Segment Disclosure Transparency and Internal Capital Market Efficiency: Evidence from SFAS No. 131

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Cho, Young Jun
• 署名单位: Singapore Management University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING RESEARCH
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-8456
• DOI: 10.1111/1475-679X.12089
• 发表日期: 2015
• 页码: 669-723
• 关键词: DIVERSIFICATION DISCOUNT; discretionary disclosure; Accounting information; private information; cost; INVESTMENT; QUALITY; COMPETITION; diversity; IMPACT

摘要

Using the adoption of SFAS 131, I examine the effect of segment disclosure transparency on internal capital market efficiency. SFAS 131 requires firms to define segments as internally viewed by managers, thereby improving the transparency of managerial actions in internal capital allocation. I find that diversified firms that improved segment disclosure transparency by changing segment definitions upon adoption of SFAS 131 experienced an improvement in capital allocation efficiency in internal capital markets after the adoption of SFAS 131. In addition, I find that the improvement in internal capital market efficiency was greater for firms that suffered more severe agency problems before the adoption of SFAS 131 and also for firms whose managers faced stronger incentives to improve efficiency after the adoption of SFAS 131. My results suggest that more transparent segment information can help resolve agency conflicts in the internal capital markets of diversified firms, thus improving investment efficiency.