Earnings quality of multinational corporations: Evidence from Latin America before and after IFRS implementation

Abstract

This study evaluates whether Latin American multinational corporations (MNCs) report higher quality of accounting reports than companies with only operations in their home countries. In addition, it explores whether the impact of internationalization on the quality of accounting information has changed since the implementation of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in the region. An emerging area of research studies the effect of firms’ internationalization on accounting and finance. Nevertheless, evidence of the impact of internationalization on the quality of earnings quality is scarce. Based on a sample of public organizations listed on the main stock exchanges of Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and Chile from 2000 to 2020, this study finds that companies with international operations present higher-quality accounting reports than firms with only local operations. The impact of IFRS implementation on the quality of financial reports is significant only for companies with operations in their home countries. Latin American MNCs show a decline in the quality of accounting reports after adopting IFRS.