Towards accounting harmonization in Europe: a multinational survey among budget experts

Abstract

Severe fiscal problems, the insufficient comparability of financial information and increasing demands for better accountability require national governments and international organizations to change their current accounting regimes and to move towards a system of standardized accounting practices. As the International Public Sector Accounting Standards have insufficiently moved Europe towards accounting harmonization in recent years, the European Commission currently aims to suggest the adoption of European Public Sector Accounting Standards. Based on a multinational survey among budget experts, the current article investigates budget experts’ perceptions towards adopting the European Public Sector Accounting Standards. The findings compare attitudes towards new accounting practices and European Public Sector Accounting Standards reform expectations on a comparative basis, and relate them to the current national accounting system and contextual factors. Empirical results indicate great variation in terms of European Public Sector Accounting Standards reform expectations across countries. The study concludes with discussing the implications of the findings for international accounting research, accounting harmonization and the development of a European accounting system. Points for practitioners In this early stage of European Public Sector Accounting Standards development, understanding the factors associated with a country’s decision to adopt them could be helpful for practitioners and professionals. The current study identifies information technology costs as a potential barrier to implementing the European Public Sector Accounting Standards. Politicians and standard setters might take this into account while developing the European Public Sector Accounting Standards. Furthermore, this article reveals that encouraging the voluntary introduction of accrual accounting in the first stage of European Public Sector Accounting Standards development might be the appropriate approach of the European Commission.

Twelve Decades of Public Sector Accounting Research: A Bibliometric Review

“…Numerous countries, especially the developed ones, have moved to implementing accrual accounting (Frintrup et al, 2020;Polzer et al, 2022;Wang & Miraj, 2018)significant New Public Management (NPM. The transition from cash to accrual accounting was a major shift affecting the financial reporting procedures of governments in several countries.…”

On the road towards IPSAS with a maturity model: a Swiss case study

“…Campbell et al (2012) appear to provide the unique example of MM applied to the finance function. The notion of "maturity" has been used in a public sector context (Frintrup et al, 2020) and attempts have been made to categorise the various forms of public accounting encountered (see Lande and Rocher, 2011). As far as we know, only PwC (2014) developed a structured framework to assess "accounting maturity" in various EU Member States and Switzerland, according to the extent of their adoption of IPSAS.…”

Company liquidity as a reflection of receivables and payables management

“…The following information is provided by the authors: Zalai, 2016; Miah, 2021;Jakubec & Kardoš, 2016;Roca, 2021;Oreský & Rehák 2019;Vlachynský et al, 2009;Wijekoon et al, 2021;Fabus, 2015;Lombardi, et al, 2020;Kajanová, 2014;Mládek, 2005;Miah et al, 2021, Štangová & Hajduchová, 2010Savina et al, 2021;Kajanová et al, 2014. Management of receivables and payables for the company means the financial health of the company, which will ensure the long-term operation of the company. The authors wrote about this idea in their publications: Daniel, 2013;Frintrup, et al, 2020;Gernon & Meek, 2001;Horváthová et al, 2016;Hillebrandt, M. & Leino-Sandberg, 2021;Kainth & Wahlstrom, 2021;Kotulič et al, 2018;Majduchová & Neumannová, 2008;Tumpach, 2006;Majduchova et al, 2020;Pavic, 2020;Riahi-Belkaoui, 2000;Šlosárová & Blahušiaková, 2020;Suhányiová & Fabian, 2010;Suhányiová, et al, 2016;Suhányiová, 2009;Suhányiová, 2011;Silva et al 2021aSilva et al , 2021b.…”