Although the AICPA adopted language that
called for a principle-based approach to accounting
and auditing in 1989 (Herron and Gilbertson, 2004),
the conceptual framework for the technical preparation
of financial statements has continued to be
portrayed as a pyramid with a foundation based on
technical standards describing the criteria for determining
how revenues and expenses are measured
and identifying when those revenues and expenditures
are recognized (Dyckman et al., 2001, pp.
30–33). Moving up this pyramid, the objectives of
comparability and consistency of financial statements
and the relevance and reliability of information are
emphasized but the identification of guiding principles
or values is notably absent.