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Does the Balance Sheet Approach Improve the Usefulness of Accounting Information?

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  • Masaki Kusano

    (Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University, Japan)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a change in the accounting model on accounting information for decision making. Especially, this study shows that net income (earnings) does not play an important role in providing useful information for decision making if the accounting model changes from flow-based accounting to stockbased accounting. If the IASB and the FASB adopt stock-based accounting and measure assets and liabilities at fair value, earnings persistence and predictive ability will decrease, and the usefulness of income information will be impaired due to the increasing transitory earnings and the effects of earnings volatility. Stock-based accounting that emphasizes the balance sheet will impair the valuation role of financial reporting because the combined usefulness of accounting information of the book value of net assets and earnings does not improve; the usefulness of stock information (the balance sheet) for decision making does not necessarily improve, and the usefulness of flow information (net income) decreases. This finding indicates that the balance sheet approach does not necessarily improve the usefulness of accounting information.

Suggested Citation

  • Masaki Kusano, 2012. "Does the Balance Sheet Approach Improve the Usefulness of Accounting Information?," The Japanese Accounting Review, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, vol. 2, pages 139-152, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kob:tjrevi:dec2012:v:2:p:139-152
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    File URL: https://www.rieb.kobe-u.ac.jp/tjar/article/vol2/pdf/7.Kusano.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Yuri Biondi & Pierpaolo Giannoccolo, 2015. "Share price formation, market exuberance and financial stability under alternative accounting regimes," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 10(2), pages 333-362, October.
    2. Kim, Jonghoon & 金, 鐘勲 & Koga, Yuya, 2020. "The Value and Credit Relevance of IFRS versus JGAAP Accounting Information," Hitotsubashi Journal of commerce and management, Hitotsubashi University, vol. 53(1), pages 31-48, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Stock-Based Accounting; Flow-Based Accounting; Fair Value; Earnings Persistence; Earnings Volatility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M40 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - General
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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