Critical Dialogic Accounting and Accountability Through Integrated Popular Reporting and Digital Technologies: The City of Bari

Over the past two decades,dialogic accounting research has evolved into a distinct field,expanding into what is now recognized as critical dialogic accounting and accountability(CDAA).The integration of critical dialogic accounting and accountability acknowledges the growing need to recognize diverse pathways within accounting practices,emphasizing the representation of marginalized perspectives,engagement with power dynamics,and the analysis of conflicts,particularly in the context of societal and environmental impacts.Based on these assumptions,the Integrated Popular Reporting(IPR)is intended as a useful practical dialogic tool designed to impartially represent the viewpoints of different stakeholders.The focus extends beyond traditional dialogic accounting,integrating a newer critical lens that explores the implications of digital technology in the reporting process.To explore these advancements,the study investigates the implementation of the City of Bari’s 2020 Integrated Popular Reporting.Leveraging tools such as Talkwalker and employing a longitudinal,interventionist approach along with semi-structured interviews,the study assesses the effects of digital technologies on the dialogic accounting process.The analysis shows that the use of digital technologies has facilitated a more participatory reporting structure,evident in increased citizen engagement and reduced bureaucratic hurdles.Notably,it has enhanced the accuracy of defining citizens’informational needs and addressed pertinent themes ranging from mobility,economy,digitization,regeneration,and employment.Moreover,it underscores the need to address the digital divide and ensure inclusivity across diverse demographics.Ultimately,it contributes to the ongoing discourse on the role of technology in shaping the future of dialogic accounting and its broader implications for societal accountability.

Sponsorship, authorship, and accountability

As editors of general medical journals, we recog-nize that the publication of clinical-research find-ings in respected peer-reviewed journals is the ul-timate basis for most treatment decisions. Publicdiscourse about this published evidence of efficacyand safety rests on the assumption that clinical-tri-als data have been gathered and are presented inan objective and dispassionate manner. This dis-course is vital to the scientific practice of medicinebecause it shapes treatment decisions made byphysicians and drives public and private healthcare policy. We are concerned that the current in-tellectual environment in which some clinical re-search is conceived, study participants are recrui-ted, and the data analyzed and reported (or notreported) may threaten this precious objectivity.

Accountability Simulacra: Fraud Cases from South and North America

Cases of corporate frauds with financial instruments count on simulacra of accountability.Based on grounded research,this study considered cases that were conducted for years without being detected causing billionaire injury to investors.The objective was to present how they bypassed internal controls,corporate governance,and all regulatory apparatus using substantive and symbolic resources at organization level analysis.An extensive analysis allowed perceive a common modus operandi that is described here organized by objectives.This paper also suggests a direction for accountability improvement.

Assessing the Relationship of Corporate Integrity Practices With Accountability of Malaysian Statutory Bodies

Accountability is seen as an organisational performance across private and public sector,including statutory bodies.Yet,does accountability prove instilled in part of integrity practices,especially in less mentioned sector-statutory bodies?This study aims to evaluate the relationship of corporate integrity practices on accountability of Malaysian statutory bodies through questionnaire survey distribution.Based on 194 responses received from top management of Malaysian statutory bodies,it is proven that corporate integrity practices have a positive and significant relationship with accountability.Therefore,statutory bodies are recommended to exercise and implement corporate integrity practices by setting up integrity department and appointing corporate integrity officers.Hence,by upholding corporate integrity practices,it leads to the achievement of accountability of statutory bodies organisations.

Impact of an official accountability audit on industrial structure adjustment:a case study of environmental regulation in China

As a unique environmental regulation in China,the official accountability audit was piloted in 2014.With a focus on prioritizing the ecological environment,officials in pilot districts have implemented economic construction,adjusted industrial structures,and promoted coordinated development between the economy and environment.The effects of implementation have garnered widespread attention from society.However,there is limited research on the impact of an accountability audit on industrial structure adjustments.Using the“Accountability Audit of Officials for Natural Resource Assets(Trial)”released in 2015 as a quasi-natural experiment,this study collected panel data from 279 cities between 2013 and 2017.It then empirically analyzed the impact mechanism and effects of the accountability audit on industrial structure adjustment using the Propensity Score Matching and Difference-in-Differences model.The research findings indicate that the accountability audit directly impacted industrial structure adjustment,promoting the upgrading of the primary industry to the secondary industry and restricting the development of the tertiary industry.In addition,the audit is beneficial for enterprise entry,but not conducive to technological innovation,and has no significant impact on foreign direct investment.This conclusion fills a gap in the existing research and provides valuable insights for policymakers.

