ACCOUNTING DIVERSITY ACROSS THE SIX COUNTRIES
The accounting systems in all six countries have developed relatively recently. The six accounting systems differ on some dimensions but are similar on others. Two dimensions that we examine are (1) the model on which the accounting systems are based and (2) the type of standard setting body. Table 1 shows these characteristics for the six countries. IAS was the primary basis for accounting standards in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand (although Thailand has also been influenced by US GAAP). US GAAP, on the other hand, was the primary basis in the Philippines and Taiwan (although Philippine GAAP is secondarily based on tax law). Korean accounting standards are unique in that they are based on Korean tax law that, like tax law in all countries, emphasizes cash realization. Different accounting models may lead to differences in the value relevance of the resulting accounting numbers. We have no prior expectations concerning the relative value relevance of IAS versus US GAAP. It is likely, however, that tax law is more susceptible to political influence than other accounting bases. To the extent that such political influence might serve to make accounting less informative, Korean accounting may be less value relevant because it is based on tax law.