Real earnings management and financial statement fraud: evidence from Malaysia

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 508-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noorul Azwin binti Md Nasir ◽  
Muhammad Jahangir Ali ◽  
Rushdi M.R. Razzaque ◽  
Kamran Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Financial Fraud ◽  
Financial Statement Fraud ◽  
Content Type

Purpose We examine whether the fraud firms are engaged in real earnings management and accrual earnings management prior to the fraud year in the Malaysian context. Design/methodology/approach Our sample comprises of 65 financial statement fraud and 65 non-fraud firms over a period of eight years from 2001 to 2008. Findings Using the abnormal cash flow from operations (CFO) and abnormal production costs as the proxies for real earnings management, we find that financial statement fraud firms engage in manipulating production costs during preceding two years of the fraud event. However, our results show that financial fraud firms engage in manipulating CFO prior to the fraud event. Additionally, we find that financial statement fraud firms prefer to manipulate earnings using accruals relative to real earnings prior to the fraud year. Originality/value Our results demonstrate that real earnings management is more aggressive in financial statement fraud firms compared to the non-fraud firms in the four years prior to fraud.

Independent audit committee characteristics and real earnings management

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry Sun ◽  
George Lan ◽  
Guoping Liu
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Independent Audit

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of independent audit committees in constraining real earnings management. This study examines the relationships between audit committee characteristics and real activities manipulation. Design/methodology/approach – US firms with stronger incentives to undertake real earnings management are selected as a sample. Regressions are run for the empirical analyses. Findings – It is found that audit committee members' additional directorships are positively associated with real earnings management measured by abnormal cash flows from operations, abnormal discretionary expenses and abnormal production costs, suggesting that audit committees with high additional directorships are less effective in constraining real earnings management. The findings are consistent with the notion that audit committee members' busyness impairs their monitoring effectiveness. Originality/value – This study extends the extant research on audit committees' oversight of real earnings management by using refined research design and updated data. This study also provides further evidence on how audit committee members' additional directorships affect their ability to oversee both accrual and real earnings management.

PENGARUH MANAJEMEN LABA TERHADAP ABNORMAL RETURN

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zirman Zirman ◽  
Lily Lily
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Stock Price ◽  
Abnormal Return ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Discretionary Accrual ◽  
Stock Price Reaction ◽  
Flow Components

This research investigates the consequence of earnings management by analyzing stock price reaction to the full set financial statement in 2008 which can be used by investors to detect earnings management by the firms. This research investigated two forms of earnings management (accrual and real earnings management). The samples is drawn from firms in IDX Statistic 2008 which categorized as active in frequency, value or volume. The method of analysis of this research used multi regression. The results show (1) discretionary accrual had negative significant influence to abnormal return, (2) abnormal cash flow from operation had negative significant influence to abnormal return. The results implicate that the investors are aware of the accrual earnings management (discretionary accrual) and real earnings management (abnormal cash flow) components in the earnings reported by the firms and they react negative to this components.

Fintech in financial reporting and audit for fraud prevention and safeguarding equity investments

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulina Roszkowska
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Financial Fraud ◽  
Financial Statement Fraud ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Scandals ◽  
External Auditor ◽  
Equity Investments

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the audit-related causes of financial scandals and advice on how emerging technologies can provide solutions thereto. Specifically, this study seeks to look at the facilitators of financial statement fraud and explain specific fintech advancements that contribute to financial information reliability for equity investments. Design/methodology/approach The study uses the case studies of Enron and Arthur Andersen to document the evidence of audit-related issues in historical financial scandals. Then, a comprehensive and interdisciplinary literature review at the intersection of business, accounting and engineering, provides a foundation to propose technology advancements that can solve identified problems in accounting and auditing. Findings The findings show that blockchain, internet of things, smart contracts and artificial intelligence solutions have different functionality and can effectively solve various financial reporting and audit-related problems. Jointly, they have a strong potential to enhance the reliability of the information in financial statements and generally change how companies operate. Practical implications The proposed and explained technology advancements should be of interest to all publicly listed companies and investors, as they can help safeguard equity investments, thus build investors’ trust towards the company. Social implications Aside from implications for capital markets participants, the study findings can materially benefit various stakeholder groups, the broader company environment and the economy. Originality/value This is the first paper that seeks solutions to financial fraud and audit-related financial scandals in technology and not in implementing yet another regulation. Given the recent technology advancements, the study findings provide insights into how the role of an external auditor might evolve in the future.

