Purpose: Based on the institutional theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine institutional factors that affect the development of accounting practices in Jordan. Design/methodology/approach: The current study surveys the perceptions of 306 participants and 20 interviewees. Findings: First, the early formation of accounting practices in Jordan has been affected by the legacy of Ottoman Empire’s and the British Colony’s accounting systems. Second, the results indicate that government of Jordan (regulatory frameworks), pressures from international donors and large economic organizations (politico-economic factors), education and training/development (cultural inputs), and the efforts to attract foreign investments and getting access into the international fund and trade (economic factors) have been influential influences in the development of accounting practices and the adoption of International Accounting Standards/International Financial Reporting Standards (IAS/IFRS) in Jordan. Finally, the findings reveal that “Secrecy” construct (a culture input) has been a problematic in the implementation of IAS/IFRS. Practical implications: The current study provides policy implications for the Jordanian policy makers and for other developing countries that are working hard to improve the quality of financial reporting of their business entities. Finally, the authors suggest some great opportunities for future research. Originality/value: First, this paper contributes to Jordan’s policy developments including fundamental strategies in terms of attracting foreign investments to expand the economy and the international and regional trade. Second, it fills a gap in the international accounting research by empirically assessing how institutional factors affect the development of accounting practices in emerging country such as Jordan.

This paper explores the interrelationship between R&D investment, financial leverage, and a firm’s R&D innovation success. Using a sample of UK and EU firms, we predict that changes in one-year-ahead R&D investment are negatively associated with changes in financial leverage in the current period. Crucially, we also predict that this negative association is positively moderated by the extent to which firms are successful in generating commercially viable and technically feasible innovations from their R&D work. We use insights from International Accounting Standard (IAS) 38: Intangible Assets to measure R&D innovation success. Our empirical findings offer strong support for each of our theoretical predictions. Consequently, we contribute to the extant literature by demonstrating that R&D innovation success influences how firms finance their subsequent investments in R&D. Our work also shows that accounting disclosures have the potential to play an important role in open innovation networks.

Using a multi-theoretical approach, this study seeks to examine the determinants of corporate web-based investor relations (IR) activities for companies listed on Amman Stock Exchange. Jordan provides an interesting context to pursue the objectives of this study because it provides insights into how listed companies are voluntarily responding to recent government and financial market regulators initiatives to encourage the use of the internet and to keep financial market participants informed about corporate activities. A survey analysis is conducted to examine online reporting practices of Jordanian listed companies. The explanatory analysis relies on logistic, ranked and normal scores ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses and identifies ten explanatory variables that may affect the existence and level of web-based IR disclosure; company size, profitability, government ownership, institutional ownership, number of shareholders, growth prospects, age, industry type, auditor type, and equity need. Results reveal that the existence of web sites is positively related to company size and industry (Financials) while the extent of web-based IR disclosure is significantly positively related to size, governmental ownership, institutional ownership, number of shareholders, and industrial type (Financials); however, it is negatively related to company age.

This study investigates the relationship between private family control (excluding state and royal) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance among publicly listed firms in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), focusing specifically on the moderating role of firm age. Employing multivariate POLS regression analysis on data from 2016 to 2021 and controlling for established firm-specific variables, we find a robust negative association between private family control and ESG performance, consistent with Socioemotional Wealth (SEW) perspectives where family-centric goals may override broader stakeholder interests. Critically, our results demonstrate that firm age significantly and positively moderates this negative relationship; the detrimental impact of family control on ESG performance attenuates considerably as family firms mature. This attenuation likely reflects the development of sophisticated governance structures, a heightened focus on long-term reputation and SEW preservation, and potential generational shifts towards sustainability values within older firms. Providing the first empirical test of this age moderation effect within the under-researched GCC context, this research extends SEW theory by highlighting the dynamic evolution of family firm sustainability engagement over the lifecycle in a non-Western setting and contributes novel insights to the accounting literature. These findings underscore the need for targeted policies and interventions to foster ESG adoption, particularly among younger private family firms in the GCC, offering valuable insights for regulators, investors, family business owners, and practitioners aiming to foster responsible sustainability practices.