Transparent and Accountable Training Data Sharing in Decentralized Machine Learning Systems

In Decentralized Machine Learning(DML)systems,system participants contribute their resources to assist others in developing machine learning solutions.Identifying malicious contributions in DML systems is challenging,which has led to the exploration of blockchain technology.Blockchain leverages its transparency and immutability to record the provenance and reliability of training data.However,storing massive datasets or implementing model evaluation processes on smart contracts incurs high computational costs.Additionally,current research on preventing malicious contributions in DML systems primarily focuses on protecting models from being exploited by workers who contribute incorrect or misleading data.However,less attention has been paid to the scenario where malicious requesters intentionally manipulate test data during evaluation to gain an unfair advantage.This paper proposes a transparent and accountable training data sharing method that securely shares data among potentially malicious system participants.First,we introduce a blockchain-based DML system architecture that supports secure training data sharing through the IPFS network.Second,we design a blockchain smart contract to transparently split training datasets into training and test datasets,respectively,without involving system participants.Under the system,transparent and accountable training data sharing can be achieved with attribute-based proxy re-encryption.We demonstrate the security analysis for the system,and conduct experiments on the Ethereum and IPFS platforms to show the feasibility and practicality of the system.

Trust beyond Technology Algorithms: A Theoretical Exploration of Consumer Trust and Behavior in Technological Consumption and AI Projects

In an era dominated by artificial intelligence (AI), establishing customer confidence is crucial for the integration and acceptance of AI technologies. This interdisciplinary study examines factors influencing customer trust in AI systems through a mixed-methods approach, blending quantitative analysis with qualitative insights to create a comprehensive conceptual framework. Quantitatively, the study analyzes responses from 1248 participants using structural equation modeling (SEM), exploring interactions between technological factors like perceived usefulness and transparency, psychological factors including perceived risk and domain expertise, and organizational factors such as leadership support and ethical accountability. The results confirm the model, showing significant impacts of these factors on consumer trust and AI adoption attitudes. Qualitatively, the study includes 35 semi-structured interviews and five case studies, providing deeper insight into the dynamics shaping trust. Key themes identified include the necessity of explainability, domain competence, corporate culture, and stakeholder engagement in fostering trust. The qualitative findings complement the quantitative data, highlighting the complex interplay between technology capabilities, human perceptions, and organizational practices in establishing trust in AI. By integrating these findings, the study proposes a novel conceptual model that elucidates how various elements collectively influence consumer trust in AI. This model not only advances theoretical understanding but also offers practical implications for businesses and policymakers. The research contributes to the discourse on trust creation and decision-making in technology, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary efforts to address societal challenges associated with technological advancements. It lays the groundwork for future research, including longitudinal, cross-cultural, and industry-specific studies, to further explore consumer trust in AI.

The Influence of Information Technology(IT)on Accrual Accounting Adoption:The Case of the Jordanian Public Sector

Jordan is one of many countries that intends to reform its public sector by adopting accrual accounting,which is primarily carried out through the International Public Sector Accounting Standards(IPSAS)implementation plan,scheduled to be completed by 2021.Considering the difficulties of adoption,this process cannot be completed without an appropriate Information Technology(IT)system capable of providing the accounting information required for this reform.Therefore,this study aims to examine the influence of IT on accrual accounting adoption in the Jordanian public sector.The study employed the quantitative survey approach.Based on 331 usable questionnaires,the descriptive findings showed that the use of IT in the Jordanian public sector is relevant to daily accounting transactions in general and to accrual accounting in particular.The regression analysis showed a positive,significant relationship between IT use and accrual accounting practice.The IT specialist should be able to understand the needs of public sector in adopting accrual-based accounting.In line with today’s digitalization age,which integrates advanced technologies and numerous techniques,this study suggests that a combination of accounting and IT experts is a value added to sharpen the competitiveness of public sector reform.This study contributes to the extant literature in public sector,concerning the relationship between IT and accrual accounting adoption in the context of Jordan.

