National culture is another factor long thought to influence a country’s accounting system. Using Hofstede’s (1980) societal value dimensions, Gray (1988) developed the following hypotheses:
A. Conservatism hypothesis – countries high on uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation, and low on individualism and masculinity will foster a more conservative approach to measurement.
B. Secrecy hypothesis – countries high in power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation, and low on individualism and masculinity will exhibit more secrecy (less disclosures) in accounting reports.
C. Research results provide some support for these hypotheses, especially the hypothesis that culture affects the level of disclosure in accounting reports.