The Level of Accounting Standardization in Historical and Occupational Contexts Público

Abstract

Abstract
The Level of Accounting Standardization in Historical and
Occupational Contexts
By Paul E. Madsen
Many of the costs and benefits of standardizing accounting, which reduces the discretion of
accountants and managers, are impossible to quantify. As a consequence, arriving at an
efficient level of standardization in accounting is impossible using traditional cost/benefit
analysis. In this paper, I study the level of accounting standardization in two contexts. First,
taking a historical perspective, I show that the output of accounting standard-setters has
increased fourfold over the last 50 years. I then examine how the increased standard-setter
output was received by the accounting profession. Using data collected from editions of a
well known accounting reference manual, the Accountants' Handbook, published between
1923 and 2007, I find a negative temporal association between increasing standardization and
proxies for the quality of the accounting discourse, consistent with the predictions in Baxter
(1962). I then examine the level of accounting standardization in the context of a large
sample of occupations in the United States. I develop and estimate a model of standardization
in occupations. Using this model, I estimate a benchmark of the "expected" level of
standardization in accounting occupations given their characteristics. I find that the
accounting occupation most involved with financial reporting is far more standardized than
the model predicts, consistent with "standards overload."

The Level of Accounting Standardization in Historical and
Occupational Contexts
By
Paul E. Madsen
B.S., University of Utah, 2002
M.S., University of Utah, 2005
Advisor: Gregory Waymire, Ph.D.
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the
James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies of Emory University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in Business
2010

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1. Introduction .................................................................................................. page 1
2. Hypothesis Development ............................................................................. page 4
3. The Extent of Accounting Standardization in Form and Implementation ... page 8
4. Standard Setters and Accounting Dialogue .................................................. page 9
4.1 Data: The Accountants' Handbook ....................................................... page 10
4.2 Results .................................................................................................... page 13
5. The Level of Standardization in Accounting Occupations ........................... page 16
5.1 Theory of Standards ............................................................................... page 17
5.2 Data ....................................................................................................... page 19
5.3 Linking the Theory of Standards to Empirical Observable
Occupational Traits ............................................................................... page 20
5.4 Model and Results ................................................................................. page 27
5.5 Robustness Checks ................................................................................ page 30
6. Conclusions ...................................................................................................page 34

About this Dissertation

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• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Laney Graduate School
Department	Business
Degree	PhD
Submission	Dissertation
Language	English
Research Field	Sociology, Industrial and Labor Relations Business Administration, Accounting
Palabra Clave	Accounting Occupations O*NET
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Waymire, Gregory, Emory University
Committee Members	Towry, Kristy, Emory University Demerjian, Peter, Emory University

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