Harmonisation or discord? The critical role of the IASB conceptual framework review

The IASB has achieved great success in extending the adoption of international financial reporting standards, but it has also encountered opposition at national and regional levels. Some of this opposition arises from differences in national accounting cultures, which are embedded in the market structures and institutional and legal frameworks within which business entities operate. These issues are particularly apparent in the debate on the IASB’s revision of its conceptual framework, which expresses its own vision of an international accounting culture. An important example is the issue of whether stewardship should be a distinct fundamental objective of financial reporting.