Assessing Financial Management Practices and Accounting Mechanisms in Agricultural Cooperatives:A Case Study From Nepal

The study focuses on assessing the financial management practices and accounting mechanisms in agricultural cooperatives in Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan,Dang District,Nepal with a focus on understanding their implications for financial performance and organizational effectiveness.The sample size of total cooperatives(n=46)was divided into Savings and Credit Cooperatives(n=18)and Multipurpose Cooperatives(n=28),respectively,with a total number of respondents(n=138)categorized into managing directors,employees,and general members.Using a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative analysis of financial data with qualitative insights gathered through interviews and surveys,the study emphasizes the importance of modern financial practices,improved reporting mechanisms,and relevant staff training for long-term sustainability.Recommendations include the integration of criteria and evaluation tools to assess cooperative performance,with Hamro Pahunch Multipurpose Cooperative identified as a high performer.Emphasizing the need for robust financial management strategies to navigate the complexity of the agricultural sector,manage risks,and achieve sustainable development,the study notes frequent preparation of financial management reports on a monthly and annual basis,and predominantly annual accounting management.Most cooperatives are using computerized models to present financial positions,but face challenges such as lack of marketing infrastructure,cooperative skills,and technical support.Ultimately,the study advocates for educating policy makers,cooperative leaders,practitioners and stakeholders on the role of effective financial management and accounting in enhancing the resilience,expansion and socio-economic impact of agricultural cooperatives,thereby fostering their long-term prosperity and viability as drivers of rural development and empowerment.

From EBIT to SEBIT(Sustainable EBIT):Sustainable Performance Accounting(SPA)Using the Example of CO_(2) Accounting

Corporate sustainability reporting has become increasingly important in recent years.However,conventional approaches reach their limits when it comes to quantifying and measuring the actual sustainability performance of a company.This article presents a new approach:Sustainable Performance Accounting(SPA),which is based on an extension of bookkeeping by including ESG bookkeeping.SPA enables companies to systematically measure and manage their sustainability performance.The article provides an overview of the basics of SPA methodology and uses a comprehensive example showing how SPA can be implemented in practice.The article is aimed at interested readers from science and practice as well as decision-makers who are interested in future-oriented sustainability reporting.

China and Emerging Economies in Global Financial Governance:Legitimacy,Accountability and Democracy

Global financial governance refers to the way in which global financial affairs are managed. As there is no global government, global financial governance typically involves a range of actors including states, as well as regional and international organizations aimed at negotiating responses to problems that affect more than one state or region, far from only providing the public good of financial stability through global economy integration and global financial legislation. In geopolitical context of the 21 st century, emerging economies still have maintained a low profile in global financial governance, despite their growing economic power and the rhetoric of being a responsible great power, and there is little evidence that they will seek international leadership. Moreover,compared to the other emerging powers in the BRICS(Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) group,China has under-participated in global governance in terms of contributing personnel, finance and ideas to major multilateral institutions and programs. It is really an interesting question in international economics and politics area. Firstly, this paper examines comparative data on the emerging economies countries' participation in global financial governance and explains the reason why China has relatively low involvement in global financial governance. Secondly, this paper analyzes norms and legitimacy in global financial governance, and thus outlines the emerging economies constraints on public policy of global financial market integration in the light of the foregoing analysis of legitimacy, accountability and democracy. Finally, some global financial governance development strategy and possible policy solutions are discussed as well.

