Download Accounting 1 Title Experimental Research in Accounting 2 Faculty 3

Doktorandenprogramme
Verband der Hochschullehrer für Betriebswirtschaft e. V.
Syllabus
Disciplines: Accounting
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Title
Experimental Research in Accounting
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Faculty
Prof. R. Lynn Hannan, PhD (Georgia State University)
http://robinson.gsu.edu/fac_db/displayuser.aspx?ref=name&firstname=R.%20Lynn&last
name=Hannan
[email protected]
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Outline
3.1 Issues
The course covers recent experimental studies from the Financial and Managerial
Accounting Areas that apply behavioral decision theory, psychology, and economics to
address a variety of accounting research questions. The course focuses on recent work by
the leading experimental researchers in Financial and Managerial Accounting.
The goals of this course are
to familiarize students with recent experimental research in accounting,
to help students develop the skills necessary to critically evaluate such research
to help students develop rigorous experimental designs for conducting their own
research.
3.2 Course format
The course will start with an introductory lecture and exercise session on critiquing studies
and developing rigorous experimental designs. The remaining sessions will allow the
students to hone their skills via in-depth discussions critiquing extant research papers.
Discussion papers cover a variety of topics and research designs in order to expose the
students to a wide array of acceptable approaches to experimental research. Discussions
will focus on critiquing theory development and experimental design, and on assessing the
incremental contribution of the study; data analysis will be discussed when warranted.
Students will be expected to have read the assigned papers intensively before class and to
fully participate in the critique of the papers. I will begin each discussion session with a
short background lecture and provide guidance throughout the discussion to ensure that
key concepts are covered. There will be a final exam at the end of the course.
The language of the course is English.
3.3 Selected literature
The assigned literature consists of the accounting research articles listed in Section
4.0.
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Doktorandenprogramme
Verband der Hochschullehrer für Betriebswirtschaft e. V.
Syllabus
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Administration
4.1 Schedule (tentative)
Day I (June 20, 2011)
10:00 – 10:30
Arrival of participants, reception, check-in and introduction
10:30 – 12:00
Designing and critiquing experimental research in accounting
Kinny, W. 1986. Empirical accounting research design for Ph.D. students. The
Accounting Review: 338-350.
Libby, R. 1981. Accounting and Human Information Processing: Theory and
Applications: Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice Hall. pages 10-15 only.
14:00 – 17:00
Judgments in financial accounting- expectations and complexity
Clor-Proell, S. M., 2009. The effects of expected and actual accounting choices on
judgments and decisions. The Accounting Review 84(5): 1465-1494.
Hodder, L., P.E. Hopkins, and D.A. Wood. 2008. The effects of financial statement and
informational complexity on analysts’ cash flow forecasts. The Accounting Review
83(4): 915-956.
Day II (June 21, 2011)
09:00 – 12:00
Contracting in multi-agent environments
Hannan, R. L., K. L. Towry and Y. Zhang. 2011. Mutual monitoring in tournaments: The
moderating effect of goal orientation. Working paper, Georgia State University.
Maas, V. S., M. van Rinsum, and K. L. Towry. 2010. Subjective performance evaluation and
social preferences. Working Paper, Emory University.
14:00 – 17:00
Motivating performance in multi-task environments
Kachelmeier, S. J., B. E. Reichert, and M. G. Williamson. 2008. Measuring and motivating
quantity, creativity, or both. Journal of Accounting Research 46(2): 341-373.
Choi, W., G. Hecht, and W.B. Tayler. 2010. Lost in translation: The effects of incentive
compensation on strategy surrogation. Working paper, Emory University.
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Doktorandenprogramme
Verband der Hochschullehrer für Betriebswirtschaft e. V.
Syllabus
Day III (June 22, 2011)
09:00 – 12:00
Judgments in financial accounting - investors
Hales J., J. Kuang, and S. Venkataraman. 2010. Who believes the hype? An experimental
examination of how language affects investor judgments. Journal of Accounting
Research, forthcoming
Thayer, J., 2011. Determinants of investors’ information search: Credibility and
confirmation. The Accounting Review 86(1): 1-22.
14:00 – 17:00
Information effects in financial and management accounting
Erickson, D., Hewitt, M., L. Maines, 2011. Do smooth earnings lower investors' perceptions
of investment risk?" Working paper, Indiana University.
Tafkov, I.D. 2011. Private and public relative performance information under different
incentive systems. Working Paper, Georgia State University.
Day IV (June 23, 2011)
09:00 – 12:00
Corporate Social Resposibility - financial reporting and contracting effects
Martin, P. R., and D. V. Moser. 2011. The impact of the societal benefits of green initiatives
and related disclosures in a market environment." Working paper, University of
Pittsburgh
Balakrishnan, R., G.B. Sprinkle, and M.G. Williamson. 2010. Contracting benefits of
corporate giving: An experimental investigation. Working paper, University of Iowa
13:00 – 15:00
In-class exam
15:00 – 16:00
Review of exam and wrap up
3/5
Doktorandenprogramme
Verband der Hochschullehrer für Betriebswirtschaft e. V.
Syllabus
4.2 Location
Universität Hamburg
4.3 Max. number of participants
The number of participants is limited to 20.
4.4 Cost
The course fee amounts to EUR 600.
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Content
Course content consists of a sampling of recent research by the leading experimentalists in
financial and managerial accounting. Content ranges from cognitive-based research,
embedded in institutionally-rich context to economics-based research, embedded in
abstract contexts. Most of the papers fall somewhere between these two extremes, and
thus, allows the students to observe and crique the pros and cons of various approaches to
theory and experimental design.
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Prerequisites
Students should have read accounting research published in the premier academic journals.
Students do not need any background in experimental research, although experimental
design and data analyses courses would be beneficial.
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Course Material
7.1 Essential Reading Material
Articles listed in Section 4.0. These will be provided to the students prior to the class.
7.2 Additional Reading Material
The following background materials are optional and will not be provided to the students.
Bonner, S. E., 2007. Judgment and Decision Making in Accounting. Pearson Prentice Hall:
Upper Saddle River NJ.
Bonner, S. E., and G. B. Sprinkle. 2002. The effects of monetary incentives on effort and
task performance: Theories, evidence, and a framework for research. Accounting,
Organizations, and Society 27: 303-345.
Chow, C. W., and P. D. Harrison. 2002. Identifying meaningful and significant topics for
research and publications: An interview study of influential accounting authors.
Journal of Accounting Education 20: 183-203.
Libby, R., R. Bloomfield, and M. W. Nelson. 2002. Experimental research in financial
accounting. Accounting, Organizations and Society 27: 775-810.
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Doktorandenprogramme
Verband der Hochschullehrer für Betriebswirtschaft e. V.
Syllabus
Luft, J. and M. Shields. 2003. Mapping management accounting: Graphics and guidelines
for theory-consistent empirical research. Accounting, Organizations and Society
28(2-3):169-279.
Maines, L. A., G. L. Salamon, and G. B. Sprinkle(2006). An Information Economic
Perspective on Experimental Research in Accounting. Behavioral Research in
Accounting 18: 85-102
Sprinkle, G. 2003. Perspectives on experimental research in managerial accounting.
Accounting, Organizations and Society 28(2‐3): 287‐318.
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To Prepare
All participants are required to read the essential reading material prior to the course.
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Assessment
The grade will depend on
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Class participation: You are expected to have read the discussion papers intensely.
During the discussion of these papers, you should raise issues, ask questions,
contribute your knowledge, and challenge the opinions of others, including mine.
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A two-hour in-class exam, offered on the last day.
10 Credits
The course (including the exam) is eligible for 6 ECTS.
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