Drawing on organizational legitimacy theories, a recent research paper suggests that managers may adopt similar accounting practices as industry leaders to gain credibility and legitimacy. Especially for newly appointed CEOs, mirroring the accounting behaviors of industry leaders can serve as a signal of trustworthiness in an environment where stakeholders might be uncertain about their capabilities.
Contextualizing this research within the wider academic discourse, comparability in financial statements helps stakeholders identify similarities and differences across firms, aiding in investment and decision-making processes. While the benefits of financial statement comparability are well documented (e.g., reduced information costs for analysts and lower equity capital costs), the factors influencing comparability at the firm level remain relatively unexplored. This paper bridges that gap by shedding light on the drivers of accounting mimicry, offering valuable insights for both regulators and corporate practitioners.
Given the emphasis regulators place on financial statement comparability, understanding why and when firms align their accounting with industry leaders is crucial. For those intrigued by the dynamics of corporate mimicry and the strategies new CEOs employ to establish credibility, this paper provides a rich and enlightening read.
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