This study investigates the determinants of the initial retention of external accountants by new U.S. start-ups. We test several arguments related to agency and credibility needs, financial activity and complexity, and accounting support and advice. Consistent with financial activity and...

Key issues in the design of incentive plans include the choice of performance measures, the level of pay-performance sensitivity, and the use of individual versus group payouts. In addition, research suggests that implementation issues can also have significant effects on incentive plan...

Traditional executive stock options are granted at fair market value on the grant date and vest over time. Although executive stock options are a popular compensation vehicle, they have received increasing criticism for providing inadequate incentives for executives to improve shareholder...

The purpose of this paper is to extend our understanding of theoretical agency considerations in the choice of compensation contracts by examining the use of performance-based compensation in professional service firms. We focus on compensation practices for physicians in medical group practices...

This paper applies a value-based management framework to critically review empirical research in managerial accounting. This framework enables us to place the exceptionally diverse set of managerial accounting studies from the past several decades into an integrated structure. Our synthesis...

Risk oversight has emerged as an important responsibility of corporate boards. At the same time, firms are increasingly recognizing the risks that social and environmental issues pose to investors and stakeholders. In this study, we examine the relation between board risk oversight and firms'...

Using data on a broad international sample of listed, private, and non-profit entities, we explore the influence of risk management value creation objectives on the incorporation of risk considerations in planning and control systems. The combination of detailed survey responses and archival...

The Board of Directors' role in risk oversight has come under increased scrutiny, resulting in shareholder lawsuits, increased regulation, and more extensive disclosure and listing requirements. While theory predicts that Board risk oversight can benefit stakeholders by mitigating risk-related...

We examine whether more sophisticated accounting methods (in the form of accrual accounting) interact with other information sources to reduce information asymmetries between small business borrowers and lenders, thereby lowering borrowers' probability of loan denial and cost of debt. We find...

This study examines the association between the internal organization of the enterprise risk management (ERM) process (as reflected in the assignment of risk accountabilities or “risk ownership”) and the specific risk management practices adopted enterprise-wide. Using a global survey...