Business Commons^™

Financial accounting standards in the U.S. are developed by private standard setting organizations (SSOs) that operate under the oversight of a government agency. The primary accounting SSO (FASB) has been criticized for writing too many standards (standards overload), the complexity of its standards, the processes by which its standards are set, and the absence of a competitive mechanism to help set standards. The present study seeks to assess the validity of these concerns by looking at standard setting processes in the broader economy. The study consists of three parts. In Section 1, we present some historical data on standard setting …

In recent decades, financial reporting has shifted away from reliance on social norms towards predominance of written standards enforced by authority. This change has influenced accounting thought, practice, regulation, instruction, and research. Moreover, monopoly jurisdiction of accounting standards has made it increasingly difficult to experiment with alternative methods, slowing the discovery of better methods of accounting. The so-called “fair” value standard is a result of this process. Letting standards compete would promote the development of better financial reporting and the restoration of a balance between the role standards and social norms play in financial reporting. 

The past decade has seen many changes in audit liability regimes of the US and the UK, and more may be on the way. These include LLP status for audit firms, proportional liability, and the introduction of various forms of liability caps through contract in engagement letters. These changes may affect audit quality, price and profitability, the organization of the market for audit services, as well as domestic and cross-national mechanisms for regulation of this market. What have been, or will be the consequences of these changes? Will the auditors, who advocate many of these reforms, benefit from them? Will …