Transparent financial disclosure and SFAS No. 142
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to examine whether companies are providing transparent financial disclosures in compiling with the provisions of SFAS No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets”, and to determine whether the adequacy of these disclosures is impacted by firm size.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a random sample of companies that reported goodwill impairments for the first year of adoption of SFAS No. 142. The firms were then stratified into three groups according to asset size. Subsequent analysis consisted of assessing the financial transparency of companies' goodwill reporting practices in total and by firm size, utilizing an approach suggested in Adams.
Findings
The study's findings suggest that many companies are not willing to provide additional voluntary disclosures to improve financial transparency, despite having the necessary information easily accessible. It also found that compliance with the provisions of SFAS 142 was sporadic and unpredictable.
Originality/value
This study provides evidence that companies are not providing transparent financial information.
Keywords
Citation
Sevin, S., Schroeder, R. and Bhamornsiri, S. (2007), "Transparent financial disclosure and SFAS No. 142", Managerial Auditing Journal, Vol. 22 No. 7, pp. 674-687. https://doi.org/10.1108/02686900710772582
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited