Earnings management and voluntary disclosure of management's responsibility for the financial reports

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prapaporn Kiattikulwattana

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between voluntary disclosure of a statement of management's responsibility for the financial reports (MRF) and earnings management, both accrual and real earnings management, in firms listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). Design/methodology/approach – The samples in this study are selected from listed companies on the SET in the year 2009. The multiple regression are used to test hypotheses. Findings – The results show that the inclusion of a MRF has no association with both discretionary accrual and real earnings management activities (i.e. sales manipulation, a decrease in discretionary expenditures, and overproduction). The findings from the study reveal that firms with or without the MRF manipulate their earnings in a similar manner. Research limitations/implications – The sample for the study includes Thai listed firms in the year 2009 only. The small sample size may limit the validity of generalizations from these conclusions. Practical implications – Based on the results, the regulators will know that the voluntary disclosure of management responsibilities on the financial reports is an ineffective tool to control earnings management. Social implications – Like Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002, a disclosure of management responsibilities on the financial reports should be required by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand. Originality/value – Investors will know that firms with or without the MRF manipulate their earnings in a similar manner. The voluntary disclosure of an MRF in Thailand does not guarantee earnings quality.

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 608-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amel Kouaib ◽  
Anis Jarboui ◽  
Khaireddine Mouakhar

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on the moderating effect of mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption on the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) experience/education and earnings management in European companies. Design/methodology/approach Data from a sample of 302 European firms listed on Stoxx Europe 600 index and 596 CEOs from 2000 to 2014 are used to test the moderation model using moderation regression analysis. Findings Evidence reveals that CEO’s accounting-based attributes are negatively associated with accruals-based earnings management and positively associated with real earnings management (REM). Further, mandatory IFRS adoption significantly moderates the impact of CEO’s accounting-based traits on earnings-management activities. Research limitations/implications A small number of European firms were studied and, given the long study period, many firms with missing data were eliminated. To avoid a small sample size, countries with few observations were included, which leads to an uneven distribution between observations per country. Practical implications Findings from this paper can help: European firms to consider demographic traits when recruiting or promoting executives; the IASB to improve enforcement mechanisms and make IFRS implementation mandatory; and audit committees to effectively monitor REM. Originality/value This study is unique in providing European evidence for the moderating effect of mandatory IFRS adoption on the relationship between CEOs’ accounting experience/education and earnings management activities. This paper is also relevant as it addresses the effectiveness and efficiency of accounting literates.


Author(s):  
Ratih Pujirahayu Nugroho ◽  
Sutrisno T Sutrisno ◽  
Endang Mardiati

This study aims to verify the correlation between financial distress and earnings management of tax aggressiveness moderated by corporate governance. This study uses a population of manufacturing companies that publish their financial statement on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2017 until 2018. Sample collection was performed using a purposive sampling method, resulting in a total of 212 populations that published complete financial reports. This study was tested by using the Multiple Regression Analysis test. This research gave empirical proofs that financial distress and real earnings management positively influenced the tax aggressiveness was supported, the proportion of independent commissioners weakened the financial distress and negatively impacted the tax aggressiveness was supported, the total audit committees weakened the financial distress and negatively influenced the tax aggressiveness was not supported, the proportion of independent commissioners and total audit committees weakened the real earnings management and negatively affected the tax aggressiveness was not supported


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-18
Author(s):  
Shanmugavel Rajeevan ◽  
Roshan Ajward

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between designated corporate governance attributes and the degree of earnings management in selected quoted companies in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach In total, 70 listed companies in Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) were selected based on the highest market capitalisation for the period covering from 2015 to 2017 and representing beverage, food and tobacco, diversified, hotel and travel, manufacturing, oil palms and health care sectors, which accounted for 59.9 per cent of the total market capitalisation of CSE. Findings This study found a positive relationship between CEO-Chair duality and earnings management. Practical implications The insights may also provide investors, economic analysts and regulators with early caution indicators of potential problems in a corporation regarding corporate governance failures and aid stakeholders in assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the board and corporate governance structure and earnings management methods. Originality/value This study extends the extant research on board characteristics and real earnings management by adopting prominent research design and modernised data. This study offers evidence on how selected audit and board committee’s characteristics influence real earnings management practices.


