Studien har en deduktiv ansats och undersöker kvantitativ syftet av att förklara effekten med implementeringen av IFRS 13 på värderingsförändringen av förvaltningsfastigheter. Vidare är ändamålet att bidra med ytterligare kunskap till effekten av IFRS 13:s implementering för förvaltningsfastigheter. För att svara på syftet har tre hypoteser formulerats som testas genom Wilcoxons teckenrangtest och Mann-Whitney testet. Testerna analyseras följaktligen med två utvalda huvudteorier, den institutionella teorin och legitimitetsteorin, vilka appliceras och diskuteras i studien.     Resultatet av studien visar att det inte går att påvisa en signifikant skillnad i värderingsförändringen av förvaltningsfastigheter och IFRS 13, för och mellan fastighetsbolag på Large Cap och Mid Cap. Samt att det inte går att påvisa någon signifikant skillnad i värderingsförändringen efter implementeringen av IFRS 13, mellan en intern och extern värdering. Studien uppvisar varierande resultat i koppling till andra länder och varierar noterbart från tidigare studier, framför allt i den slutliga hypotesen som behandlar effekten av IFRS 13 på en extern och intern värdering.

This research study, motivated by the difference in opinion between the Joint Working Group of Standard Setters (JWGSS) and the Joint Working Group of Banking Associations (JWGBA), generates empirical evidence on preparer and user preferences for fair value accounting for all financial instruments. Australian and Singaporean respondents’ perceptions on the measurement of financial instruments at fair value and the recognition of changes in fair value as gains or losses in the Income Statement are obtained. This study provides better understanding of the perceptions on the international proposals for change by examining possible explanatory factors for respondents’ views. There is ongoing controversy regarding the appropriate accounting for financial instruments. Perceived shortcomings of the mixed measurement model resulted in an all inclusive fair value accounting standard proposed by the JWGSS (2000). This was met with strong criticism from the JWGBA, established in response to this proposal (1999a). An understanding of actual preparer and user views is thus important for standard-setters to determine the most appropriate and acceptable accounting standard for financial instruments, particularly for the complex financial institutions industry in these two prominent financial markets of the Asian Pacific region. A positivist-objectivist approach is chosen as the theoretical perspective of this research study because of its ability to help explain real world phenomena. Both qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (surveys) methods are used in tandem to derive evidence on user and preparer perceptions. This integration of methods is important to achieve a better understanding of the issues at hand. Evidence collected from the interviews and the preparer and user surveys are analysed with univariate and multivariate statistical tools to determine the level of support (or opposition) for fair value accounting for all financial instruments and to identify factors that explain user and preparer views. Results show that on average, preparers neither strongly support nor strongly oppose the fair value accounting proposal, while users are slightly more supportive. However, respondent users and preparers tend to have similar perceptions on most of the contentious issues raised in this international debate, sometimes giving credence to the JWGBA position while other times agreeing with the JWGSS. On average, users and preparer responses are similar but there is substantial variation within each group. Findings indicate higher support for fair value accounting when the trading and banking books are perceived to be not different, fair values for non-traded financial instruments are reliable and when there is comparability across entities. This thesis generates empirical evidence on the highly topical issue of accounting for financial instruments in the midst of international accounting standard setting movements toward fair value accounting. The lack of variation between users and preparers affirms the robustness of the qualitative characteristics espoused by the IASB framework for financial reporting. Results show that achieving these qualitative characteristics is far more important than trying to fulfill the different needs of various groups. This slight support for fair value accounting is part of a bigger tapestry of a slow but steady movement towards fair value measurement in financial accounting and reporting.

Abstract One of the major features of financial reporting is conservatism. Accounting conservatism is traditionally defined by the adage “anticipate no profit, but anticipate all losses.” Accounting conservatism is manifested in two general but distinct ways. First, conservatism can be unconditional, meaning that the book value of net assets is understated due to predetermined accounting practices (e.g. immediate expensing of research and development expenditures as incurred). Second, conservatism can be conditional, meaning that the book value of assets is written down under sufficiently adverse circumstances, but not up under favorable circumstances (e.g. goodwill impairment rules). This dissertation focuses only on conditional conservatism. The purpose of this dissertation is to increase our understanding of conditional conservatism through three inter-related essays. These essays seek to answer the following research questions: (1) Are standard measures of conditional conservatism affected by the asymmetry in cash flows? (2) How does “bad news” contribute to the persistence of accruals and cash flows? (3) Do firms manage fair value based goodwill write-offs under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 142 (SFAS 142)? (4) What are the economic consequences of SFAS 142 goodwill write-offs? Collectively, the empirical results of this dissertation further our understanding of the determinants and implications of conditional conservatism. The first essay demonstrates that the asymmetry in cash flows biases standard measures of conditional conservatism. The second and third essays are one of the first to assess conservatism using an individual accrual account, namely, SFAS 142 goodwill write-offs. The second essay examines the reliability of goodwill write-offs, while the third essay provides evidence on the economic consequences of goodwill write-offs. The findings of these two essays are important for the debate on whether fair value measurements in financial statements are appropriate.

