IFRS Adoption Research Articles

Determinants of national IFRS adoption: evidence from the Middle East and North Africa region

Determinants of national IFRS adoption: evidence from the Middle East and North Africa region

Determinants of national IFRS adoption: evidence from the Middle East and North Africa region

Determinants of national IFRS adoption: evidence from the Middle East and North Africa region

연결재무제표 중심의 회계정보 공시가 특수관계자 거래에 미친 영향

[Purpose] Since the adoption of IFRS, accounting information has been disclosed consolidated financial statements as primary statements, and the importance of consolidated profits has increased. However, since internal transactions are eliminated from consolidated profits, the practice of companies using related party transactions as a means of adjusting consolidated profits is expected to have decreased. Accordingly, this study examines whether related party transactions have been decreased after consolidated financial statements are primary financial statements.
 [Methodology] This study sampled 8,461 company-years of listed companies that disclosed consolidated financial statements for five years before and after 2011. A regression analysis was performed using the proportion of related party transactions (RELATED) as the dependent variable and the dummy variable (MAIN) indicating whether the consolidated financial statements are primary financial statements as the explanatory variable.
 [Findings] This study was found that related party transactions were decreased significantly after the disclosure of consolidated financial statements as primary statements. These results remained the same when the sample period was adjusted to minimize the impact of the Fair Trade Act, etc. on related party transactions, or only companies that disclosed all consolidated financial statements throughout the sample period were targeted. In other words, the disclosure of consolidated financial statements as primary statements played a role in reducing related party transactions.
 [Implications] The results of this study have the implication of verifying that consolidated financial statements not only have the effect of eliminating financial statement misstatements caused by internal transactions, but also actually play a role in reducing related party transactions.

IFRS ADOPTION AND EARNINGS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES: EVIDENCE FROM NIGERIAN LISTED CONSUMER GOODS COMPANIES

Earnings Management, discretionary accruals, IFRS adoption, consumer goods firms, Nigeria. The study looked at earnings management practices in Nigerian consumer goods firms between pre and post-adoption of IFRS and earnings management in Nigeria. It involved twenty-one Nigerian firms in the Nigeria Exchange Group, with nine being sampled due to data availability. The Modified Jones Model, a well-known profits management model created by Dechow, Sloan, and Sweeney in 1995, was used. This research examined how IFRS has affected the way companies in Nigeria control their earnings from 2012 to 2022. The study examined earnings management practices in Nigerian consumer goods companies using an ex-post facto research design and non-parametric tests. Results showed no significant change in earnings management practices due to the adoption of IFRS.

Financial statement comparability and analysts’ optimism for accruals

This study examines the role of financial statement comparability in mitigating analysts' optimism for accruals. Prior research shows that sell-side analysts do not fully incorporate accrual information in anticipating future earnings and thus tend to issue more optimistic forecasts for firms with a higher level of accruals. We posit that financial statement comparability allows analysts to use industry peers' information in assessing the persistence of accruals, thereby lowering their optimism for accruals. We find that analysts' accrual-related optimism is significantly moderated for firms with a high degree of financial statement comparability. Further, we disaggregate financial statement comparability into accrual comparability and cash flow comparability and find that the inverse relation between comparability and analysts' optimism for accruals is driven by accrual comparability rather than cash flow comparability. Moreover, exploiting the mandatory adoption of IFRS as an exogenous increase in comparability, we find that analysts’ optimism for accruals decreases significantly following the IFRS adoption while it does not show a significant change in non-IFRS-adopting countries during the same period. Collectively, the results suggest that financial statement comparability helps analysts process and interpret accrual information, thereby improving their forecasting activities.

