicable process makes it possible to identify and discuss the adverse effects of adopting public sector accrual accounting.FindingsSignificant issues are linked to organisational impacts and accountability. Resistance to change is the main negative consequence and is more likely in countries that have chosen to adopt accrual accounting without maintaining cash accounting. The new accounting rules make accounting information more complex and arbitrary for citizens and politicians. How these criticalities should be addressed deserves further investigation.Originality/valueThis paper offers a comprehensive literature review on the drawbacks of adopting accrual accounting in the public sector. It could provide a general lesson to be applied to policymakers of other jurisdictions currently considering this transition to prevent the adverse effects and act proactively.

Analyzing Public Sector Accounting Standards: A Qualitative Synthesis of Literature

This qualitative synthesis aims to provide a comprehensive overview of public sector accounting standards, focusing on their definitions, specificities, challenges, and implications. The research objective is to analyze existing literature to identify key themes, trends, and areas for further inquiry in public sector accounting. A systematic review of relevant studies was conducted, with data extracted and analyzed to derive insights into accountability, transparency, accrual basis of accounting, adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), challenges, opportunities, and implications for future research. The findings reveal that robust accounting standards are crucial for ensuring transparency and accountability in governmental entities. Adoption of accrual accounting enhances the accuracy and relevance of financial reporting, while the convergence towards IPSAS facilitates comparability and consistency across jurisdictions. Challenges include capacity constraints, resistance to change, and keeping pace with evolving regulatory environments. However, opportunities exist in leveraging technology, increasing collaboration, and investing in professional development. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies, comparative analyses, interdisciplinary approaches, stakeholder perceptions, and the role of emerging technologies in public sector accounting. This synthesis contributes to the scholarly discourse by providing insights into the complexities and implications of public sector accounting standards.

Accounting and statecraft in China: Accrual accounting for effective government rather than efficient market

This paper explores the governmental rationales underlying China’s recent decision to adopt accrual accounting in its public sector. It aims to illustrate an extended role of accrual accounting in facilitating a relationship between the state and its market. Whilst neoliberal ideas of efficiency are seen to weaken state institutions under the logic of the market - with the widespread adoption of accrual accounting in public sectors being a model case, such rationalities have, on the contrary, been deployed to refine an understanding of a stronger state in China. Rather than being a mere effect of ideological reception around the idea of market efficiency, accrual accounting methods have been used to support particular possibilities for statecraft and government in China. Here, accounting offers a mechanism through which the Chinese state can strengthen governing efficiency, overcoming its major institutional weakness: the enduring conflict between political centralisation and effective local-level governance. Attesting to the diverse rather than monolithic conditions and processes of global NPM accounting reform, this paper highlights the power of accounting in facilitating the state’s different enactment of neoliberal ideas and governmental technologies, as shown in both China and beyond.

Issues and Challenges in Implementing International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS)

Purpose: This paper aims to identify the prerequisites as well as the issues and challenges in implementing the accrual basis International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). Methodology/Approach: Using the archival approach, this paper presents a review of past studies and published information on the issues and challenges faced by various developing countries in adopting IPSAS. Findings: The challenges faced by countries in adopting IPSAS can be classified into three categories: (1) Resources which include a lack of competent accounting and finance staff, and a lack of IT facilities and IT support; (2) Accounting and reporting issues related to difficulties in the recognition and measurement of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses; and (3) Top management commitment in ensuring successful change management programme. Research Limitations/Implications: This paper outlines the results of the preliminary phase, i.e., a review of previous studies, before a study to examine the issues and challenges in the adoption of accrual accounting and the Malaysian Public Sector Accounting Standards (MPSAS) in state governments in Malaysia is undertaken. Thus, the discussion in this paper is limited to the issues and challenges in adopting IPSAS. Practical Implications: This study shall provide guidelines for Malaysian state governments in promoting successful implementation of MPSAS. Originality/Value: This paper provides the basis for the next phase of the study on state governments which includes questionnaire surveys and interviews. Keywords: Accrual accounting, IPSAS, MPSAS, public sector, developing countries

Implementation of accrual accounting by the Indonesian central government: An investigation of social factors

