Title: Investigating the relationship between the elements of the IFRS conversion cost in the context of small island economies (Mauritius)

Authors: Pran Krishansing Boolaky

Addresses: Faculty of Business, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia

Abstract: Using a sample of 100 companies from a small island economy (Mauritius), this paper for the first time investigates IFRS conversion cost by dividing it into three main elements, namely; training cost, IFRS software cost and outsourcing cost and then observe their behaviour by using the Pearson correlation test. The outcomes of this study are that despite Mauritius Accounting Standards (MAS) were Anglo-Saxon based and IAS adapted all the preparers of accounts had recourse to training including new accounting software and some had recourse directly to external experts by outsourcing their IFRS tasks. This study also confirms that though many of the preparers invested in a new software, yet training on IFRS contents and software cost are negatively correlated and where the companies have outsourced the IFRS tasks, training and software cost have been low.

Keywords: IFRS; conversion cost; small island economies; Mauritius; International Financial Reporting Standards; training costs; software costs; outsourcing costs; accounting standards.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMFA.2010.034116

International Journal of Managerial and Financial Accounting, 2010 Vol.2 No.3, pp.228 - 239

Published online: 13 Jul 2010 *

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