Alan Reinstein

Benchmarks for evaluating the research productivity of accounting faculty

Abstract This study reports comprehensive data on both the quantity and quality of research productivity of 3878 accounting faculty who earned their accounting doctoral degrees from 1971 to 1993. Publications in 40 journals were used to measure faculty publication quantity. Journal ratings derived from a compilation of the rankings of five prior studies and co-authorship were used to measure publication quality. Choosing benchmarks for an individual faculty requires users of our data to determine four parameters: (1) what credit to give a faculty member for co-authored articles; (2) what level of journal quality is appropriate, e.g. presenting benchmarks for publications in the Best 4, Best 12, Best 22 and Best 40 journals; (3) choosing appropriate levels of performance, e.g. considering the publication record in the top 10%, top 20%, top 25%, top 33%, or top 50% of all faculty; and (4) deciding the emphasis to place on the number of years since the doctoral degree was earned. We believe that this is the first set of benchmarks that allows administrators to state, with some justification, a required number of articles for tenure or promotion. In addition, we discovered that the average number of authors per article is significantly correlated with time and growing at a pace of 0.017 authors per article per year.

PROLIFIC AUTHORS OF ACCOUNTING LITERATURE

Abstract Measurement of the research productivity of accounting faculty continues to evolve. Many studies on accounting research focused on measuring the perceived quality of accounting and related journals, or measured the research productivity of a limited number of journals or on the research productivity of a limited number faculty. Other studies measured the accounting research productivity of academic institutions and doctoral programs and the effects of research on perceptions about institutions and programs. Finally, some studies measured limited topics such as the productivity of female faculty and the effects on research on perceptions of institutions. In recent years, comprehensive databases on both accounting faculty and publications in accounting and related journals have provided an opportunity to study research productivity on a broader scale. These databases allowed the development of benchmarks for research productivity by years of experience and by journal quality. In developing these benchmarks, the publication records of individual faculty were unreported. We analyzed 40 journals for the 35-year period 1967–2001 and identified the most prolific authors and their productivity records. The top 10 researchers based on number of publications in the 40 journals were identified by year of doctoral graduation for the 30-year period 1968–1997. Analyzing all U.S. faculty holding the rank of Assistant Professor and above for the academic year 2001–2002 by the number of publications, we listed the top 75 academic researchers in the 40 journals, including category of publication. Finally, an analysis was made of publication records in ten premier accounting journals.

The impact of emerging information technology on auditing

As businesses increasingly use electronic data processing (EDP) techniques to process their accounting systems, auditors must gather critical information more efficiently. Such tools and techniques as electronic data interchange, the Internet and other modern technological subjects signal the end of the traditional audit. Technology has made inputting information for transactions and events more simple ‐ and evaluating the related controls and results more critical. Accumulating sufficient evidence needed to construct an informed decision means understanding where to look for that evidence, what control procedures to consider and how to evaluate those procedures. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to these issues and the recently issued SAS No. 80, which offers auditors guidance to accumulate sufficient evidence to audit their computerized clients. We also address some issues auditors may face in evaluating the security control in their clients’ businesses.

Critical thinking in accounting education: processes, skills and applications

Explains that many prestigious bodies, including the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business and the Accounting Change Commission, have asked accounting educators to improve their students’ critical thinking skills. Suggests that the literature contains few examples of how to apply such skills in an accounting environment and how to teach such skills as efficiently as possible. Explains and provides examples of such critical thinking skills. Shows how to incorporate such skills in the classroom.

Mentoring and Organizational Justice among Audit Professionals

This study integrates current perspectives on “organizational justice” and mentoring theory to develop a framework through which the mentoring process can be reviewed and analyzed. Hypotheses developed from this framework are tested based on a sample of 118 audit professionals from local, regional, national, and international CPA firms. Results indicate that audit professionals who were mentored perceived more distributive and procedural justice, perhaps leading to increased tensions among protégé and nonprotégé auditors. The mentoring functions of psychosocial and role modeling are positively related to distributive and procedural justice, indicating mentorings importance in understanding fairness in the workplace. After controlling for distributive and procedural justice, psychosocial mentoring makes significant contributions to explaining variances in career expectations, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment; however, role modeling mentoring contributes only additional explanatory variance to career expectations and organizational commitment, while career development mentoring contributes only additional explanatory variance for organizational commitment.

The External Auditor′s Consideration of the Internal Audit Function

Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) 65 was issued in April 1991 to clarify various aspects of the working relationship that should exist between external and internal auditors. Describes the historical development of this relationship as viewed through the promulgation of authoritative literature, reports of official committees and commissions, and prior research. Presents a survey which describes various aspects and characteristics of this relationship in the light of the provisions of SAS 65.

Models to measure goodwill impairment

Statement of Accounting Standards No. 142 [2001] superseded the former rules of accounting for amortization of goodwill under Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 17 [1970]. Entities muxt now recognize annually impairments in the value of the good-will associated with purchased firms, rather than amortizing such expenses ratably over 40 years. This better matching of revenues and expenses provides for more valid financial statements, but also mandates accountants to select proper models to measure such impairment losses. The authors highlight some reasons for the issuance of this new standard, compare and contrast the effects of the discounted cash flows and residual income methods to measure such impairments, and suggest how to develop a conceptual model to adhere to the new authoritative provisions. (JEL M41)

Implementing the impairment of assets requirements of SFAS No. 144

The provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long‐lived Assets, have raised many implementation issues for entities adhering to its increased requirements to recognize and measure the costs associated with the impairment of assets. After outlining these new requirements and some general implementation issues, the paper discusses how members of key groups view the new standard, using the responses to a mail survey. It was found that user‐oriented groups expressed significantly different viewpoints than did preparer‐oriented groups. The survey results also found many respondents stating that the new standard provides improved guidance for many complex situations, while others do not believe that the standard is cost justified.

Testing for bias in the audit committee

Establishing an audit committee presumably strengthens the external auditor’s independence. Several studies have examined how audit committees affect the selection of the company’s external auditor, negotiate audit fees and enhance the auditor’s independence. But what of the independence of the audit committee members themselves? Do audit committee members exhibit biases when they select their company’s auditors? The relationship between the entity’s external auditor and the audit committee member’s affiliated company’s auditors has not been examined. For example, are audit committee members prone to select or remain with audit firms with which they have developed a formal relationship within their own company? This study of 247 New York Stock Exchange firms finds significant relationships (at the 0.05 level of significance) between CPA firms selected by audit committees and by the CPA firm which audits the audit committee member’s own organization. Results indicate that audit committee members exhibit conscious or unconscious biases in their selection or retention of their companies’ auditors.

Three routes for target costing

Suggests that many Western managers find target costing hard to understand, gives an overview of the Japanese approach and explains three paths towards rational cost decrease: cost improvement, cost cutting and cost shifting. Emphasizes the importance of cost improvement in a total cost management (TCM) programme and the other strategies which should support it, e.g. comprehensiveness, integration, flexibility and dynamism. Recognizes that the weaknesses which may develop in a TCM programme can divert cost improvement into cost cutting or cost shifting but sees this as no more than a short‐term solution.