IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i20p14828-d1258777.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Comparability of Financial Information in Insurance Companies Using NiCE Qualitative Characteristics Measurement

Author

Listed:
  • Magdalena Chmielowiec-Lewczuk

    (Department of Insurance, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, 53-345 Wroclaw, Poland)

  • Marzanna Lament

    (Department of Finance, Insurance and Accounting, Casimir Pulaski Radom University, 26-600 Radom, Poland)

  • Kinga Bauer

    (Department of Accounting, Cracow University of Economics, 31-510 Cracow, Poland)

  • Ewa Spigarska

    (Department of Accounting, University of Gdansk, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to assess the comparability of financial information presented in the annual statements of insurance companies by means of the NiCE (Nijmegen Centre for Economics) index of financial report quality assessment and suggest some directions for changes to the assessment of comparability of insurance companies’ financial reporting. The selection of cases for the research sample was intentional. Financial reports were chosen from 8 insurance companies, whose share measured by the value of their assets accounts for more than 30% of the EU market. Financial statements for three years (2019, 2020, 2021) were obtained and assessed in each case. The NiCE index of financial report quality assessment was used, and utilised first to assess the qualitative characteristics of financial reporting from entities other than financial institutions. The study found a high comparability in insurance companies’ financial reporting. It was also established that the method of assessment is not free from defects, and some improvements were suggested. The results could serve insurance company stakeholders by indicating the current state and some directions for change regarding the comparability of financial statements. The stakeholders require reliable data, mainly regarding the goals on Agenda 2030. Understanding and analysing sustainability goals for entities such as insurance companies without analysing their financial situation is impossible. This research improves the state of the art in the assessment of financial reporting quality and fills a gap in the verification of the comparability of insurance companies’ financial information. The research undertaken should also be considered important from the point of view of sustainability, as the quality of information is an important element in decision-making and forms the basis for the preparation of non-financial information and ESG (environment, social, governance) reports.

Suggested Citation

  • Magdalena Chmielowiec-Lewczuk & Marzanna Lament & Kinga Bauer & Ewa Spigarska, 2023. "The Comparability of Financial Information in Insurance Companies Using NiCE Qualitative Characteristics Measurement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-17, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:20:p:14828-:d:1258777
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/20/14828/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/20/14828/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kamanda Morara & Athenia Bongani Sibindi, 2021. "Determinants of Financial Performance of Insurance Companies: Empirical Evidence Using Kenyan Data," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-13, November.
    2. Leuz, C & Verrecchia, RE, 2000. "The economic consequences of increased disclosure," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38, pages 91-124.
    3. Frank S. Skinner & Michalis Ioannides, 2005. "FRS17 and the Sterling Double A Corporate Yield Curve," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(5‐6), pages 1141-1169, June.
    4. Holger Daske & Luzi Hail & Christian Leuz & Rodrigo Verdi, 2008. "Mandatory IFRS Reporting around the World: Early Evidence on the Economic Consequences," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(5), pages 1085-1142, December.
    5. Shyam Sunder, 2007. "Uniform Financial Reporting Standards: Reconsidering the Top-Down Push," Yale School of Management Working Papers amz2572, Yale School of Management, revised 01 Sep 2007.
    6. Frank S. Skinner & Michalis Ioannides, 2005. ""FRS17" and the Sterling Double A Corporate Yield Curve," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(5-6), pages 1141-1169.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Stolowy, Hervé & Jeanjean, Thomas & Erkens, Michael, 2011. "The economic consequences of increasing the international visibility of financial reports," HEC Research Papers Series 957, HEC Paris.
    2. Suman Banerjee & Saul Estrin & Sarmistha Pal, 2022. "Corporate disclosure, compliance and consequences: evidence from Russia," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(17), pages 1770-1802, November.
    3. Charlie Charoenwong & Beng Soon Chong & Yung Chiang Yang, 2014. "Asset Liquidity and Stock Liquidity: International Evidence," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(3-4), pages 435-468, April.
    4. Hyunmi Ji, 2019. "The Impact of Interest Coverage Ratio on Value Relevance of Reported Earnings: Evidence from South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Merz, Alexander, 2017. "What have we learned from SFAS 123r and IFRS 2? A review of existing evidence and future research suggestions," Journal of Accounting Literature, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 14-33.
    6. Byard, Donal & Darrough, Masako & Suh, Jangwon, 2019. "There is No Evidence that Mandatory IFRS Adoption Significantly Decreased IPO Underpricing," SocArXiv b56u2, Center for Open Science.
    7. Alex Frino & Riccardo Palumbo & Francesco Capalbo & Dionigi Gerace & Vito Mollica, 2013. "Information Disclosure and Stock Liquidity: Evidence from Borsa Italiana," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 49(4), pages 423-440, December.
    8. Christian Gross, 2016. "The Effect of the German Accounting Law Modernization Act on the Comparability of Private Local GAAP and IFRS Firms," Schmalenbach Business Review, Springer;Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft, vol. 17(3), pages 423-460, December.
    9. Schleicher, Thomas & Tahoun, Ahmed & Walker, Martin, 2010. "IFRS adoption in Europe and investment-cash flow sensitivity: Outsider versus insider economies," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 143-168, June.
    10. Thorsten Knauer & Arnt Wöhrmann, 2010. "Rahmenbedingungen, Charakteristika und Konsequenzen freiwilliger Unternehmenspublizität – State of the Art und neue Perspektiven der empirischen Forschung," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 235-254, November.
    11. Irene Karamanou & George P. Nishiotis, 2009. "Disclosure and the Cost of Capital: Evidence from the Market's Reaction to Firm Voluntary Adoption of IAS," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(7‐8), pages 793-821, September.
    12. Jannis Bischof & Holger Daske, 2013. "Mandatory Disclosure, Voluntary Disclosure, and Stock Market Liquidity: Evidence from the EU Bank Stress Tests," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(5), pages 997-1029, December.
    13. Kim, Jong-Hoon & Fujiyama, Keishi & Koga, Yuya, 2024. "The effect of voluntary international financial reporting standards adoption on information asymmetry in the stock market: Evidence from Japan," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    14. Paul A. Griffin & Hyun A. Hong & Ivalina Kalcheva & Jeong‐Bon Kim, 2022. "Shorting activity and stock return predictability: Evidence from a mandatory disclosure shock," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 51(1), pages 27-71, March.
    15. Taisia Nistorenco, 2019. "Compliance with Disclosure Requirements under IFRS 3 of Companies Trading at Prague Stock Exchange," European Financial and Accounting Journal, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2019(2), pages 5-26.
    16. Christensen, Hans B. & Hail, Luzi & Leuz, Christian, 2013. "Mandatory IFRS reporting and changes in enforcement," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(2), pages 147-177.
    17. Yu Gao, 2011. "The Sarbanes‐Oxley Act and the Choice of Bond Market by Foreign Firms," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(4), pages 933-968, September.
    18. Isidro, Helena & Raonic, Ivana, 2012. "Firm incentives, institutional complexity and the quality of “harmonized” accounting numbers," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 407-436.
    19. Andrew Ellul & Tullio Jappelli & Marco Pagano & Fausto Panunzi, 2016. "Transparency, Tax Pressure, and Access to Finance," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 20(1), pages 37-76.
    20. Georgakopoulos, Georgios & Gounopoulos, Dimitrios & Huang, Chen & Patsika, Victoria, 2022. "The impact of IFRS adoption on IPOs management earnings forecasts in Australia," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).

    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:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:20:p:14828-:d:1258777. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.