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We examine the empirical association between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and tax avoidance. Our findings suggest that firms with excessive irresponsible CSR activities have a higher likelihood of engaging in tax-sheltering activities and greater discretionary/permanent book-tax differences. Moreover, at the onset of FASB Interpretation No. 48, these firms have more uncertain tax positions; also, these firms' initial tax positions are likely supported by weaker facts and circumstances as indicated by their larger post-FIN 48 settlements with tax authorities and their higher likelihood of a net decrease in the overall level of uncertain tax positions after FIN 48. Collectively, these results suggest that firms with excessive irresponsible CSR activities are more aggressive in avoiding taxes, lending credence to the idea that corporate culture affects tax avoidance.

Prior to SFAS 142, goodwill was subject to periodic amortization and a recoverability-based impairment test. SFAS 142 eliminates periodic amortization and imposes a fair-value-based impairment test. We examine the impact of this standard on the accounting for and valuation of goodwill. Our results indicate that the new standard has resulted in relatively inflated goodwill balances and untimely impairments. We also find that investors do not appear to fully anticipate the untimely nature of post-SFAS 142 goodwill impairments. Overall, our results suggest that, in practice, some managers have exploited the discretion afforded by SFAS 142 to delay goodwill impairments, thus temporarily inflating earnings and stock prices.

This article uses FAS 123R regulation to examine how reduction in CEO compensation incentives affects managerial “playing it safe” behavior. Using proxies reflecting deliberate managerial efforts to change firm risk, difference-in-difference tests show that affected firms drastically reduce both systematic and idiosyncratic risks, leading to an 8% decline in total firm risk. These reductions in risk are achieved by shifting to safer, but low-Q, segments while closing the riskier ones, without significant changes in investment levels. Our findings suggest that decrease in risk-taking incentives provided by option compensation, when not compensated for by alternative incentives or governance mechanisms, exacerbates risk-related agency problem.

We examine the cost-effectiveness, from the shareholders' perspective, of the accounting standards issued by the FASB during 1973–2009. We evaluate (1) the stock market reactions of firms affected by the standards surrounding events that changed the standard's probability of issuance; and (2) whether the market reactions are related, in the cross-section, to agency problems, information asymmetry, proprietary costs, contracting costs, and changes in estimation risk. The average standard is a non-event from the investors' perspective because 104 of the 138 standards examined are associated with no change in shareholder value. Nineteen (15) standards are associated with a decrease (increase) in shareholder value. Surprisingly, 25 standards are associated with an increase in estimation risk. In the cross-section, firms with higher levels of information asymmetry, lower contracting costs, and a decrease in estimation risk experience most positive returns.

We test for changes in investment efficiency around a shock to financial reporting quality—the adoption of SFAS No. 123R, which requires that employee stock option (ESO) costs be recognized rather than disclosed at fair value. We predict and find a reduction in underinvestment for firms heavily affected by the new standard, and these firms exhibit a decrease in the bid–ask spread and an increase in new capital raised in the post-SFAS No. 123R period. The reduction in underinvestment is more pronounced for firms whose ESO estimates are more unreliable before SFAS No. 123R, for firms that are financially constrained, and for firms with more entrenched managers. These findings are consistent with recognition of ESO costs at fair value improving financial reporting quality, which, in turn, enhances investment efficiency through the mitigation of the adverse selection problem for underinvesting firms. The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2018.3045 . This paper was accepted by Suraj Srinivasan, accounting.

This paper investigates the relationship between accounting comparability, executive compensation, conditional and unconditional conservatism, and accounting information quality. The findings suggest that conditional conservatism and accounting comparability have a positive and significant impact on executive compensation. Moreover, accrual earnings management can strengthen the relationship between accounting comparability and executive compensation, whereas this is not the case with actual earnings management. Unconditional conservatism, however, does not significantly influence executive compensation. In the end, determining the correlation between earnings management and conservatism reveals that executives use conditional conservatism to perform opportunistic behaviours and gain more compensation. In light of the current results, it is expected that the assimilation of standardisation processes and their use in conjunction with existing features will enhance information quality, greater reliability of financial reports, and protect public interests.

Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 157 (FAS No. 157), Fair Value Measurements, prioritizes the source of information used in fair value measurements into three levels: (1) Level 1 (observable inputs from quoted prices in active markets), (2) Level 2 (indirectly observable inputs from quoted prices of comparable items in active markets, identical items in inactive markets, or other market-related information), and (3) Level 3 (unobservable, firm-generated inputs). Using quarterly reports of banking firms in 2008, we find that the value relevance of Level 1 and Level 2 fair values is greater than the value relevance of Level 3 fair values. In addition, we find evidence that the value relevance of fair values (especially Level 3 fair values) is greater for firms with strong corporate governance. Overall, our results support the relevance of fair value measurements under FAS No. 157, but weaker corporate governance machanisms may reduce the relevance of these measures.

This paper investigates if the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) convergence project changed the underlying natures of both sets of accounting standards. Using the rules-based continuum score and a new principles-based continuum score, we find that before convergence, US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP) contained more rules-based standards, while International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) contained more principles-based standards. After the convergence project, US GAAP became relatively more principles-based, while IFRS became relatively more rules-based, consistent with both standard-setters compromising in their approaches to standard setting in order to facilitate convergence. Overall, our results suggest that the convergence project achieved its goal of improving alignment between US GAAP and IFRS. However, it appears to have had a possibly unintended consequence of making IFRS contain more rules-based characteristics.

We examine the disclosure quality consequences of copying FASB guidance when drafting initial narrative disclosures. Specifically, we study first-time disclosures after three accounting standard changes with significant narrative disclosure requirements (ASU 2014-09, SFAS 161 and SFAS 157). We find robust evidence that initial disclosures similar to FASB guidance contain less firm-specific information and are less readable, on average. Moreover, we find some evidence that copying FASB guidance when drafting initial disclosures is associated with muted analyst revisions, suggesting that the resultant disclosures may be less useful to analysts. However, we also find that firms that copy FASB guidance when drafting new disclosures receive fewer SEC comment letters related to the new standard, indicating that firms enjoy some benefit from imitating the FASB. These results shed new light on the firm’s information production process and should be important to regulators providing implementation guidance, managers drafting initial disclosures, and academics researching accounting standard changes.

PurposeThe primary objective of this study is to examine the correlation between financial statement comparability and conditional and unconditional conservatism within companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE).Design/methodology/approachTo achieve this, a sample of 193 companies, resulting in 1,546 firm-year observations, were listed on the TSE between 2014 and 2021. The study’s research hypotheses are assessed by applying multiple regression models.FindingsThe findings reveal a notable positive association between financial statement comparability and conditional conservatism. Additionally, the research results indicate a significant and negative connection between financial statement comparability and unconditional conservatism.Practical implicationsAccording to the findings, corporate managers may prioritize financial statement comparability to enhance conditional accounting conservatism, which might be translated as a suitable benchmark for competitors. Equity owners may decrease the agency problems associated with CEOs by emphasizing comparable financial reports, as it improves the quality of financial figures and facilitates stakeholders’ evaluation and comparison of various companies’ performances.Originality/valueA review of the relevant literature underscores the absence of research focusing on the relationship between financial statement comparability and conditional and unconditional conservatism within emerging markets. Consequently, this study aims to address this gap by investigating this relationship in the context of emerging markets and contributing to the existing body of literature in this field.