Not logged in.

Contribution Details

Type Working Paper
Scope Discipline-based scholarship
Title Determinants and Consequences of a Voluntary Turn Away from IFRS to Local GAAP : Evidence from Switzerland
Organization Unit
Authors
  • Peter Fiechter
  • Jérome Halberkann
  • Conrad Meyer
Language
  • English
Institution University of Zurich
Series Name Working Paper Series
Number 1
Number of Pages 38
Date 2012
Abstract Text This paper investigates the causes and economic consequences of a voluntary turn away from IFRS to Swiss GAAP. As firms are permitted to switch from IFRS to Swiss GAAP in Switzerland, we can exploit this unique setting to analyze the reasons of a turn away, the changes in reporting, and its capital market effects. Prior literature on IFRS adoption (and other disclosure literature) generally finds a decrease in information asymmetry with increasing levels of disclosure. Accordingly, turning away from IFRS should increase the information asymmetry. However, our empirical results from a difference-in-differences design do not support this prediction. We interpret this finding as evidence that the disclosure level of Swiss GAAP is sufficient to meet the demand for disclosure of the switching firms’ investors. By providing evidence that—for certain firms—a switch away from IFRS does not necessarily induce negative economic consequences, the findings contribute to the current discussion on whether IFRS fits for small- and medium-sized firms.
Free access at Official URL
Official URL http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2192523
Other Identification Number merlin-id:9171
PDF File Download from ZORA
Export BibTeX
EP3 XML (ZORA)