The study looked at whether financial statements became more comparable after South Africa switched to using International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in both substance and form. They compared South African firms with firms in other countries that either adopted IFRS or did not. The researchers found that financial statement comparability increased for South African firms compared to both adopters and non-adopters. This increase in comparability was also seen globally, suggesting market changes beyond IFRS adoption. The addition of form to IFRS adoption in South Africa led to a further increase in comparability, showing benefits for financial statement consistency.