The effect of political-economic reform on the quality of financial reporting in Egypt

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nargis Kaisar Boles Makhaiel ◽  
Michael Leslie Joseph Sherer

Purpose This paper aims to study the influence of political-economic reform and especially privatisation on the quality of financial reporting of the Egyptian companies. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses data from official documents and 34 interviews with company executives, financial analysts, external auditors and Stock Exchange regulators to inform our understanding of the relationship between changes in the Egyptian environment and the quality of financial reporting. Findings The findings of the research suggest that the recent Egyptian political-economic reform, resulting in privatisation has significant influence on negative accounting practices and hence on lowering the quality of financial reporting through its effect on: departure from uniform accounting system and public accounting regulations; issuing new stock exchange regulative rules; reviving the role of Stock Exchange; and increasing competition within Stock Exchange regarding raising funds. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature by identifying the effect of socio-cultural factors on motivating executives to 7 exercise negative accounting practices and hence producing low-quality financial reports (FRs) and by highlighting the fact that accounting practices cannot be generalised worldwide due to the absence of universal socio-cultural factors which shape these practices. This paper employs new institutional sociology theory and contributes to that theory by acknowledging the active interplay between institutional context and economic environment.

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Mousavi Shiri ◽  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Fatemeh Abbasi ◽  
Shayan Farhangdoust

PurposeIn the process of reporting accounting information, the auditor’s objective is to detect possible misstatements and errors in accounting information. Audit evidence aids auditors in providing reasonable assurance about the quality of financial reporting. Studying the quality of family firms’ financial reporting is of higher importance relative to non-family firms due to lower risk of accounting manipulation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between family ownership structure and financial reporting quality from an auditing perspective.Design/methodology/approachTo analyze the research hypotheses, the authors use a sample data consisted of 221 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (including 52 family and 169 non-family firms) over a five-year span from 2011 to 2015.FindingsUsing multivariate regression analysis of panel data, our results indicate that audit risk in family firms is lower than their counterparts. Likewise, the findings are indicative of lower audit fees paid by family firms as compared to non-family ones. The authors also find that auditors put more effort in family firms and thus audit effort is more significant for these kinds of firms.Originality/valueThe study focuses on family ownership and financial reporting quality in a developing country like Iran and the results of the study may be beneficial to other developing nations, as Iran stock market possesses some unique features which are not normally prevailing in other equity markets, even in the Middle East.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-61
Author(s):  
Dagwom Yohanna Dang ◽  
James Ayuba Akwe ◽  
Salisu Balago Garba

PurposeCredit relevance of financial reporting can be influenced by change in financial reporting framework. This study aims to examine the effect of mandatory international financial reporting standards (IFRS) adoption on credit relevance quality of financial reporting of deposit money banks (DMBs) in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses difference-in-differences (D-in-D) design for its modelling. Panel data regression analysis based on the D-in-D model is used in analysing the data collected from secondary sources.FindingsThe findings of this study are that based on the D-in-D approach, there is a significant and positive effect of mandatory IFRS adoption on credit relevance quality of financial reporting of DMBs in Nigeria, and that there is also a significant difference in the credit relevance quality of financial reporting of mandatory adopting banks in the post-mandatory IFRS adoption period compared to pre-mandatory IFRS adoption period.Research limitations/implicationsTo the best of this study's review, there is inadequacy of literature within the credit relevance research in Nigeria. In the light of this, this study intends to fill the gap.Practical implicationsThis study is specifically important to regulatory authorities, both primary and secondary regulators. Specifically, this study has implications in the regulatory roles of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC). However, the study recommends that regulatory authorities should encourage DMBs to avail their financial reports annually to credit rating agencies (local and international) for proper evaluation for subsequent ratings.Originality/valueThe peculiarities in this study, that is the utilisation of the D-in-D design and the use of credit relevance metric as the dependent variable, made this study important and novel to push the frontier of existing knowledge.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 517-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Badrul Muttakin ◽  
Dessalegn Mihret ◽  
Tesfaye Taddese Lemma ◽  
Arifur Khan

