Background

Ekaete joined Newcastle University, London in 2016 as Lecturer in Accounting & Finance and Degree Programme Director for BSc Accounting & Finance. Her major research interest is in corporate financial reporting. She looks at the use and interpretation of financial reporting narratives. Her research models investigate appropriate tools for analysing the textual complexity of narrative disclosures and its practical application in decision making. Ekaete gained extensive knowledge in textual data analysis (Programming language used: PERL) through her Doctoral studies and focused her research on company annual reports.

Ekaete’s academic career started in 2008 at Leeds University as a Post Graduate Researcher (PGR) and teaching associate, where she delivered financial accounting, management accounting and corporate finance modules. Prior to this, she delivered accounting services as a graduate accountant between 2002 and 2008, including working at the tax division of the government’s department of commerce and industry. She joined Keele University in 2014 as a lecturer in accounting. Ekaete led the delivery of financial accounting, management accounting and corporate analysis modules at Keele University. She also led the delivery of the External Research Seminar Series and was the Study Abroad Coordinator.

Ekaete has performed many principal roles in Newcastle University. Roles she has served in include, Education Enhancement Lead, Accounting and Finance Board of Studies and Board of Examiners London Representative, Admissions Selector, EQUIS/AACSB Panel Member, Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs) Degree Programme Accreditations Coordinator. She also serves in the steering committee of Newcastle University Race Equality Network (NU-REN) and worked on feedback to the University management team as a delegate of the Inclusive Futures Leadership program.

In 2021, Ekaete was awarded Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in recognition of her outstanding contributions to higher education. Ekaete is a qualified accountant and a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). She holds a PhD in Accounting & Finance from the University of Leeds, an MA in Accounting & Finance and a BSc in Accounting. She is a member of several strategic research committees/units including the European Accounting Association (EAA) Virtual Activities Committee, the EAA Academic Empathy Dialogue Organising Committee and the Strategic and Emerging Technology Section of the American Accounting Association.

Research

I have research interests in accounting, particularly regarding narrative reporting in financial accounting and the associated decision making in capital markets. More specifically regarding the former, I am interested in the use and interpretation of financial reporting narratives and in understanding the role of the level of complexity of these narratives during this process. My specific interest in the later is in modelling the tensions developed in the functioning of capital markets given communication using complex narratives. My research models investigate appropriate tools for analysing the textual complexity of financial reporting narrative disclosures and its practical application for everyday decision making.

Examining the effects of the Acquirer Transparency on the Emerging-Market Multinationals foreign acquisitions. Co-authored by Nicholson, R. University Essex.

Summary

In this study, we query whether transparency of Emerging-Market Multinationals Enterprise (EMNE) acquirers matters in their foreign acquisition? We examine the outcome in terms three aspects of their foreign acquisition, namely, shares acquired during the deal, shared owned after the completion of the transaction, and deal value. In order to study the impact of transparency on deal outcomes, we use data on 168 deals conducted by the Indian

and Chinese firms between 2010-2016. We find that transparency matters for EMNEs’ deal outcomes. Less transparent firms acquire less shares during their foreign acquisitions as well as own less shares in their target firms after the acquisition. Similarly, less transparent firms engage in lower value deals in their cross-border acquisitions. We contribute to the literature on LOF and legitimacy building. We observe that EMNEs can build legitimacy via transparency.

Disclosure Attributes, IFRS and Business Acquisitions: Evidence from EMNE Foreign Acquisitions. Co-authored by Nicholson, R. University Essex.

Summary

The research question is: Does the adoption of IFRS in the target nation change (increase/decrease) the disclosure attributes (readability) of the acquirer narrative report? The dependent variable is annual report readability and other textual attributes of disclosure. The independent variable is target nation IFRS adoption status. We estimate the effect of IFRS regs in host country for the domestic firms on disclosure using a difference-in-difference approach in which firms that acquire target firms where IFRS regime exist comprise our treatment group and firms where IFRS regs in host country for the domestic firms does not exist comprise our control group. The control group being firms that acquire target firms where IFRS regime does not exist.

The Use of Corporate Narratives for Investment Decisions.

https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/ekaeteefretuei/2021/02/16/corporate-jargon/

Corporate narrative complexity defined as the use of jargons in business narratives has an economic impact on businesses through increased cost in the consumption of business reports and reduced investment. Industry research findings show that ‘Corporate reports are inaccessible for non-expert audiences, including the language used, format and length of annual reports specifically’ (FRC, 2020). This project aims to investigates how narrative complexity interacts with investment decisions. It looks to involve research assistants in the University on the validation of textual data. This enables its contribution to developing graduate attributes.

The Knowledge Production Process and Annual Report Readability Research

This study examines the knowledge production process in the accounting research academic discipline, using annual report readability (ARR) research as illustrative evidence. A conceptual framework is developed by synthesizing the social influence pressure method of analysis (Milgram 1974) and Whitley’s (2000) theory of ‘mutual dependence’ and ‘task uncertainty’. ARR research appears to have advanced by supporting a neoclassical economics-inspired narrative. This study contributes to the accounting research literature by using the observed evidence in ARR research to support the widely studied hypothesis that knowledge production is socially constructed. The hypothesis has been widely debated, but with limited illustrative evidence. The study looks to involve international collaboration, it was presented at a research visit to the Schulich school of business.

Internationalisation award and Research visit to Schulich School of Business, March 2020.

Teaching

Undergraduate Teaching

Dr Efretuei has considerable experience teaching financial accounting across all undergraduate levels. She has also taught and led modules in management accounting and taxation. Her recent modules are:

LAC2005 Intermediate Financial Accounting 

LAC3001 Financial Accounting

Postgraduate Teaching

Dr Efretuei has considerable experience teaching accounting modules at the postgraduate level. She has also taught and led modules in corporate finance and financial analysis. Her recent modules are:

Module leader for:

NBS8006 Accounting for Analyst