The grasshoppers and the great cattle: an exploration of participation in the ASB's standard-setting process

This paper presents the results of a research study of participation in the Accounting Standards Board’s (‘the ASB’) standard setting processes. It replicates studies of a similar nature carried out in the US and Australia or in specific contexts (e.g. Operating and Financial Review) in the UK. The study considers the 1,519 responses to the ASB’s proposals for accounting standards. Consistent with the findings of other studies, the study finds that there is a high level of preparer participation in the ASB’s consultation process. Drawing on Positive Accounting Theory to develop its hypotheses, the paper then examines the characteristics of the preparer corporations which formally lobbied the ASB. The research evidence supports the hypotheses that those firms who become involved in the lobbying process tend to be larger and more highly geared than non-lobbying firms. The paper concludes by considering the implications of these findings in the light of the ASB’s objectives