The Effect of Religion on Accounting Conservatism

This paper investigates whether religiosity, a key informal institutional factor, strongly influences a firm’s adoption of accounting conservatism. Using a sample from the U.S. stock market, we find that firms located in geographic areas with higher levels of religiosity tend to exhibit greater accounting conservatism. Further tests show that this effect is through the channel of engaging managers in activities that emphasize firms’ long-term growth, concern stakeholder interests, and avoid the risk of litigation. Moreover, we demonstrate that it is the religious environment in an area rather than the personal religious belief of a CEO that drives our baseline results. Finally, a supplementary test suggests that religiosity increases not only the conditional (ex post) conservatism of firms but their unconditional (ex ante) conservatism as well.     

Information Consequences of Accounting Conservatism

Abstract

We study the information consequences of conservatism in accounting. Prior research shows that information asymmetries in capital markets lead to firm-level increases in conservatism. In this paper, we further argue that increases in conservatism improve the firm information environment and lead to subsequent decreases in information asymmetries between firm insiders and outsiders. We predict and test if this decrease in information asymmetries manifests itself through: (a) a decrease in the bid–ask spread and in stock-returns volatility, and (b) an improved information environment for financial analysts, leading to more precise and less dispersed forecasts, and to more analysts following the firm. Using a large US sample for the period 1977–2007 and several proxies for conservatism we find robust evidence consistent with our expectations. Our results are in line with conservatism being useful not only for debt-holders, but also for equity-holders.     

关于会计稳健问题的理论探讨

本文通过立足于会计稳健原则,引入和借鉴国外学者的研究成果,分类出有条件稳健(盈余稳健)应计项目稳健和无条件稳健(资产负债表稳健)等会计稳健,并对其来源和检验方法进行了分析,对有条件稳健和无条件稳健衡量指标检验方法之间的关系进行了探讨,同时分析了会计稳健产生的原因和经济后果,以期为后续的研究提供参考。     

上市公司会计稳健性特征研究

稳健性又称谨慎性,是会计信息质量的一个重要特征。本文对西方会计稳健性的特征进行了回顾,从稳健性的存在性、产生的动因、影响因素及其经济后果方面,对上市公司会计稳健性的特征研究了进行回顾,系统地评论了我国会计稳健性研究的最新内容,指出了会计稳健性未来研究的方向。     

会计稳健性运行机制研究

会计稳健性作为一种治理机制,其运行机制是内外部治理环境综合作用的结果。基于投资者保护的视角,从制度环境、公司治理与公司特质三个方面对国内外会计稳健性实证研究文献进行系统梳理。研究发现,单纯强调会计准则中会计稳健性的变革并不能改善会计信息的质量,会计稳健性治理机制的有效运行还需要配套的法律和执行机制。因此,我国会计准则在与国际趋同的过程中,对会计稳健性的运用要充分考虑我国特殊的制度环境,改革国内相关的制度,如法律实施环境、公司治理等。     

会计稳健性根源探析

利益相关者之间的信息不对称是会计稳健性产生的根本原因。损失函数的不对称包括契约性的和非契约性的。遭受损失的契约方会向管理当局和非契约方寻求帮助以降低其损失,准则制定机构和法律制定机构会分别制定更加稳健的会计准则以及执行严格的法律法规,从而保证处于信息劣势方不发生损失或者降低损失程度。准则以及各项法律法规在一定程度上形成了外部公司治理机制,从而产生了会计稳健性。     

From Consolidation to Segment Reporting in Local Government： Accountability Needs,Accounting Standards,and the Effect on Decision-Makers

Consolidated Financial Statements （CFSs） in the public sector represent useful financial tools to improve transparency and accountability toward internal and external users. This aggregate view is only a part of the information needed in order to give politicians, managers, employees, financial institutions, rating agencies, and citizens a whole view of a local government＇s financial performance. It emerges the need to have segment information, covering specific policy areas for which it is appropriate to separately report financial and non-financial information. This paper, after having discussed the need for accountability and decision-making in a theoretical framework, gives account of a pilot project realized by the municipality of Reggio Emilia, which introduced CFSs and segment reporting. The empirical study is based on an action research as a methodological approach to solving practical problems. Finally, the paper also offers some practical suggestions to contribute to the applicability of the segment reporting in the public sector.     

