Perception of the Malaysian Federal Government accountants of the usefulness of financial information under an accrual accounting system: a preliminary assessment

Purpose The objective of this study is to examine the perceived usefulness of accrual accounting-based financial information for accountability and for supporting decision-making in public sector organisations. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey adapted from Kober et al. (2010) was used to survey Malaysian Federal Government accountants to ascertain their views on the usefulness of accrual accounting information across 12 situations regarding accountability and decision-making. Mean scores and mean score ranking were computed on a total of 165 usable responses received. The independent t-test was conducted to investigate the differences in the perception between “accountants with” and the “accountants without” prior work experience in the private sector. Findings The study provides evidence that Malaysian Federal Government accountants consider accrual accounting information as very useful for decision-making. The three most important decision-usefulness indicators in the survey are “To assist in managing the department’s assets and liabilities”, “To assess cash flow needs of a department” and “For departmental resource allocation decisions”. The least useful accrual accounting information as perceived by the Malaysian public sector accountants is “To assist in discharging the department’s accountability obligations”. Originality/value The study provides valuable insights into the extent to which accrual accounting information is considered useful for accountability and decision-making, lending support to the Malaysian Government’s reform agenda of moving towards using accrual accounting in public sector organisations at the federal level.

Implementation of accrual accounting by the Indonesian central government: An investigation of social factors

Public sector accounting reforms have resulted in crucial changes in accounting reporting by the government, namely the adoption of accrual accounting in the public sector. This study looks into the social factors that led to the Indonesian central government implementing accrual accounting reform. This study adopted a quantitative approach using purposive sampling. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with PLS version 3.0 was used to analyze the data. The information for this study was gathered using a Google Form, which was used to send 70 questionnaires to government finance officials, chief accountants and auditors, and heads of accounting and auditing divisions in the Ministry of Finance. Seeing these social factors is expected to increase the effectiveness of the administration of accrual accounting implementation. The results showed that pressure from donors, pressure from the National Board of Accountants and Auditors (NBAA), political will, and audit process had an impact on the effectiveness of accrual accounting application (AAA). However, management change, regulatory matters, and a culture of transparency have no effect. In addition, the effective administration of AAA affects managerial accountability. This study implies that the effective application of accrual accounting depends on human-related concerns and culture. It is important to note that accrual accounting is more of a management reform that entails changes to bigger areas of institutional and accountability systems than merely adopting a new accounting technology.

Understanding the impact of mandatory accrual accounting on management practices: interpretation of Japanese local governments’ behavior

Accompanying the spread of “new public management” since the 1980s, accrual accounting and results-based management has become a global standard. However, whether accrual accounting results in successful outcomes and which drivers lead to the intended impacts of the reform have been contested. Given the mixed arguments in the literature, we set out two research questions: (1) “Have public sector organizations realized any positive impacts on management practices by adopting mandatory accrual accounting?”; and (2) “What are the primary drivers of such impacts?” To answer these questions, we examine the impact on management practices by analyzing a survey to ascertain how financial department officers in Japanese local governments perceive the benefits of adopting mandatory accrual accounting on management practices. The results indicate that they have so far not recognized the intended benefits, though they had expected higher benefits in internal control. Then, we use technical-rational, socio-political, and institutional isomorphic perspectives in a comprehensive approach to understand the impacts on management practices. The logistic analysis shows that financial managers in local governments that do not have a majority party in the assembly, but consist of several parties in power, as well as in those with greater financial dependence on the central government, perceive higher benefits. Further, we find that financial managers that imitate other local governments as a form of mimetic pressure perceive fewer benefits. The results show that some technical-rational tools, socio-political conditions, and institutional pressures change the perceived benefits for public managers of adopting mandatory accrual accounting. Points for practitioners We find that some technical-rational, socio-political, and institutional factors explain the intended internal benefits of the mandatory adoption of accrual accounting. In practice, financial managers in local government feel the merits of accrual accounting in less autonomy in not only politics, but also finance, and few mimetic conditions. It might be understood that difficult situations would drive practitioners to use mandatory information.

