The asymmetric recognition of gains and losses underlying conservative accounting is not taken into account by Jones (1991)-type accrual models. Recently, Moreira (2002) and Ball and Shivakumar (2005a) have proposed piecewise linear accrual models designed to control for this asymmetric impact....

This paper discusses the sign of the expected measurement error in discretionary accruals (DAC) estimates when accrual models do not control for the asymmetric treatment of gains and losses underlying conservatism. I find that DAC in firms with “bad news” are expected to be understated...

This paper investigates the hypothesis that knowledge spillovers increase where industries are localized. At the same time, we take a fresh look at the role of distance in knowledge diffusion. Our unique database combines U.S. county-level patent citation data with county-level establishment and...