CAUSAL EFFECT OF CREATIVE ACCOUNTING ON FINANCIAL REPORTING AND DECISION MAKING.
(A Survey of Selected Financial Institutions in Nigeria)-jetibensi@yahoo.com By: Jackson Etibensi
A Concept Note Submitted to the University of Calabar, Graduate School as Prerequisite for Admission into MSc. Accounting, Faculty of Management Sciences.
INTRODUCTION:
Financial Statements provides information that is used by interested parties (users) to assess and appraise the performance and financial Status of managers and the institutions respectively and also to make economic decisions. External auditors are engaged to ensure the reliability and trustworthiness of such Financial Statement so presented. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM:
Managers may wish to use
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OBJECTIVES OF STUDY:
The Broad objective of this Study would be to determine the impact of Creative Financial Reports and Decision making.
The main aims of the study would be as follows. 1) To examine the extent to which manipulation of Financial Statements affects Financial Reports. 2) To determine the effect of Fraudulent Financial Report/ Statements on Internal Decision Making. 3) To evaluate the impact of Earnings Management on the decision making of external users of Financial Statement. 4) To determine the effect of Creative Accounting on External Auditors decisions as to the forming of an opinion on the Financial Statement 5) To ascertain whether well designed Framework of Accounting regulations will curb Creative Accounting practice in Corporate Financial Reporting. (CFR). 6) To examine the influence of Creative accounting on Audit Failures of Nigerian Financial institutions.
JUSTIFICATION:
This research work is relevant since it gives a positive outlook on the area of accounting that needs due attention and consideration, as the concept of Creative Accounting has created doubt on the
Furthermore, when the internal control is fixed, the outside auditor can rely on the clients system and less audit testing can be conducted. When everything is improved, the management letter is given to the organization’s top management and not disclosed to the public, (Finkler, S. A., Ward, D. M., & Calabrese, T. D., 2013). Next, is the auditor’s report that entails the opinion letter usually written in three paragraphs and given to the board of trustees. Then, the opinion paragraph is added on to state the organizations financial statements are in accordance of the financial position and followed through with (GAAP). The clean opinion addresses the opinion of the auditor and the overall exercising of professionalism. Also, the complete opinion of the financial statements is to give a representation of the organization. All other opinions may be included and can be addressed by adverse opinions if (GAAP) was not in accordance. A qualified opinion can be added if a specific area wasn’t included in the financial statement when needed. Finally, the management reports are conducted by the management team and not the auditors. The management report is the annual report the topics included in the report are the internal control system and the responsibility of the audit committee.
Evaluating the Reasonableness of the Accounting Estimates, and Determining Misstatements: the auditor shall evaluate, based on the audit evidence, whether the accounting estimates in the financial statements are either
Management accounting is a political technology, constantly evolving to meet demands of stakeholders of a company and to facilitate competitive advantage. A management accountant acts as a tool to devise and implement strategies. Pre-1920, decision-making processes were executed using strictly financial instruments such as cost profit analysis. “The growth of modern corporation, between 1880 and 1925 provided stimulus for development in innovative management accounting practices” (Kaplan, 1984). Due to the prominence of the world trade organisation and international monetary fund, trade barriers have
Assess the degree to which the firm’s accounting reflects the underlying business reality. Identify accounting distortions and evaluate their impact on profits and the sustainability of profits.
To over view the knowledge we learnt from accounting theory and practice, the main thing I can conclude that is the tendency of accounting will shift away from technical way to people’s behaviour way. By understanding what should do, we should ask why and how we could improve and change it into a better way. This essay aims to explain how the theoretical material that we learn in lectures can be developed under a real practical manner.
