Governance research in accounting exploits the role of accounting information as a source of credible information variables that support the existence of enforceable contracts, such as compensation contracts with payoffs to managers contingent on realized measures of performance, the monitoring of managers by boards of directors and outside investors and regulators, and the exercise of investor rights granted by existing securities laws. The remainder of Section 3 is organized as follows. Section discusses evidence documenting widespread use of financial accounting measures in determining bonus payouts and dismissal probabilities for top executives, and in supporting the allocation of control rights.