Purpose Although proponents of integrated reporting (IR) advocate that this emerging practice has the potential to transform corporate reporting, the eventuation of this expectation would depend on the incentive IR provides to firms. This study aims to examine whether IR is associated with cost of debt and whether IR moderates the relationship between financial reporting quality and cost of debt. Design/methodology/approach Based on insights drawn from information asymmetry and agency theories, the authors develop models that link IR and financial reporting quality with a firm’s cost of debt. The authors analyze 847 firm-year observations drawn from non-financial firms traded on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, for the period between 2009 and 2015. Findings The authors find that firms that provide integrated reports tend to have a lower cost of debt than those do not provide IR. The authors also find an inverse association between financial reporting quality and cost of debt, and that integrated reports accentuate this association. The findings suggest that the debt market perceives value in the information presented in integrated reports beyond what is furnished in financial reports. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to document evidence suggesting that the debt market perceives value in the information presented in integrated reports, beyond what is furnished in financial reports.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-194
Author(s):  
Marziyeh Hejranijamil ◽  
Afsane Hejranijamil ◽  
Javad Shekarkhah

PurposeApplying conservatism to the preparation of financial statements has been considered not only as a natural mechanism to protect the interests of the stockholders but also as a practical way to assist managers to deal with uncertainty in business environments. This study aimed to determine if increasing uncertainty can lead to raising the level of conservatism used in preparing financial statements. The result of the study could provide a better understanding of the factors that influence the level of applying conservative methods in accounting and financial reporting.Design/methodology/approachThe model introduced by Basu (1997) was used to measure accounting conservatism. Business strategy and alertness were considered as two proxies for classifying companies according to their level of uncertainty. By adding each proxy of uncertainty to the model and using the financial data of 183 companies for five years (from 2013 to 2018), the multiple regression models were estimated through EViews. It was assumed that inert companies and those with prospector strategy face a higher level of uncertainty. Consequently, they were expected to report their financial status conservatively.FindingsFindings revealed that companies, which adopted a prospector strategy, applied more conservative methods in their financial reports. This indicated that facing wider uncertainty results in reporting more conservatively, which could not be said about inert companies.Originality/valueThe current research is the first research undertaken in a developing country such as Iran, and the study's results may benefit other developing countries.


2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 1639-1662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Mohammadamin Shirazi

Purpose The purpose of this study is to shed further light on the characteristics of an audit committee (AC) and its probable relationship with the quality of financial reporting and disclosure. Based on the findings of extant research that there are different factors that may have implications for the AC’ effectiveness, the authors posit an association between the aforementioned financial aspects and AC presence. Design/methodology/approach The authors test their hypotheses by performing panel data analysis on a sample of 100 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) during 2013-2014. The tests were conducted by using Eviews software. Findings Examining previously tested characteristics of an AC, the authors indicate that the number of AC meetings held during fiscal year is negatively associated with the quality of corporate disclosure, whereas AC expertise and size are positively associated with the quality firm’s financial disclosure. Their findings are also indicative of a non-significant relationship between other AC attributes and financial reporting quality (FRQ) except for AC independence, which is positively associated with FRQ. Finally, they provide some evidence that the size of a firm positively affects the quality of its financial reporting and disclosure. Research limitations/implications Although the study has been thoroughly considered and cautiously planned, some limitations have yet arisen. Initially, this research was conducted in an Iranian setting where the formation of ACs is on the verge of regulation; therefore, the data utilized for the study only contains the two-year period of ACs’ statutory activity. In addition, a lack of consensus on the precise measures of an AC’s effectiveness could be considered as a restrictive factor. Originality/value The authors’ study contributes to the AC literature by providing empirical evidence of an association between ACs’ different attributes and financial aspects in a newly regulated environment like the TSE. The results provided in this paper could be fruitful for auditors, regulators, institutional investors and policymakers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-171
Author(s):  
Farah Faadillah Herindraningrum ◽  
Indrawati Yuhertiana

This literature review aims to map research on the quality of local government financial reports in Indonesia and to see how the role of accountability and transparency factors in the quality of local government reports in Indonesia. This research method uses SLR (Systematic Literature Review). Analysis of data by mapping 28 selected journals from 2015 to 2020 in the Google Scholar database. The results of this research show factors affecting the quality of the Indonesian government's financial reports, namely: human resource competence, Information Technology, Accountability, Transportation, Audit Quality, Accounting System, Accounting Procedure, Accounting Standards, and Internal Management with quantitative research type, Qualitative, literature review, and mix method. The most frequently investigated factor is the competence of human resources as much as 15 times the type of research that is widely used is quantitative research as much as 20. This research also shows that the accountability and transparency of financial reporting have a significant effect on the quality of financial reporting of local governments in Indonesia.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-15
Author(s):  
Camelia-Daniela Hategan

