University of Glamorgan

Prof Hugh Coombs

Professor of Accounting and Head of Department of Accounting Finance and Information Management
Business School

Tel 00 44 (0)1443 482997
Room: H339

Qualifications

B.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D., CPFA (Hons Final), ILTM

About

Main Teaching Areas

Financial reporting (professional accounting courses), management accounting and public sector financial management (undergraduate and post graduate).

Research

Research Interests

International public sector financial reporting, accounting history (public sector), management accounting.

Current Research Activity

Local government financial reporting, accounting history and accounting education.

Selected Publications

Edwards, J.R., Coombs, H., and Greener, H. (2002). British Central Government and “the mercantile system of double entry” bookkeeping: a study of Ideological Conflict. Accounting, Organisations and Society 27(7) pp. 637-658.

Coombs, H. and Edwards, J.R. (2004). The audit of municipal corporations-the quest for professional dominance. Managerial Auditing Journal 19, (1), pp68-83.

Coombs, H., and Evans, A. (2002). Managing Central Support Costs in Local Authorities in England and Wales. Journal of Finance and Management in the Public Services, 2(1), pp9-20.

Coombs, H. (2002). The Balance of Local Authority Funding in Wales A Consultation Paper from the Welsh Assembly Government – A Response. Journal of Finance and Management in Public Services, 4(2), pp29-42.”

Service Level Agreements – An Alternative Means of Managing Central Support Costs (with A.Evans), The Governmental Accountant’s Journal,pp.54-5, Vol. 49 No.1, Spring 2000.

Local Authority Accounting – Past, Present and Future Imperfect – A Reflection, Editorial, The Journal of Finance and Management in Public services, Vol. 2 No. 2, 2002, 9-13.

Accounting for Local Authority Pension Funds, ACCA Student Accountant, October 2002, 30-33.

Public Sector Financial Management, 2002 (with D.E.Jenkins), Thompson International Publishing, 3rd edition, London.

Service Level Agreements – An Alternative Means of Managing Central Support Costs (with A.Evans), The Governmental Accountant’s Journal, Vol. 49, No 1, pp 54- 59, 2000.

Managing Central Support Costs in Local Authorities in England and Wales (with A.Evans), The Journal of Finance and Management in Public Services, 2002 Vol. 2 Number 1, pp. 9-20.

Local Authority Accounting Past Present and Future – A reflection, Editorial The Journal of Finance and Management in Public Services, 2002 Vol. 2 Number 2, pp. 7-13.

A response to the Welsh Assembly’s consultation paper on financing local government, Journal of Finance and Management in Public Services 2004, Vol. 4 No.2, 29-42.

Management Accounting Principles and Practice, 2005 (with D.Hobbs and D.E.Jenkins), Sage, London.

External representation

Chair Cadwyn Housing Association and board member 1995 to 2005.

Independent Member of the Distribution Sub Group on the Revenue Support Grant of the Welsh Assembly and Welsh Local Government Association.

External Examiner University of Portsmouth and University of Durham.

Editorial Board member International Journal of Accounting and Corporate Governance. Managing Editor Journal of Management and Finance in the Public Services (since 2005).

Consultancy

Various public sector financial management activities. Examples include a knowledge transfer partnership scheme and the area of performance measurement.