This assessment item may be completed either individually or in groups of two (2) students.  The group mark on both assessment items will be given to both students.  Please ensure that you include both students' cover sheets and clearly identify that the assessment task is a group task.

PART A - Critical evaluation of information sources

Required:

Find and review two (2) scholarly academic journal articles on legitimacy theory sourced from the CQUniversity Library database.  Briefly explain the appropriateness of your two articles using the five standard criteria for evaluating sources on the Library "Compass: library help online" site below.

PART B - Practical application of accounting theory

Write a detailed explanation of Legitimacy Theory sourced, in the most part, from the two (2) academic journal articles evaluated in Part A above.

Use the Connect4 database to find, analyse and discuss comparatively the voluntary environmental disclosures (VED) of two (2) companies from different (environmentally sensitive) industries in the 2010 reporting year.  For simplicity, voluntary environmental disclosures are those NOT appearing in the companies' directors' reports or corporate governance statements.  Your analysis should include the quantity of VED made (approximate number of words, sentences or paragraphs), the level of detail provided (do the companies use detailed tables, quantitative data or just general discussion?) and "nature" of the disclosures (are the disclosures mostly positive or negative in how the company portrays its environmental performance?).  Basic examples of each company's VED should be included in appendices.You should write approximately 700 words in this section.

Section (iii) uses your research from Sections (i) and (ii) to explain accounting reality using accounting theory. Use Legitimacy Theory to explain why the companies in Section (ii) provided VED in the annual reports.  In addressing this, you should make reference to your findings in relation to the amount of disclosure, the level of detail provided and the portrayal of the companies.  Include some examples of your findings in Section (ii) to support your discussion.