Politicisation of the international accounting standard setting process: evidence from the extractive industries

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed example of the way in which extractive industries constituents participated in the setting of the international accounting standard for the extractive industries, IFRS 6 - Exploration for and Evaluation of Mineral Resources. Design/methodology/approach - A cross-section of extractive industries constituents is selected and their participation in the accounting standard setting process is examined via analysis of their comment letters and other interactions with the process. Findings - The paper contributes to our understanding of the politicised nature of accounting standard setting for the extractive industries. In doing so, it highlights the opportunities within the standard setting process through which key constituents can influence outcomes. Research limitations/implications - This paper reflects only a small sample of constituents involved in the standard setting process for the extractive industries and therefore focuses specifically on the relationships between key players selected.