Institutional theory in accounting information systems research: Shedding light on digital transformation and institutional change

This article aims to shed light on digital transformation in the accounting sector from the perspective of institutional change. We performed a systematic literature review to understand how institutional change could be applied to research on Accounting Information Systems (AIS), using a quantitative method to categorize data through LSA (Latent Semantic Analysis) technique; and a qualitative method performed by hierarchical categorical content analysis as a basis for inferences. We reviewed 309 articles using Institutional Theory in accounting and AIS. The LSA results presented the main topics of study, subfields of research, and uses of Institutional Theory. Regarding accounting research, it is possible to identify the role of institutional forces in the IFRS adoption (in private and public sectors), XBRL adoption, and disclosure of information on organizations’ environmental, social, and governance, with a focus on analyses at the organizational level and regulatory pressures. A deep dive into AIS articles showed that Institutional Theory was applied to analyze the adoption of systems/technologies (mostly ERP and XBRL) through isomorphic processes (coercive, mimetic, and normative). We proposed to analyze digital technologies as an exogenous change for the digital transformation in accounting business using another perspective of Institutional Theory: institutional change. Institutional change analyzes the role of destabilizing elements in the change of an organizational field as a whole and not just in a few organizations. In this perspective, technology is the agent of change on a broader level, transforming organizations, individuals, customers, suppliers, and governments. The main contribution of this article is presenting suggestions for future AIS. This research agenda contributes to advancing Institutional Theory in AIS, using the lens of institutional change to analyze the new realities shaping accounting organizations, such as digital transformation.

Impact of IFRS Adoption on Financial Statements Value Relevance. A Study of Eastern vs. Western European Countries

Abstract The implementation of IFRS has been a significant milestone in the accounting field, sparking debates among advocates and critics regarding whether the initial objectives were actually achieved in practice. This paper aims to investigate whether the adoption of IFRS has led to an increase in the value relevance of financial statements in both Eastern and Western European countries. The study takes an empirical approach, analyzing companies before and after the adoption of IFRS, and introduces contemporary concepts that can contribute to future research. Policymakers rely on evidence-based policies and often seek impartial and reliable evidence from academic researchers. Given the extensive body of research conducted thus far, this paper seeks to further emphasize the positive impact of IFRS implementation.

The Moderating Effect of Tangibility of assets on The Relationship Between the Mandatory IFRS Adoption and Credit Relevance of Accounting Information: An Empirical Study on non-financial listed companies in The Egyptian Stock Exchange

The Moderating Effect of Tangibility of assets on The Relationship Between the Mandatory IFRS Adoption and Credit Relevance of Accounting Information: An Empirical Study on non-financial listed companies in The Egyptian Stock Exchange

The impacts of IFRS 16 on airlines

This study addresses the effects of the adoption of IFRS 16 on the passenger air transport sector. With practical effects for financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2019, IFRS 16 established the standardisation of a single accounting modelfor all leases, whether operating or financial. With this new adoption, IFRS 16 aims to increase the transparency and quality of the information that is presented in the financial statements for the most diverse stakeholders.
 This study aimed to assess the effects of adopting this new international standard in a specific sector and to identify whether the changes in some of the financial indicators are felt in the same way by all companies, this being the main focus of this study. Based on a sample of 12 airlines from various countries in Europe and South America, the financial indicators were interpreted by analysing the reports and accounts before and after the application of IFRS 16.
 The main conclusions obtained are: i) the adoption of IFRS 16 led to an increase in assets, liabilities and EBITDA, however in different proportions for each of these items; ii) companies with negative equity and, therefore, with greater risks of bankruptcy or greater information asymmetry, tend to resort more to leasing as a way of financing their assets; iii) the financial autonomy and solvency ratios showed significant variations for companies that resort more to operating leasing.

Determinants of Voluntary International Financial Reporting Standards Application: Review from Theory to Empirical Research

IFRS has become a global financial reporting standard, with many countries adopting it as their primary framework and others contemplating its adoption. Research on voluntary IFRS adoption sheds light on global convergence progress and its impact on accounting practices. This study aims to elucidate the factors influencing the voluntary adoption of IFRS by examining, analyzing, and synthesizing findings from empirical studies conducted worldwide. The research scrutinizes 185 relevant studies on the voluntary adoption of IFRS published before August 2023, employing a systematic literature review methodology. Our assessment reveals that, in prior research, the factors influencing the voluntary adoption of IFRS are categorized into seven main factors, including corporate operations, capital structure, ownership structure, internationalization, financial performance, corporate governance, and several other factors. These studies employ various methodologies, including data surveys and cross-sectional data, to estimate the relationships between these factors and the voluntary adoption of IFRS. In addition to providing an evaluation of the research in this field, this study can serve as a framework for future researchers to link and compare the results of different studies. We anticipate that this research will be beneficial for future scholars interested in the factors influencing the voluntary adoption of IFRS. Furthermore, the study proposes essential guidance for future research considerations.

