IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/abacus/v46y2010i1p1-27.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Why Consistency of Accounting Standards Matters: A Contribution to the Rules‐Versus‐Principles Debate in Financial Reporting

Author

Listed:
  • JENS WÜSTEMANN
  • SONJA WÜSTEMANN

Abstract

A cross‐firm consistent application of accounting standards is sought in all major accounting regimes. Since many transactions and events are only vaguely or not explicitly addressed in the standards managers must often use judgment when applying accounting standards to particular transactions or events. This analysis concludes that a consistent application of accounting standards can only be ensured if the accounting standards themselves are internally consistent. By contrast, inconsistent standards—in the absence of clear guidance—permit managers to (more or less arbitrarily) choose between different accounting methods. Moreover, it is found that a consistent application presupposes the existence of specific guidance (‘rules’) in order to frame management's judgment. It is argued that the reliance on principles only—as requested by many in the accounting literature—fails to ensure a consistent application because it allows management to exert judgment differently in identical cases. The assessment includes arguments and propositions from the international discussion in the accounting literature and also refers to other related fields of research, such as legal theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Jens Wüstemann & Sonja Wüstemann, 2010. "Why Consistency of Accounting Standards Matters: A Contribution to the Rules‐Versus‐Principles Debate in Financial Reporting," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 46(1), pages 1-27, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:abacus:v:46:y:2010:i:1:p:1-27
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6281.2010.00304.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6281.2010.00304.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1467-6281.2010.00304.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Geoffrey Whittington, 2008. "Fair Value and the IASB/FASB Conceptual Framework Project: An Alternative View," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 44(2), pages 139-168, June.
    2. Günther Gebhardt & Graeme Dean, 2008. "Commentary on Siena Open Forum: Conceptual Framework," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 44(2), pages 217-224, June.
    3. Jim Psaros, 2007. "Do principles‐based accounting standards lead to biased financial reporting? An Australian experiment," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 47(3), pages 527-550, September.
    4. Laux, Christian & Leuz, Christian, 2009. "The crisis of fair-value accounting: Making sense of the recent debate," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(6-7), pages 826-834, August.
    5. David Alexander, 2006. "Legal Certainty, European-ness and Realpolitik," Accounting in Europe, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 65-80, October.
    6. Coglianese, Cary & Healey, Thomas J. & Keating, Elizabeth K. & Michael, Michael L., 2004. "The Role of Government in Corporate Governance," Working Paper Series rwp04-045, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    7. David Alexander & Eva Jermakowicz, 2006. "A true and fair view of the principles/rules debate," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 42(2), pages 132-164, June.
    8. Joshua Ronen, 2008. "To Fair Value or Not to Fair Value: A Broader Perspective," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 44(2), pages 181-208, June.
    9. R. G. Walker, 2007. "Reporting entity concept: a case study of the failure of principles‐based regulation," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 43(1), pages 49-75, March.
    10. Hausman,Daniel M., 1992. "The Inexact and Separate Science of Economics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521415019, December.
    11. Bruce Bennett & Michael Bradbury & Helen Prangnell, 2006. "Rules, principles and judgments in accounting standards," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 42(2), pages 189-204, June.
    12. Mary Barth, 2007. "Standard-setting measurement issues and the relevance of research," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(S1), pages 7-15.
    13. Joyce, Ej & Libby, R & Sunder, S, 1982. "Using The Fasbs Qualitative Characteristics In Accounting Policy Choices," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(2), pages 654-675.
    14. Andrew Lennard, 2007. "Stewardship and the Objectives of Financial Statements: A Comment on IASB's Preliminary Views on an Improved Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting: The Objective of Financial Reporting and Qual," Accounting in Europe, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 51-66, June.
    15. Mark Bagnoli & Susan G. Watts, 2005. "Conservative Accounting Choices," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 51(5), pages 786-801, May.
    16. Mary Barth, 2006. "Including estimates of the future in today's financial statements," BIS Working Papers 208, Bank for International Settlements.
    17. Hausman,Daniel M., 1992. "The Inexact and Separate Science of Economics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521425230, December.
    18. Edwards, John Richard & Dean, Graeme & Clarke, Frank, 2009. "Merchants' accounts, performance assessment and decision making in mercantilist Britain," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 551-570, July.
    19. Sweeney, Amy Patricia, 1994. "Debt-covenant violations and managers' accounting responses," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 281-308, May.
