Conditioning Factors for the Adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards - IPSAS

Objective: This study aims to analyze institutional, political, and cultural factors related to countries' propensity to adopt IPSAS. Method: Data from 73 countries were collected, and a multinomial logistic regression was performed, with the stage of adoption of the IPSAS as the outcome variable and as explanatory variables the index of democracy, country development, government effectiveness, economic freedom, financial secrecy, and access to information. Originality/Relevance: The relevance of this study is to analyze the cultural and political-institutional factors that influence the adoption of IPSAS by countries, discussing aspects of accounting reforms in the public sector from the perspective of Soft Power. Results: The results showed a new adoption trend by developed countries, with greater financial resources and public policy investments. However, the variable economic freedom is negatively related to the norms, demonstrating a direction of adoption aimed at the internal sphere, not having repercussions in transactions or negotiations in the external sphere. Theoretical/Methodological contributions: It is believed that the study contributes to the national and international literature by highlighting new trends in the adoption of IPSAS by countries and demonstrating the benefits of these accounting reforms for public policymakers.