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Normative Acc Theory-2
Normative Acc Theory-2
Normative theories are those that seek to inform you of what should
be normal, acceptable or best practice. They are not at all concerned
about what is currently happening, or in predicting what will happen in
the future. All normative theories are concerned with is what should be
happening now.
The conceptual framework, with its resulting accounting standards, is
an example of a normative theory. It prescribes what financial
accountants should or must do.
This might sound simplistic, but it is not! Normative theories often involve
complex logic and reasoning, based on extensive historical research.
Is it valid to claim that what has worked in the past would work in the future,
or even should be done now? This is a problem with normative theorising.
Ethics Value driven: Right vs. Wrong Evidence driven, values not considered.
The following learning objective (LO 2) will take a tour through some
issues in measurement and the idea of value. You might find it
surprising that the concept of "value" is problematic to accountants,
hence many decades of research and writing on this topic.