    20. Janice A. Loftus, 2003. "The CF and Accounting Standards: The Persistence of Discrepancies," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 39(3), pages 298-309, October.
    21. George J. Benston & Michael Bromwich & Alfred Wagenhofer, 2006. "Principles‐ versus rules‐based accounting standards: the FASB's standard setting strategy," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 42(2), pages 165-188, June.
    22. Healy, Paul M. & Palepu, Krishna G., 1990. "Effectiveness of accounting-based dividend covenants," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(1-3), pages 97-123, January.
    23. Smith, Clifford Jr. & Warner, Jerold B., 1979. "On financial contracting : An analysis of bond covenants," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 117-161, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Carmen-Alexandra Baltariu & Andreea Cîrstea, 2012. "Harmonization Of Goodwill Reporting Practice In The Consolidated Financial Statements Of Romanian Groups," Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, Faculty of Sciences, "1 Decembrie 1918" University, Alba Iulia, vol. 2(14), pages 1-1.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Guilherme Belloque & Martina K Linnenluecke & Mauricio Marrone & Abhay K Singh & Rui Xue, 2021. "55 years of Abacus: Evolution of Research Streams and Future Research Directions," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 57(3), pages 593-618, September.
    2. Marco Fasan & Carlo Marcon, 2014. "Accounting Tradition and other drivers of the Fair Value choice: An Opportunistic Management perspective," Working Papers 13, Venice School of Management - Department of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia.
    3. Erb, Carsten & Pelger, Christoph, 2015. "“Twisting words”? A study of the construction and reconstruction of reliability in financial reporting standard-setting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 13-40.
    4. Ken Peasnell & Graeme Dean & Günther Gebhardt, 2009. "Reflections on the Revision of the IASB Framework by EAA Academics," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 45(4), pages 518-527, December.
    5. Rolf Uwe Fülbier & Joerg‐Markus Hitz & Thorsten Sellhorn, 2009. "Relevance of Academic Research and Researchers' Role in the IASB's Financial Reporting Standard Setting," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 45(4), pages 455-492, December.
    6. Roberts, John & Wang, Timothy, 2019. "Faithful representation as an ‘objective mirage’: A Saussurean analysis of accounting and its participation in the financial crisis," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    7. Mehnaz, Laura & Rahman, Asheq & Kabir, Humayun, 2023. "Covenant violation concern and investors’ pricing of Level 3 fair value adjustments," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(3).
    8. Michael Bromwich & Richard Macve & Shyam Sunder, 2010. "Hicksian Income in the Conceptual Framework," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 46(3), pages 348-376, September.
    9. Marco Fasan & Carlo Marcon, 2018. "Accounting Choice under IFRS: The Role of Accounting Tradition and Managerial Opportunism," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 8(3), pages 209-223, July.
    10. Hayoun, Shaul, 2019. "How fair value is both market-based and entity-specific: The irreducibility of value constellations to market prices," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 68-82.
    11. Asquith, Paul & Beatty, Anne & Weber, Joseph, 2005. "Performance pricing in bank debt contracts," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1-3), pages 101-128, December.
    12. David B. Sutton & Carolyn J. Cordery & Tony Zijl, 2015. "The Purpose of Financial Reporting: The Case for Coherence in the Conceptual Framework and Standards," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 51(1), pages 116-141, March.
    13. Peter R. Demerjian & John Donovan & Chad R. Larson, 2016. "Fair Value Accounting and Debt Contracting: Evidence from Adoption of SFAS 159," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(4), pages 1041-1076, September.
    14. Alan V. S. Douglas, 2003. "Corporate Investment Incentives and Accounting†Based Debt Covenants," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(4), pages 645-683, December.
    15. Li Yu (Colly) He & Sue Wright & Elaine Evans, 2018. "Is fair value information relevant to investment decision-making: Evidence from the Australian agricultural sector?," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 43(4), pages 555-574, November.
    16. Hodges, Ron & Mellett, Howard, 2012. "The U.K. private finance initiative: An accounting retrospective," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 235-247.
    17. Richard Barker & Anne McGeachin, 2015. "An Analysis of Concepts and Evidence on the Question of Whether IFRS Should be Conservative," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 51(2), pages 169-207, June.
    18. Bosch, Patrick, 2012. "Value Relevance of the Fair Value Hierarchy of IFRS 7 in Europe - How reliable are mark-to-model Fair Values ?," FSES Working Papers 439, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Freiburg/Fribourg Switzerland.
    19. Karen Benson & Peter M Clarkson & Tom Smith & Irene Tutticci, 2015. "A review of accounting research in the Asia Pacific region," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 40(1), pages 36-88, February.
    20. Michael Power, 2010. "Fair value accounting, financial economics and the transformation of reliability," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(3), pages 197-210.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:abacus:v:46:y:2010:i:1:p:1-27. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0001-3072 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.