Mandatory Financial Reporting Processes and Outcomes

In an extension to the mandatory financial reporting literature, we consider compliance and applicability as intermediate stages in the disclosure decision process, and investigate to what extent these measures explain any variance in the quantity of disclosure. We use financial instruments disclosures as our empirical context because of the level of complexity and diversity of the mandatory requirements. We find that neither applicability nor compliance show statistically significant association with disclosure quantity. By contrast we find that a firm's financial instruments management programme is an important determinant of both applicability and quantity. Finally, we demonstrate the economic consequences of applicability, compliance and quantity through their association with audit fees. For companies that use financial instruments management programmes to a greater extent, audit fees are higher. In contrast, the quantity of financial instruments disclosures appears to reduce audit fees.     

Commentary: A proposal for theoretical models of stakeholder perceptions of a new financial reporting system

This commentary explores the article by Fontes et al. published in this issue of Accounting Forum. They argue that the scope of IFRS continues to widen across the world, using a number of social science disciplines to discuss stakeholder perceptions of change. The commentary uses Hegel's Science of Logic to situate their arguments through four key theoretical approaches that are prominent in the accounting literature. Ultimately, this has the potential to position IASB frameworks in such a way as to challenge the economic and neoliberal logic on which modern accounting is based.     

A Corporate Social Responsibility Framework for Accounting Research

Over the past two decades, there has been growing interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) among accounting scholars. As a testament to this growing interest, two review papers on CSR were published last year in accounting journals. Implicitly guiding hypothesis development in CSR studies is the notion of a conflict between shareholders and stakeholders. We define CSR in terms of a win-win situation for shareholders and stakeholders: a CSR framework for strategic business purposes. We provide evidence supporting this outlook for CSR using cases pertaining to specific companies and findings from archival empirical studies. According to our CSR framework, resources allocated for CSR activity also help propel business strategy; as such, it is difficult to isolate CSR inputs and/or outputs due to problems of non-separability and multidimensionality. While measurement is a challenge, our framework nonetheless opens up various promising avenues for future research.     

Donald C. Cook: CPA,SEC Chairman,corporate legend,and presidential advisor

Donald C. Cook served as a member of the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from 1949 to 1953 and as Chairman during the last two years. His unique position as the only Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who served as Commission Chairman has been largely unnoticed and elicits the need for a profile about the individual, his background, career, and what, if any, legacy might be related to it. Cook was also unique in that his prior staff experience at the SEC was primarily in the public utilities division. This profile describes and identifies several episodes in Cook's career at the SEC and after. These include other public service positions in government and his executive career at American Electric Power (AEP) as president and board chairman. These years were often filled with controversy and challenges in dealings with the SEC and with issues relating to consolidation among utilities as the country's demand for electrical energy grew substantially. His government service roles beyond the SEC acquainted him with many political leaders. He was an advisor to President Lyndon Johnson, who shared the opinion of others that Cook was “the smartest man in the country” [Johnson, Telephone conversation No. 7070, March 16, 1965].     

The Introduction of Mandatory Environmental Reporting Guidelines: Australian Evidence

This article augments the empirical literature on environmental reporting through an analysis of the impact the introduction of mandatory reporting guidelines had on the environmental disclosures of seventy-one Australian companies. Specifically it documents three implications from the enactment in 1998 of s. 299(1)(f) of Australia's Corporations Law that requires companies to report on their environmental performance with respect to any 'particular and significant environmental regulation'. First, from a review of annual reports for two reporting periods prior to and two periods post the operative date of the provision, there was found to be a significant increase in the number of companies reporting and the level of information provided on environmental performance. Second, considerable variation was identified in the approaches adopted for reporting, hence confirming concerns expressed as to the practical application of the provision. Finally, there was an increase in the level of total environmental disclosure, most significantly for those companies that reported breaches of regulations and that do not issue a stand-alone environmental report. The analysis directly links increases in reporting and the introduction of s. 299(1)(f), therefore highlighting the limitations of continual reliance upon voluntary reporting to provide consistent substantive information on environmental performance. In addition, the analysis provides evidence that the introduction of additional reporting media influences the level of disclosure of environmental information within the annual report.     

The Impact of Mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards Adoption on Investment Efficiency: Standards,Enforcement, and Reporting Incentives

This paper investigates whether mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is followed by a decline in firms’ suboptimal investments. On average, we find that the probability of under‐investment in capital expenditure declines for firms from 23 countries requiring mandatory adoption of IFRS relative to firms from countries that do not have such requirements; meanwhile the probability of over‐investment remains unchanged. However, this real effect becomes smaller when we control for concurrent changes to the enforcement of financial reporting along with the introduction of IFRS in some countries, suggesting that the switch in standards is only one of the drivers for the observed benefits. Moreover, we find that the reduction in suboptimal investments is driven by firms with high reporting incentives to provide transparent financial reports from countries where the existing legal and enforcement systems are strong. We further show that the real effect increases with the predicted changes in accounting comparability. Finally, we find that after mandatory IFRS adoption, capital investment becomes more value‐relevant, less sensitive to the availability of free cash flows, and more responsive to growth opportunities. Our findings provide new insights into the real effects of mandatory IFRS adoption.     

