Meeting user information needs: The impact of major changes in FASB and GASB standards on financial reporting by colleges and universities

This longitudinal study reports the impact of changes in generally accepted accounting principles on financial statement disclosures for 100 public and private institutions of higher education. Disclosures from the period when all colleges and universities followed the same accounting standards are compared with disclosures in periods after major changes in accounting and reporting standards were made by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) for private institutions and by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) for public institutions. We find that an importance-weighted disclosure index shows that user needs are better met using the new reporting standards for public but not private institutions. An expanded unweighted index, however, shows improvement for both public and private colleges and universities. Using this disclosure index, the improvement for universities reporting under GASB standards exceeded the improvement for those reporting under FASB standards.     

国际公共部门会计准则体系研究

国际公共部门会计准则（IPSAS）是全球政府会计准则的标杆。本文就国际公共部门会计准则（IP—SAS）的制定程序、制定团队、现有IPSAS的内容、国际公共部门会计准则理事会（IPsAsB）的未来战略和工作计划、IPSAS的未来布局及发展趋势等一系列问题进行概括与分析,以冀为我国的政府会计准则研究提供启发与借鉴。     

Harmonization and the Conceptual Framework: An International Perspective

The release of CLERP 9 (Commonwealth of Australia, 2002) requires the Financial Reporting Council and the Australian Accounting Standards Board to adopt International Accounting Standards (IAS) en bloc as domestic reporting standards by 1 January 2005. This article considers the current and future role and direction of the conceptual framework (CF) under the CLERP proposals and a potential IAS reporting environment after January 2005. It is argued that Australia, which has been a major innovator on CF issues, may suffer a major setback if the International Accounting Standards Board's CF is adopted in January 2005. Furthermore, while the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has been aggressively pursuing a set of global accounting standards, it remains unclear whether the IASB will, or can, develop an internationally relevant and generally accepted CF which can guide the development of a globally compatible set of accounting standards.     

GFC or KFC?: How Standard Setters Were Battered and Fried

The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has exposed the fragility of both the alleged independence of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and their agreement to work together on major projects such as accounting for financial instruments. This paper outlines the events that have dogged the IASB and FASB in their attempts to respond to the GFC and explores the implications of the recent political pressures on accounting standard setting for the likelihood of ultimately achieving one global set of accounting standards.     

Understanding participation in accounting standard-setting: the case of AASB ED 192 Revised Differential Reporting Framework

This paper explores the motives of participants in the standard-setting process, based on the premise that standard-setters strive for standards that are useful for decision-making by a wide range of financial statement users. Our setting is the development of a contentious but contained Australian accounting standard, Reduced Disclosure Requirements. A consultative process initiated by the Australian Accounting Standards Board to create a specific Australian accounting standard for differential reporting provided an opportunity for interested parties to participate. We analyse the motives of participants through semi-structured interviews with members of the Australian Accounting Standards Board and comment letter writers who responded to the relevant exposure draft. Our findings identify participants’ economic and political motivations and question the ability of the current standard-setting process to extract decision-making requirements from a wide range of users of financial statements and to reflect these in financial reporting standards. We find that the perspectives gathered are homogenised and that the process privileges the voices of powerful elites.     

The Conceptual Framework as a Coherent System for the Development of Accounting Standards

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) visualized a conceptual accounting framework as a 'coherent system of interrelated objectives and fundamentals that can lead to consistent standards that prescribes the nature, function, and limits of financial accounting and financial statements' (FASB, 1976). To Australian standard setters, the primary purpose of the conceptual framework (CF) was only to be used as a 'guide' in developing and reviewing accounting standards (AASB, 1995, para. 5). The International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) diminished the role of a conceptual framework even further by openly acknowledging that some standards are inconsistent with the guidelines offered by the framework (IASC, 1989 para. 12). Even though the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) supposedly pursues a policy of harmonization of conceptual frameworks and accounting standards, there are also acknowledged inconsistencies in the conceptual frameworks of the IASC.
The aim of this article is to assess the coherence of the Australian (and IASC) conceptual framework. This analysis identifies confusion in drafting or construction of the conceptual framework, internal inconsistencies, and inconsistency with the legal framework within which business entities operate. Accordingly it is suggested that the adoption of a conceptual framework will not lead to consistent accounting standards, and inevitably the conceptual framework will lack credibility so long as it is inconsistent with legislation.     

