Diogenis Baboukardos (2016)
Essays on the market valuation implications of mandatory corporate reporting
The purpose of this dissertation is to enrich understanding on the market valuation implications of mandatory financial and non-financial reporting beyond and in relation to traditional accounting information. It is comprised of four individual essays each of which examines a different, and to some extent internationally unique, jurisdiction that can best serve the particular purpose of the essay as well as the overarching purpose of the dissertation.
The starting point of this empirical inquiry is the value relevance of purchased goodwill under IFRS and the moderating role that different levels of compliance with IFRS mandatory disclosures play on its market valuation. Similar to the first essay, the second essay focuses on traditional accounting information (specifically book value of equity and earnings) and examines potential differences on its market valuation before and after the mandatory introduction of an integrated reporting approach. The third essay focuses on mandatory carbon emissions reporting and compares its valuation relevance when such reporting is mandated by regulation vis-à-vis when it is voluntary. Finally, the fourth essay examines the market valuation interplay between mandatory financial and non-financial disclosures.
This dissertation intends to be of particular relevance first; to the accounting academic community which acknowledges that mandatory disclosures are not well understood and it calls for further research on how users of annual reports view mandatory disclosures and second; to accounting regulators. Empirical research on the value relevance of corporate reporting can provide useful insights into questions of interest to regulators because its research questions are often motivated by broader questions raised by these non-academic constituents. The dissertation in hand has similar motivations.
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