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COVID-19 has significantly changed the teaching-learning process and it may indeed be a permanent change. Schools, colleges and universities have had to switch to remote/e-learning in an attempt to continue their operations during the pandemic. Institutions have struggled to identify the key success factors necessary for effective e-learning. While there have been some studies that have identified a few key factors, there has not been a comprehensive review of the key success factors for effective e-learning. This paper fills that gap by presenting a detailed examination of the critical success factors required for effective e-learning. The results show that success in e-learning is a complex combination of key factors such as institutional/administrative support, systems configuration and technical design, the level of computer skills among learners, learners’ interpersonal behavior, e-learning readiness, learner motivation, computer anxiety, self-efficacy, instructors’ characteristics, environmental factors and the demand it imposes on learners of varying age and cognitive maturity.

Online learning represents a departure from the normal face-to-face teaching, and hence, it presents unique challenges for institutions, instructors, and the online learners. Successful outcome for learners engaged in the e-learning process is not guaranteed, so an understanding of the factors that drive success is critical. This chapter outlines the important factors required by online learners to help in providing the foundation for successful outcome from the e-learning environment. Factors regarded as crucial for successful outcome include instructor characteristics, learner characteristics, institutional support, course structure and design and finally, the need to build a class community. Any failure by the dominant parties driving the e-learning process, that is, the institutions and the instructors, to fully understand their responsibilities, will negatively affect the successful outcome from the e-learning engagement.

The development of accounting was marked by three key theories namely: the proprietary theory, the entity theory and the fund theory. The commander theory was subsequently introduced to address the criticisms of the previous theories. This paper, therefore, outlines the history and development of the commander theory, it also outlines the essence of the theory and discusses general criticisms levied against it.  Despite some apparent weaknesses of the commander theory, one of which is that it is in-ward focused, there-by ignoring those outside the firm, it is simultaneously argued that the commander theory should be viewed as a significant theoretical framework in the formulation of accounting standards. JEL Classification Codes: M41.

This study investigates the adequacy of CEO compensation from the perspective of using accounting measures to assess the performance of CEOs. The main objective of this research is to determine to what extent compensation packages received by American CEOs represent an underpayment of CEOs based on the performance of their firms when firm performance is defined in terms of accounting measures. CEO compensation data are obtained from Compustat, 10K SEC filings, and Forbes listing of CEO data.  The analysis covers a two-phased time period i.e., before and after the financial crisis in the USA. CEO compensation data are analyzed for the years 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 (pre-financial crisis) and for years 2009 to 2013 (post financial crisis). Multiple regression models consisting of six accounting performance measures are used to perform the analysis to determine the extent of CEO underpayment or overpayment. Having examined 1151 CEO compensation packages to determine if CEO underpayment exist in light of what is an overwhelming literature supporting CEO overpayment, the results show that 67.33% of the CEOs were in fact underpaid based on their firms performance, and only 32.67% (376 CEOs) were overpaid based on firm performance.

The corporate governance structure of companies has been subjected to intense examination in recent time due mainly to recent corporate collapses and other financial mis-conduct by management. The benefits of an effective corporate governance structure are well documented, ranging from reduce cost of capital to improved transparency in ethics, morality and financial disclosure. Evaluating the effectiveness of a company’s corporate governance structure normally involves the use of a corporate governance score.  This study investigates the appropriateness of some of the more commonly used components in compiling the corporate governance score. The study found that the presence of both an audit committee and a compensation committee along with effect of CEO duality had significant statistical effect on the corporate governance score. However, the results also showed that the size of the board and the number of independent directors were not statistically significant components of the corporate governance score.