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Economic consequences of mandatory GAAP changes: The case of SFAS No. 158

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  • Fried, Abraham N.
  • Davis-Friday, Paquita Y.

Abstract

This study examines management's reaction to the SFAS No. 158 requirement to recognize previously disclosed post-retirement benefit obligations on the balance sheet. The results indicate that managers attempted to mitigate the impact of the standard by increasing the assumed pension discount rate in subsequent periods. Further, the discount rate choice was related to the magnitude of the SFAS No. 158 balance sheet adjustment. Specifically, firms with larger required liability adjustments and more volatile pension assets and obligations were more likely to increase their discount rates. The findings have important implications for research regarding the economic consequences of accounting regulations and in particular the debate surrounding recognition versus disclosure since they indicate that managers react to the relocation of information from the financial statement footnotes to the balance sheet.

Suggested Citation

  • Fried, Abraham N. & Davis-Friday, Paquita Y., 2013. "Economic consequences of mandatory GAAP changes: The case of SFAS No. 158," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 186-194.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:advacc:v:29:y:2013:i:2:p:186-194
    DOI: 10.1016/j.adiac.2013.05.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sharad Asthana, 1999. "Determinants of Funding Strategies and Actuarial Choices for Defined†Benefit Pension Plans," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(1), pages 39-74, March.
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    4. Robert Libby & Mark W. Nelson & James E. Hunton, 2006. "Retracted: Recognition v. Disclosure, Auditor Tolerance for Misstatement, and the Reliability of Stock‐Compensation and Lease Information," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 533-560, June.
    5. Santanu Mitra & Mahmud Hossain, 2009. "Value-relevance of pension transition adjustments and other comprehensive income components in the adoption year of SFAS No. 158," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 279-301, October.
    6. Fried, Abraham N., 2012. "Disclosure versus recognition: Evidence from lobbying behavior in response to SFAS No. 158," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 25-32.
    7. Daniel Bergstresser & Mihir Desai & Joshua Rauh, 2006. "Earnings Manipulation, Pension Assumptions, and Managerial Investment Decisions," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 121(1), pages 157-195.
    8. Martin Feldstein & Randall Morck, 1983. "Pension Funding Decisions, Interest Rate Assumptions, and Share Prices," NBER Chapters, in: Financial Aspects of the United States Pension System, pages 177-210, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Cathy Beaudoin & Nandini Chandar & Edward M. Werner, 2010. "Are potential effects of SFAS 158 associated with firms' decisions to freeze their defined benefit pension plans?," Review of Accounting and Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 9(4), pages 424-451, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fried, Abraham & Davis-Friday, Paquita & Davis, Harry Z., 2014. "The impact of duration on management's discount rate choice," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 217-221.
    2. Kusano, Masaki, 2023. "Does recognition versus disclosure of pension liabilities affect credit ratings? Evidence from Japan," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    3. Masaki KUSANO, 2022. "Recognition versus Disclosure and Managerial Discretion: Evidence from Japanese Pension Accounting," Discussion papers e-22-008, Graduate School of Economics , Kyoto University.
    4. Masaki KUSANO & Yoshihiro SAKUMA, 2019. "Recognition versus Disclosure and Audit Fees and Costs:Evidence from Pension Accounting in Japan," Discussion papers e-19-007, Graduate School of Economics , Kyoto University.
    5. Tobias Witter & Thorsten Sellhorn & Jens Müller & Vicky Kiosse, 2022. "Balance sheet smoothing," Berlin School of Economics Discussion Papers 0006, Berlin School of Economics.

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