Centre of Excellence in Accounting and Reporting for Co-operatives (CEARC)

CEARC was formed in 2007 and is located in the management department of Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Centre's work is overseen by a Board of Directors, with an Executive Director managing the day to day work of CEARC. An advisory board directs the research goals and oversees the use of resources.

The Centre's research work is a collaborative effort and includes partnering with other researchers and universities on particular projects. One example is the Centres involvement in an international research project looking at the issue of classification of co-operative member's shares as equity or liabilities and in particular in identifying the characteristics and economic behaviour of co-operative member shares. A major project being undertaken by CEARC over the next three years is the development of a draft voluntary international Statement of Recommended Practice (iSORP) for Accounting and Reporting by Co-operatives.

The CEARC approach to research is one aimed at improving communication and discourse between researchers and practitioners. The dissemination of papers, encouragement of comment and suggestions from the co-operators and accountants, and reconsideration of papers and proposals following analysis, forms an integral part of the process of researching and developing understanding of co-operative accounting.

CEARC is sponsored by:

Saint Mary's University
Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
The Co-operators, Midcounties Co-operative (UK)
Co-operative Branch – Service Nova Scotia
Co-operative Housing Federation
United Farmers of Alberta
Nova Scotia Co-operative Council
Scotsburn Co-operative Dairy

Executive Director:
John Maddocks FCCA

View the CEARC Website

Reports and papers

iSORP project

Centre of Excellence in Accounting and Reporting for Co-operatives (CEARC). (2007). Towards an international statement of recommended practice (iSORP) for co-operative accounting and reporting (CEARC working paper 1). Halifax, Nova Scotia: CEARC.

Other papers and reports

Hicks, E., Maddocks, J., Robb, A., & Webb, T. (2007, October 25). Perspectives on the accounting and reporting needs of cooperatives and co-operators : a preliminary examination. Paper presented at the 1st international CIRIEC research conference on the social economy, Victoria, British Columbia.

Hicks, E., Maddocks, J., Robb, A., & Webb, T. (2007). Co-operative accountability and identity: An examination of reporting practices of Nova Scotia co-operatives. Journal of Co-operative Studies, 40 (2), 4-16.

Lopez-Espinosa, G., Maddocks, J., Polo-Garrido, F. (2007, September 14). Equity-Liabilities Distinction: the Case for Co-operatives. Paper presented to IAAER workshop, as first deliverable of the IAAER/KPMG project: Distinguishing Liability from Equity in Co-operative Entities, London, England.

Hicks, E., Maddocks, J., Robb, A., & Webb, T. (2007, June 2). Accounting for the co-operative difference: An exploration of financial reporting for co-operatives. Paper presented at the Canadian Academic Accounting Association conference, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Hicks, E., Maddocks, J., Robb, A., & Webb, T. (2007, May 29). Co-operative identity in financial reporting: Developing the co-operative accounting framework. Paper presented at the Co-operatives and Innovation: Influencing the Social Economy Conference, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.