There are many contrasting results reported in the literature in relation to the changes in earnings management
and accruals quality pre- and post-IFRS adoption. These differing conclusions may be due to the
split in previous research studies between the ‘mandatory’ and ‘voluntary’ adoption of IFRS. Companies voluntarily
adopting IFRS are more likely to experience an improvement in accounting quality since the likely
reason they are adopting IFRS is in order to rid themselves of previously inadequate national GAAPs (Cai
et al., 2014; Nina et al., 2009). In contrast, mandatory adopters of IFRS are likely to change their standards
due to uncontrollable factors (political pressure, stock market rules, etc.). In this case, the previous GAAP
may be adequate for quality financial reporting and the IFRS adoption may not change or may even, in
some circumstances, lower accounting quality. In line with this theory Christensen et al. (2008) find significant
evidence that throughout Germany voluntary IFRS adoption led to improved accounting quality, while
mandatory IFRS adoption in Germany did little to change accounting quality.