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Pension accounting and research: A review

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  • Martin Glaum

Abstract

This paper provides a review of empirical research on pension accounting. Empirical research on pension accounting has focused mainly on two issues, the value‐relevance of pension accounting information and earnings management in pension accounting. Further work has been done on the information efficiency of capital markets with regard to pension accounting information. I outline how research in these areas has evolved over the past decades and discuss the results that have been obtained. I also point out methodological issues. Furthermore, this review reveals that almost all existing studies on pension accounting are based on US accounting and capitalmarket data. I therefore discuss which effects national or regional differences in, for instance, pension regulation, taxation and funding, have on the production of pension accounting information by preparers, and on the processing of this information by analysts, investors and other users. Finally, I highlight that national institutional differences as well as ongoing changes to pension accounting standards raise interesting opportunities for future empirical research on pension accounting.

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  • Martin Glaum, 2009. "Pension accounting and research: A review," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(3), pages 273-311.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:acctbr:v:39:y:2009:i:3:p:273-311
    DOI: 10.1080/00014788.2009.9663367
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fasshauer, Jan D. & Glaum, Martin & Street, Donna L., 2008. "Adoption of IAS 19R by Europe's premier listed companies: Corridor approach versus full recognition," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 113-122.
    2. Peter Fortune, 2005. "Pension accounting and corporate earnings: the world according to GAAP," Public Policy Discussion Paper 06-2, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    3. Camfferman, Kees & Zeff, Stephen A., 2007. "Financial Reporting and Global Capital Markets: A History of the International Accounting Standards Committee, 1973-2000," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199296293, Decembrie.
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    1. Mary E. Barth, 2018. "The Future of Financial Reporting: Insights from Research," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 54(1), pages 66-78, March.
    2. Himick, Darlene, 2016. "Actuarialism as biopolitical and disciplinary technique," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 22-44.
    3. Samira Demaria & Dufour Dominique & Moïse Louisy-Louis & Philippe Luu, 2012. "An exploratory study of the exposure draft of IAS 19 due process," Post-Print halshs-00721326, HAL.
    4. Takafumi Sasaki, 2017. "Pension accruals and share prices: evidence from the amortization costs of transition amounts," Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting & Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1-2), pages 216-231, April.
    5. Samira Demaria & Dominique Dufour & Moïse Louisy-Louis & Philippe Luu, 2012. "An exploratory study of the exposure draft of IAS 19 due process," Post-Print hal-00690943, HAL.
    6. Khadija S. Almaghrabi & Kwaku Opong & Ioannis Tsalavoutas, 2021. "Compliance with pension‐related mandatory disclosures and debt financing," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1-2), pages 148-184, January.
    7. Ragland, Linda & Reck, Jacqueline L., 2016. "The effects of the method used to present a complex item on the face of a financial statement on nonprofessional investors' judgments," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 77-89.
    8. Masaki KUSANO & Yoshihiro SAKUMA, 2019. "Recognition versus Disclosure and Audit Fees and Costs:Evidence from Pension Accounting in Japan," Discussion papers e-19-007, Graduate School of Economics , Kyoto University.
    9. Tobias Witter & Thorsten Sellhorn & Jens Müller & Vicky Kiosse, 2022. "Balance sheet smoothing," Berlin School of Economics Discussion Papers 0006, Berlin School of Economics.
    10. Bräuning, Michael & Hüllermeier, Eyke & Keller, Tobias & Glaum, Martin, 2017. "Lexicographic preferences for predictive modeling of human decision making: A new machine learning method with an application in accounting," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 258(1), pages 295-306.
    11. Schiemann, Frank & Guenther, Thomas, 2013. "Earnings Predictability, Value Relevance, and Employee Expenses," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 149-172.
    12. Luca Larcher & Francis Breedon, 2020. "Discounting and the market valuation of defined benefit pensions," Working Papers 932, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    13. Jonathan R. Peterson, 2023. "Employee bonding and turnover efficiency," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 223-244, January.
    14. Kusano, Masaki, 2023. "Does recognition versus disclosure of pension liabilities affect credit ratings? Evidence from Japan," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    15. Jun Cai & Yiyi Qin & Anxing Wang, 2018. "Earnings, Mergers And Acquisitions Under Pension Disclosure Standards," Advances in Decision Sciences, Asia University, Taiwan, vol. 22(1), pages 137-179, December.
    16. Qin, Yiyi & Cai, Jun & Rhee, S. Ghon, 2021. "Do Japanese firms systematically inflate expected rate of returns from defined benefit pension plans?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    17. Fahad, Nafiz & Ma, Nelson & Scott, Tom, 2020. "The consequences of discount rate selection for defined benefit liabilities," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(1).
    18. Martin Glaum & Tobias Keller & Donna L. Street, 2018. "Discretionary accounting choices: the case of IAS 19 pension accounting," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(2), pages 139-170, February.
    19. Jan Faßhauer & Martin Glaum & Tobias Keller & Donna L. Street, 2011. "Erfassungsmethoden für versicherungsmathematische Gewinne und Verluste nach IAS 19: Motive der Wahl-rechtsentscheidung europäischer Unternehmen," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 63(8), pages 774-809, December.

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