The impact of financial assets’ classification according to IFRS 9 on firm value: the case of MENA region’s banks

Purpose The purpose of this study is twofold. On the one hand, it studies the impact of IFRS 9 adoption on the firm value; and on the other hand, it investigates the impact of the classification of financial assets on the firm value. Design/methodology/approach The study covers a sample of 55 listed banks in the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region. Data is collected for three years (2017–2019). Findings The findings show that banks’ value is not impacted by IFRS 9 adoption but by financial assets’ classification. Firm value is positively affected by fair value through other comprehensive income assets, while it is negatively affected by amortized cost and fair value through profit or loss assets. The results of the additional analysis show consistent outcomes. Practical implications This research reveals important managerial implications. Priority should be given to the financial assets’ classification strategy following the adoption of IFRS 9 to boost the market valuation of banks. It may be useful for investors, managers and regulators in their decision-making. Originality/value This study enriches previous research as IFRS 9 is a new standard, and its adoption consequences need to be investigated. A few recent studies have focused on IFRS 9 as a whole or on other parts of IFRS 9, namely, the impairment regime and hedge accounting and concern developed contexts. However, this research adds to the knowledge of capital market studies by investigating the application of IFRS 9 in terms of classification in the MENA region.

Organizational complexity and audit report lag in GCC economies: the moderating role of audit quality

Purpose This study aims to investigate whether organizational complexity (hereafter firm complexity) increases audit report lag (ARL) in a unique environment of GCC countries. Design/methodology/approach The research study uses a panel data set of 6,084 firm-year observations of nonfinancial firms from GCC economies from 2009 to 2022. First, the study uses an ordinary least square estimator to examine the association of firm complexity with ARL. Second, for robustness purposes, the study applies the propensity score matching technique. Findings This research study finds that the firms’ complexity increases ARL. Supporting the argument that auditors respond to firm complexity with increased effort, the authors find a positive relation of firm complexity with ARL. This relationship is augmented by auditor change, auditors’ tenure, auditor-qualified opinion and adoption of IFRS. In addition, the authors also find that Big-4 and audit firm industry specialization curtail the positive impact of firm complexity on ARL. Research limitations/implications Firms in the GCC have less time to complete their audit and complex firms are likelier to have bigger ARLs. This study provided evidence regarding the curtailing effect of audit quality in GCC. Our findings suggest policymakers and reformers choose improved audit quality to reduce the possibility of larger ARL. Originality/value This study enriches the scholarship by presenting a mechanism for reducing the ARL of complex firms through higher audit quality. This study contributes to agency theory by emphasizing audit quality’s important role in emerging markets.

Issues and challenges in IFRS adoption: Perceptions of the Professional Accountants in Sri Lanka

This study mainly focused on identifying the IFRS adoption issues and challenges in the perception of Sri Lankan professional accountants. Professional Accountants face many obstacles when adopting the IFRS and identifying those issues and challenges and finding significant factors for them is mainly focused on his study. This study directly identifies what are the issues and challenges faced by Sri Lankan Professional Accountants and how the Accountants’ perception of issues and challenges are varied with the geometric characteristics. The quantitative research approach was used in the study and the questionnaire survey method was used to collect data from the Professional Accountants. The study used the convenience sampling technique to identify the sample for the study while ensuring representativeness. The sample size was 200 accountants. The Likert scale questionnaire was based on the literature and expert opinion on Sri Lankan IFRS adoption issues and challenges. To identify the major issues & challenges faced when adopting the IFRSs in the perceptions of professional accountants and identify the difference in perceptions on IFRS adoption issues and challenges of Accountants based on demographic characteristics Descriptive statistics and independent t – tests have been used. The study's findings particularly demonstrated that the accountants recognized every problem except one as having an impact on their work. A number of demographic factors were also examined, including gender, experience level, highest academic degree earned, professional certifications, and the sector. The study addresses the research gap in understanding the problems with IFRS adoption in Sri Lanka while offering useful insights for policymakers.

