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From Casual to Causal Inference in Accounting Research: The Need for Theoretical Foundations

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  • Bertomeu, Jeremy
  • Beyer, Anne
  • Taylor, Daniel J.

Abstract

On December 5th and 6th 2014, the Stanford Graduate School of Business hosted the Causality in the Social Sciences Conference. The conference brought together several distinguished speakers from philosophy, economics, finance, accounting and marketing with the bold mission of debating scientific methods that support causal inferences. We highlight key themes from the conference as relevant for accounting researchers. First, we emphasize the role of formal economic theory in informing empirical research that seeks to draw causal inferences, and offer a skeptical perspective on attempts to draw causal inferences in the absence of welldefined constructs and assumptions. Next, we highlight some of the conceptual limitations of quasi-natural experimental methods that were discussed at the conference, and discuss the role of structural estimation. Finally, we illustrate many of the points from the conference by estimating a novel, theoretically grounded measure of disclosure costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Bertomeu, Jeremy & Beyer, Anne & Taylor, Daniel J., 2016. "From Casual to Causal Inference in Accounting Research: The Need for Theoretical Foundations," Foundations and Trends(R) in Accounting, now publishers, vol. 10(2-4), pages 262-313, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:now:fntacc:1400000044
    DOI: 10.1561/1400000044
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jeremy Bertomeu, 2020. "Machine learning improves accounting: discussion, implementation and research opportunities," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 1135-1155, September.
    2. Samuels, Delphine & Taylor, Daniel J. & Verrecchia, Robert E., 2021. "The economics of misreporting and the role of public scrutiny," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(1).
    3. Armstrong, Christopher S. & Kepler, John D., 2018. "Theory, research design assumptions, and causal inferences," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 366-373.
    4. Bertomeu, Jeremy & Marinovic, Iván & Terry, Stephen J. & Varas, Felipe, 2022. "The dynamics of concealment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 227-246.
    5. Vladimir Atanasov & Bernard Black, 2021. "The Trouble with Instruments: The Need for Pretreatment Balance in Shock-Based Instrumental Variable Designs," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(2), pages 1270-1302, February.
    6. Armstrong, Christopher & Kepler, John D. & Samuels, Delphine & Taylor, Daniel, 2022. "Causality redux: The evolution of empirical methods in accounting research and the growth of quasi-experiments," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(2).
    7. E. Cheynel & M. Liu-Watts, 2020. "A simple structural estimator of disclosure costs," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 201-245, March.
    8. Jung Min Kim & Daniel J. Taylor & Robert E. Verrecchia, 2021. "Voluntary disclosure when private information and disclosure costs are jointly determined," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 971-1001, September.
    9. Theodore E. Christensen & Enrique Gomez & Matthew Ma & Jing Pan, 2021. "Analysts’ role in shaping non-GAAP reporting: evidence from a natural experiment," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 172-217, March.
    10. Lisic, Ling Lei & Pittman, Jeffrey & Seidel, Timothy A. & Zimmerman, Aleksandra “Ally” B., 2022. "You can't get there from here: The influence of an audit partner's prior non-public accounting experience on audit outcomes," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    11. Dong, Qi Flora & Cao, Yiting & Zhao, Xin & Deshmukh, Ashutosh, 2019. "Responses of US multinational firms to a temporary repatriation tax holiday: A literature review and synthesis," Journal of Accounting Literature, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 108-123.
    12. Shroff, Nemit & Verdi, Rodrigo S. & Yost, Benjamin P., 2017. "When does the peer information environment matter?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 183-214.
    13. Guay, Wayne & Samuels, Delphine & Taylor, Daniel, 2016. "Guiding through the Fog: Financial statement complexity and voluntary disclosure," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 234-269.
    14. Jonas Heese, 2022. "Does Industry Employment of Active Regulators Weaken Oversight?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(12), pages 9198-9218, December.
    15. Mirko Heinle & Delphine Samuels & Daniel Taylor, 2023. "Disclosure Substitution," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(8), pages 4774-4789, August.
    16. Renato Camodeca & Alex Almici & Umberto Sagliaschi, 2018. "Sustainability Disclosure in Integrated Reporting: Does It Matter to Investors? A Cheap Talk Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-34, November.
    17. Glaeser, Stephen & Guay, Wayne R., 2017. "Identification and generalizability in accounting research: A discussion of Christensen, Floyd, Liu, and Maffett (2017)," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 305-312.

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