Disclosure incentives when competing firms have common ownership

This paper examines whether common ownership – i.e., instances where investors simultaneously own significant stakes in competing firms – affects voluntary disclosure. We argue that common ownership (i) reduces proprietary cost concerns of disclosure, and (ii) incentivizes firms to “internalize” the externality benefits of their disclosure for co-owned peer firms. Accordingly, we find a positive relation between common ownership and disclosure. Evidence from cross-sectional tests and a quasi-natural experiment based on financial institution mergers help mitigate concerns that our results are explained by an omitted variable bias or reverse causality. Finally, we find that common ownership is associated with increased market liquidity.     

Motivations behind users’ participation in the standard-setting process: Focus on financial analysts

The aim of this study is to investigate what motivates financial analysts to participate in the accounting standard-setting process. We focus on financial analysts because they are an important group of the financial statements users. The paper employs the meso-level approach used by Durocher et al. (2007) that integrates the macro domain’s focus on the standard setters with the micro domain’s focus on individuals and thus it links the characteristics of due process for standard setting with users’ attitudes. We develop a survey for the Chartered Financial Analysts Institute (CFA), which is one of the largest associations of investment professionals in the world, and collected data through computer-assisted Web interviews. We use a structural equation model with PLS to test our hypotheses. Our main findings confirm that a combination of micro and macro domains explains the frequency of financial analysts’ participation in the standard setting process. This investigation, thus, deepens our understanding of motivations behind analysts’ involvement in the accounting standard-setting process and delivers both theoretical contributions and practical insights.     

On the value relevance of information on environmental and social activities and performance – Some evidence from the UK stock market

Motivated by the requirements of the UK Companies Act 2006 for a Strategic Report introduced in late 2013, and the subsequent Directive 2014/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, we investigate the relationship between the levels of disclosures on environmental and social activities and performance (analyst following) and subsequent analyst following (subsequent levels of disclosures on environmental and social activities and performance). We do so to investigate the value relevance of information about environmental and social activities and performance. Our evidence is consistent with their value relevance and an associated demand for, or general interest in, such disclosures from informed market participants. We also argue that our results suggest positive links between analyst following and the quality of environmental and social disclosure.     

The mitigation of high-growth-related accounting distortions after sarbanes-oxley

This study examines the effect of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) on accounting distortions in the context of the earnings quality of high-growth firms relative to lower-growth firms. High-growth creates unique management and reporting challenges that can contribute to accounting-related distortions. SOX, with its emphasis on financial reporting, control systems and management responsibility, could have been particularly relevant for high-growth firms with such challenges. Test results indicate a stronger reduction (weaker increase) in accounting distortions related to total accruals and book-tax differences (performance-matched modified Jones discretionary accruals) for high-growth firms from the pre- to the post-SOX period relative to lower-growth firms. Other tests indicate that the relation between accounting returns and market returns strengthened for high-growth firms in the period after SOX, but not for lower-growth firms. These results suggest greater reductions in accounting distortions and related improvements in reporting quality for high-growth firms relative to other firms coinciding with the post-SOX period.     

Does independent directors’’ monitoring affect reputation? Evidence from the stock and labor markets

Using novel data on independent directors’ opinions in China, we investigate the stock and labor market effects prompted by independent directors publicly saying “no” to major board decisions. We find that the market reacts negatively to modified director opinions, but positively to firms interlocked with the directors who said “no.” We further find substantial turnover and decline in board seats after independent directors issue modified opinions. Overall, we identify a dilemma in China whereby the labor market does not reward vigilant directors for standing up to firm insiders, although investors add a premium to effective board monitoring.     

Commentary: Financial Reporting and Financial Stability: Causes and Effects

Distinguished academics at a panel session of the American Accounting Association meeting in Denver in August 2011 discussed the relationship between financial reporting and financial stability. While accounting has been blamed for causing financial crises, the panellists noted that the evidence for this claim, particularly in relation to the recent financial crisis, seems to be missing. It is possible that accounting has an amplifying effect on crises, but even on this point the evidence is weak and complicated. However, financial reporting did not do a good job in reporting on risk ahead of the recent crisis; risks were hidden. Panellists also drew attention to the role of inadequate accounting in the financial problems of sovereign states.     

The Effect of Fair Value Adjustments on Dividend Policy Under Mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards Adoption: Australian Evidence

Using a sample of firms from the financial sector of the Australian Securities Exchange, we examine the effect of the fair value adjustments of financial instruments on firms’ dividend distributions in the context of mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption. We find a positive relationship between the fair value adjustments of financial instruments and firms’ dividend payouts, suggesting that the frequent use of fair value adjustments of financial instruments by financial firms following mandatory IFRS adoption has the potential to increase the proportion of transitory earnings in reported earnings and cause changes in dividend policies. Our results add to the ongoing debate on the unintended economic consequences of fair value accounting (FVA) and provide empirical support for regulators’ concerns that unrealized FVA gains from asset revaluation during booms may encourage the distribution of those unrealized gains.