Public sector accounting reforms have resulted in crucial changes in accounting reporting by the government, namely the adoption of accrual accounting in the public sector. This study looks into the social factors that led to the Indonesian central government implementing accrual accounting reform. This study adopted a quantitative approach using purposive sampling. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with PLS version 3.0 was used to analyze the data. The information for this study was gathered using a Google Form, which was used to send 70 questionnaires to government finance officials, chief accountants and auditors, and heads of accounting and auditing divisions in the Ministry of Finance. Seeing these social factors is expected to increase the effectiveness of the administration of accrual accounting implementation. The results showed that pressure from donors, pressure from the National Board of Accountants and Auditors (NBAA), political will, and audit process had an impact on the effectiveness of accrual accounting application (AAA). However, management change, regulatory matters, and a culture of transparency have no effect. In addition, the effective administration of AAA affects managerial accountability. This study implies that the effective application of accrual accounting depends on human-related concerns and culture. It is important to note that accrual accounting is more of a management reform that entails changes to bigger areas of institutional and accountability systems than merely adopting a new accounting technology.

An appraisal of financial indicators for local government: a structured literature review

PurposeConsidering the increased financial responsibility of local government (LG), the impact of global crises and the growing adoption of accrual accounting and common standards such as IPSAS, this work focuses on financial indicators for LGs. It explores whether the literature on financial indicators has grown, investigates whether there is any consensus on which indicators to use for assessing LG's financial condition, develops a critical reading of the literature and offers suggestions for future research and policy agendas.Design/methodology/approachA structured literature review was carried out for publications in English about LG financial indicators.FindingsResults reveal that the number of publications dealing with financial indicators has increased over the past ten years. However, rather than focusing on a set of common indicators, the literature reports a plethora of different ones used for four main purposes: transparency and accountability compliance, performance monitoring and benchmarking, assessing LG's financial health and helping deal with exogenous crises. There is no evidence of convergence towards a common set of indicators, even though liquidity and solvency are the most popular dimensions explored by scholars.Research limitations/implicationsFindings highlight the challenges in converging on financial indicators, yet no claim can be made beyond the reviewed material.Practical implicationsResults provide legislators, public managers, investors and rating agencies with insights about trends in financial indicators, their benefits and limitations.Originality/valueThe article focuses on a less popular aspect of recent financial management reforms for local administration, that is the growing fragmentation in LG indicators, accentuated by the need for common assessment tools during unprecedented widespread crises across countries and sectors.

Understanding the impact of mandatory accrual accounting on management practices: interpretation of Japanese local governments’ behavior

Accompanying the spread of “new public management” since the 1980s, accrual accounting and results-based management has become a global standard. However, whether accrual accounting results in successful outcomes and which drivers lead to the intended impacts of the reform have been contested. Given the mixed arguments in the literature, we set out two research questions: (1) “Have public sector organizations realized any positive impacts on management practices by adopting mandatory accrual accounting?”; and (2) “What are the primary drivers of such impacts?” To answer these questions, we examine the impact on management practices by analyzing a survey to ascertain how financial department officers in Japanese local governments perceive the benefits of adopting mandatory accrual accounting on management practices. The results indicate that they have so far not recognized the intended benefits, though they had expected higher benefits in internal control. Then, we use technical-rational, socio-political, and institutional isomorphic perspectives in a comprehensive approach to understand the impacts on management practices. The logistic analysis shows that financial managers in local governments that do not have a majority party in the assembly, but consist of several parties in power, as well as in those with greater financial dependence on the central government, perceive higher benefits. Further, we find that financial managers that imitate other local governments as a form of mimetic pressure perceive fewer benefits. The results show that some technical-rational tools, socio-political conditions, and institutional pressures change the perceived benefits for public managers of adopting mandatory accrual accounting. Points for practitioners We find that some technical-rational, socio-political, and institutional factors explain the intended internal benefits of the mandatory adoption of accrual accounting. In practice, financial managers in local government feel the merits of accrual accounting in less autonomy in not only politics, but also finance, and few mimetic conditions. It might be understood that difficult situations would drive practitioners to use mandatory information.

Accounting standards for semi-autonomous agencies: Experiences and lessons from Indonesia

The adoption of accrual accounting in government agencies has been so widespread. Following the global trend, Indonesian administration has implemented governmental accounting standards for its agencies. This study aims to explain accounting standards in the context of agencification, i.e. the use of semi-autonomous agencies to deliver public services. The paper explores formulation and implementation of accounting standards by investigating case studies from semi-autonomous agencies in Indonesia. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with agency officials, policymakers, standards-setters, and experts. The results were analyzed through an inductive-deductive approach. The study shows that whilst accrual accounting has stimulated fundamental change on financial reporting in the agencies, thus dual accounting standards at the beginning of the adoption is considered unnecessary by agency managers, policymakers, and standard-setter. The research also finds a constraint in the accounting system design that could hinder agencies to improve their financial reporting.

