Vilka är de bakomliggande faktorerna som påverkar nedskrivningar av goodwill i börsnoterade företag i Sverige, Finland, Danmark och Norge? : En kvantitativ studie kring företagets val av goodwillnedskrivning

Sammanfattning: The implementation of the IFRS framework in 2005 had a significant impact on the listed companies, as they became obligated to adhere to the new standard in preparing their consolidated financial statements. The new framework replaced annual amortization with regular impairment tests for goodwill. This shift provided management with the opportunity to influence the reporting to their advantage. The aim of this study is to examine the underlying factors that influence companies' decisions regarding goodwill impairments. Among the various factors that can affect goodwill impairments, four specific factors have been chosen for closer investigation in this study: CEO turnover, economic conditions, company size, and low profitability. In the present study, a quantitative method has been used to examine and analyze the research questions. Additionally, a deductive approach has been applied in the study. The data collected is based on annual reports from publicly traded companies listed on the OMX 30, OMXC25, OMXH25, and OSEBX 25 Oslo indexes between the years 2020-2022. The results of the study indicated that factors such as CEO turnover, economic downturn, or low profits did not have a significant impact on firms' decisions to write down goodwill. However, the results were more varied when it came to the factor of firm size. Two out of three statistical tests showed no significant relationship between firm size and goodwill impairments. However, the regression analysis suggested a possible significant relationship between the variables.