Comparability is a desirable qualitative characteristic of financial information and critical for financial statement users' ability to identify and understand similarities and differences in financial results among reporting entities. Yet, little research explicitly considers either the determinants or benefits of comparability because of difficulty in identifying and measuring the theoretical construct of comparability. Further, the widespread global adoption of IFRS, a relatively homogenous set of accounting standards, is expected to increase comparability among companies that operate in different national jurisdictions. However, prior studies that examine the average impact of mandatory IFRS adoption on comparability find mixed results. I hypothesized that the impact of mandatory IFRS adoption on comparability varies with managers' reporting incentives and differences between countries' domestic standards and IFRS. Using listed firms from 34 countries, I documented that comparability under non-IFRS domestic standards is higher in countries that provide strong reporting incentives (i.e. countries with strict enforcement regimes or high earnings transparency). Additionally, I found an increase in comparability following IFRS adoption (relative to a control sample of non-adopters) in countries that provide strong reporting incentives or with large domestic GAAP-IFRS differences. In contrast, I found evidence of a decrease following IFRS adoption (relative to a control sample of non-adopters) in countries with weak reporting incentives or with small domestic GAAP-IFRS differences. Finally, I showed that changes in comparability surrounding adoption are positively associated with changes in the quality of firms' information environments.

O presente estudo objetiva analisar o impacto da adoção da norma internacional de contabilidade (IFRS) no Brasil na comparabilidade entre as normas contábeis (IFRS International Financial Reporting Standards e BRGAAP Brazilian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) e a relevância das informações geradas pela contabilidade na tomada de decisões pelos investidores. Como um objetivo secundário, busca identificar quais mudanças (CPCs Comitê de Pronunciamentos Contábeis) foram mais significativas (e frequentes) para as contas contábeis e os indicadores financeiros com o propósito de avaliar os efeitos na comparabilidade das demonstrações financeiras das companhias brasileiras listadas na Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo (IBOVESPA). Utilizou-se a ferramenta estatística de teste de médias, onde as hipóteses formuladas a serem testadas foram elaboradas a partir do levantamento do referencial teórico. A pesquisa constatou que os números contábeis das empresas listadas no IBOVESPA diferem significativamente e de forma positiva, quando aplicadas as normas internacionais de contabilidade em vez de aplicar a norma contábil brasileira (BRGAAP), assim como verificado em outros países. Também foi constatado que o padrão de contabilidade IFRS apresenta maior relevância contábil que a norma brasileira, uma vez que os dados contábeis se mostraram mais próximos aos valores de mercado. A pesquisa verificou nos relatórios contábeis das empresas inconsistências quanto à adoção das novas normas e, também, consideráveis variações nas formas de divulgação das informações. Além de ter identificado as normas (CPC 13, CPC 15 e CPC 27) que provocaram efeitos mais significativos em termos de valores e de frequência. Conclui-se com este estudo que as demonstrações financeiras sofrem impactos significativos ao se analisar os dois padrões contábeis em tela e que as demonstrações financeiras sob o padrão internacional apresentam maior relevância contábil que a norma de contabilidade brasileira. Ao fim do estudo, sugere-se que sejam aplicados outros testes estatísticos de análise multivariada dos dados financeiros com o intuito de se analisar simultaneamente o impacto de outras variáveis na comparabilidade e na relevância contábil. / This study analyzes the impact of the adoption of international accounting standard (IFRS) in comparability between the accounting standards (IFRS-International Financial Reporting Standards and BRGAAP - Brazilian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and relevance of information generated by accounting in decision decisions by investors in Brazil. As a secondary objective, which seeks to identify changes (CPCs - Accounting Pronouncements Committee) were more significant (and frequent) for accounts and financial indicators in order to evaluate the effects on the comparability of financial statements of Brazilian companies listed on the Bolsa de Valores de Sao Paulo (IBOVESPA). We used a statistical tool to test medium, where the hypotheses to be tested were prepared from a survey of the theoretical. The survey found that the accounting numbers of firms listed on IBOVESPA differ significantly in a positive way, when applied to international accounting standards instead of applying the accounting standard in Brazil (BR GAAP), as seen in other countries. It was found that the accounting standard IFRS accounting is more value relevant than the Brazilian standard, since the accounting data is shown closer to market values. The research found in the accounting reports, the data regarding the adoption of new standards and also considerable variations in the forms of disclosure. In addition to having identified the standards (CPC 13, CPC 15 and CPC 27) that caused the most significant effects in terms of values and frequency. It is concluded from this study that the financial statements suffer significant impacts when analyzing the two accounting standards on screen and that the financial statements under international standards are more value relevant than the accounting standard Brazilian accounting. At the end of the study a suggestion is made, that other tests should be applied, focused on statistical multivariate analysis of the financial data in order to simultaneously analyze the impact of other variables on the accounting comparability and on the value relevance.

