Market concentration and financial statement comparability: what is the role of state ownership? Evidence from SYS GMM and fsQCA

Purpose This paper aims to explore the moderating role of state ownership variables on the relationship between market concentration (MC) and financial statement comparability (FSC) in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach This study uses data from the financial statements of 475 nonfinancial listed companies for the period from 2010 to 2019. This study uses both the system generalized method of moments and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to consider the correlation and causal–effect relationships of the variables in the model. Findings The results show that MC has a positive relationship with FSC, and MC tends to exert a stronger impact on FSC for firms with higher state ownership. In addition, this study suggests that some combinations help improve FSC. This study has important implications for investors, managers and especially state-owned organizations when market power becomes fierce. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on the comparability of financial statements in the context of developing countries that have not fully adopted International Financial Reporting Standards. Furthermore, this study applies the fsQCA method to complement the linear regression method.