Perceptions of accounting professionals in the adoption and implementation of a single set of global accounting standards: Evidence from Bahrain

In the quest for a single set of global accounting standards, the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB) continues to work with regulators in other countries toward adoption of IFRS. This study reports on an exploratory study of Bahrain's accounting and auditing professionals' perceptions about important issues relevant to developing and implementing global accounting standards. Bahrain is a financial hub of the Middle East with distinct features that could provide some insights to harmonization issues. The respondents' views portray optimism by auditors and non-auditors that harmonization of accounting standards is a worthwhile objective that can be fairly, but gradually accomplished. However, the survey data indicate expected challenges in applying the IFRS principles-based accounting standards. The survey findings suggest that there will be a growing demand for detailed application guidance for IFRS. Also, it appears that nationalism may well continue to be a major impediment to global adoption of IFRS.     

The IASB and FASB convergence process and the need for ‘concept-based’ accounting teaching

The increasing globalization of the U.S. economy drives interest in international accounting standards. In this respect, the convergence process between the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) targets the completion of several major projects by 2011. The importance of the projects under consideration as well as the lack of conclusive theoretical solutions around them suggests that the target of a “common set” of accounting standards will be replaced in the short-medium term by a de facto situation of a “slightly different set” of accounting standards. In this paper, we draw on best available practices to make a specific proposal for the introduction of IFRS into the curriculum of institutions of higher learning in the U.S. Our proposal is driven by the idea that accounting education should move from teaching ever temporary rules to emphasize the economic and strategic underpinnings of accounting transactions.     

Monopoly versus Competition in Setting Accounting Standards

Financial accounting standards are set by organizations granted a significant degree of monopoly power by various governments. While there has been considerable debate on the merits of national (e.g., US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)) versus international (International Accounting Standards Board (IASB)) monopolies, little attention has been paid to the merits of using competing standard‐setting organizations (SSOs) for setting accounting standards. We compare the standard‐setting processes of the FASB/IASB to the processes of four technology‐oriented SSOs to assess the role of competition. We also provide a case study of monopoly and competitive standards in telephony. Both telephony and accounting yield some gains from coordination, and similar arguments are used (under the labels of comparability and consistency of accounting) in debates about granting a monopoly to their respective SSOs. Our results show that a group of volunteers competing with the government‐sanctioned monopoly of International Telecommunications Union transformed the telephone industry. Thanks to this standards competition, we enjoy free video internet calling and massive cost savings. Implications for accounting standard setting are discussed.     

国际公共部门会计准则的回顾、基本框架及其启示

本文通过回顾国际公共部门会计准则 (IPSASs) 的发展史, 从公共部门财务报告的目标、会计核算基础、会计要素的分类、定义、确认和计量, 以及财务报表的列报等方面, 简要地介绍了国际公共部门会计准则的基本框架及其对我国开展公共部门会计改革和会计标准制定的启示。     

Over-Complexity in Accounting Standards and the Emerging Duopoly of US GAAP AND IFRS

US accounting regulation has been criticised for maintaining an over-complex "rules-based" approach, cited as the partial cause of significant failures in corporate governance. US regulators state that they are now on a pathway to a more "principles-based" approach, but the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) claims superiority in this approach already. The recent efforts of the US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and IASB are examined to see if either claim is clearly supportable. As these authorities appear to be in the process of creating a world accounting standard-setting duopoly, unresolved problems involving over-complexity are likely to be transported to other countries, including Australia.     

The Pivotal Role Of Accounting Concepts In The Development Of Public Sector Accounting Standards

Perhaps the most important decision made by the Public Sector Accounting Standards Board was taken soon after it was formed in 1983. That decision was to adopt a conceptual approach to the development of public-sector accounting standards. This paper explores the implications for the reform of public-sector financial reporting practices in Australia.     

Emission rights: From costless activity to market operations

This paper examines the issues surrounding the aborted attempt by the International Accounting Standards Board in early 2005 to regulate the accounting for the European Union’s new Emissions Trading Scheme under the Kyoto Protocol. The paper argues that the features that made the trading scheme attractive to governments were precisely the ones that created difficulties for accountants to capture under existing standards. After showing why the challenge has to be faced, the paper suggests a possible way forward that the IASB might consider when it revisits the subject, as it is expected to do in the near future.     

会计准则国际发展的利益关系分析

本文从会计准则的经济后果出发 ,讨论了会计准则制定的政治化问题 ,并以此为基础对会计准则国际发展的利益关系进行了探讨。文章探讨了国际会计准则委员会改组后的准则立项所涉及的利益关系 ,分析了欧盟、美国和澳大利亚等国采纳国际会计准则的利益所在 ,论证了会计准则的国际发展过程的政治化程序的必然性 ,指出了建设中的国际会计准则体系将主要是发达国家利益争斗的结果。本文对我国的会计准则发展战略、分析和利用国际层面的会计信息将有所裨益。     

A theory of the corporate decision to resist FASB standards: An organization theory perspective

This paper develops a theoretical framework that specifies the conditions under which corporations are likely to resist financial reporting standards proposed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Determinants of corporate resistance to FASB standards are identified at three levels of analysis: the standard, the corporation, and the corporation’s industry. Propositions are formulated summarizing the effects of the determinants at these three levels, and guidelines are suggested for testing the propositions. Implications for the theory and the practice of accounting regulation are also discussed. The overall goal of the paper is to enhance our understanding of the drivers of corporate resistance to FASB standards, so that accounting regulators can manage the implementation of accounting standards more effectively.     