Sensors, empowerment, and accountability: a Digital Earth view from East Africa

Several innovative‘participatory sensing’initiatives are under way in East Africa.They can be seen as local manifestations of the global notion of Digital Earth.The initiatives aim to amplify the voice of ordinary citizens,improve citizens’capacity to directly influence public service delivery and hold local government accountable.The popularity of these innovations is,among other things,a local reaction to the partial failure of the millennium development goals(MDGs)to deliver accurate statistics on public services in Africa.Empowered citizens,with access to standard mobile phones,can‘sense’via text messages and report failures in the delivery of local government services.The public disclosure of these reports on the web and other mass media may pressure local authorities to take remedial action.In this paper,we outline the potential and research challenges of a‘participatory sensing’platform,which we call a‘human sensor web.’Digital Africa’s first priority could be to harness continent-wide and national data as well as local information resources,collected by citizens,in order to monitor,measure and forecast MDGs.

FORSETI: A visual analysis environment enabling provenance awareness for the accountability of e-autopsy reports

Autopsy reports play a pivotal role in forensic science.Medical examiners(MEs)and diagnostic radiologists(DRs)cross-reference autopsy results in the form of autopsy reports,while judicial personnel derive legal documents from final autopsy reports.In our prior study,we presented a visual analysis system called the forensic autopsy system for e-court instruments(FORSETI)with an extended legal medicine markup language(x-LMML)that enables MEs and DRs to author and review e-autopsy reports.In this paper,we present our extended work to incorporate provenance infrastructure with authority management into FORSETI for forensic data accountability,which contains two features.The first is a novel provenance management mechanism that combines the forensic autopsy workflow management system(FAWfMS)and a version control system called lmmlgit for x-LMML files.This management mechanism allows much provenance data on e-autopsy reports and their documented autopsy processes to be individually parsed.The second is provenance-supported immersive analytics,which is intended to ensure that the DRs’and MEs’autopsy provenances can be viewed,listed,and analyzed so that a principal ME can author their own report through accountable autopsy referencing in an augmented reality setting.A fictitious case with a synthetic wounded body is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the provenance-aware FORSETI system in terms of data accountability through the experience of experts in legal medicine.

From External Accountability to Potential-Oriented Development:Quality Assurance System Building for Teacher Preparation in China

Purpose:From the perspective of performance standards-based teacher education,this article aimed to address progress and challenges of China’s teacher preparation quality assurance system.Design/Approach/Methods:This review is based on policy review and case studies.Retrieving to the existing research literature,this research sorted out the policies related to the quality assurance system for university-based teacher preparation in China.Furthermore,this research selected teacher preparation programs from five cases of teacher education colleges of varied levels and used interviews to analyze their attitudes and measures.Findings:The analysis reveals that the quality system for university-based teacher preparation in China’s educational institutions has gone through two main stages:the building stage and the improvement stage.The internal policy tension in China’s teacher preparation quality assurance system is primarily centralized in the dissociation among and segmentation between the relevant standards for teacher education.There is a distinction between“soft”and“hard”policy standards,and reforming the teacher certification testing system also brings a test-oriented bias and a separation of evaluation from education.Institutions of higher education are expected to follow the path of potential-oriented development and concentrate on cooperative partnerships between local communities and schools so as to nurture innovative,professional future educators with high quality.Originality/Value:This article provides a comprehensive and detailed policy analysis as well as empirical evidence for the quality assurance systemfor university-based teacher preparation in China.

International Symposium on Accountability in Science Funding Held in Beijing

Sponsored jointly by NSFC and the Office of Inspector General (OIG), US National Science Foundation (NSF), the International Symposium on Accountability in Science Funding was held in Beijing on Oct. 27, 2003. More than 60 delegates from 12 countries attended the two-day meeting.

Conversations in accountability:Perspectives from three charities

Objective:The conversations in accountability were designed to gain an understanding of the use and changes to accountability in charities over time,including learning how results are measured.Methods:As part of a larger study which investigated accountability in charities working to reduce mortality of children younger than 5 years in least developed countries,a multiple-case study comprising semistructured in-depth key informant interviews was conducted to investigate the use and effects of accountability in three charities of differing sizes.Results:Smaller charities tend to use fewer accountability mechanisms than larger ones,whereas the variation in their use between small and medium-sized charities is greater than the variation between medium-sized and large charities.Conclusion:Although accountability has changed over time,charities believe that they are providing the correct amount of accountability-that is,enough to satisfy the perceived demands of their stakeholders but not so much that it detracts from the mission or incurs costs in excess of benefits.However,the tools to determine effectiveness and impact are lacking.