M.Comm. (International Accounting) / The study investigates the potential effect of applying a fair value model after the grant date to employee share options. The research assesses the appropriateness of the requirements of IFRS2 Share-Based Payment transactions with a specific focus on equity-settled Employee Share Options. The researcher has calculated the percentage movements or changes of fair value between each financial year including the overall percentage change. The study was mainly triggered by the IFRS2 Share-Based Payment rules and various arguments from different authors challenging the appropriateness of IFRS2 Share-Based Payment on employee share options (ESOs) transactions in capturing the full economic value transferred to the option holder at exercise date when applying a grant date accounting model. The study provides insights into whether a grant date accounting model is appropriate in measuring ESOs and capturing the full economic value transferred to the option holder. The application of a static fair value model in measuring the value of ESOs has the potential for both positive and negative effects on the compensation cost recognised in the financial statements over the vesting period. After analysing the descriptive financial data on fair value per option over the six year period included in the sample selection, a conclusion was reached that, IASB should consider to true-up or make a restatement of the opening balance of the fair value reserves account in order to minimise the potential permanent error in equity accounts and to minimise the potential effect of understating or overstating the compensation cost. The IASB should further consider the proper classification of equity instruments issued to employee ESOs which comply with other financial instrument accounting standards such as the IAS32 – Financial Instruments: Presentation, and IFRS9 Financial Instruments. This will ensure that transactions viewed as economic equivalents of each other are treated in the same way from an accounting perspective, and the correct measurement basis of ESOs may be achieved.

This thesis presents new empirical evidence on three important aspects of financial reporting by banks. The thesis consists of an introductory chapter that explains how the three issues are related to each other, three empirical chapters and a final summary chapter. The first empirical chapter studies the effects of accounting conservatism on the pricing of syndicated bank loans. I provide evidence that banks more timely in loss recognition charge higher spreads for the same loan provision. I go on to consider what happens to this relationship during the financial crisis. During the crisis, banks more timely in loss recognition increase their spreads to a lesser extent than banks less timely in loss recognition. The policy implication is that banks more timely in loss recognition exhibit more prudent and less pro-cyclical debt pricing behaviour. The second empirical chapter examines the relationship between the value relevance of fair value gains and losses and bank risk in an international bank sample. One possibility is that, as risk increases, the scope for subjectivity in fair value estimates increases thereby potentially rendering the numbers less useful. However another possibility is that the relevance of faithfully reported fair value gains and losses increases as risk increases. The study provides evidence that the value relevance of fair value gains and losses is positively associated with bank risk prior to the crisis. During the crisis there is also evidence of a similar positive relationship, but it is not possible to draw firm conclusions for reasons discussed in the chapter. My research also shows that the fair value gains and losses of banks that elect to use the fair value option for assets that could have been accounted for using amortized costs are more value relevant and persistent. This study provides information to policy makers on the situations when fair values are most useful to investors. The third empirical chapter examines if the market rationally prices the loan loss provisions, and the reported fair value gains and losses of US banks. The chapter models the discretionary components of loan loss provisions and fair value gains and losses, and tests if the discretionary components are priced differently from their non-discretionary counterparts. The results provide little evidence that the market misprices operating cash flows, non-discretionary loan loss provisions, or fair value gains and losses (discretionary or otherwise). However there is evidence of significant mispricing of discretionary loan loss provisions. The lack of evidence on the mispricing of fair value gains and losses is consistent with the finding on the value relevance of fair value gains and losses in the second empirical chapter.

