Beginning in 2005, the EU began requiring consolidated financial reports of publicly traded firms to be prepared in accordance with EU-endorsed International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in an effort to increase the comparability of financial information across EU Member States. While some expect IFRS reporting to increase the comparability of financial information across the EU, others argue that comparability is unlikely because IFRS implementation will vary conditional on national institutions and culture. We investigate the cross-country comparability of IFRS earnings and book values of French and German firms because these two EU states have welldeveloped equity markets and use the same currency, while having social-economic and cultural differences that can affect managers' IFRS implementation choices. Our results indicate that French and German IFRS earnings and book values are comparable in the year subsequent to IFRS adoption, but become less comparable in the years that follow. We document differences in accounting estimates, recognition of special items, and other equity reserves between French and German firms that help explain the decrease in comparability over time. Our study adds to the growing literature on the financial statement effects of mandatory IFRS reporting, and points to possible reasons for a sustained lack of cross-country comparability of financial information under a common accounting regime.

No abstract

No abstract

This paper uses literature and comparative methods to research the evolution characteristics of women's views on sports at three different stages in modern China. The major findings are as follows: (1) The modern Chinese women's views on sports has undergone three different stages that evolve and interact mutually, from "entertainment" to "self-emancipation", from "protecting the country by strengthening people" to "women's fitness" and from "gender difference" to "gender equality". (2) China's modern views on sports at three different stages present distinctive historic features-namely high competitiveness, modernization and diversity. (3) The evolution characteristics of women's views on sports at three different stages in modern China reflect women's attitudes and inclination towards sports.

No abstract