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ACC8000 Research in Accounting Practice
Assignment 3, Semester 1, 2018: Due 11 June 2018
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Weight: 50%, Expected words (excluding references) 2,700 – 3,100
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Question XXXXXXXXXXTotal marks = 33)
You have recently started working at the Te
ific Telephone Company, which
provides mobile telephone services. The aim of your task is to structure
compensation packages so that the packages align the motivations of
executives (called goal congruency) with the desire of the company to
maximise the return to shareholders. Cu
ently all employees are on fixed
salaries.
The industry is very competitive and the CEO would like you to answer the
following questions. Prepare separate answers for each question:
a. Explain why salaries may fail to motivate employees to work
productively (as suggested by agency theory).
(6 marks)
. Identify possible different components of compensation packages and
explain how different components may motivate employees to work
productively in the short and/or long term.
(8 marks)
c. Discuss how an employee’s attitude to risk might influence their desired
compensation package.
(5 marks)
d. Identify and discuss three factors that may limit the effectiveness of
performance based compensation packages in motivating employees to
work productively.
(9 marks)
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e. Identify and discuss the benefits of using an executive compensation
committee in the determination of the components to include in
compensation packages.
(5 marks)
Question 2 XXXXXXXXXXTotal marks = 8)
a. How does agency theory explain the need for the preparation of
accounts?
(4 marks)
. How does agency theory explain the need for an audit of accounts?
(4 marks)
Question 3 XXXXXXXXXXTotal marks = 10)
Van Puyvelde et al XXXXXXXXXXsuggest that agency theory alone is not enough
when studying governance in non-profit organisations.
a. Explain what is meant by the term governance (as it applies to
organisations).
(2 marks)
. Explain why using agency theory as a single theory is not appropriate
to study governance in non-profit organisations?
(4 marks)
c. Briefly explain an alternate or supplementary theory that might be
used more appropriately when studying governance in non-profit
organisations.
(4 marks)
3
Question XXXXXXXXXXTotal marks = 43)
The following questions relate to the articles by (Masoud 2017) and Salifu
and Mahama (2015), which examined the audit expectation gap issue.
a) Identify and explain the type of mixed method study that was used by
Masoud (2017).
(3 marks)
) Review the qualitative portion of Masoud’s XXXXXXXXXXstudy. For each
component listed below under (i) to (iv):
ï‚· Provide a
ief summary of what he has done, and
ï‚· Evaluate the appropriateness of what he has done (i.e., was it
satisfactory or could he have done something different to improve the
igour of his qualitative study?):
i. How were participants selected and was it an appropriate
method?
(3 marks)
ii. Were the number of participants interviewed appropriate? If so,
why do you believe this is an appropriate number, and if not,
how many interviewees would have improved the rigour?
(3 marks)
iii. How were the qualitative data analysed and was this analysis
appropriate? If so, why do you believe this analysis is
appropriate, and if not, what alternative anlaysis would have
improved the rigour?
(3 marks)
iv. What is your opinion about how the qualitative data analysis
was written up?
(3 marks)
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c) To what extent do you think Masoud XXXXXXXXXXhas been successful in
drawing on the first phase of his study to ca
y out the second
phase of his mixed-methods study?
(4 marks)
d) Explain how Masuod XXXXXXXXXXand Salifu and Mahama XXXXXXXXXXgo about
designing the questionnaires for their studies. Compare the two
studies and choose which study uses a more rigorous approach to
questionnaire design, stating your reasons why you believe one
approach is superior in its rigour.
(8 marks)
e) Explain how Masuod XXXXXXXXXXand Salifu and Mahama XXXXXXXXXXgo about
writing up the findings from their questionnaires. Compare the two
studies and choose which study uses a more rigorous approach, stating
easons why you believe one approach is superior in its rigour.
(8 marks)
f) Outline one aspect of Masoud’s XXXXXXXXXXstudy that has been done poorly
(other than the ones already discussed in question 4 b-e above).
(4 marks)
g) Outline one aspect of Salifu and Mahama’s XXXXXXXXXXstudy that has been
done poorly (other than the ones already discussed in question 4 b-e
above) .
(4 marks)
Appropriate in-text referencing for each answer and bibliography for
assignment XXXXXXXXXX6 marks)
Bibliography of references cited above
Masoud, N 2017, 'An empirical study of audit expectation-performance gap: The case of Libya',
Research in International Business and Finance, vol. 41, pp. 1-15.
Salifu, I & Mahama, M 2015, 'The evaluation of evidence of the audit expectation gap in
Ghana', Research Journal of Finance and Accounting, vol. 6, no. 24, pp. 20-30.
Van Puyvelde, S, Caers, R, Du Bois, C & Jegers, M 2012, 'The governance of nonprofit
organizations: Integrating agency theory with stakeholder and stewardship theories', Nonprofit
and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, vol. 41, no. 3, pp XXXXXXXXXX.