A pervasive theme in both accounting and statistics is aggregation. However, in contrast to statistics, a customary standard for determining the best aggregation rule in accounting is unavailable or, at least, not explicitly defined. Also, most accounting procedures follow a well-specified...

Intertemporal aggregation results in a summarization of information and a natural delay in the release of information. We study a principal-agent model and show that intertemporal aggregation can be an optimal feature of a performance evaluation system. We then highlight subtleties associated...

This monograph presents existing and new research on three approaches to multiagent incentives. The goal of all three approaches is to find theories that better explain observed institutions than the standard approach has.

By developing a synthesis of documents that have been released officially under the revenue recognition project jointly run by the International Accounting Standards Board and Financial Accounting Standards Board, this article points out that the earning generation and realization process over...

This paper presents an adverse selection model in which progressive taxation enhances productive efficiency by encouraging a principal (buyer) to be less aggressive in contracting with an agent (seller). Wary of padded cost budgets, the buyer employs a hurdle-rate procurement policy. With a low...

The push for increased transparency in financial reporting and corporate governance serves shareholders only up to a limit. The problem of assessing the value of transparency to shareholders is subtle because both the level and pattern of earnings can convey information. Even when earnings...

In this paper we examine a simple but suggestive setting in which the income number arises naturally (and directly) from competitive markets. While no explicit assumptions are made about individual firm's objectives, it turns out that equilibrium is consistent with the maximization of a number...