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Regulatory theory insights into the past, present and future of general purpose water accounting standard setting

Author

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  • Keryn Chalmers
  • Jayne M. Godfrey
  • Barbara Lynch

Abstract

Purpose - Accounting and water industry experts are developing general‐purpose water accounting (GPWA) to report information about water and rights to water. The system has the potential to affect water policies, pricing and management, and investment and other decisions that are affected by GPWA report users' understanding of water risks faced by an entity. It may also affect financial returns to accounting and auditing firms and firms in water industries. In this paper the authors aim to examine the roles of the accounting profession, water industries and other stakeholders in governing GPWA. Recognising that the fate of GPWA depends partly upon regulatory power and economics, they seek to apply regulatory theories that explain financial accounting standards development to speculate about the national and international future of GPWA. Design/methodology/approach - Official documents, internal Water Accounting Standards Board documents and unstructured interviews underpin the authors' analysis. Findings - The authors speculate about the benefits that might accrue to various stakeholder groups from capturing the GPWA standard‐setting process. They also suggest that internationally, water industries may dominate early GPWA standards development in the public interest and that regulatory capture by accounting or water industry professionals will not necessarily conflict with public interest benefits. Practical implications - Accounting for water can affect allocations of environmental, economic, social and other resources; also, accounting and water industry professional standing and revenues. In this paper the authors identify factors influencing GPWA standards and standard‐setting institutional arrangements, and thereby these resource allocations. The paper generates an awareness of GPWA's emergence and practical implications. Originality/value - This is an early study to investigate water accounting standard‐setting regulatory influences and their impact.

Suggested Citation

  • Keryn Chalmers & Jayne M. Godfrey & Barbara Lynch, 2012. "Regulatory theory insights into the past, present and future of general purpose water accounting standard setting," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 25(6), pages 1001-1024, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:aaajpp:v:25:y:2012:i:6:p:1001-1024
    DOI: 10.1108/09513571211250224
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Mia Mahmudur Rahim, 2017. "Improving Social Responsibility in RMG Industries Through a New Governance Approach in Laws," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 143(4), pages 807-826, July.
    2. Walid Ben‐Amar & Mohamed Chelli, 2018. "What drives voluntary corporate water disclosures? The effect of country‐level institutions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(8), pages 1609-1622, December.
    3. Passetti, Emilio & Rinaldi, Leonardo, 2020. "Micro-processes of justification and critique in a water sustainability controversy: Examining the establishment of moral legitimacy through accounting," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(3).
    4. Marthinus Jacobus Botha & Sanlie. L. Middelberg, 2016. "Evaluating the Adequacy of Water-Related Reporting and Disclosure by High-Impact users in South Africa," Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management (JEAPM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(01), pages 1-20, March.
    5. Samindi Ishara Hewa & Rajni Mala & Jinhua Chen, 2020. "IASB's independence in the due process: an examination of interest groups’ influence on the development of IFRS 9," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(3), pages 2585-2615, September.
    6. Arowoshegbe, Amos & Emeni, Francis & Uniamikogbo, Emmanuel, 2018. "Impact Of Water Accounting On Water Supply In Nigeria," International Journal of Contemporary Accounting Issues-IJCAI (formerly International Journal of Accounting & Finance IJAF), The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), vol. 7(2), pages 160-183, December.
    7. Carolyn J. Cordery & Dalice Sim & Tony Zijl & Gary Monroe, 2017. "Differentiated regulation: the case of charities," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 57(1), pages 131-164, March.
    8. Michael Bamidele Fakoya & Emmanuel O. Imuezerua, 2021. "Improving water pricing decisions through material flow cost accounting model: a case study of the Politsi Water Treatment Scheme in South Africa," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 2243-2260, February.
    9. Fabien Martinez, 2015. "A Three-Dimensional Conceptual Framework of Corporate Water Responsibility," Post-Print hal-02887624, HAL.
    10. Michael Bamidele Fakoya & Emmanuel O. Imuezerua, 2020. "Identifying ‘True’ Water Loss Information through the MFCA Model for Improved Cost-Saving Decisions in a Water Utility: A Case Study of the Doorndraai Water Treatment Scheme in South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-27, September.

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