Investors’ decisions are based on financial and non-financial information. To be useful, the information provided by the financial reports must be accurate, which is also ensured by the opinion expressed by the auditors. The purpose of the paper is to show the importance of the quality of audit services both for investors and for professional accountants and auditors. Audit quality factors can be structured according to several criteria and were represented by the size of the auditor, rotation, duration of the contract, types of services provided. In order to support this hypothesis, the correlation between the variables was tested on the basis of a sample of seven companies listed at Bucharest Stock Exchange in the energy field and utilities included in index BET, for period 2013 - 2018. The data was collected from the annual financial statements and reports issued by financial auditors. The results show that there is a correlation between variables, but of different intensities depending on the indicators chosen. Increasing the quality of financial reporting and the quality of audit leads to increased investor confidence in professional accountants.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonida Carungu ◽  
Roberto Di Pietra ◽  
Matteo Molinari

Purpose This paper aims at investigating the quality of non-financial reporting (NFR) in light of Directive no. 2014/95/EU. Specifically, it focuses on the quality of NFR in Italian companies, as required by Legislative Decree no. 254/2016. Design/methodology/approach The method used to develop the analysis is mainly qualitative. A content analysis of 184 non-financial reports (NFRs) was conducted on a sample of 92 companies that have been previously involved in the process of NFR on a voluntary basis. Then, a longitudinal analysis was carried out to assess the quality of the NFR conducted from a voluntary to a mandatory basis. Findings This study shows that the quality of NFR does not increase when moving from a voluntary to a mandatory basis, especially for 25% of the companies that publish supplementary sustainability reports and/or plans. This result demonstrates that preparers may perceive mandatory NFR as a comprehensive best practice to adequately report their social, economic and environmental performance. Originality/value The contribution of this research is threefold. Firstly, it contributes to the social and environmental accounting literature that focuses on NFR quality assessment. Secondly, it contributes to the literature that emphasizes the role of mimetic, coercive and normative isomorphism mechanisms on accounting systems and reporting practices. Thirdly, it contributes to the research gaps for academics highlighted by previous literature on mandatory corporate reporting as a consequence of normative requirements and on the relationship between regulation and mimetic, coercive and normative isomorphic mechanisms within organizations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Joseph Mbawuni

The adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Ghana is expected to improve the quality of financial reporting among companies in Ghana. This paper assesses the extent to which financial reports of companies listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) meet financial reporting quality (FRQ) dimensions of IFRS. It was a descriptive study that employed two experienced professional chartered accountants who practice as independent auditors to use FRQ criteria to assess financial reports of 20 purposively selected companies listed on GSE for 2012 and 2013. Given the high inter-rater reliability (r = .96, 95% C.I., p < .0001), the findings indicate that, overall, FRQ of the listed companies meet FRQ standards by 56.48%. Generally, the financial reports were 60.95% faithfully represented, 51.01% relevant, 50.10% understandable, 40.09% comparable and 19.75% timely audited (or 80.25% untimely). Fundamental FRQ characteristics were more prevalent than enhancing FRQ. Poorly rated FRQ areas were in the use of historical cost as measurement basis, no use of graphs and tables to clarify information, no inclusion of comprehensive glossary, ratios and index, no information on adjustment in past accounting figures for future decisions, and no comparison of current and previous accounting periods and with those of other firms. The study concludes that FRQ of the listed companies is moderate but needs considerable improvement. Implications to theory, practitioners, policy makers and industry regulators are discussed. This study fills the dearth of empirical research in FRQ in IFRS-compliance companies in Sub-Saharan Africa in general and Ghana in particular.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-114
Author(s):  
Fidyah Quraini ◽  
Yuni Rimawati

This research aimed at knowing factors of fraudulent financial reporting using pentagon fraud analysis. This research analyzed the influence of financial target, financial stability, external pressure, institutional ownership, ineffective monitoring, quality of external auditors, change of auditors, change of directors, and number of CEO’s picture in fraudulent financial report. Sample in this research were 14 go public government companies from 2013 to 2017. Source of data in this research were secondary data in form of annual report in official website of Indonesia Stock Exchange. The examination of this research used logistic regression. The result of this study showed that the influence of external pressure expected fraudulent financial report, while financial target, financial stability, institutional ownership, ineffective monitoring, quality of external auditors, changing auditors, changing directors, and a number of CEO’s picture often did not influence the fraudulent financial reporting.


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