The role of real earnings management in the value relevance of accounting information in Indonesia

Purpose- One feature that should be integrated in financial statements to be relevant to decision-makers is the relevance of the information to the users. When the value and usefulness of accounting information used to gauge business financial performance are undermined by earnings management methods, problems arise. As a result, the information presented may deceive financial statement users about the corporation's financial performance. Because IFRS demands managerial judgment in the accounting process by definition, its adoption may even increase the chance for real earnings management (REM). This study aims to examine the impact of REM to the value relevance of accounting information before and after IFRS adoption. Methodology- The population was manufacturing companies listed on the IDX, with samples 230 firm year observations consists of one hundred fifteen firms year before adoption of IFRS and one hundred fifteen firms year after IFRS adoption. this study used firms’ abnormal levels of cash flows, production costs, and discretionary expenditures as proxies for real earnings management. Using a price model and panel data, the main result confirms that real-based earnings management has an impact on the value relevance of earnings and book value of equity before IFRS adoption, but has no effect after IFRS adoption. Findings- The findings revealed that prior to the adoption of IFRS, real earnings management was employed by companies that had higher earnings value relevance and lower equity book value relevance than companies that did not apply earnings management. After the adoption of IFRS, there is no significant effect of real earnings management on the value relevance of earnings and equity book value. Conclusion- The results show that investors believe that earnings are a signal from managers with the implementation of real earnings management prior to the adoption of IFRS, but after the adoption IFRS, they may not be able to do so. Keywords: Real earnings management, value relevance, accounting information, earnings, equity book value, JEL Codes: M40, M41, M49

Determinants of IFRS for SMES Adoption Worldwide

The main purpose of this study is to analyze whether there is a relationship between macroeconomic factors and the adoption of IFRS for SMEs in order to help answer the question of why some countries adopt IFRS for SMEs while others do not. We used logistic regression analysis to investigate 150 countries, including 85 jurisdictions that have adopted IFRS for SMEs. The main results indicate that a country is more likely to adopt IFRS for SMEs if it has an unfavorable political climate and a non-Anglo-Saxon culture. Nonetheless, there is no evidence that the country’s economic growth, the existence of a capital market, the educational level, and the legal system are associated with the decision to adopt IFRS for SMEs.This study contributes to a better understanding of the factors influencing the adoption of IFRS for SMEs on a country level and could be used to predict a country’s decision to adopt this standard. It also adds to the literature on international accounting harmonization by examining country-level determinants that influence the adoption of IFRS for SMEs by all companies.

Analysis of the contribution of IFRS to improving the relevance of financial performance measures: A comparative study with Moroccan Accounting Standards

The implementation of the international accounting framework has led to a new philosophy of estimating and valuing the financial performance of companies. In this respect, the accounting indicators derived from financial statements constitute the classic measures of performance evaluation, such as ROE, ROA, BPA, and Payout. However, their usefulness is contested in the face of market-based indicators like TSR, MVA, PBR, and dividend yield. This paper aims to assess the effect of adopting IFRS on the relevance of financial performance measures through a comparative approach with Moroccan GAAP. At the empirical level, the use of multiple regressions on panel data remains strongly solicited to test the informational relevance of these indicators. In number, there are 115 observations collected from IFRS-adopting companies and 418 observations from non-adopting companies over the period 2013–2022. The study revealed a significant impact of the adoption of IFRS on the informational relevance of accounting indicators (adjusted R2(IFRS) = 71.12% against adjusted R2(Moroccan GAAP) = 55.03%). However, this study found a less significant effect of IFRS on the degree of relevance of stock market performance indicators (adjusted R2 (IFRS) = 50.36% versus adjusted R2(Moroccan GAAP) = 63.84 %). The study also showed a significant effect of IFRS on the complementarity between accounting and stock market performance indicators to explain the total shareholder return (adjusted R2(IFRS) = 69.02% against adjusted R2(Moroccan GAAP) = 58.01%).

