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Estimating and validating a firm‐year‐specific measure of conservatism: Australian evidence

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  • Cheng Lai
  • Stephen L. Taylor

Abstract

We provide new evidence on the asymmetric timeliness with which economic gains and losses are recognized in Australian financial reporting (i.e. conservatism), as well as some of the factors associated with variation in conservatism. We first derive, and then estimate and subsequently validate, a firm‐year‐specific measure of conservatism (C_Score) in the manner suggested by Khan and Watts (2007). Our results indicate that conservatism is a pervasive feature of the Australian financial reporting environment. Conservatism is positively associated with stock return volatility, investment cycle length and prior period conservatism, and it is negatively associated with firm age, firm size and leverage. The results are an encouraging start for research into the causes and consequences of conservatism in Australian financial reporting.

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  • Cheng Lai & Stephen L. Taylor, 2008. "Estimating and validating a firm‐year‐specific measure of conservatism: Australian evidence," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 48(4), pages 673-695, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:48:y:2008:i:4:p:673-695
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-629X.2008.00270.x
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Martina K. Linnenluecke & Jacqueline Birt & Xiaoyan Chen & Xin Ling & Tom Smith, 2017. "Accounting Research in Abacus, A&F, AAR, and AJM from 2008–2015: A Review and Research Agenda," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 53(2), pages 159-179, June.
    3. Cheng Lai & Meiting Lu & Yaowen Shan, 2013. "Has Australian financial reporting become more conservative over time?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 53(3), pages 731-761, September.
    4. Clive Gaunt & Steven Cahan, 2014. "Accounting and Finance: authorship and citation trends," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 54(2), pages 441-465, June.
    5. Raghavan J. Iyengar & Ernest M. Zampelli, 2010. "Does accounting conservatism pay?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 50(1), pages 121-142, March.
    6. Lin, Fengyi & Wu, Chung-Min & Fang, Tzu-Yi & Wun, Jheng-Ci, 2014. "The relations among accounting conservatism, institutional investors and earnings manipulation," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 164-174.
    7. Meiting Lu & Yaowen Shan & Sue Wright & Yimeng Yu, 2020. "Operating cash flow asymmetric timeliness in Australia," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(S1), pages 587-627, April.
    8. Chan, Ann L.-C. & Hsu, Audrey W.-H. & Lee, Edward, 2015. "Mandatory adoption of IFRS and timely loss recognition across Europe: The effect of corporate finance incentives," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 70-82.
    9. Li Cui & Pamela Kent & Sujin Kim & Shan Li, 2021. "Accounting conservatism and firm performance during the COVID‐19 pandemic," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(4), pages 5543-5579, December.
    10. Philip Brown & Glen W. Dobbie & Andrew B. Jackson, 2011. "Measures of the Timeliness of Earnings," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 21(3), pages 222-234, September.

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