THE DETERMINANTS AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF ADOPTING ACCOUNTING STANDARDS IN ISLAMIC BANKS: A CROSS COUNTRY STUDY

Abstract

This study investigates the determinants of adopting accounting standards (AAOIFI, IFRS or local standards) in thirty different countries with an Islamic banking industry. This study also examines the link between corporate governance disclosure, corporate social responsibility disclosure, and the adoption of accounting standards in the Islamic banking industry (IBI) as consequences for the adoption process. To the best of my knowledge, this is the only study that empirically investigates this topic. Environmental determinism theory is used as a framework to develop and test for explanations of the accounting standards used in countries where Islamic banks operate. Using multinomial logistic analysis to investigate the determinants of adopting any of the accounting standards sets (AAOIFI, IFRS, LOCAL), I find that both internal environmental factors, such as the level of education and the sophistication of the financial press, as well as enforcement factors, such as the existence of a centralised Sharia committee, are likely to have an impact on the accounting standards adopted by the Islamic banking industry.

In regard to the second objective of examining the link between corporate governance disclosure, corporate social responsibility disclosure, and the adoption of accounting standards in the Islamic banking industry (IBI), multivariate regression was used to analyse the data. The results present that: there is an association between corporate governance disclosure and social responsibility disclosure with the accounting standard adopted in the country. The analysis also presents that both types of disclosure within the IBI is associated with the other non-accounting institutions in the country as openness to economy, political stability, and enforcement mechanisms such as a centralised Sharia committee in the country.

This result implies that the specific accounting standards adopted by the Islamic banking industry are subject to the internal environment of, and the enforcement mechanisms imposed by, the country. This result further suggests that accounting institutions such as accounting standards adoption and non-accounting institutions are associated with disclosure practices in IBI. Therefore, a conclusion can be drawn that adoption of accounting standards within the Islamic banking industry is an important accounting institution which can be determined by other institutions, as well as affecting disclosure practices in the industry.