Economics of Accounting

This book provides an integrated, technical exposition of key concepts in agency theory, with particular emphasis on analyses of the economic consequences of the characteristics of contractible performance measures, such as accounting reports. It is not a survey of the literature, but provides a succinct source for learning the fundamentals of the economics of incentives. While there is an emphasis on information issues of interest to accounting researchers, it is also relevant to researchers in economics, finance, management science, and other disciplines who are interested in the economics of management incentives.

This book provides an integrated, technical exposition of key concepts in agency theory, with particular emphasis on analyses of the economic consequences of the characteristics of contractible performance measures, such as accounting reports. It is not a survey of the literature, but provides a succinct source for learning the fundamentals of the economics of incentives. While there is an emphasis on information issues of interest to accounting researchers, it is also relevant to researchers in economics, finance, management science, and other disciplines who are interested in the economics of management incentives.

Economics of Accounting: Information in Markets examines the fundamentals of a variety of economic analyses of the decision-facilitating and decision-influencing roles of information that are pertinent to the study of the economic impact of accounting. While much of information economic analysis makes no explicit reference to accounting, many generic results apply to accounting reports. Furthermore, the impact of accounting reports depends on the other information received by the economy's participants. Hence, it is essential that accounting researchers have a broad understanding of the impact of publicly reported information within settings in which there are multiple sources of public and private information. The focus in this volume is on the decision-facilitating role of information, with emphasis on the impact of public and private information on the equilibria and investor welfare in capital and product markets.

Economics of Accounting: Information in Markets examines the fundamentals of a variety of economic analyses of the decision-facilitating and decision-influencing roles of information that are pertinent to the study of the economic impact of accounting. While much of information economic analysis makes no explicit reference to accounting, many generic results apply to accounting reports. Furthermore, the impact of accounting reports depends on the other information received by the economy's participants. Hence, it is essential that accounting researchers have a broad understanding of the impact of publicly reported information within settings in which there are multiple sources of public and private information. The focus in this volume is on the decision-facilitating role of information, with emphasis on the impact of public and private information on the equilibria and investor welfare in capital and product markets.