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An index of best practice performance reporting for Malaysian local authorities

Jill Hooks (School of Accountancy, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand)
Stuart Tooley (School of Accountancy, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia)
Norida Basnan (School of Accounting, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia)

Journal of Applied Accounting Research

ISSN: 0967-5426

Article publication date: 23 November 2012

836

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify stakeholders’ expectations of information to be conveyed in local authorities’ annual reports and to develop an index of best practice performance reporting.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes the development of a disclosure index emphasizing the public interest aspect of reporting and the need to provide relevant and meaningful information to stakeholders. The index was crafted from a public accountability perspective and based on the expectations of stakeholders as reconciled and validated by a Delphi panel of experts.

Findings

The wide scope of information that was identified as being important for disclosure by local authorities is consistent with the public accountability paradigm which requires the reporting of comprehensive information (both financial and non financial), about the condition, performance, activities and progress of the entity.

Originality/value

The research posits a model of best practice performance reporting for Malaysian, and other, local authorities to meet the need for greater accountability by these entities.

Keywords

Citation

Hooks, J., Tooley, S. and Basnan, N. (2012), "An index of best practice performance reporting for Malaysian local authorities", Journal of Applied Accounting Research, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 270-283. https://doi.org/10.1108/09675421211281335

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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