The diffusion of accounting reform in Sri Lanka: an analysis of two layers of diffusion among three levels of government

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the implementation of accrual accounting among two layers of government in Sri Lanka. This study examines the process of diffusion and application among and between provincial governments and local governments to assess the barriers and enablers on the implementation of accrual accounting.Design/methodology/approachThe study relies on data collected through interviews with 30 accounting and finance personnel from all levels of government active in the diffusion process. Interviews were conducted to gather and assess their insights and perceptions on the diffusion of accrual accounting. The data are examined initially using Rogers (1995) “diffusion of innovation” theory to explain the factors influencing the diffusion and adoption of accrual accounting at two levels of government but the analysed primarily by comparing the perspectives of respondents between the different layers of government.FindingsThe findings show that the adoption of accrual accounting was more effective among local governments compared with provincial governments. The lack of effective communication and engagement from the leaders of the innovation failed to persuade provincial government adopters of the true value of the accounting reform. This is contrasted with local governments who openly adopted accrual accounting but not in response to pressure from provincial government, who have oversight responsibility for local governments, but in response to funding protocols initiated by the central government to account for grant funding.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of the study should be interpreted with caution as the data are obtained from the narrow cohort of accounting and finance professionals and may not reflect the views or experience of all stakeholders involved in the diffusion of accrual accounting.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the diffusion of accounting innovation literature by examining the role of key players in different layers of government, particularly visible among provincial governments where the lack of engagement delayed its commitment to the implementation of accrual accounting.

Il bilancio degli atenei: schemi di analisi

The adoption of accrual accounting by Italian universities opens a wealth of new financial information. However, these financial statements remain difficult to in-terpret, due to the specific management of universities, and the statutory choices in defining the reporting formats. This article suggests a better presentation format of the information reported in university financial statements. For each of the three statements - i.e., income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement - the analysis involves: - describing the main features of the mandatory statement, in order to highlight its peculiarities, application and issues in interpretation; - identifying the most suitable format to reclassify the statements of universities, to extract consistent and relevant information on their conditions and perfor-mance. This could foster greater awareness of the financial statements of uni-versities among the governing bodies and external stakeholders of universities, as well as improving the tools used by scholars to analyse the university system.

Government Accountants’ Readiness for Accrual Accounting Adoption in Jordan: Critical Success Factors

Government Accountants’ Readiness for Accrual Accounting Adoption in Jordan: Critical Success Factors

Accrual accounting and public finance reforms in Hungary: the study of application in the public sector

Introduction. The increasing measurability of performances in the public sector in the countries of the post-soviet region, including Hungary, has come to the limelight in recent decades. Accrual accounting, adopted in Hungary in 2014 on the recommendation of the European Union, provides decision-makers with reliable information and simultaneously improves transparency in spending. Purpose and Methodology. This study focuses on the impacts and synergies of the parallel comprehensive reforms in the public finances and the adoption of the accrual accounting system. We conducted an empirical research among 2425 budgetary organisations (during June 2018 - January 2019) and analysed the correlation between the variables with cross-table analysis. Our survey covered 19.1 per cent of all the budget organisations in Hungary. Thus, thanks to the sample size the survey results analysis gives a comprehensive view of the entire country based on the real feedback regarding the implementation of the new practices. Results. In the course of the survey, the organisations were asked to describe how they were affected by the transition to the new accounting system, how they had prepared for the statutory changes and compliance, what additional tasks the adoption of the new system required of them, and how they evaluated the impacts of the application of accrual accounting after five years. The inquiry focussed on the impact this new accrual-based accounting system had on the business management of the given organisation and thus the efficient use of public funds. The results confirm that the historical background and the peculiarities of managing public funds in a country should also be taken into account during the adoption of reforms along with thorough preparation. Our research also sheds light on the fact that the successful 2014 adoption of accrual accounting could achieve its full purpose in an environment ensured by comprehensive public finance reforms and laws adopted after 2010. In other words, the precondition of enforcing the new rules of accrual accounting applied in the public sector included the reinforcement of budgetary regulation and control procedures. Conclusion. The study reports more favourable public sector procedures, proves that the adoption of accrual accounting has been justified and that the higher focus on performance and efficiency achieved through accrual accounting is important.