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Information Transparency and Coordination Failure: Theory and Experiment

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  • REGINA M. ANCTIL
  • JOHN DICKHAUT
  • CHANDRA KANODIA
  • BRIAN SHAPIRO

Abstract

We examine the effect of higher order beliefs on the ability of decentralized decision makers to coordinate and take advantage of improvements in information transparency that can increase welfare. Theories that address this question have not been empirically explored. We study coordination in a laboratory experiment with privately informed decision makers. Economic outcomes in the setting depend both on agents' rational beliefs regarding economic fundamentals and on their rational beliefs regarding the beliefs of other agents. Increasing information transparency mitigates uncertainty about economic fundamentals but may increase strategic uncertainty, precipitating multiple equilibria and less efficient group outcomes. We provide evidence that sometimes the equilibrium attained by creditors is inferior from a welfare perspective to other available equilibria. Risk dominance appears to determine equilibrium selection in our setting.

Suggested Citation

  • Regina M. Anctil & John Dickhaut & Chandra Kanodia & Brian Shapiro, 2004. "Information Transparency and Coordination Failure: Theory and Experiment," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(2), pages 159-195, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:42:y:2004:i:2:p:159-195
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-679X.2004.00134.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Camille Cornand & Frank Heinemann, 2014. "Measuring agents’ reaction to private and public information in games with strategic complementarities," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 17(1), pages 61-77, March.
    2. Johne Bone & Michalis Drouvelis & Indrajit Ray, 2013. "Coordination in 2 x 2 Games by Following Recommendations from Correlated Equilibria," Discussion Papers 12-04, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham.
    3. Pingyang Gao, 2008. "Keynesian Beauty Contest, Accounting Disclosure, and Market Efficiency," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(4), pages 785-807, September.
    4. Lucia Gibilaro & Gianluca Mattarocci, 2021. "Financial Distress and Information Sharing: Evidences from the Italian Credit Register," Risks, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-12, May.
    5. Konstantinos Georgalos & Indrajit Ray & Sonali SenGupta, 2020. "Nash versus coarse correlation," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 23(4), pages 1178-1204, December.
    6. Chakravarty, Surajeet & Choo, Lawrence & Fonseca, Miguel A. & Kaplan, Todd R., 2021. "Should regulators always be transparent? a bank run experiment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    7. Hubert J. Kiss & Ismael Rodriguez-Lara & Alfonso Rosa-Garcia, 2022. "Experimental bank runs," Chapters, in: Sascha Füllbrunn & Ernan Haruvy (ed.), Handbook of Experimental Finance, chapter 25, pages 347-361, Edward Elgar Publishing.
      • Hubert J. Kiss & Ismael Rodriguez-Lara & Alfonso Rosa-Garcia, 2021. "Experimental Bank Runs," ThE Papers 21/03, Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada..
    8. Jinzhi Lu, 2022. "Limited Attention: Implications for Financial Reporting," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(5), pages 1991-2027, December.
    9. Jean-Pierre Allegret & Camille Cornand, 2006. "The pros and cons of higher transparency: the case of speculative attacks," Recherches économiques de Louvain, De Boeck Université, vol. 72(3), pages 215-246.
    10. Flora Muiño & Marco Trombetta, 2009. "Does graph disclosure bias reduce the cost of equity capital?," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(2), pages 83-102.
    11. Beverly R. Walther, 2004. "Discussion of Information Transparency and Coordination Failure: Theory and Experiment," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(2), pages 197-205, May.
    12. Yousef Alwardat, 2019. "Disclosure Quality and its Impact on Financial Reporting Quality, Audit Quality, and Investors’ Perceptions of the Quality of Financial Reporting: A Literature Review," Accounting and Finance Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 8(3), pages 201-201, August.
    13. Carlos Corona & Lin Nan & Gaoqing Zhang, 2019. "The Coordination Role of Stress Tests in Bank Risk‐Taking," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(5), pages 1161-1200, December.
    14. Hong Qu, 2013. "How Do Market Prices and Cheap Talk Affect Coordination?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(5), pages 1221-1260, December.
    15. Steven J. Bosworth, 2017. "The importance of higher-order beliefs to successful coordination," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 20(1), pages 237-258, March.
    16. W. Brooke Elliott & Susan D. Krische & Mark E. Peecher, 2010. "Expected Mispricing: The Joint Influence of Accounting Transparency and Investor Base," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(2), pages 343-381, May.
    17. Hassan, Omaima A.G. & Romilly, Peter & Giorgioni, Gianluigi & Power, David, 2009. "The value relevance of disclosure: Evidence from the emerging capital market of Egypt," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 79-102, March.
    18. Reajmin Sultana, 2021. "Family ownership, information problem and firm performance," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 10(6), pages 73-82, September.
    19. Johne Bone & Michalis Drouvelis & Indrajit Ray, 2013. "Coordination in 2 x 2 Games by Following Recommendations from Correlated Equilibria," Discussion Papers 12-04r, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham.
    20. Michał Baran & Kinga Bauer, 2021. "The Role of Information in Assessing the Risk of Conducting Bankruptcy Proceedings," Risks, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-18, April.
    21. Anctil, Regina M. & Dickhaut, John & Johnson, Cathleen & Kanodia, Chandra, 2010. "Does information transparency decrease coordination failure?," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 70(2), pages 228-241, November.
    22. George Iatridis & Panayotis Alexakis, 2012. "Evidence of voluntary accounting disclosures in the Athens Stock Market," Review of Accounting and Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 11(1), pages 73-92, February.
    23. Sanjay Banerjee & Michael Maier, 2016. "Public Information Precision and Coordination Failure: An Experiment," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(4), pages 941-986, September.
    24. Georgalos, Konstantinos & Ray, Indrajit & Gupta, Sonali Sen, 2019. "Nash vs. Coarse Correlation," Cardiff Economics Working Papers E2019/3, Cardiff University, Cardiff Business School, Economics Section.
    25. Wu, Junfeng & Liu, Baohua & Chang, Samuel & Chan, Kam C., 2022. "Effects of air pollution on accounting conservatism," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

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