Phyllis Alexander

Dr Phyllis Alexander

  • Associate Professor in Accounting and Tax
  • DH201,
UN SDGs:
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Biography

Dr Phyllis Alexander is an Associate Professor in Accounting and Taxation within BU's Business School. She joined the Accounting, Finance and Economics Department in 2007 following a successful twenty-year career as a US Certified Public Accountant.

Phyllis received her doctorate from Bournemouth University in 2013 and has since built a research profile that comprises tax and financial literacy, tax morale, environmental reporting and taxation, financial management and innovative pedagogy in accounting, tax and sustainability. Her doctoral students are researching in financial distress, corporate governance, audit, non-financial disclosure and financial performance.

Phyllis' teaching style is active, problem-based, and collaborative and her assessment strategies encourage the development of professional competencies and the application of technical knowledge, thus enhancing the student learning experience and facilitating early-career readiness. Phyllis actively engages students in extra-curricula opportunities, including annual transnational intensive study programmes...

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Research

Phyllis' research into tax literacy and tax morale began with a a report commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) and has since resulted in publications in practitioner and academic journals. Two current research collaborations are underway: one is analysing the data from a cross-country survey, focusing on personality traits and other determinants on tax morale; the second is undertaking cross-country research into university students’ financial management behaviour and anxiety.

Smart Teaching in Accounting and Meeting Place -online (STAMP-online), is the current AFECA project funded by ERASMUS+. Accountancy in the digital era necessitates innovative and transformative education, research and practice. Research recognises the risks to the accounting profession, and suggestions are that technological knowledge be integrated in the curricula and adapted to changing needs. Therefore, the aim of the current project is to create an international online environment in the digital era to re-engineer/ replace the knowledge as well as key competencies and skills that will be acquired by students and teachers to be directly useful to the international financial-accounting labor market. In order to achieve the aim, two specific objectives are outlined: SO1. To redesign the relationship between scientific and practical environment by innovative activities in comprehensive research in the scope of useful application in the teaching- learning- practical environment. SO2. Restructure or replace knowledge and key competencies and skills that will be acquired by exploiting disruptive information technology in order to test and implement a custom platform that will help to support students and teachers and to promote and reward excellence in teaching and skills development. The project is in its final year, with a third Intensive Study Programme scheduled for July 2023 in Innsbruck.

A new international partnership has been formed (funded by the British Council) with a 2023 project in which a multi-media SDG13-Climate Action module will be developed to support a cross-university Community of Practice and capacity building in Education for Sustainable Development. The aim of the project is to help Higher Education (HE) providers and learners to deepen their knowledge of the climate and ecological crisis and enhance their awareness of opportunities for actions they could take for protecting and sustaining our planet. The module will also offer ideas on pedagogic practice in embedding SDG-13 in class, with examples of learning and assessment materials from different subject disciplines. The project commits to ensuring outputs targeting the aim of the Season by bringing together a team of specialists with specific subject focus (transportation, taxation, business processes and education quality assurance), long-term pedagogic experience, and commitment to effective edtech integration. This ensures that the final outputs would account for the interplay of different types of knowledge as captured by the TPACK (Technology-Pedagogy-Content Knowledge) framework, as well as the complexity and specificity of individual learning and delivery contexts. The final products are transferable to different disciplinary contexts, thus allowing the work to be used as a blueprint for embedding the rest of the 17 SDGs in education practice, as well as developed into HE staff development and/or teacher’s training programmes...

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Phyllis has been affiliated with the Association des Formations Européennes a la Comptabilité et a l’Audit (AFECA) since 2012 - a network of European academics that facilitate teaching and research collaborations and exchanges. The consortium has had three successful ERASMUS+ projects: (1) International Learning Platform in Accountancy (ILPA), completed in 2018; shortlisted for Best Project and held up as an exemplar on the EU website. (2) Designing Innovative Pedagogy for Complex Accountancy Topics (DIPCAT), led by Phyllis and completed in 2021 with excellent feedback and impact; (3) Smart Teaching in Accounting and Meeting Place -online (STAMP-online), due to complete in December 2023 with the third and final student mobility event in July.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person's work contributes towards the following SDGs:

Quality education

"Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all"

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Reduced inequalities

"Reduce inequality within and among countries"

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Sustainable cities and communities

"Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable"

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Peace, justice and strong institutions

"Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels"

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Journal Articles

Chapters

  • Alexander, P., 2016. Owner Occupied Housing Taxation: A Vertical Equity Evaluation of the UK and US Tax Systems. In Salter and Oats ed Contemporary Issues in Tax Research. In: Oats, L. and Salter, N., eds. Contemporary Issues in Tax Research (Volume 2). Birmingham: Fiscal Publications.

