Accounting Measurement Intensity

81 Pages Posted: 30 Jun 2020 Last revised: 12 Dec 2020

See all articles by Ionela Andreicovici

Ionela Andreicovici

Frankfurt School of Finance & Management

Laurence van Lent

Frankfurt School of Finance and Management

Valeri V. Nikolaev

University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Ruishen Zhang

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: December 2020

Abstract

We propose an empirical measure of firms' metering problems. We build on the notion that metering problems are reflected in the intensity with which firms apply Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to map economic transactions onto financial statements. We develop an algorithm to identify textual patterns that uniquely signify the use of accounting measurements, and construct firm-level scores of accounting measurement intensity, AMI. Metering problems are an important source of transaction costs that affect form boundaries and productivity; we show that firms with higher AMI exhibit lower levels of investment and hiring. Furthermore, we provide evidence that metering problems are associated with lower total factor productivity and with lower firm growth, as measured by Tobin's Q. We then examine metering frictions that reduce firms' access to capital. Specifically, we show that AMI is positively associated with the cost of debt as well as with measures of information asymmetry among equity investors, including the probability of informed trade and the coverage of a firm by financial analysts. Finally, we present evidence that metering problems influence firms' contracts, and show that these problems link to non-price terms in debt contracts and to the pay-performance sensitivity of CEO compensation contracts. Together, these findings are consistent with the predictions in Alchian and Demsetz (1972) that metering problems affect firms' boundaries and contracts with outsiders.

Keywords: metering problem, accounting measurement, stewardship, theory of the firm, productivity, contracts

JEL Classification: D22, D23, D24, G12, J23, M40

Suggested Citation

Andreicovici, Ionela and van Lent, Laurence and Nikolaev, Valeri V. and Zhang, Ruishen, Accounting Measurement Intensity (December 2020). Chicago Booth Research Paper No. 20-17, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3639267 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3639267

Ionela Andreicovici

Frankfurt School of Finance & Management ( email )

Adickesallee, 32-34
32-34
Frankfurt am Main, 60322
Germany

Laurence Van Lent

Frankfurt School of Finance and Management ( email )

Adickesallee 32-34
Frankfurt am Main, 60322
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.laurencevanlent.org

Valeri V. Nikolaev (Contact Author)

University of Chicago Booth School of Business ( email )

5807 South Woodlawn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
United States

HOME PAGE: http://faculty.chicagobooth.edu/valeri.nikolaev/index.html

Ruishen Zhang

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics ( email )

No. 777 Guoding Road, Shanghai
Shanghai, 200433
China

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