Positive Accounting Theory, Agency Costs And Accountng Regulation

Positive Accounting Theory (PAT) is related to dealing with such matters such as possibility regarding the choice of accounting policies by firms and in which manner the firms will react to prospective new accounting standards. In relation to this, the existing agency theory breaks down as a positive theory as it does not cater for theory of accounting regulatory development. It stems from its dependence on the rationality assumption of the investor. We need to develop affluent theories based on either better rationality assumption or which considers broader view of organisational behaviour.