This paper investigates the potential procyclical effects of fair value accounting (FVA). If FVA adjustments result in increased accounting profits with the recognition of transitory gains through a firm's profit and loss (P&L), and if management incorrectly assesses the persistence of the unrealised gains, these increased profits may be paid out as dividends. This has the potential to increase leverage and risk for these firms, thereby also possibly amplifying economic cycles. A study by Goncharov and Van Triest (2011:59) on Russian firms found that FVA adjustments are persistent in future earnings; however, no empirical evidence was found to support an increase in dividends in response to unrealised FVA gains. By contrast, when the setting is limited to South African banks only, De Jager (2015:157) found that South African banks have paid the full amount of any unrealised transitory gains as dividends. This study focuses on the effects of FVA adjustments on dividend policy for South African firms, as represented by the firms included in the FTSE/JSE Top 40 Index. This furthers De Jager's (2015) study by extending the investigation of the dividend relevance of FVA adjustments from the major South African banks, to South African large firms in general. The results of a panel regression of the net profit of these firms reveal that unrealised FVA adjustments do have a persistent influence on future earnings, indicating that these adjustments contain both transitory and persistent elements. A further panel regression of the annual dividends declared by these firms indicates that dividend payments do include a portion of unrealised FVA gains, as expected by the persistent nature of a portion of these unrealised FVA gains.

We investigate if the size of goodwill compared to total assets has any effect on the shareholders return on companies listed on the Swedish Stock market. We put up two different hypotheses with a foundation from previous research and later dismiss one of them. Our evidence does not show any indicators that the size of goodwill have an effect on the shareholders return, which brings us to believe that there, from a share holders point of view, isn’t any need for concern regarding the standards about accounting for goodwill as stated by IFRS.

This study examines the effects of the discretion allowed in fair value accounting on manager selling decisions of Level 3 fair value assets and liabilities. Grounded in motivated reasoning and prospect theory, the discretion permitted for Level 3 fair value assets and liabilities is predicted to have behavioral consequences. The study employs a 2 X 2 between- participant design, manipulating a conservative level of the discretion used to ascertain the fair value (more or less conservative) and the volatility of the historically recognized fair value (low or high). Both graduate students and accounting professionals were asked to read a case scenario and make selling decisions regarding a pool of Level 3 fair value assets purchased six quarters ago. The results indicate that the discretion of the conservative level affects the asking price although the volatility of historically recognized fair values does not significantly influence accounting professionals’ selling choices. In a comparative analysis, as volatility increases, the difference in the asking price increases between the graduate student sample and the professional sample. Additionally, this study provides support that discretion of the conservative level does not affect the likelihood to sell the security, but rather affects the asking price and the lowest price willing to accept if participants were to sell the Level 3 fair value security. These findings contribute to the fair value accounting literature by providing new insights on the effects fair value discretion has on manager decision-making as well as contributing evidence to the fair value accounting relevance debate.

A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of Masters of Commerce in Accounting 2016. / This paper explores the logics of resistance to fair value accounting, which entails the motivations to resist, as well as the mechanisms of resistance. It applies an interpretive approach to investigate this, using data collected from interviews with a sample of South African accounting professionals. The study demonstrates that while fair value accounting is being applied in the financial statements of organisations from a legalistic perspective, the application is superficial and ceremonious due to an established culture of compliance, and the need for funding, which engenders a ‘tick the box’ approach. The superficiality of application is complimented with a range of motivations to resist IFRS 13, which stem from practical concerns as well as theoretical, to create for a resistant attitude to fair value accounting. This resistance has been evidenced in this study, to manifest in various mechanisms that can be employed to avoid fair value accounting. These mechanisms are indicative of decoupling since they involve gaps being created between the purpose of financial statements, and the financial statements prepared, without blatant disregard of fair value accounting principles. These findings have been used to formulate recommendations which may be useful for preparers of financial statements, auditors and standard setters alike. While the aim of the study is not to identify deficiencies of fair value accounting principles, the consequence of exploring logics of resistance to fair value accounting is that it highlights areas that require further assessment in order to achieve the objectives of standards. / MT2017

The thesis "Role auditu ve finanční krizi" examines the role of auditors in the financial crisis 2007 - 2009. In the first part, I provide a general overview on the financial crisis describing its causes, development and consequences. In next chapters, I focus on the role of auditors in financial markets. I analyse selected court cases with all BIG 4 companies. Moreover, I describe Green Paper of the European Commission and other efforts to increase quality and credibility of auditing. The last part is devoted to the changes in fair value accounting regulation.