Conferences

  • Alexander, P., Balavac, M. and Mukherjee, S., 2022. Understanding of Tax Awareness, Tax Literacy and Tax Morale in Young People. In: 29th Annual Tax Research Network Conference 4-5 September 2018 Birmingham.
  • Alexander, P., 2018. Owner Occupied Housing Taxation: An Equity Evaluation of the UK and US Tax Systems. In: Society for Legal Scholars Conference 3-5 September 2007 Durham.
  • Mccarthy, D., 2017. Caring companies and their caring employees: an examination of the relationship between PSM and CSR. In: International Research Society For Public Management (IRSPM) Conference 1-3 April 2014 Birmingham.
  • Alexander, P., 2016. Owner Occupied Housing Taxation: Challenging Conventional Wisdoms. In: Society for Legal Scholars Conference 2-4 September 2013 Edinburgh.
  • Alexander, P., 2016. Owner Occupied Housing Taxation: an Extension of a Classical Structural Measure of Vertical Equity. In: Tax Research Network Conference 4-6 September 2013 Exeter.
  • Hansford, A. and Alexander, P., 2010. Building Bridges based on equity: an international study of the taxation of housing. In: 9th International Tax Administration Conference: Building Bridges 7-9 April 2010 Sydney, Australia.

Reports

Theses

PhD Students

  • Joseph Chenchehene, 2018. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND FINANCIAL DISTRESS PREDICTION IN THE UK
  • Dennis Seaman, 2020. Audit committees and corporate governance
  • Jorg Hering, 2021. The Information Content of Narrative Disclosures in Financial Statements

Profile of Teaching PG

  • Advanced Accounting and Financial Analysis, 2017 to 2019
  • International Taxation, 2017 to present
  • International Accounting and Analysis, 2009 through 2017
  • Accounting and Financial Management, 2014 through 2017

Profile of Teaching UG

  • Law of Personal Tax II (Level 7), 2013 - 2021
  • Business Tax Planning (Level 5), 2007 through 2013
  • International Taxation (Level 7), 2017 to present
  • Introduction to Accounting (Level 4), 2009 through 2013
  • Taxation: Economics and Policy (Level 6) 2018 to 2021
  • Public Finance and Policy (level 6) since 2022
  • Contemporary Issues in Accounting and Finance Research

Grants

  • Developing a multi-media SDG13-Climate Action module to support a cross-university Community of Practice and capacity building in Education for Sustainable Development (British Council, 01 Dec 2022). Awarded
  • STAMP-ONLINE (Erasmus+, 01 Oct 2021). In Progress
  • Designing Innovative Pedagogy for Complex Accountancy Topics (Erasmus+, 01 Sep 2018). Completed
  • Tax Literacy: Improving Tax Compliance (Chartered Institute of Taxation, 01 Jul 2016). Completed
  • International Learning Platform in Accountancy (ERASMUS+, 01 Jul 2016). Completed

Internal Responsibilities

Conference Presentations

  • Tax Research Network Annual Conference, Showcasing Project DIPCAT - Designing Innovative Pedagogy for Complex Accounting Topics, 10 Sep 2021, Aston University, Birmingham
  • XVII CiCA Conference: Accounting in the Digital Era, International Taxation in the Digital Era, 07 Nov 2019, Instituto Politecnico du Porto in Portugal
  • Tax Research Network: Education Day, Further Improving the Tax Awareness, Tax literacy and Tax Morale in Young People, 11 Sep 2019, University of Central Lancaster, Preston
  • Tax Research Network Annual Conference (2019), Tax Morale: Fairness and Framing, 09 Sep 2019, University of Central Lancaster, Preston
  • International Research Society For Public Management (IRSPM), Caring companies and their caring employees: an examination of the relationship between PSM and CSR, 01 Apr 2016, Birmingham
  • Tax Administration Conference, Building Bridges Based on Equity: An International Study of the Taxation on Housing, 01 Apr 2014, Sydney
  • Tax Research Network Conference, Owner Occupied Housing Taxation: an Extension of a Classical Structural Measure of Vertical Equity, 04 Sep 2013, Exeter
  • Society for Legal Scholars Conference, Owner Occupied Housing Taxation: Challenging Conventional Wisdoms, 02 Sep 2013, Edinburgh
  • Society for Legal Scholars Conference, Owner Occupied Housing Taxation: An Equity Evaluation of the UK and US Tax Systems, 03 Sep 2007, Durham

Qualifications

  • PhD in Taxation (Bournemouth University, 2013)
  • MA in Taxation (Bournemouth University, 2007)
  • BA (Hons) in Accounting and Business Administration (Susquehanna University, 1987)

Memberships

  • Tax Research Network, LTD, Member (2021-), http://taxresearch.network/
  • Higher Education Academy, Senior Fellow (2016-),
  • Association des Formations Européennes a la Comptabilité et a l’Audit (AFECA, Member (2015-),
  • Chartered Management Institute, Fellow (2015-),
  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Member,
  • New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants, Member,