2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 909-929
Author(s):  
Armaya'u Alhaji Sani ◽  
Rohaida Abdul Latif ◽  
Redhwan Ahmed Al-Dhamari

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of CEO discretion on the real earnings management and to explore whether the discretion of the CEO to ensure accurate and reliable financial reports is influenced by the political connection of board members. Design/methodology/approach Using the generalized method of movement to control the potential endogeneity on the sample of listed companies in Nigeria, the study conducted several checks using Driscoll–Kraay panel data regression with standard error to robust the main findings. Findings The paper provides evidence that CEO Discretion reduces the tendency of real earnings management and improve the reporting quality. However, the CEO’s discretion to provide reliable financial reports and to reduce the likely earnings manipulation is overturn by the presence of politically connected directors. Originality/value Existing studies on CEO attributes and earnings management in Nigeria fail to explain why CEOs were involved in corporate financial scandals. This paper suggests that the presence of politically connected directors is what override and upturn the CEO discretion to dwell into real earnings manipulations. Prior studies measured political connection using a dummy variable (Chaney et al., 2011; Osazuwa et al., 2016; Tee, 2018), this paper measured political connection using the proportion of politically connected directors. This is on the idea that the presence of more politically connected directors may give them the power to override the CEOs decision.


Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Mahmoud Mousavi Shiri ◽  
Seyedeh Zahra Hossini

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the relationship between managerial ability, earnings management, internal control quality and audit fees to establish whether or not there is a significant relationship between the variables of managerial ability, earnings management, internal control quality and the audit fees. Design/methodology/approach The study sample includes 190 listed companies on the Tehran Stock Exchange during 2009–2016. Research hypotheses were tested using the statistical methods of multivariable linear regression and data envelopment analysis pattern. Findings The obtained results indicate that there is a significant and direct relationship between managerial ability and internal control quality as well as real earnings management and internal control quality. Based on the results obtained from the second hypothesis, the authors could claim that there is an inverse and significant relationship managerial ability and audit fees. The third hypothesis also revealed that in companies with lower audit fees, there is a stronger relationship between managerial ability and internal control quality. The results of related tests show no significant relationship between accrual-based earnings management and internal control quality. Originality/value This paper is the first study in Iran whose main focus is on the relationship between managerial ability, earnings management, internal control quality and audit fees.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 266-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hany Kamel ◽  
Emad Awadallah

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current level of voluntary corporate disclosure in the Egyptian Stock Exchange. In addition, it explores the factors influencing the extensiveness of voluntary disclosure and examines the potential consequences of such disclosure in regards to the phenomenon of earnings management. Design/methodology/approach A relevant disclosure index to the Egyptian context was adopted to assess the level of voluntary disclosure in the 2010 annual reports of the most actively traded companies listed on the Egyptian Stock Exchange. The relationship between the extent of voluntary disclosure and each specific-related factor was examined using unranked and ranked OLS regression models. Meanwhile, a system of simultaneous equations was performed using a two-stage least squares regression model in order to investigate whether companies with higher levels of voluntary disclosure exhibit lower levels of earnings management practices. Findings The results indicate that the level of voluntary disclosure is positively responsive to specific corporate attributes, namely, the type of auditing firm and the two industries of Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, and Chemicals. However, no significant indications were found that firm size, leverage, profitability and liquidity are important determinants of corporate disclosure. Also, the results show no evidence to support the prior anticipation that a higher level of voluntary disclosure reduces the ability of managers to make use of earnings management. On the contrary, it was found that leverage and the tendency of firms to avoid reporting declines in earnings are the main drivers of the phenomenon of earnings management in Egypt. Practical implications This paper has important implications for both domestic and overseas investors in Egypt as well as the regulatory authorities in the developing economies. Originality/value The main contribution of this paper is its focus on the extent of voluntary disclosure in a developing country such as Egypt, which has a high potential for economic growth in the near future. Besides, this paper is the first to examine the relationship between the level of voluntary disclosure and the phenomenon of earnings management in the Egyptian context.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 265
Author(s):  
William Sebastian Tanusaputra ◽  
Rizky Eriandani

