Regional Differences in the Economic Consequences of the New Accounting Standards

Beginning on January 1, 2007, all Chinese-listed companies were forced to implement the new set of accounting standards released by the Ministry of Finance in 2006. Using the first-quarter data for 2007 and then conducting robust tests with annual data, the authors found empirical support for their conclusions regarding the implementation and effects of accounting standards. Based on new institutional economics theory, they concluded that when the same accounting standards were implemented throughout China, the consequences were significantly different in various regions depending on the regional level of economic development and growth rate. The study's most important contribution is its enhancement of the understanding of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) implementation around the world.