MCDM Approach for the Adoption of IFRS for SMEs: Using Taiwan as an Example

Abstract

With the trend toward the full adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the IFRS have recently become the only set of global accounting standards complied with internationally. Meanwhile, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) also officially announced the IFRS for small and medium-sized entities (IFRS for SMEs) in July 2009. Nations are evaluating whether to undertake selective local integration by amending the existing accounting system for SMEs, put into place a set of self-instituted standards by triggering the separation of accounting standards for SMEs and large entities, or to fully adopt the IFRS for SMEs. To effectively and accurately evaluate such convergent decisions, and at the same time solve this complex multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem, this research applies the path-dependent theory under new institutional economics to examine the demand characteristics, cost effectiveness, and evaluation criteria of financial statements prepared by SMEs. It is expected that, through this research on the transformation of accounting systems, a MCDM model on the "IFRS for SMEs" will be successfully created to reflect national conditions that serve as references for nations in their formulation of policies concerning accounting standards.