Measuring the Level of Accounting Conservatism Pre-and Post-IFRS Adoption in Jordan: The Modified Role of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the level of accounting conservatism among Jordanian industrial companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange. Using the methodology utilized in this analysis, the study compares the succeeding period to the time previous to the required use of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) (Basu, 1997). Furthermore, the study assesses the level of accounting conservatism in the firms studied during the COVID-19 epidemic. A cross-sectional examination of time series data from 2002 to 2021 was used in this study. The study community included 54 Jordanian industrial companies registered on the Amman Stock Exchange. To derive the findings, the study used an analytical-descriptive technique to gather and analyze data. The findings show that the concept of accounting conservatism was used for accounting profits prior to the mandated use of IFRS (2002–2008), although at a low level. The research also found that the companies that were evaluated had implemented the concept of accounting conservatism for accounting profits throughout the time after the compulsory use of IFRS (2009–2019), but to a high degree. This was observed in the second part of the study. The study’s results showed that accounting rules got stricter after the COVID-19 epidemic hit in 2020 and kept going through 2021.