Maryland Smith Hosts 2017 Journal of Accounting and Public Policy Conference

On June 9, 2017, the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business hosted the 2017 Journal of Accounting and Public Policy (JAPP) Conference in College Park, Md. The theme of the sixth annual conference was, “The Interactions between Regulatory Institutions and Accounting: A Public Policy Perspective.” The editors of JAPP are Lawrence A. Gordon and Martin P. Loeb, both professors of accounting and information assurance at the Smith School.

Distinguished speakers at the 2017 JAPP Conference were Wesley R. Bricker, Chief Accountant for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and Shyam Sunder, James L. Frank Professor of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Yale University.

“Academic research is valuable in providing theories, testable hypotheses, and evidence that help us to understand issues we frequently encounter in our work,” said Bricker during his luncheon keynote address. “For example, we often talk about decision usefulness to investors of accounting information, and in assessing decision usefulness, academic research can provide empirical evidence based on market reactions to certain information, changes in company liquidity, and differences in how different types of investors react to certain information. These types of findings are identified and shared among the academic and professional staff in OCA, and also contribute to the work of the financial economists in other offices and divisions at the SEC.”

Bricker suggested several topics for continued emphasis in accounting research, including: financial accounting, governance and controls, auditing, investment decision-making, and reporting of other information. Bricker’s entire speech is available online.

The conference, now in its sixth year, becomes increasingly relevant each year, Gordon said, adding, “In today’s interconnected digital world, firms need to think of cybersecurity as a fundamental aspect of internal control.”

The conference location rotates among the IE Business School (IE), the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business (Maryland Smith). Conference coordinators were Alnoor Bhimani (LSE), Salvador Carmona (IE), Lawrence A. Gordon (Maryland Smith), and Martin P. Loeb (Maryland Smith).

Next year, the conference will be held at LSE on June 7.

In addition to the distinguished speakers, the conference included the following research presentations:

CFO role and CFO compensation: An empirical analysis of their implications

• Ariela Caglio, Università Bocconi – SDA Bocconi School of Management
• Andrea Dossi, Università Bocconi – SDA Bocconi School of Management
• Wim A. Van der Stede, London School of Economics and Political Science

The unintended consequences of emerging growth company status on IPO: Auditor risk and effort, valuation, and underpricing

• Tiffany J. Westfall, Miller College of Business, Ball State University
• Thomas C. Omer, University of Nebraska- Lincoln

Charity performance reporting, regulatory policy and standard-setting

• Danielle McConville, Queens University, Belfast
• Carolyn Cordery, Aston University

The stock market demand for environmental and social disclosures

• Cristiana Bernardi, Roma Tre University
• Andrew W. Stark, Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester

The U.S. Medicare disproportionate share hospital program and its effect on capacity planning decisions

• Beau Grant Barnes, Washington State University
• Nancy L. Harp, Clemson University