The First Quarter Century of the GASB (1984–2009): A Perspective on Standard Setting (Part Two)

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (hereafter GASB or Board) was established in April 1984 as the authoritative accounting standard‐setting body for state and local governmental entities in the United States. There are over 87,000 state and local entities in the country and for the most part these entities are required to comply with the generally accepted accounting principles established by the GASB; hence, the standards promulgated by the GASB are significant. On 30 June 2009, the GASB completed its twenty‐fifth year of standard setting. Because of the Board's influence and the importance of its mission, an increased understanding of the GASB and its accomplishments during its first 25 years of existence is important. This is the second of two papers which together provide a complete sequential treatment of the GASB's operational history through the end of its first quarter century. The first part provided an historical perspective about municipal accounting issues from colonial times to 2009 and included appendix materials identifying the composition of the Board and biographical material on key personnel. The first paper concluded with a review of the relationship of other governmental standard setting bodies at the Federal and the International level. This paper provides an overview of the future challenges faced by the Board and supplies a digest of the standards including appendix and a synoptic summary of the standards the Board has promulgated by topic and by standard number.     

会计改革与会计信息质量——来自中国证券市场的经验证据

本文以股份公司会计制度改革为例 ,从会计改革的目标出发 ,运用会计信息的市场反应 ,分别从信息观和计量观的角度 ,就会计信息的质量进行定量研究 ,对其改革效果做出实证性的评价 ,籍此观察《企业会计制度》改革的合理性。研究表明会计信息质量的提高不仅有赖于会计改革建立高质量的会计准则 ,而且离不开执行机制的改革提供有效的准则执行支撑系统。《企业会计制度》面对缺乏效率的准则执行机制 ,出台尽可能回避按“公允价值”计价的改革政策 ,无疑是考虑会计准则与经济环境的融合性而做出的明智之举     

Implications for the Conceptual Framework Arising From Accounting for Financial Instruments

This article describes some of the issues faced by standard setters in developing guidance on accounting for financial instruments and the implications these issues have for the conceptual framework (CF). The objective is to outline issues, not necessarily to resolve them, and to consider the implications they have for further developing the conceptual framework.
Given the current trend of harmonization and convergence of accounting practice towards international standards, it seems reasonable to assume that any policy implications will be most relevant to the CF inherited by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). ¹ Unless otherwise stated, references will be made to International Accounting Standards (IAS).     

IFRS in the United States: If,When and How

This paper provides an overview of the convergence efforts of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board. It begins with their 2002 Memorandum of Understanding and traces developments up to the December 2011 announcement by the IASB Chair that convergence has come to a close, and it is now time to incorporate IFRS into the US financial reporting system. The paper then assesses approaches being considered by the SEC for incorporating IFRS into the US financial reporting model. The conclusion calls on the SEC to ‘make a decision’ and set a date for US adoption of IFRS. Otherwise, the SEC effectively will have abandoned its goal of a single set of high quality global accounting standards.     

Australia's ASRB. A Case Study of Political Activity and Regulatory ‘Capture’

The establishment of an Accounting Standards Review Board (ASRB) in Australia followed proposals for greater government and community involvement in the development of accounting rules, and concern about the low level of compliance with the accountancy profession's standards. The profession had opposed proposals for a review board. The Ministerial Council for Companies and Securities overrode these objections, yet avoided giving any formal authority to the ASRB. In this environment the way was left open for renewed opposition to arrangements which had reduced the profession's capacity to control the standard-setting process. The newly-formed ASRB was vulnerable if it was unproductive—and it encountered delays and difficulties in receiving and processing submissions from the profession. The Board lacked the authority (and the will) to enforce its priorities. After two years the Board abandoned earlier efforts to secure wider community participation in its activities, and announced ‘fast track’ procedures which were to be applied only to those standards which the profession chose to submit for review.

This history suggests that the ASRB had been ‘captured’ by interest groups that it had been established to regulate. The history also casts doubts on claims that the political processes adopted in Australia for the development of accounting rules are consistent with notions of ‘pluralism’; rather, those arrangements seem closer to the form of interest-group politics labelled ‘neo-corporatism’.