O presente estudo objetiva analisar o impacto da adoção da norma internacional de contabilidade (IFRS) no Brasil na comparabilidade entre as normas contábeis (IFRS International Financial Reporting Standards e BRGAAP Brazilian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) e a relevância das informações geradas pela contabilidade na tomada de decisões pelos investidores. Como um objetivo secundário, busca identificar quais mudanças (CPCs Comitê de Pronunciamentos Contábeis) foram mais significativas (e frequentes) para as contas contábeis e os indicadores financeiros com o propósito de avaliar os efeitos na comparabilidade das demonstrações financeiras das companhias brasileiras listadas na Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo (IBOVESPA). Utilizou-se a ferramenta estatística de teste de médias, onde as hipóteses formuladas a serem testadas foram elaboradas a partir do levantamento do referencial teórico. A pesquisa constatou que os números contábeis das empresas listadas no IBOVESPA diferem significativamente e de forma positiva, quando aplicadas as normas internacionais de contabilidade em vez de aplicar a norma contábil brasileira (BRGAAP), assim como verificado em outros países. Também foi constatado que o padrão de contabilidade IFRS apresenta maior relevância contábil que a norma brasileira, uma vez que os dados contábeis se mostraram mais próximos aos valores de mercado. A pesquisa verificou nos relatórios contábeis das empresas inconsistências quanto à adoção das novas normas e, também, consideráveis variações nas formas de divulgação das informações. Além de ter identificado as normas (CPC 13, CPC 15 e CPC 27) que provocaram efeitos mais significativos em termos de valores e de frequência. Conclui-se com este estudo que as demonstrações financeiras sofrem impactos significativos ao se analisar os dois padrões contábeis em tela e que as demonstrações financeiras sob o padrão internacional apresentam maior relevância contábil que a norma de contabilidade brasileira. Ao fim do estudo, sugere-se que sejam aplicados outros testes estatísticos de análise multivariada dos dados financeiros com o intuito de se analisar simultaneamente o impacto de outras variáveis na comparabilidade e na relevância contábil. / This study analyzes the impact of the adoption of international accounting standard (IFRS) in comparability between the accounting standards (IFRS-International Financial Reporting Standards and BRGAAP - Brazilian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and relevance of information generated by accounting in decision decisions by investors in Brazil. As a secondary objective, which seeks to identify changes (CPCs - Accounting Pronouncements Committee) were more significant (and frequent) for accounts and financial indicators in order to evaluate the effects on the comparability of financial statements of Brazilian companies listed on the Bolsa de Valores de Sao Paulo (IBOVESPA). We used a statistical tool to test medium, where the hypotheses to be tested were prepared from a survey of the theoretical. The survey found that the accounting numbers of firms listed on IBOVESPA differ significantly in a positive way, when applied to international accounting standards instead of applying the accounting standard in Brazil (BR GAAP), as seen in other countries. It was found that the accounting standard IFRS accounting is more value relevant than the Brazilian standard, since the accounting data is shown closer to market values. The research found in the accounting reports, the data regarding the adoption of new standards and also considerable variations in the forms of disclosure. In addition to having identified the standards (CPC 13, CPC 15 and CPC 27) that caused the most significant effects in terms of values and frequency. It is concluded from this study that the financial statements suffer significant impacts when analyzing the two accounting standards on screen and that the financial statements under international standards are more value relevant than the accounting standard Brazilian accounting. At the end of the study a suggestion is made, that other tests should be applied, focused on statistical multivariate analysis of the financial data in order to simultaneously analyze the impact of other variables on the accounting comparability and on the value relevance.