完善我国分部报告准则内容探析

随着我国经济的不断发展，分部报告的作用日益重要，对于分部信息的披露规范也越来越重要，因此有必要对分部报告准则进行研究，以完善分部信息的披露，保证经济的健康、有效运行。     

The Impact of Accounting Conservatism on the Compensation Relevance of UK Earnings

Abstract

It has long been established that because of accounting conservatism, the contemporaneous correlation between returns and earnings is lower (higher) for good (bad) news firm-years. Meanwhile, prior analytical agency work suggests that the compensation role of accounting earnings is potentially greater (for tasks such as noise filtering and incentive balancing) when the contemporaneous correlation between earnings and returns is lower. Hence, since accounting conservatism implies that earnings have a lower correlation with returns in good news firm-years, the present paper hypothesises that UK CEO cash compensation exhibits a stronger (weaker) sensitivity to accounting earnings in good (bad) news firm-years. The empirical findings offer substantial support for this hypothesis and are robust to alternative estimation methodologies. In addition, the results appear not to be attributable to the well-established impact of earnings persistence on the compensation–earnings association. Overall, the findings are consistent with the notion that UK compensation committees appear to take cognisance of the impact of accounting conservatism when awarding earnings-based compensation. In addition, the present work offers additional insights into the nature of the interaction between the contracting and valuation roles of accounting numbers.     

公司治理机制对会计稳健性影响之实证研究

本文研究了债务、股权性质、董事会结构等公司治理机制对会计稳健性的影响,以期对会计准则制定、投资者对会计报表数据的判断及其他利益相关者的决策提供一定的经验证据。研究发现债务比重高的公司相对债务比重低的公司而言,其会计政策之选择更趋稳健;国家股一股独大的公司会计稳健性较低;目前我国上市公司独立董事比例对会计稳健性无影响。     

契约论下会计稳健性对企业价值影响理论研究

通过对会计稳健性、契约论以及企业价值之间的关系论述,以契约为基础将会计稳健性和企业价值联系起来,探讨了契约效率假说和管理控制假说下的会计稳健性对企业价值的影响。     

谨慎性会计原则研究综述及展望

谨慎性会计原则对财务报告的数字产生了巨大的影响。对其进行研究不仅使财务报告使用者受益,还能为规范会计和资本市场提供决策参考。本文从谨慎性原则的定义、表征形式、理论解释和实证研究为出发点,总结国外在谨慎性原则方面的研究状况和发展动向,对国内潜在研究进行了评述。     

基于新会计准则的上市公司会计盈余稳健性影响分析

稳健性是重要的会计信息质量特征,我国自2007年1月1日起开始施行的新企业会计准则不再以稳健原则为主基调,那么新会计准则的实施是否会降低上市公司会计盈余的稳健性呢?本文以2001年至2008年深沪两市全部A股上市公司作为样本,考察了新会计准则实施前后我国上市公司会计盈余稳健性的变化情况。结果表明:盈利上市公司会计盈余不存在稳健性,亏损上市公司会计盈余存在稳健性;新会计准则实施后上市公司整体会计盈余稳健性下降,这是由于亏损公司会计盈余稳健性的大幅下降,而盈利公司会计盈余稳健性是上升的。     

会计信息呈报格式的决策价值研究述评——基于权变理论的视角

基于国外近几十年的相关文献,从权变理论的视角出发,应用结构化的程序和方法对图表呈报格式相关研究的内容和现状进行了梳理与评估,展示了这一研究领域的历史发展脉络和研究现状,同时进一步提出了关于图表呈报格式研究的未来发展方向,以期为实务和行为会计的相关研究提供建议与启示。     

会计稳健性、投资效率与企业价值

以新会计准则和实施股权分置改革后的2007年—2009年沪深证券交易所上市的A股上市公司为样本,实证研究了会计稳健性对投资效率及企业价值的影响。研究结果表明,会计稳健性对投资效率的影响具有两面性,一方面会计稳健性在企业投资过度时能及时遏制企业投资规模,改善投资效率;另一方面会计稳健性会加剧企业投资不足程度,恶化投资效率。会计稳健性对投资效率的这种正反作用同样影响企业价值,检验后发现,在过度投资组,会计稳健性通过改善投资效率提高了企业价值;在投资不足组,会计稳健性通过恶化投资效率降低了企业价值。     

会计稳健性与资本投资效率的实证研究

选取2001年-2008年我国A股上市公司为研究样本,检验会计稳健性与公司资本投资效率之间的关系,进而考察会计稳健性的治理价值.实证研究发现,会计稳健性与资本投资无效率水平以及投资过度(不足)都显著负相关,这对我国上市公司而言,会计稳健性水平有助于缓解经理人与股东之间的代理冲突、降低投资者面临的信息不对称、抑制公司的过度投资或投资不足行为,进而改善公司的资本投资效率.     

会计信息失真及监管研究

严重而又普遍的会计信息失真问题已经成为困扰我国经济体制改革和会计发展的一大难题。本文对形成会计信息失真的原因进行探讨,并提出强化会计监管措施。     

基于分部财务报告的货币空间价值计量分析

货币空间价值的存在有哲学、经济学和现实经济事实三大支持,本身有着丰富的内涵与外延,但要把货币空间价值真正地运用于企业财务实践,则需要对其进行合理的量化分析,这可以结合企业会计信息系统提供的分部财务报告信息,探讨货币空间价值的计量模式。