Accrual Accounting Practice and Financial Performance in Local Governments of Cameroon

This paper focuses on assessing the relationship between accrual accounting practice and financial performance in local governments in Cameroon. Using accountability and efficiency as performance proxies, the study employs a mix of qualitative and quantitative research approaches with a triangulate method of data collection. In a population of 374 councils, 50 councils were sampled and clustered according to their statutory council categories. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used with a multiple regression analysis on panel data to test the relationship between accrual accounting practice and financial performance within council categories. The findings revealed that about 77% of councils (predominantly rural councils) practicing mild accrual accounting scored a higher financial performance. Meanwhile, 23% of councils (mostly city councils) practicing a moderate and sometimes strong accrual accounting had a lower financial performance. The pooled regression analysis showed a 13 % insignificant but positive correlation between financial performance and accrual accounting practice. These findings where then backed up with inferences drawn from interviews, discussions as well as content study of accounting books. It revealed that councils have the latitude to navigate from mild, moderate, and strong accrual accounting practice as the need arose. Accrual accounting practice should be sequenced in ways that councils can focus on mild accrual accounting practice, and it should move to a higher level of moderate and full accrual accounting only when they can afford the expertise and infrastructural resources needed to yield a significant performance result.

PERAN AKUNTANSI AKRUAL DALAM PENYUSUNAN LAPORAN KEUANGAN PADA MASA PANDEMI COVID-19 (Studi Kasus Pada RS. Ortopedi Prof. Dr. R. Soeharso)

This study aims to determine whether there has been a change in the preparation of financial reports managed by RSO during the Covid-19 pandemic, what obstacles occurred in the preparation of financial reports, what solutions were implemented, the process of implementing accounting management, the application of the accrual accounting system at RSO in the future. the covid-19 pandemic. This study uses interview techniques. The resource persons are the Head of the Accounting Subdivision and BMN, and the Accounting Staff. Data analysis techniques were obtained from interviews, field notes, and documentation. The results of this study indicate that there is no difference in the preparation of financial reports during the Covid-19 pandemic, the constraints faced are related to local accounts received related to the hospital accounting system; assets that have not been registered as well as upgrading the SAIBA application, the solution applied is to revise the SP3B regarding problems received locally; cross-check between budgeting and financial records; using excel with SAIBA templates, the management implementation process was not long before and during the pandemic because RSO used a load master and posting system, and the concept of e-government was implemented in RSO. Keywords: accrual accounting, preparation of financial reports during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Measuring Impact of the Accrual Accounting Implementation on Fiscal Transparency Quality: A Mix Method Study in Indonesia

Research aims: This study aims to measure the correlation between the Indonesian government accounting system's accrual basis and fiscal transparency quality. Furthermore, this study deepens the research results through focus group discussion (FGD) at Line Ministries.Design/Methodology/Approach: This study used a mixed method, in which the quantitative approach employed a questionnaire instrument, while the qualitative approach utilized interviews and FGD. This study involved 149 respondents at the accounting unit based on the purposive sampling technique, using questionnaire instruments and interviews with 77 users. Also, this study utilized Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), and the data were then processed through LISREL 8.8 statistical software.Research findings: This study proved that accruals' implementation had a significant positive impact on the quality of government fiscal transparency. The FGD results revealed that accrual accounting practices still referred to the government accounting standards. Meanwhile, the quality of fiscal transparency had been reviewed in advance by the auditor team, and the auditor's recommendations were taken into consideration in determining strategic decisions by estimating the potential risks that would arise.Theoretical contribution/Originality: This study contributes to an extended approach by examining the effect of the accrual accounting application’s effectiveness on the quality of government fiscal transparency. In addition, this study strengthens previous studies by using qualitative approaches through FGD involving units related to institutions and ministries. Therefore, this study’s results provide empirical evidence, which is theoretically very limited.Practitioner/Policy implication: This study contributes as an academic reference to improvements in developing a policy model for the accrual implementation in the government accounting system, especially in Indonesia.Research limitation/Implication: Respondent data for interviews is still limited to the managerial level. Therefore, to obtain more in-depth results, the subsequent study can be conducted at the operational level.