The case study General Mills Inc. - Understanding Financial Statements focuses on the most basic idea of finance analysis. This case is a brief look into the language that is used in the finance world and a start to interaction with auditors. In this case, KPMG LLP, the public accounting firm that was auditing their statements, had sent two opinion letters. The first letter was ensuring that both parties were aware that General Mills had internal control over financial reporting. The second opinion letter stated that to auditor’s knowledge, General Mills had correctly reported its financial statements. The statements given in this case study are known as the four general financial statements. Displayed in the case are the
Earning management or creative accounting is referred to the manipulation or misrepresentation of the company’s financial earnings in order to achieve stable and positive financial position. This was achieve through directly or indirectly use of the accounting methods. Even though the manipulation may follow all the accounting standards and laws, they may go opposite of what the standards and laws were originally trying to establish. Therefore, earning management is often considered materially misleading and referred to a fraudulent activity.
Discuss Measures That may be used to asses the quality of a firms reported earnings.
It has been become an issue of great concern that the accounting profession must find a common theory in order to address and put the issue at rest. This therefore, has called for the study of this topic under review “the demand for and supply of accounting theories: the market for excuses. As a result of this several questions have been raised. For instance, the question of why accounting theories are predominantly normative has been put forward by this article? Secondly, why no single theory in accounting profession that is generally or widely accepted? It has been argued that the financial accounting theories have been found to be ineffective most especially in the area of impacting accounting practice and policy, though, this has been
Accounting is the language of business. It is a profession that is being guided by principles, concepts, conventions, laws, etc. All these fundamental building blocks serve as common and general compasses to all practitioners of the profession. In some cases, they are nation-wide tailored, while in other cases, they are universally tailored. Accounting as a living, practical, dynamic and realistic profession covers so many areas of social, economic (business), and governmental activities. Surely, any endeavour that involves monetary and material activities create a room for the services of Accounting. Many of the human endeavours for which the accounting profession plays significant (some times inevitable) roles include; Banking, Insurance, Manufacturing, Farming Contracting, Oil and Gas, Mining, Transportation (Air, Land and Sea), Educational Institutions, Churches, Ministries, ICT, Hire Purchase, Local Government Authorities, Estate Businesses, Export and Import Businesses, Bill of Exchange Transactions, Royalties Transactions, Consignment Transactions, Stock Market Transactions, Sports, Entertainment, Hospitals and Hospitality Industry, etc.
Basically, creative accounting does involve some manipulation in financial statements, especially in the balance sheet. It can be simply means income or earns something. Creative accounting will always be reflected in financial indicators and fundamentally the factor of company solvency, doesn’t matter what is the reason of it. This is because not everything that looks like profit is really a profit.
The presence of an external auditor allows creditors, investors or bankers to use financial statements that have been prepared with confidence. Although it does not guarantee the accuracy of a financial statement, it provides users with some reassurance that a company’s financial statements give a true and fair view of its financial position and its business operations. It also provides credibility, where in business, is a major asset. With credibility, the willingness of investors, bankers and others to relate and undertake business projects with a company increases. Credibility is also important to build positive reputations.
The aim of this essay is to study the function of external auditors in order to analyze why it is important to be independent. The primary mission of external auditors is to review and evaluate all the financial records of a company or corporation. They provide an objective opinion on the organization’s financial statement and effectiveness of the accounting polices in order to help management to make decisions. If the independence of the external auditors is impaired, the public will doubt the quality of professional auditing services, and the consequence would be very serious, just like the bankruptcy of Enron led to the disorganization of Arthur Andersen, once a giant accounting company in the world. In order to maintain and increase
BEING A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING, FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF ABUJA, ABUJA, NIGERIA
A company prepares financial statement to provide information about its financial position and performance. This information is in turn used by a wide range of stakeholders (such as investors, banks, customers, suppliers etc) in making economic decisions with respect to respective economic interest in the company. Typically, in terms of ownership by investment in shares of the company, shareholders though own the company but do not manage it. Therefore, the shareholder and other such stakeholders to get comfort in taking sound decision need independent assurance from the auditors that the financial statements reflect true and fair view of the company affairs in all material respects. Hence, in order to enhance the level of