2011 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

A study on the role of record-keeping and raw accounting records for the decision making in the business

Research Project

Project/Area Number	20730299
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Accounting
Research Institution	Kobe University
Principal Investigator	SHIMIZU Yasuhiro 神戸大学, 大学院・経営学研究科, 准教授 (80324903)
Project Period (FY)	2008 – 2011
Keywords	財務会計 / 会計史 / 簿記 / 関東大震災
Research Abstract	This study focus on the role of accounting records on the managerial decisions, using actual records and surrounding historical materials. We used the historical materials of Kanematsu before the WW II, which was engaged in the trading business. Kanematsu had a very elaborate accounting procedure, submitting all accounting records and vouchers to main office in Kobe and prepared trial balances every ten days. Though that procedure was seemed complicated, Kanematsu continued it because it was a part of reason why Kanematsu had survived the economic turbulence just after the WW I and the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923. Historical accounting records also made it clear that the profitability of the main import, wool, to large manufacturing companies was declining and Kanematsu took a policy to import wool on its own risk and that policy was very successful.