Accounting is wrongly seen as central player in bank regulation

Robert Bushman is Forensic Accounting Distinguished Professor at the UNC Kenan Flagler Institute of Private Enterprise. He has conducted several ground-breaking studies of the link between financial accounting and corporate governance. His studies, which started in the late 1990s right before the Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, Adelphia and other big financial scandals broke, were well-timed; they have shown just how important accounting information is in supporting effective corporate governance. ‘I get calls from around the world,’ he says. ‘Since Enron, the world has rediscovered accounting.’ In fact, many calls now come from bankers, lawyers and regulators, not other accountants. He warns that regulators these days are in danger of thinking that accountancy and accounting rules can effectively help regulate the financial sector. Jan Bouwens spoke with Robert Bushman, while Arne Lasance kept the minutes.