Economics - Theses
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ItemManagement accounting in Australia: an investigation into the reasons for the gap between theory and practice( 1991)Even a brief glance at a cross-section of the many text-books dealing with cost and management accounting makes it evident that there is almost universal agreement among academics as to the "body of knowledge° which constitutes the area known as Cost and Management or Managerial Accounting. Furthermore, an examination of the contents of any of these major textbooks, such as Horngren and Foster (1987) and Shillinglaw (1982), through their sequence of revised editions over more than twenty years will reveal very little substantial change in their Table of Contents. In fact, this remarkable consensus of material has led Scapens(1983a), who had compared the topics covered in twenty four management accounting textbooks published in the previous six years, to coin the phrase the "Conventional Wisdom" of management accounting, at least as it is understood by academic textbook writers. (From Introduction)
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ItemThe economics of the Australian press( 1951)This study represent an application of the techniques of economic analysis to the Australian newspaper industry. The questions may be summarised as follows: How does a newspaper viewed as a rational economic entity? maximise its profits? What is the present degree of monopoly in the Australian press? how has this degree of monopoly developed and what are its causes? Finally what are the economic prospects of the industry?
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ItemThe relevance of company financial reports for institutional long-term investors( [1969])The title of this thesis refers to 'company financial reports' and to 'institutional long-term investors'. Since these terms are rather broad in meaning it is necessary to give them precise definition. Throughout the thesis, unless otherwise specified, 'company financial reports' refer to the annual reports published by companies as required by S.162 and the Ninth Schedule to the Companies Act 1961. Under the statute, these reports must contain a balance sheet, a profit and loss account (both showing comparative figures for the previous accounting period), an audit report, a directors' report, a certificate relating to any change in the value of certain assets signed by two directors and a certificate, relating to the accuracy of the accounts, signed by the company secretary. In addition, the report should disclose particulars of share options held and/or exercised. If the company is a holding company the annual report must also contain consolidated statements of assets and liabilities and of profit and loss and a list of the names of subsidiary companies or audited annual reports for each of the subsidiary companies. The Companies Act 1961 does not require public circulation of these documents; it merely requires that they be laid 'before the company in general meeting'. However, the combined influence of the Official List Requirements of the Australian Associated Stock Exchanges and the public relations potential of well-prepared and widely-circulated reports has resulted in the reports of listed companies being available to any interested person. (From Introduction)
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ItemExport credit insurance schemes and manufactured exports with particular reference to Australia 1960-1972( 1975)Credit insurance, which may be regarded as a part of casualty insurance, is a means of reducing the risk in credit operations, whether for domestic or overseas transactions. The terms “insurance” and "guarantee" are often used interchangeabley. For example, in Australia there is the Export Payments Insurance Corporation, and the counterpart organisation in the United Kingdom is the Export Credits Guarantee Department. The second half of the 19th century saw attempts by private companies in Europe to apply insurance principles to credit risks (domestic or domestic and export credit risks). But most were destined to failure because they considered it their duty not only to meet the claims of their clients but also to come to their financial assistance, so failing to distinguish between the function of insurance and banking. In Britain, Australia played a part in developing export credit insurance as it is now known when financial difficulties in Australia in the 1890's made British merchants shipping goods to Australia lose confidence in bills drawn on their Australian buyers. This led to a demand for insurance to cover the export credit risks. The few companies that were formed to meet this demand failed because they underwrote too many export risks and carried the whole of the loss, thereby giving the insured no inducement to limit his commitments. The risks in foreign trade covered by these private companies in the 19th century were only commercial risks with political risks excluded because of their large potential losses. Commercial risks refer to the financial position of the importer and his ability to meet the debts when due, whilst political risks relate to factors beyond the control of the importer, such as war in his country, which prevent payment. The reasons for the failure of credit insurance in Britain were not lost on Mr. Cuthbert Heath, a member of Lloyd's, and it was he who formulated the two basic principles upon which credit insurance (whether domestic or overseas) is now based. These were: (1) the risks covered must be a genuine average of all risks; and (2) cover should not be provided for the whole of the credit risk. He appeared on the credit insurance scene near the end of the 19th century, although it was not until 1903 that the Excess Insurance Company, established by him in 1894, commenced underwriting credit insurance. (From Introduction)
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ItemAn appropriate financial reporting framework for small companies( 1986)The purpose of this thesis is to examine the implications of the Australian financial reporting framework for small companies operating in Australia, and to consider whether the framework is appropriate for these companies. The study necessarily contains discussion of Australian companies legislation and accounting standards. As far as possible, recently issued accounting standards and legislative changes have been considered. However, the revisions to Schedule 7 of the Regulations to the Companies Act 1981, which are effective from October 1986, are not discussed. Although a draft of the proposed revisions was released in December 1985, at the time of writing the substantive part of this thesis it was not apparent that the revisions would be introduced. Accordingly, it was considered inappropriate to review the proposals in detail, and brief mention only is made of the "draft revised Schedule 7" in Chapter Seven.
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ItemThe growth of large mining firms in Australia: case-study: C.R.A. Ltd.( 1981)To discuss the issue of the growth of business firms fully would carry us through the whole economic theory and practice. Rather than pursuing the question through all its ramifications, I intend to deal with some aspects of the integration of business enterprise which have immediate bearing on the characteristics of firms and their relationships with one another. Regardless of the method used to integrate business activities, such method must be flexible, that is, being capable of accommodating a changing population of firms performing changing operations. To achieve such flexibility, more than one flexible method of integration may be used. There are three basic methods which may be mixed in varying proportions in any particular situation, namely, integration by administration, by market transactions and by co-operation, Since we do not have one firm within which all business activities are integrated by administration, we have to face the problems of what determines the boundaries of firms boundaries of geography, of processes of products and of size and what determines the choice between the other two basic methods of integration, the market and co-operation, which are used to co-ordinate activities beyond the boundaries of firms. In this part an attempt will be made to discuss briefly the following issues: (a) Why do firms specialise in particular processes and products? (b) Why are some firms more specialised than others? (c) What determines the size of the firm? (d) What are the merits of the three basic ways of integrating business activities? (From Introduction)