The effect of accounting for high performing employee services as a right of use asset on the balance sheet on nonprofessional investors judgments

We examine whether accounting for high performing employee services as a right of use (ROU) asset and related liability on the balance sheet provide decision-useful financial statement information to nonprofessional investors (NPIs). We compare accounting for the right to use employees services as an asset on-balance-sheet (ONBS) and off-balance-sheet (OFFBS) to examine the extent to which a ROU asset and related liability provides NPIs with decision-useful information in assessing investment opportunity and likelihood to invest in a company's stock. We analyze one hundred and fifty-five usable responses of which 84 are in OFFBS control condition and 71 are in ONBS treatment condition. We find that accounting for high performing employees services as a ROU asset ONBS or OFFBS provides decision-useful information to NPIs that is not statistically different. Further analysis indicates that accounting for high performing employees as a ROU intangible asset presented ONBS, measured at fair value, or amortized cost with enhanced disaggregation and roll forward disclosures provide decision-useful information to NPIs. The likelihood to invest in a company's stock significantly increases if the ROU asset is measured at fair value with changes recorded in net income. Results have economic and practical implications for investors, standard-setters, and researchers.