Diese Dissertation umfasst drei Papiere, die sich mit den Konsequenzen von verpflichtend aufzustellender finanzieller Berichterstattung befassen. Die erste Studie beschäftigt sich mit einer Gesetzesänderung, die Investoren betrifft, deren Stimmrechtsanteile offenzulegen sind. Sie untersucht, welche Investoren ihre Unternehmensanteile anpassen, nachdem die Gesetzesänderung, die in einer Herabsetzung des Eingangsschwellenwerts für Stimmrechtsmitteilungen resultiert, in Kraft tritt. Die Ergebnisse sind konsistent mit einer Umschichtung in der Eigentümerstruktur von Unternehmen. Sie zeigen, dass Investmentfonds und, in etwas geringerem Maße, Banken ihre Anteile reduzieren während nichtfinanzielle Unternehmen ihre Anteile erhöhen. Die zweite Studie befasst sich mit der Rolle von Offenlegungsinstrumenten für Portfolioentscheidungen von einem speziellen Investorentyp, Investmentfonds. Sie analysiert, ob die Vergleichbarkeit von Rechnungslegungsinformationen mit der Zugehörigkeit zu Portfolios von Investmentfonds assoziiert ist. Die Ergebnisse stehen im Einklang mit der Bedeutung von Vergleichbarkeit in der Rechnungslegung für die Selektion von Portfoliounternehmen. Investmentfonds nehmen Unternehmen mit einer größeren Wahrscheinlichkeit in ihr Portfolio auf, wenn die Rechnungslegungsinstrumente dieser Unternehmen eine höhere Vergleichbarkeit mit den Rechnungslegungsinstrumenten anderer Portfoliounternehmen aufweisen. Die dritte Studie legt die Aufmerksamkeit auf Fachkräfte in der Rechnungslegung, die die Erstellung von Offenlegungsinstrumenten unterstützen, Wirtschaftsprüfer und Berater. Sie betrachtet Determinanten ihrer Entscheidung, temporär innerhalb der Unternehmensstrukturen zu migrieren, mit Bezug auf länder- und berufsspezifische Charakteristika. Die Ergebnisse deuten an, dass Unterschiede in der Rechnungslegungs- und Steuerregulierung Migrationsentscheidungen beeinflussen können. / This dissertation comprises three papers on the consequences of mandatory, financial disclosures. The first study focuses on a rule change which applies to investors who are required to disclose their ownership in firms. It investigates which investor types adjust their holdings in response to this rule change, the introduction of lower reporting thresholds. Results are consistent with a reshuffling of the ownership structure of firms. Precisely, they show that mutual funds and, to a lesser extent, banks decrease their holdings while non-financial corporations increase their holdings. The second study concentrates on the role of disclosures in portfolio decisions of one particular investor type, mutual funds. It analyzes whether comparability of firms’ accounting disclosures is associated with their membership in mutual funds’ portfolios. Results are in line with accounting comparability mattering for portfolio selection. Specifically, mutual funds are more likely to include a firm in their portfolio if the firm is more comparable, in accounting terms, to existing portfolio peers. The third study shifts the attention to accounting professionals who assist in the preparation of financial disclosures, auditors and consultants. It studies country-level as well as occupation-specific determinants of the decision to temporarily migrate within firms. Results suggest that differences in accounting and tax rules across countries can affect migration decisions of these professionals.