Management reporting complexity and earnings management: evidence from the Baltic markets

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-69
Author(s):  
Anete Pajuste ◽  
Elva Poriete ◽  
Reinis Novickis
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Market Participants ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Management Reporting

PurposeThis paper explores how the text complexity and content of management discussion and analysis (MD&A) relate to earnings management in Baltic listed companies.Design/methodology/approachUsing a panel data set of 250 firm-year observations from the Baltic markets in the period 2012–2016, this paper uses linear regression analysis to examine the relation between earnings management and reporting complexity.FindingsThe results show that earnings could be managed in about 6–11% of firm-years, depending on specification, and there is a positive relationship between earnings management and reporting complexity; however, this relationship is confined to more liquid companies. The authors argue that higher scrutiny by market participants in more liquid companies incentivizes managers to obfuscate negative financial results through report complexity.Originality/valueThis paper presents a novel application of the opportunistic perspective of positive accounting theory (PAT) in relation to managers' choice of reporting complexity. The findings of this paper contribute by providing empirical evidence for strategic reporting by managers and can be useful for regulators and investors that should monitor the level of reporting complexity in the listed companies.

Does corporate governance influence earnings management in listed companies in Bahrain Bourse?

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 551-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahaaeddin Alareeni
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Asian Country ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Discretionary Accruals ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper aims to consider data for listed companies in Bahrain Bourse to determine whether companies practice earnings management (EM). Further, the effect of a set of corporate governance characteristics on EM practices is examined.Design/methodology/approachThe EM level was measured using discretionary accruals (DA) [calculated using the Modified Jones (1995) Model]. The study sample consisted of 20 companies listed during the period 2011-2015. Panel regression model was used to test the study hypotheses and achieve the study aims.FindingsEM is negatively correlated with board size, confirming that a larger board is associated with a lower level of EM practices. Further, board independence is positively correlated with EM, suggesting that the larger the number of independent directors, the higher the level of EM practices. In addition, internal ownership is positively related to EM, confirming that the higher level of internal ownership increases EM practices. CEO duality does not appear to have any effect on EM in Bahrain Bourse. More interestingly, the findings reveal that companies practice EM through income-increasing DA.Research limitations/implicationsFinancial data and data related to other corporate governance characteristics are lacking.Practical implicationsThe results of this study provide empirical support for the development of new regulations and amendments and necessary corrective decisions regarding the effectiveness of applying corporate governance code in Bahrain Bourse. More specifically, this study reveals an urgent need for new amendments to restrict EM practices in Bahrain Bourse.Originality/valueThis study enriches the EM literature by covering Bahrain as an Asian country, which has not been sufficiently examined in relation to this topic. Further, this study provides a clear picture of the level of EM practices in Bahrain Bourse to multiple parties.

Forewarned is forearmed – repayment delays in microfinance relationships

2017 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imke Hering ◽  
Oliver Musshoff
Keyword(s):  
Linear Model ◽  
Logit Model ◽  
Generalized Linear Model ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lending Relationships ◽  
Microfinance Institution ◽  
Rich Data

Purpose In order to improve the assessment of current lending policies for a microfinance institution (MFI) in Azerbaijan, the purpose of this paper is to analyse how lending conditions are adjusted based on knowledge gains during the loan relationship, with particular attention to delays in previous loans. Moreover, the paper examines what a lender can pre-determine from its own collected repayment records of clients. In addition, the repayment performances and lending policies between agricultural and non-agricultural clients are differentiated. Design/methodology/approach The analyses are based on a rich data set of an Azerbaijani MFI. For determining the influence of previous delays on the volume rationing in the following loan, the authors apply a generalized linear model. Subsequently, the probability of recidivism is analysed by means of a logit model. Findings The results confirm a positive relationship between delays in previous loans and repayment problems in present loans, which is increased by the severity of the previous delay. With respect to consequences, it is shown that the borrower with previous delays faces an increase in loan volume rationing in the subsequent loan. Moreover, the authors find that the consequences of previous delays do not differ significantly between farmers and other clients. Originality/value Until now, the consequences of repayment delinquencies in microfinance lending relationships have hardly been investigated. This study enhances the understanding of lending policies in microfinance by focussing on relationship aspects and by simultaneously differentiating between farming and non-farming clients.

