The role of the government in IFRS adoption and implementation: The case of Rwanda

Abstract

This paper investigates the role of the government of Rwanda in the adoption and implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Using thematic content analysis, both interview and archival data were systematically analyzed.  Findings suggest that the government of Rwanda, as a key stakeholder, played an important role in the adoption and implementation of IFRS. The role of the government is articulated in a set of events that marshaled the overall process of IFRS adoption and implementation. The process was made of critical events including the rationale choice of IFRS, the sense-making from IFRS adoption and implementation, and developing enablers for IFRS implementation. This paper contributes to the extant literature in providing a substantiated explanation of the role of the government in the adoption and implementation of IFRS as well as in sketching out steps for the process of adoption by governments.