This paper examines the development of a new form of accounting system which was introduced at the Monastery of Guadalupe around 1597. Increasing financial pressure on those charged with the management of the economic activities of the Monastery necessitated the development of an accounting system which would enable decision making. The system that was introduced led to the production of documents known as 'Hojas de Ganado', or 'Livestock Sheets'. The nature of the information contained in these sheets suggests a move away from the traditional form of cash accounting, prevalent at the time, towards a more modern system of accounting which enabled the Monastery's management to make decisions, on the basis of profit figures, as to the best way to manage its lands and economic operations.Monastery Of Guadalupe, Decision Making,

The lack of external regulation about the form and substance of the financial statements that railroad companies had to report during the implementation phase of the Spanish railway, meant that each company developed its own accounting model. In this study we have described, analysed and interpreted the more relevant changes in the accounting information in relation to the business result. Using the analysis of an historical case, we developed an ad-hoc research tool, for recording all the changes of the operating account. The results of the study prove that MZA's operating account reflected the particularities of the railway business although subject to limitations, and the reported information improved during the study period in terms of relevance and reliability. RESUMENLa falta de regulación externa de la forma y fondo de los estados financieros que debían reportar las compañías ferroviarias durante la fase de implantación del ferrocarril español, hizo que cada ferroviaria desarrollase su propio modelo contable. En este trabajo hemos descrito, analizado e interpretado los cambios más relevantes de la información contable reportada sobre el resultado del negocio. Utilizando el análisis del caso histórico, desarrollamos una herramienta de investigación ad-hoc, para recopilar todos los cambios de la cuenta de explotación. Los resultados del estudio demuestran que la cuenta de explotación de MZA reflejó las particularidades del negocio ferroviario aunque sujeto a limitaciones, y la información reportada mejoró en términos de relevancia y fiabilidad a lo largo del periodo de análisis.