This study examined the effect of earnings management on reputation in family firms listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (ISE). The data were collected from audited financial reports of companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for 2017-2019. The data were slected by using a purposive sampling towards 264 companies. The data of company reputation comes from the corporate image reward website, and they were analyzed using logistic regression. The results showed there is no effect of accrual earnings management (AEM) on the family firms’ reputation. On the contrary, real earnings management (REM) has a significant negative effect on family firms. This result implies that earnings manipulation by adjusting the company’s operations will result in a bad reputation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 687-705
Author(s):  
Ines Amara ◽  
Hichem Khlif

Purpose Given the interest in better understanding the economic effects of political connections, this paper aims to review empirical studies in the accounting and finance domain investigating the effects of firms’ political connections on management’s decision in non-US settings. Design/methodology/approach Key words used to search for relevant studies include “political connections” linked with “tax avoidance,” “earnings quality” “voluntary disclosure.” The authors consult several editorial sources including Elsevier, Electronic Journals Service EBSCO, Emerald, Springer, Palgrave Macmillan, Sage, Taylor & Francis and Wiley-Blackwell. The authors’ search yields 46 published studies since 2006. Findings The review reveals a prevalence of studies conducted in Asia. A narrative synthesis of empirical findings shows mixed effects of political connections on earnings management, as measured by accrual-based or real earnings management practices. Mixed evidence also exists for the association between political connections and reporting policy (e.g. corporate social responsibility reporting). The review also reveals that firms with political ties adopt an aggressive tax policy aimed at reducing effective tax rates and are more likely to choose a Big 4 auditor. Originality/value The review discusses the political connections literature focusing on studies outside of the USA and the effect of such connections on decision-making by management. It identifies some limitations of this literature and offers guidance for future research avenues. The synthesis suggests that political connections can adversely or beneficially impact management’s decisions depending on the legal, institutional and cultural characteristics prevailing in a particular setting.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruhama Bezerra Fernandes ◽  
Alexandro Barbosa

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the factors associated with the voluntary disclosure of integrated reporting (IR) in Brazil of the companies listed on the stock exchange – Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão. The cultural dimensions of a nation reflect different priorities in accounting practices. The Brazilian case, therefore, becomes significant, as Brazil is increasingly important in world markets. Design/methodology/approach As an explanatory econometric model, multinomial logistic regression was used (Y = 2 to describe the probability of the IR disclosure; Y = 1 to describe the occurrence of reports with practices similar to the IR and Y = 0 to describe the occurrence of non-disclosure of non-financial reports). Applied to panel data with random effects (chosen for best performance) in the period from 2016 to 2019. Findings Reveals the positive association of the company’s profitability and market-to-book with the probability of the IR disclosure. Regarding the board composition, it is suggested that size does not make a difference, with the greater participation of women and independence of directors associated with better probabilities of adopting the IR in Brazil. Originality/value This work is the first to characterize the Brazilian reality of voluntary disclosure, specifying the implementation of IR, compared to publishing reports similar to the IR and not reporting structured non-financial statements. It can also be considered the first study on the relevance of the board structure in the disclosure of IR by Brazilian companies. Finally, it contributes to the literature on IR adoption, bringing practical results in understanding the most favorable conditions in which the IR framework will be fully implemented.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Johanes Simamora

Purpose This paper aims to examine the effect of managerial ability (MA) on real earnings management and the effect of real earnings management by higher ability managers on future profitability, at a different level of the crime rate. Design/methodology/approach The research sample includes 864 manufacturing firms-years listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange. MA uses an efficiency score by data envelopment analysis. Real earnings management is measured by abnormal activities. The crime rate is measured by logarithm natural of the number of crimes per 100.000 citizens in the region where the firm is headquartered. Data analysis uses fixed-effect regression. Findings MA increases real earnings management in the region where the firm is headquartered with a higher crime rate while MA will reduce real earnings management in the region where the firm is headquartered with a lower crime rate. Also, real earnings management by higher-ability managers gives a signal of better future profitability in the region where the firm is headquartered with a lower crime rate. Originality/value This research contributes to filling the previous gap of managerial characteristics ability-related on real earnings management by providing regional crime rate as a determinant factor of managers’ ethical behavior. This research is the first one to considers the regional crime rate treatment to the relationship between MA and real earnings management especially in Indonesia. This research also provides new evidence of efficient real earnings management for a lower crime rate group of samples to give a signal of better future profitability.


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