The Effects of International Financial Reporting Standards on Reporting Quality of Financial Institutions in Ghana

Abstract

This study sought to examine the reporting quality of financial institutions in Ghana after adopting International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) as its official national reporting standard. Using a fixed effect logistic regression, the study compares the earnings management of banks and insurance firms before and after IFRS adoption on reporting quality. The data used was drawn from 51 financial institutions made up of 23 universal banks and 28 insurance companies observed over the period 2003 to 2014. The empirical results indicate that financial institutions exhibit more earnings management during the post-adoption era which is interpreted as a decline in the quality of financial reporting among financial institutions in Ghana. The results documented in this study add to the dearth of literature and contributes to the debate on IFRS adoption and its related impact on reporting quality (earnings management) among financial institutions from the perspective of an emerging market. The study is unique in the sense that it includes the insurance industry where the literature is largely silent especially, on the impact of IFRS adoption by countries on the African continent. Furthermore, unlike previous studies, this paper considers both listed and non-listed firms.