Variable and Invariable,Explore the Value-Creation Techniques of Management Accounting by Benchmarking the Financial Management of Large Enterprises

With the development of information technology such as ChatGPT,artificial intelligence,5G,and so on,technological innovation brings about a qualitative change in the economic business.This change is embodied in breakthroughs in the field of science and technology and the iterative upgrading process of products.The traditional business model undoubtedly fails to adapt to the management needs of modern enterprises,while traditional financial practices and knowledge reserves cannot meet these needs.Faced with sudden technological changes and the emergence of financial sharing,financial robots,etc.,there is an urgent need for financial practitioners to transform from traditional financial accounting to value-creating management accounting.In the future,financial professionals with the ability to embrace uncertainty,adapt to environmental changes,and find breakthroughs in uncertain environments will be the most sought-after by enterprises.This paper aims to benchmark the excellent financial management models of large enterprises and conduct thematic research on financial management in large enterprises.It seeks to explore,in the era of big data management accounting,the road and art of creating value in enterprises.The objective is to provide references for colleagues in the financial field and to explore effective ways to generate value for enterprise management ideas,thus serving as a reference point in the financial transformation journey.

Analysis of Internal Control Management Problems in Hospital Finance and Accounting

This paper outlines the internal control management of hospital accounting and finance,introducing its concept,importance,and objectives.It then analyzes the problems existing in the internal control management of hospital accounting and finance,including an unsound management system,insufficient system implementation,inadequate risk assessment and control capabilities,poor information communication,weak internal supervision,and uneven personnel quality.The reasons for these problems are also analyzed,including outdated management concepts,irrational organizational structures,imperfect training and incentive mechanisms,low levels of information technology,and changes in the external environment.This paper proposes improvement measures for the internal control management of hospital accounting,including enhancing the management system,strengthening system implementation,improving risk assessment and control capabilities,enhancing the information communication mechanism,strengthening internal supervision,improving personnel quality,advancing information technology,and adapting to changes in the external environment.

Advancing Direct Corporate Accountability in International Human Rights Law:The Role of State-Owned Enterprises

Resorting to the immensely state-centric international legal system to regulate corporate human rights abuses is often viewed as inadequate.Among many proposals aiming at filling the international regulatory gaps,imposing international human rights obligations directly on corporations is a bold one,which,due to profound doctrinal and practical challenges,is yet to be materialized.However,state-owned enterprises(SOEs),given their prima facie''state-business nexus"that blurs the traditional public-private divide,might provide a renewed opportunity to push forward the"direct international corporate accountability^^campaign.This study investigates whether SOEs represent a golden chance for direct corporate accountability in the international legal regime.This study provides a legal analysis supported by case law,and by comparative and empirical research when appropriate.After providing a definitional account of SOEs,it examines the legal status of SOEs under international law.Then,in the reverse direction,it proceeds to explore if the state-business nexus of SOEs as non-state actors could render the argument toward direct international corporation accountability more convincing.Major findings reveal that SOEs,to a limited extent,represent a renewed opportunity to rethink direct corporate accountability under international law.

An Ethereum-based solution for energy trading in smart grids

The need for a flexible,dynamic,and decentralized energy market has rapidly grown in recent years.As a matter of fact,Industry 4.0 and Smart Grids are pursuing a path of automation of operations to insure all the steps among consumers and producers are getting closer.This leads towards solutions that exploit the paradigm of public blockchain,which represents the best platform to design flat and liquid markets for which providing trust and accountability to mutual interactions becomes crucial.On the other hand,one of the risks arising in this situation is that personal information is exposed to the network,with intolerable threats to privacy.In this paper,we propose a solution for energy trading,based on the blockchain Ethereum and Smart Contracts.The solution aims to be a concrete proposal to satisfy the needs of energy trading in smart grids,including the important feature that no information about the identity of the peers of the network is disclosed in advance.