(c) Demand for Information by Governments. The U.S. SEC was definitely con-
cerned about the activities of conglomerates and indicated that the government
needed more information on which to base policy decisions. Thus, the concern for in-
vestors was mixed with policy concerns over the conglomerate movement.
The spread of multinationalism has created additional issues. Governments are in-
creasingly concerned over the activities of their firms abroad and the activities of for-
eign firms operating in their countries. These concerns have given rise to demands
for information. Some of the demands have been issued by individual governments,
but others have been, and are, currently being developed in regional and international
forums, such as the European Union (EU), the OECD, and the UN.
There are several ways in which MNCs impact both home and host societies, and
governments are interested in information that will help evaluate the impact of
MNCs. The economic impact of a MNC occurs primarily through a balance of pay-
ments and growth and employment effects. The flow of goods occurs through im-
porting and exporting, while capital flows occur through investments and the return
on those investments, usually by way of dividends, royalties, management fees, and
so on.
Because of the high degree of integration between a parent company and its sub-
sidiaries abroad, there are usually a number of different financial flows that take
place. One such flow that is politically explosive involves the payment of intracom-
pany accounts. The transfer price established on these intracompany transactions is
subject to manipulation due to the absence of a market mechanism. Hence, the price
not only impacts the flow of money to satisfy the intracompany obligation but also
can help determine the profitability of the transactions and, therefore, the taxes that
will be collected by the respective governments. The nature of the transfer price is an
important piece of information for a government.
The growth and employment effects of the MNC on the host country relate to the
degree to which investment merely displaces existing business capacity or actually
develops new capacity. In addition, new investment abroad can replace investment in
the home country or alternatively can serve as an outlet for parts and components
produced in the home country. Thus, governments are interested in the degree of in-
vestment undertaken by the MNC at home and abroad and the type of activities the
firm is involved in.
22.3 SEGMENTAL STANDARDS IN THE UNITED STATES. In 1969, the SEC issued
the first major segmental reporting requirements in the United States. The required
disclosures were limited to sales and profit information for industry segments and re-
lated only to SEC registrants. Sales and profits (or losses) had to be disclosed for the
most recent five-year period for each industry which accounted for 10% or more of
the firm’s sales or profits before income taxes and extraordinary items.
In 1973, two events occurred that increased the pressure for segmental disclosures.
First, the New York Stock Exchange recommended that the SEC disclosures be in-
cluded in the corporate annual report to shareholders, in addition to the 10K annual
report. That requirement became effective in 1974. Second, the FASB decided to in-
clude disaggregated information in one of the Board’s studies. Statement No. 14, “Fi-
nancial Reporting for Segments of a Business Enterprise,” followed in December
- The standard applied to all public and nonpublic enterprises-virtually all firms
that issue financial statements according to generally accepted accounting principles
(GAAP). The standard applied only to annual, not interim, financial statements.
22.3 SEGMENTAL STANDARDS IN THE UNITED STATES 22 • 5