Audit quality and real earnings management: evidence from the UK manufacturing sector

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-181
Author(s):  
R.P. Sitanggang ◽  
Yusuf Karbhari ◽  
Bolaji Tunde Matemilola ◽  
M. Ariff
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Firm Value ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether audit quality is associated with real earnings management in the UK. Design/methodology/approach The authors apply the panel fixed effects method that controls for heterogeneity across firms to investigate whether audit quality is related to real earnings management for a large sample of UK manufacturing companies for the period 2010–2013. The authors utilized three proxies to measure real earnings management and two proxies to measure audit quality. Findings The results provide evidence that audit fees are negatively related to abnormal operating cash flows. Conversely, audit fees are positively related to abnormal discretionary expenses. Besides, audit quality proxies show insignificant relationship with abnormal production costs and real earnings management index. Overall, the study finds partial evidence of significant relationship between audit quality and real earnings management. Research limitations/implications These results are important subject to the adequacy of the indicators of real earnings management and audit quality. Like previous research works that mostly focus on upward earnings management, the authors do not address the question of whether and how firms take real actions to manage earnings downwards in certain contexts. Practical implications The findings inform monitoring bodies that the imposition of higher levels of audit quality may result in unintended consequences. Therefore, monitoring bodies, such as audit committees, should consider the implication of imposing higher quality auditing, which may drive firms to potentially value-decreasing real earnings management practices. Managers should curtail real earnings management practices, especially abnormal operating cash flow, because attempt to use higher-quality auditors to mitigate such practice may destroy firm value. Also, managers’ employment may be threatened due to the potential deterioration of firm value caused by using higher-quality auditors to mitigate managers’ real earnings management practices. Moreover, shareholders are informed of the potential detrimental effects of imposing higher levels of audit quality which may lower the value of their investments. Originality/value The paper extends previous research on earnings management in several ways. First, while earlier studies usually use accruals methods to measure earnings management, the authors use the real earnings management approach as managers can switch from accruals to real earnings management when facing more scrutiny from auditors and/or more constrained regulations or standards that may limit their capability to use discretionary accruals. Second, this study reports new findings, as the authors find partial evidence of a significant relationship between audit quality and real earnings management. Third, it is one of the few studies to use a real earnings management index to measure earnings management and its link to audit quality.

scholarly journals Determinan Praktik Manajemen Laba Riil

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-120
Author(s):  
Koerniawan Dwi Wibawa ◽  
Bambang Subroto ◽  
Wuryan Andyani
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Disclosure

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the level financial statement disclosure on earnings management and audit quality in moderating this study. The sample of this study was from LQ45 companies, especially in manufacturing as many as 9 companies with an observation period of 5 years (2012-2016). This study provided empirical evidence that a negative influence between the level of disclosure of financial statements and real earnings management used production costs. But with the proxies of operational cash flow and discretionary costs produce provided a positive relationship. The results of the moderation regression test with production costs as proxy of earnings management provided that audit quality can strengthen the negative effect of the financial disclosure level on earnings management. Other results indicate that audit quality can strengthen the positive influence of the financial disclosure level on earnings management with a proxy for operational cash flows and discretionary costs. The Managerial implications of research was that auditors can examine other factors besides operational cash flow and discretionary costs in carrying out judgment on earnings management practices in the company.  

Investment in outside governance monitoring and real earnings management: evidence from an emerging market

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Belal Ali Abdulraheem Ghaleb ◽  
Hasnah Kamardin ◽  
Abdulwahid Ahmed Hashed
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Generalized Least Squares ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Executive Directors ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Level

PurposeThe main aim of this study is to examine the effect of investment in outside governance monitoring (IOGM), through non-executive directors' remuneration (NEDR) and external audit fees (AFEE), on real earnings management (REM) in an emerging market in the Southeast Asia region, Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe data comprises 1,056 observations from manufacturing companies listed on Bursa Malaysia for the four-year period, 2013 to 2016. The study tests IOGM individually and aggregately with REM. Feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) regression is used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that NEDR is negatively and significantly associated with REM. Likewise, AFEE is significantly associated with lower REM. Aggregate IOGM significantly mitigates REM. Additional tests conducted show consistent findings.Research limitations/implicationsThis evidence supports agency theory and signaling theory, that a high level of investment in governance monitoring signals a high demand for monitoring and fewer agency problems. It justifies more investment in outside scrutiny and monitoring to limit the existence of managers' opportunistic behavior in concentrated markets. This study relies on an aggregate measure of REM and focuses on manufacturing companies in Malaysia; thus, the results may not be the same using other measurements and samples.Originality/valueThe study, to the best of the researchers' knowledge, is the first to document evidence in an emerging market suggesting that higher NEDR and AFEE are individually and aggregately associated with lower REM. Policymakers, shareholders and researchers may consider investment in these two mechanisms as a proxy of high-quality monitoring that mitigates REM.

Accrual-based and real earnings management before and after IFRS adoption

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aikaterini C. Ferentinou ◽  
Seraina C. Anagnostopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Accounting Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ifrs Adoption ◽  
Before And After

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the use of accrual-based vs real earnings management (EM) by Greek firms, before and after the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The research is motivated by the fact that past studies have indicated the existence of significant levels of EM for Greece in particular before IFRS. Design/methodology/approach – Accrual-based earnings management (AEM) is examined by assessing performance-adjusted discretionary accruals, while real earnings management (REM) is defined in terms of abnormal levels of production costs, discretionary expenses, and cash flows from operations, for a three-year period before and after the adoption of IFRS in 2005. Findings – The authors find evidence on a statistically significant shift from AEM to REM after the adoption of IFRS, indicating the replacement of one form of EM with the other. Research limitations/implications – The validity of the results depends on the ability of the empirical models used to efficiently capture the existence of AEM and REM. Practical implications – IFRS adoption aims to improve accounting quality, especially in countries with high need for such an improvement; however, the tendency to substitute one form of EM with another highlights unintended consequences of IFRS adoption, which do not improve the informational content of financial statements if EM continues under different forms. Originality/value – Under the expectation that IFRS adoption should lead to improvements in accounting quality, this study examines whether IFRS actually led to a reduction of EM practices for a country with exceptionally high levels of EM before IFRS, by accounting for all possible forms of EM.