Spillovers between output and stock prices: a wavelet approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 625-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. McMillan ◽  
Aviral Kumar Tiwari
Keyword(s):  
Stock Prices ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Raw Data ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Market Participants ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Annual Time Series ◽  
Annual Time

Purpose This paper seeks to examine the nature of spillovers between output and stock prices using both a long annual time series spanning 200 years and a shorter but quarterly observed data set. Design/methodology/approach The authors’ particular interest is to examine both the time-varying nature of the spillovers and spillovers across the frequency using wavelet analysis. Findings The results reveal an interesting detail that is missed when considering spillovers for the raw data. Using annual long run data, spillovers in the raw data are in the order of approximately 10 per cent for stocks to output and 25 per cent for output to stocks. But this increases up to 50 per cent and above (in both directions) when considering different frequencies. Similar results are reported with the quarterly data, although the differences between the raw data and the wavelets are smaller in nature. Finally, output explains more of the variation in stocks than stocks explains in output. Originality/value The nature of these results is important for policy-makers, market participants and academics alike, while the use of wavelets provides information across different frequencies.

scholarly journals A surrogate-based generic classifier for Chinese TV series reviews

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-74
Author(s):  
Yufeng Ma ◽  
Long Xia ◽  
Wenqi Shen ◽  
Mi Zhou ◽  
Weiguo Fan
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Experimental Result ◽  
Digital Information ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Category Labels ◽  
Information Supply Chain ◽  
Feature Selection Techniques ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is automatic classification of TV series reviews based on generic categories. Design/methodology/approach What the authors mainly applied is using surrogate instead of specific roles or actors’ name in reviews to make reviews more generic. Besides, feature selection techniques and different kinds of classifiers are incorporated. Findings With roles’ and actors’ names replaced by generic tags, the experimental result showed that it can generalize well to agnostic TV series as compared with reviews keeping the original names. Research limitations/implications The model presented in this paper must be built on top of an already existed knowledge base like Baidu Encyclopedia. Such database takes lots of work. Practical implications Like in digital information supply chain, if reviews are part of the information to be transported or exchanged, then the model presented in this paper can help automatically identify individual review according to different requirements and help the information sharing. Originality/value One originality is that the authors proposed the surrogate-based approach to make reviews more generic. Besides, they also built a review data set of hot Chinese TV series, which includes eight generic category labels for each review.

Risk-based capital regulation revisited: evidence from the early 2000s

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas L. Hogan ◽  
Neil R. Meredith ◽  
Xuhao (Harry) Pan
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Banking Regulation ◽  
Bank Performance ◽  
Capital Regulation ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Performance ◽  
Capital Ratios ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Capital Regulations

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to replicate Avery and Berger’s (1991) analysis using data from 2001 through 2011. Although risk-based capital (RBC) regulation is a key component of US banking regulation, empirical evidence of the effectiveness of these regulations has been mixed. Among the first studies of RBC regulation, Avery and Berger (1991) provide evidence from data on US banks that new RBC regulations outperformed old capital regulations from 1982 through 1989. Design/methodology/approach – Using data from the Federal Reserve’s Call Reports, the authors compare banks’ capital ratios and RBC ratios to five measures of bank performance: income, standard deviation of income, non-performing loans, loan charge-offs and probability of failure. Findings – Consistent with Avery and Berger (1991), the authors find banks’ risk-weighted assets to be significant predictors of their future performance and that RBC ratios outperform regular capital ratios as predictors of risk. Originality/value – The study improves on Avery and Berger (1991) by using an updated data set from 2001 through 2011. The authors also discuss some potential limitations of this method of analysis.

Nonprofit expense management and the zero-profit threshold

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Monteiro Miller
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Profit Motive ◽  
Management Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nonprofit Firms

Purpose In a wide variety of settings, individuals target round-numbered thresholds, relaxing effort when they are out of reach. This paper aims to investigate whether this phenomenon occurs in nonprofits as well. Design/methodology/approach The paper empirically examines nonprofits’ propensity to cut expenses relative to the attainability of the zero-profit threshold. Findings This paper finds nonprofit firms are more likely to cut expenses when faced with small expected losses than with larger losses, and this pattern varies predictably with incentives to reach the zero-profit threshold. Research limitations/implications This suggests managers are motivated by desire to reach the zero-profit threshold rather than to improve firms’ economic situations, as the propensity to cut expenses is lower when the threshold is out of reach. Social implications Additionally, the results suggest that even the lack of explicit profit motive may not quell earnings management behavior. Originality/value These results begin to close the gap in our understanding of expense management in nonprofit firms, showing how operating expenses can be used to manage earnings.