Assessment of the Quality of Transformation of Financial Reporting of Entities According to IFRS

Background: Mandatory application of IFRS for a specified list of entities brings about additional costs in terms of material, financial and labour resources. Consequently, this encourages the search for ways to minimise costs related to the transition to IFRS adoption, that is, its formalisation. Under such conditions, the need to improve the methodological toolkit for evaluating the process of transformation of financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the IFRS is actualised. This article aims to develop a methodological toolkit for assessing the quality of the financial reporting transformation process per IFRS requirements, using Ukrainian dairy industry enterprises as a case study. Methods: The assessment of the impact of the transition to IFRS reporting on changes in the financial status of entities was carried out using statistical methods of comparison, generalisation, grouping, and coefficients. Conclusions were drawn based on the research findings employing the method of logical generalisation. Results and Conclusions: The method of assessing the impact of the application of IFRS on the financial condition of enterprises in the dairy industry of Ukraine has been improved, particularly in terms of accounting for changes in financial statements as a result of transformational adjustments before and after the date of transition to IFRS. This refinement involves employing financial coefficients as a means of assessment, facilitating the determination of the quality assessment of the process of drawing up the first financial statements of enterprises in accordance with IFRS. New methodological aspects and recommendations for assessing the quality of the transformation process in the context of the application of IFRS will ensure effective management of enterprises in the dairy industry of Ukraine, leading to an increase in the attraction of foreign investments amidst the conditions of European integration processes and the post-war period.

International Accounting Convergence and Divergence: Towards a Framework for Understanding De Jure Adoption of IFRS

By bridging the two main approaches examining de jure adoption of IFRS, namely, convergence and divergence studies, we provide a framework that more fully captures the totality, dynamics, and complexity of voluntary adoption of IFRS by country. The framework offers an understanding of accounting regulators’ efforts to balance between pressure to adopt IFRS and national specific conditions that may conflict with IFRS requirements. The suggested framework depicts four propositions which are built on four institutional dimensions: the degree of IFRS diffusion, national accounting system compatibility with IFRS, country dependence on external financing, and accounting regulator’s international networking. These four propositions jointly predict national adoption level of IFRS, ranging from non-adoption to partial adoption, and to full adoption. The framework assumes that the current IFRS adoption status by country is not static and may change over time. The voluntary adoption of IFRS standards by country is understood as the result of tradeoffs among multiple factors. In doing so, the developed framework solves a theoretical dichotomy in IFRS studies: the tendency of using institutional isomorphism to examine convergence versus accounting classification to understand divergence.

Navigating governance and accounting reforms in Saudi Arabia's emerging market: impact of audit quality, board characteristics, and IFRS adoption on financial performance

Navigating governance and accounting reforms in Saudi Arabia's emerging market: impact of audit quality, board characteristics, and IFRS adoption on financial performance

Stakeholder and jurisdictional influence over IFRS 10's development

The International Financial Reporting Standards are voluntarily adopted by 167 countries, including countries in Africa, Australasia, Europe and South America. To maintain its legitimacy, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) must not be viewed as being unduly influenced by one group or jurisdiction. If the IASB’s procedural legitimacy is compromised, it threatens their cognitive legitimacy and the global adoption of IFRS. Currently, most papers investigating the legitimacy of the IASB’s due process employ simplified assessment tools. This paper investigates the relative influence of stakeholders and jurisdictions over the IASB’s standard setting, using the method designed by Bamber and McMeeking (2016). This method does not treat all requests for changes equally, strengthening the validity and quality of the findings. In addition, this paper answers the call from Bamber and McMeeking (2016) to corroborate or refute their findings that not all stakeholders exerted equal influence and that comments from the UK are less influential than those from the US. Using a content analysis, this paper investigates the relative influence of jurisdictions and stakeholders on IFRS 10’s development. The paper finds that, although no single stakeholder has a much greater influence over the IASB than others, there is some evidence of bias in a jurisdictional space in favour of the US and the UK with regard to the development of IFRS 10.