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Disclosure versus recognition: Evidence from lobbying behavior in response to SFAS No. 158

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  • Fried, Abraham N.

Abstract

This study examines the lobbying behavior of firms following the release of the SFAS No. 158 exposure draft. SFAS No. 158 requires the recognition of previously disclosed net pension and postretirement benefit obligations on the balance sheet. The study documents that firms that lobbied against the pronouncement had large, underfunded plans and the decision to lobby was related to the magnitude of the SFAS No. 158 balance sheet adjustment. The findings have important implications for the recognition versus disclosure debate because they document management’s reaction to the relocation of information disclosed in the financial statement footnotes to its recognition on the balance sheet.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reacre:v:24:y:2012:i:1:p:25-32
    DOI: 10.1016/j.racreg.2011.12.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Francis, Jere R., 1987. "Lobbying against proposed accounting standards: The case of employers' pension accounting," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 35-57.
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    4. Ramanna, Karthik, 2008. "The implications of unverifiable fair-value accounting: Evidence from the political economy of goodwill accounting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(2-3), pages 253-281, August.
    5. Aboody, D, 1996. "Recognition versus disclosure in the oil and gas industry," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34, pages 21-32.
    6. Holthausen, Robert W. & Watts, Ross L., 2001. "The relevance of the value-relevance literature for financial accounting standard setting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 3-75, September.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Abraham N. Fried, 2013. "An Event Study Analysis of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 158," Accounting and Finance Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 2(2), pages 1-45, May.
    2. Comiran, Fernando & Graham, Carol M., 2016. "Comment letter activity: A response to proposed changes in lease accounting," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 109-117.
    3. Gonçalves, Rute & Lopes, Patrícia & Craig, Russell, 2017. "Value relevance of biological assets under IFRS," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 118-126.
    4. 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.
    5. Houmes, Robert & Boylan, Robert & Crosby, William, 2012. "On the value relevance of SFAS No. 158," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 112-114.
    6. Anantharaman, Divya, 2015. "Understanding the evolution of SFAS 141 and 142: An analysis of comment letters," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 99-110.
    7. Franzen, Laurel & Meckfessel, Michele & Moehrle, Stephen R. & Reynolds-Moehrle, Jennifer A., 2015. "Developments in accounting regulation: A synthesis and annotated bibliography of evidence and commentary in the 2012 academic literature," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 21-38.
    8. 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.
    9. Lagrange, Bruce & Viger, Chantal & Anandarajan, Asokan, 2015. "Contingency liabilities: The effect of three alternative reporting styles," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 119-128.

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