Users’ perception of cybersecurity, trust and cloud computing providers’ performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongjiang Xu ◽  
Sakthi Mahenthiran
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Ordinary Least Square Regression ◽  
Computing Literature

Purpose This study aims to develop a scale to measure the cloud provider’s performance and it investigates the factors that impact that performance from the users’ perspective. Design/methodology/approach This paper proposes a research framework, develops hypotheses and conducts a survey to test the framework. Findings The results from both ordinary least square regression and structural equation modeling analyzes indicate that information technology complexity negatively and significantly affects users’ perception of the cloud computing providers’ performance. Additionally, the trust in the supervisor significantly enhances the otherwise insignificant positive relationship between providers’ cybersecurity capability and users’ perception of their providers’ performance. Originality/value The research makes important contributions to the cloud computing literature, as it measures users’ perception of the cloud computing provider’s performance and links it with cybersecurity, technical complexity and incorporates both the trust in the client firm’s supervisor and the strength of cybersecurity offered by cloud computing provider.

When and why does a “poker face” facilitate workplace creativity?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiyi Chen ◽  
Xinmei Liu ◽  
Xiaojie Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Expressive Suppression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Workplace Creativity

PurposeThe authors investigate when and why a subordinate's expressive suppression facilitates workplace creativity, building on the conservation of resources theory and considering the effect of the supervisor's expressive suppression and time pressure as boundary conditions.Design/methodology/approachMultisource data were collected from 132 teams in northwestern China, including 132 supervisors and 648 subordinates. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the effects.FindingsThe subordinate’s expressive suppression was positively related to their workplace creativity. Challenge time pressure was positively related to workplace creativity, and the subordinate’s expressive suppression was positively related to workplace creativity when challenge time pressure was lower and the supervisor's expressive suppression was higher. Hindrance time pressure was negatively related to workplace creativity, and a positive relationship between a subordinate's expressive suppression and workplace creativity was also found with less hindrance time pressure and greater expressive suppression by their supervisor.Originality/valueBy examining the role of the supervisor as a source of downward spillovers in various time pressure contexts, the study explains why a subordinate’s suppression facilitates workplace creativity from the conservation of resources perspective.

scholarly journals Subnational institutions and open innovation: evidence from China

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (9) ◽  
pp. 1942-1955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Sun ◽  
Junjie Hong ◽  
Xiuying Ma ◽  
Chengqi Wang
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Market Development ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complementary Effect ◽  
Performance Consequences ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
External Actors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how subnational institutions within a country explain the performance consequences of open innovation (OI) in emerging market enterprises (EMEs). Design/methodology/approach The paper conducts a regression analysis by using a novel panel data set comprising of 438 innovative Chinese firms over the period of 2008-2011. Findings The authors show that although on average openness to external actors improves innovation performance this effect is pronounced for EMEs that operate in subnational regions with a higher level of intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement and of factor market development. The findings point to the context-dependent nature of OI strategy and the complementary effect of institutional parameters in emerging markets and help to reconcile the contrasting findings regarding the effect of OI in the prior literature. Originality/value This paper extends the literature on OI by suggesting that the analysis of the performance consequences of OI strategy should go beyond the nexus between OI and firm performance, and instead, focus on subnational-specific institutions, such as region-specific IPR enforcement, factor market development and intermediation market development, that may facilitate or constrain the effect of OI model.

Earnings management and goodwill impairment

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Davide Caruso ◽  
Elisa Rita Ferrari ◽  
Vincenzo Pisano
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Income Smoothing ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Managerial Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Goodwill Impairment ◽  
Research Questions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand whether managerial behavior in impairing goodwill arising from M & As has changed after the adoption of IAS/IFRS, searching for evidences of earnings management (EM) practices. Thus, our goal is to provide a response to the following research questions. Are goodwill impairments used by listed firms’ managers to manipulate earnings? If so, what kind of EM practice is mostly used? Design/methodology/approach – In this paper the authors tested the following hypothesis: H1. In the year of the deal’s closure and in the following four years, the management detects impairment of goodwill in difformity with the previous Italian regulations and related accounting practices. Moreover, the authors tried to determine, for each considered firms, potential symptoms of typical DEM practices widely debated in the financial accounting literature (income smoothing, income minimization, income minimization, or big bath accounting). Findings – Our analysis does not prove evidence of certain EM practices, but it highlights very clearly that, after the adoption of IAS/IFRS, managers’ behavior has deeply changed. Moreover, the analysis shows that there is no univocal choice in favor of a specific EM practice and that every firm pursues its own “strategy.” Originality/value – Considering the importance of the topic from both the perspectives of managerial (with regard to M & As valuation processes) and financial accounting (with regard to intangibles valuation fulfilled by applying the impairment test instead of the amortization), this work aims to provide a multi-dimensional contribution to the current debate.

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