ACC3005: Accounting Research Project on Contemporary Accounting Issues

This accounting research project examines the integration of sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) within Australian organizations. The research explores the contemporary accounting issues related to ethics, social factors, and sustainability, using both theoretical and empirical approaches. The study investigates the application of stakeholder theory and analyzes the annual reports of 10 ASX-listed companies to identify their practices and challenges. The methodology includes primary and secondary data collection, with direct and indirect interactions with employees. The findings highlight the importance of stakeholder relationships for promoting corporate sustainability and addressing ethical conflicts. The project also reviews the literature concerning the emergence of corporate social responsibility and its implications.

Accounting
Research Project
NAME OF THE STUDENT:
NAME OF THE UNIVERSITY:

Research Questions
• How do the firms follow sustainability in their business?
• What is the connection that exists between the performance
and corporate social responsibility of a firm ? (Hopper, Lassou
and Soobaroyen 2017)
• How do the contemporary issues cause an impact on the
accounting methods of the various firms in Australia?

Objective
• Analysing the contemporary issues that exist in the
various firms of Australia
• Assessing the methods by which the ethical and
sustainability factors are considered for accounting by the
firms (Kyriakidou et al. 2016)

Theory
• The external evaluation approach of stakeholder engagement for the
sustainability of the firm
• The theory defines the sustainability, environmental and social approaches
• The necessary elements of the stakeholder theory has been examined
• The stakeholder has been defined as the group of individuals on whom the
personal long term objectives are dependant
• The theory constructs and integrates the empirical, normative and
descriptive matters of the firm

Finding
• Reports help to recognise the risk relating to the corporate governance
• Management does not strictly follows the guidelines of the legal
institutions
• Sustainability reports help to understand the social responsibilities
performed by the management of the company
• Management is responsible for the disclosures, assurances and proper
measurements of the accounting information's
• The nature of accounting framework posses a subjective nature

Commonwealth Bank of
Australia
• The company has committed the activities towards sustainability
• There has been integration of the social and environmental
commitments to form Group Social and Environmental Policy
• The company aims to decrease the release of harmful gases into
the atmosphere (Schaltegger and Burritt 2017)
• The company is also committed towards the human rights as
well as biodiversity commitments

Coca Cola Amatil Limited
• The company has complied with the ethical regulations that relate to the
communication and independence
• The company has navigated through the constantly evolving environment
• The company has shaped itself to satisfy the trends as well as
opportunities for its customers
• The sustainable strategy contribute towards making a significant
contribution

Literature review
•Emergence of corporate social responsibility
•The implications of corporate social responsibility has been
examined
•Corporate social responsibility is focused on the interests between
shareholders and managers that conflict
•The activities of corporate social responsibility seem to help the
firms with social goods
•Relation between accounting information and corporate social
responsibility

Methodology
•Primary and secondary method of data collection
•Data relate to the issues of sustainability
•Direct interaction has been done with the employees by interview
•Indirect interaction has been done with the employees by survey

Conclusion
• The relationship with the stakeholders help to promote the
sustainability of the companies (Brown and Jones 2015)
• Stakeholders help the companies in achieving their objectives
• The corporate objectives describe the instrumental and descriptive
matters
• The ethical issues of the companies include the conflicts between the
management and employees
• Failure of accounting the contemporary aspects can also be done by the
accountant

Reference list
Brown, R. and Jones, M., 2015. Mapping and exploring the topography of contemporary
financial accounting research. The British Accounting Review, 47(3), pp.237-261.
Hopper, T., Lassou, P. and Soobaroyen, T., 2017. Globalisation, accounting and
developing countries. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 43, pp.125-148.
Kyriakidou, O., Kyriacou, O., Özbilgin, M. and Dedoulis, E., 2016. Equality, diversity and
inclusion in accounting. Critical perspectives on accounting, 35, pp.1-12.
Schaltegger, S. and Burritt, R., 2017. Contemporary environmental accounting: issues,
concepts and practice. Routledge.