Exploring the decision to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards early: The case of International Financial Reporting Standards 13

Abstract

Using an exploratory interpretive research approach and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) 13 as a case study, this article investigates the factors that affect the decision to adopt a specific IFRS early. The research findings are significant as very little interpretive research has been performed on financial reporting from a South African perspective. The findings reveal that the majority of the interviewees did not elect to adopt IFRS 13 early. Technical constraints – such as the need to provide additional accounting disclosure – discouraged the early adoption of the standard. Factors such as the effect of adoption on earnings, decisions made by competitors and the relevance of the standard to business operations were also considered as part of this decision. Perhaps most significant is the logic of resistance to new standards evidenced by a general dismissal of the view that IFRS 13 provides more useful information to users of financial statements.