Misrepresentation of financial statements

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cenap Ilter
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Financial Analysis ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Accounting Fraud ◽  
Financial Statement Fraud ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Fraud Theory

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show the public, in general, and auditors, in particular, that in the absence of control there is always a risk of fraud. Fraud can be done in various forms. Larceny may be the most obvious case of fraud, but fraud may be done in many other ways too. Balance sheet fraud or financial statements fraud is a broader issue; it is far-fetched than a few hundred dollars of a larceny case. In financial statement fraud, the deep down effect may be millions or billions of dollars. Design/methodology/approach – The paper has been designed based on a fraud theory. The author has observed the implications of a possible fraud in a real audit case. The fraud theory has been tested through financial analysis and audit tests. The theory has then been revised and the existence of a financial statement fraud has been proven. Findings – The paper explores that banks and group companies controlled by unreliable owners can lead to misuse of public's funds in accordance with the directives of the owner. Public's money can be transferred to other group companies in an illegal manner – in excessive amounts – and never returned to the bank by means of applying different accounting fraud techniques. Research limitations/implications – Auditors, who may audit group companies that include a bank or banks with deposit receiving and lending rights, should pay attention to the transactions between the group's bank and the other group companies. The lending may be excessive in amount and/or never paid back and the financial statements would be misrepresented covering various fraud schemes. Originality/value – The case that the paper deals with reflects the author's own audit experiences. The names of the companies have been changed but not the essence of the events. From this perspective, it sheds light onto the path of an auditor who happens to be in a similar situation.

scholarly journals The impact of audit quality on real earnings management in the UK context

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Numan Chowdhury ◽  
Yasser Eliwa
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Sampled Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether audit quality influence real earnings management activities using a sample of UK listed firms that have strong incentives to manage earnings upward through meeting past year’s earnings as a benchmark in the post-adoption period of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Design/methodology/approach The authors use a sample of 4,774 firm-year observations of UK listed firms during the period 2005–2018. Univariate and multivariate analyses have been conducted to test the association after controlling for firm characteristics and institutional variables. Findings The study reports that the presence of Big 4 auditors is significantly and positively related with greater levels of sales and discretionary expenses manipulation. Though the authors do not find any conclusive evidence on production costs manipulation, the aggregated measure of real earnings management shows a significant positive association with the presence of Big 4 auditors. Practical implications The study implies that managers who have incentives to manage earnings upward around the UK firms take advantage of the accounting flexibility in defining policies while reducing information asymmetry among the investors to signal better future performance. The approach to detect earnings manipulation as described in the auditing standards fails to limit the managerial use of real activities due to limited scope and unclear guidance. Thus, due to the significant impact on public policies, the results should, therefore, be of interest to the regulators and standard setters. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that examines the association between audit quality and real earnings management for the UK all-purpose operational firms in sampled data that just meet past year’s earnings as a benchmark in the post-IFRS period.

Detecting the probability of financial fraud due to earnings manipulation in companies listed in Athens Stock Exchange Market

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Maniatis
Keyword(s):  
Financial Services ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Financial Fraud ◽  
Earnings Manipulation ◽  
Exchange Market ◽  
Financial Statement Fraud ◽  
Content Type ◽  
General Index ◽  
Athens Stock Exchange

Purpose The aim of this paper is to detect whether there are companies listed in the general index of Athens Stock Exchange Market that possibly conduct earnings manipulation during 2017–2018. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based upon the Beneish model (M-score), which consists of eight variables to examine the probability of financial statement fraud related to earnings manipulation for 40 companies listed in the Athens Stock Exchange Market. Any company with an M-score −2.22 or above is likely to be a manipulator whereas any company that scores −2.22 or less is unlikely to conduct earnings manipulation. Findings After calculating the M-score for each company, it was found that 33 (out of 40) companies had M-score values lower than −2.22. Therefore, 82.5% of the sample is considered rather unlikely to conduct earnings manipulation whereas 17.5% of the companies listed in the general index of Athens Stock Exchange Market is likely to manipulate its earnings. Research limitations/implications In this paper, all institutions related to financial services were left out of the sample because of the fact that M-score cannot provide reliable results when applied on similar companies. Originality/value Beneish model offers a probability of financial fraud and can be therefore used as a supplementary test for auditors, fraud examiners or even national regulators such as the Hellenic Accounting and Auditing Standards Oversight Board or the Hellenic Capital Market Commission. The results of this paper can contribute to the literature concerning financial fraud in Greece during 2017–2018 because no relevant recent researches have been published yet.

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