Asian countries are highly diverse in terms of their wealth, culture, and historical experience. Yet, in different ways, they are working hard to improve public sector governance in areas such as democratic accountability, openness, transparency, integrity, government trust, high performance
standards and combating corruption. The chapters in this book analyze and compare the experiences of Asian countries in carrying out governance reforms. Some of the questions tackled in this title are: how common reform packages designed for developed countries are implemented in developing
countries? What happens in the reform diffusion process? What are the obstacles to reform success? The diversity of the Asian region is well reflected in these chapters, covering a range of topics, theories, methodologies, and findings. The book will be of interest to both academics and
practitioners researching and working with public policy in the region.
Accounting's contribution to reality construction is envisioned in this volume of critical research, examining accounting's role in contemporary issues: ethics, sustainability, financial instability, post SOX legislation, education, and performance appraisals to name a few. Do CEOs manage rather
than reveal environmental liabilities in their never-ending quest for reporting earnings? Under the scrutiny of negative publicity, does the banking community revise images, mask impending crises, and distort regulatory processes? Will shifts in litigation risk influence financial reporting? How do
demands and perceptions from powerful external stakeholders change education or organizational processes? How might accounting positively engage in social movements, grass-roots empowerment, and change? These are among the explorations in this volume through case studies, interviews, analysis and
interdisciplinary perspectives. Exposing accounting's impact on major social struggles of our times, these works contribute to the debates by revealing that the discipline can be a vital technology in the tool box of governance, political, economic and social practice, holding a key for affirmation
and empowerment.