Equity Method versus Cost Method Concept of "Significant Influence" 2 explained the concepts or significant and "associate Significant influence is the power to participate in, but not govern, the financial and operating decisions of an investee An investor of an associate is not a parent" as defined by LAS 27 Consolidared and separate Financial statemenn. In LAS 27. a parent is an entity that controls' another entity (ie a subsidiary). The party th has significant influence over an "associate" is simply referred to as an investor in IA 28 Investment in Associates. As with accounting for investments in subsidiaries, accounting for investments in associates differs with respect to the difforent levels of financial statements presented as shown in Table 5.1.