Jack Stecher, PhD
Contact
Associate Professor, Alberta School of Business - Department of Accounting and Business Analytics
- stecher@ualberta.ca
Overview
About
I have a PhD from University of Minnesota and a bachelor's degree from University of Pennsylvania. Before coming to University of Alberta, I was at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and at NHH in Bergen, Norway. In addition to my work in academe, I have over a decade of experience in industry.
Research
My research is primarily focused on the effects of information and disclosure on capital markets and on private debt, with additional interests in more general questions related to decision making under risk and uncertainty. My research collaborations span numerous academic disciplines, including grants received related to finance and to cognitive neuroscience. I have published in top accounting and business journals, and also in economics, operations research, computer science, and analytical philosophy.
Teaching
My overall teaching philosophy is to focus on the connection between accounting and other core and functional disciplines. I emphasize to my students the interdisciplinary aspects of learning, connecting my classes to what the students cover in the rest of their overall program. Students should see financial accounting as essential for understanding finance and financial economics. Similarly, when I have taught managerial accounting, I have stressed connections to operations, as well as links between cost measurement issues and financial reporting issues. Through learning the details of how accounting works (and it by nature involves details) in part of a broader context of the students’ overall coursework, the students develop an appreciation for and interest in the subject.
Courses
ACCTG 314 - Intermediate Financial Accounting I
First of two courses covering principles, methods and applications of current and proposed Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Emphasizes accounting for operating and investment assets, and related income measurement and disclosure. Prerequisites: ACCTG 211 or 311 and ACCTG 222 or 322. Not open to students with credit in ACCTG 312 or 412. There is a consolidated exam for ACCTG 314. Students may not receive credit for both ACCTG 314 and ACCTG 414.
ACCTG 432 - Financial Statement Analysis
This course focuses on developing student understanding of the information in financial reports and how it relates to the intrinsic values of debt and equity securities, with an emphasis on equity. Additional topics may include using financial statements to learn about a firm's operations, valuing distressed companies, evaluating statements from not-for-profit organizations, and analyzing business combinations and divestitures, depending on instructor and student interests. Course materials will typically include the main financial statements of publicly traded companies. Corequisites: ACCTG 412 or 415.
ACCTG 630 - Financial Statement Analysis
Develops students' competence in analyzing financial statements and using financial information to make investment decisions, both equity and debt. The primary thrust of the course is aimed at equity investments. Students learn a five step process of analysis for equity investments: (1) An examination of the firm's industry, markets and strategy, (2) An evaluation of the firm's accounting policies and their impact on the financial reports, (3) Applying fundamental analysis to assess financial strengths and weaknesses, (4) Forecasting future earnings and cash flows, and (5) Applying valuation models to assess the current price. A comparable process for lending decisions is then developed. Prerequisite: ACCTG 501. Corequisite: FIN 501 or 503.
Scholarly Activities
Other - Academic Advisory Committee Member, Accounting Standards Board
20190201 to 20220131
Acacemic Advisory Committee, AcSB
Other - Coordinating Editor, Theory and Decision
Started: 2019
Journal homepageOther - Editorial Board Member, Advances in Accounting
Started: 2019
Journal homepageOther - External Member, Executive Committee, Institute for Public Economics
Started: 2018
Institute for Public EconomicsFeatured Publications
Simon Grant, Patricia Rich, and Jack Stecher
Journal of Economic Theory. 2022 January; 199
Simon Grant, Patricia Rich, and Jack Stecher
Theory and Decision. 2020 October; 90 (3-4):309-320
Elif Incekara-Hafalir, Eungsik Kim, and Jack D Stecher
Experimental Economics. 2020 September; 24 (3):751-771 10.1007/s10683-020-09678-4
Michael Ebert, Dirk Simons, Jack D. Stecher
The Accounting Review. 2017 January; 92 (1):73-91
Jack Douglas Stecher, Mark van Atten
Annals of Operations Research. 2015 January; 225 (1):161-171
Jack Stecher, Jeroen Suijs
Journal of Accounting and Public Policy. 2012 January; 31 (4):341-355
Jack Douglas Stecher
Synthese. 2011 January; 181 (Supplement 1):49-63
John Dickhaut, Radhika Lunawat, Kira Pronin, Jack Stecher
Economic Theory. 2011 January; 48 (2-3):275-288
Jack Stecher, Timothy Shields, John Dickhaut
Management Science. 2011 January; 57 (4):705-712
Jack Douglas Stecher
Social Choice and Welfare. 2008 January; 30 (1):43-56