CFO attributes and accounting conservatism: evidence from Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismaanzira Ismail ◽  
Rohami Shafie ◽  
Ku Nor Izah Ku Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Accounting Conservatism ◽  
Chief Financial Officer ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Emerging Country

Purpose This paper aims to examine whether conditional conservatism is affected by chief financial officer (CFO) attributes as this issue is understudied in Malaysia. Given that CFOs have a direct responsibility for financial reporting, therefore, their individual attributes are important in influencing conservatism in financial reporting. Design/methodology/approach This study uses non-financial listed firms in the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia from the years 2016 until 2019. Findings The results show that CFOs’ attributes, namely, gender, age, education level and ethnicity, affect earnings conservatism. To test for robustness, the authors use difference-in-difference, propensity score-matching and unconditional conservatism, namely, market-to-book ratio and the authors find the results hold with an exception for age and education level. Further, the effect of these attributes is more profound in non-Big4 audited firms, suggesting that CFO attributes act as a substitute mechanism for lower audit quality. Originality/value This study complements existing studies by documenting the first evidence on the significant effects of CFOs’ attributes in influencing accounting conservatism in an emerging country, namely, Malaysia. This is the first paper, to the humble knowledge, that examines CFOs’ attributes on accounting conservatism in Malaysia.

The effect of auditor narcissism on audit market competition

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hojat Mohammadi ◽  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Meysam Arabzadeh ◽  
Hassan Ghodrati
Keyword(s):  
Financial Markets ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Market Competition ◽  
Competitive Pressure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Audit Market

Purpose This paper aims to assess auditor narcissism’s effect on audit market competition (auditor concentration, clients’ concentration and competitive pressure). Design/methodology/approach This paper’s method is descriptive-correlational based on published information from listed firms on the Tehran Stock Exchange from 2012 to 2018 using a sample of 188 firms (1,310 observations). The method used for hypothesis testing is linear regression using panel data. Findings The results show a negative and significant relationship between auditor narcissism and audit market competition and its indices, including auditor concentration, clients’ concentration and competitive pressure. Moreover, a positive and significant relationship was observed between audit quality and audit market competition and its indices, including auditor concentration, client concentration and competitive pressure. Originality/value To analyzes competition indices in the audit market (auditor concentration, clients’ concentration and competitive pressure). The variable is assessed once more using the exploratory factor analysis of the so-called three variables single variable, named audit market competition. So the central question of the study is investigated within a broader sense. Moreover, as the present study is carried out in the emergent financial markets with extremely competitive audit markets to figure out the effect of auditors’ intrinsic characteristics on such markets’ competitiveness, it can provide useful information in this field.

IFRS adoption and accounting conservatism in Latin America

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 301-320
Author(s):  
Harold Lopez ◽  
Mauricio Jara ◽  
Adriana Cabello
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Accounting Conservatism ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Ifrs Adoption ◽  
Mandatory Adoption ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of IFRS mandatory adoption on accounting conservatism and to shed light on the drivers of such impact. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of listed firms for five Latin American countries, the authors analyze the relation between mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards and the conditional accounting conservatism of earnings. Findings The authors find evidence that IFRS adoption boosts earnings conservatism. This result is robust and heterogeneous. The results also show that the effect of IFRS differs across firms and countries. Specifically, the impact of IFRS adoption is higher for low-earnings-quality firms and for firms with high levels of investment opportunities. Practical implications The results suggest that IFRS adoption in Latin America has enhanced comparability of financial information both across and within countries. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature by providing new evidence on the drivers of the impacts of IFRS adoption in emerging markets.

Fundamental analysis and the use of financial statement information to separate winners and losers in frontier markets: evidence from Vietnam

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuan Ho ◽  
Y Trong Nguyen ◽  
Hieu Truong Manh Tran ◽  
Dinh-Tri Vo
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Fundamental Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe pupose of the paper is to study the usefulness of Piotroski (2000)'s F-score in separating winners and losers in Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopt a portfolio analysis and regression analysis on a sample of 501 of listed firms between 2009 and 2019 in Vietnam.FindingsThe authors find that a hedge strategy that buys high-F-score firms and sells low-F-score firms yield market-adjusted return of over 30 percent annually, which is statistically and economically significant. The hedge strategy based on F-score is not only profitable for value (high book-to-market [BM]) firms but also earn abnormal returns in a sample of growth (low BM) firms, suggesting that the usefulness of F-score strategy is not just a phenomenon in value firms as documented in previous literature.Research limitations/implicationsWhilst the authors' paper documents economically significant returns obtained from the F-score strategy, the authors do not examine what drives the abnormal returns.Practical implicationsThe results provide supporting evidence for the use of financial statement analysis as a screening tool to improve the performance of value investment in Vietnam stock market and for the training of financial reporting and fundamental analysis in universities.Originality/valueThe authors' research is the first study examining the F-score strategy in Vietnam that provides insights about the usefulness of fundamental analysis in separating winners and losers in a frontier market and contributes to the literature on fundamental analysis and market efficiency in emerging and frontier markets.

The effects of mandatory corporate social responsibility policy on accounting conservatism

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chia-Ling Cheng ◽  
Fan-Hua Kung
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Accounting Conservatism ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate whether government-mandated corporate social responsibility (CSR) engenders conservative financial reporting in emerging markets. It is expected that CSR plays a substitute role for governance mechanisms in reducing information asymmetry. Design/methodology/approach – The C-Score developed by Khan and Watts (2007) was adopted to measure the degree of firm-year specific accounting conservatism. This study uses the CSR rating established by the Shanghai National Accounting Institute. Findings – Empirical evidence indicates that the government-mandated CSR policy may be sufficient to induce conservative financial reporting. However, due perhaps to political affiliations, the evidence to support this claim is weaker for state-owned enterprises (SOEs) than for non-SOEs. Originality/value – The findings provide a deeper understanding of the potential role of CSR in firms. The results also provide evidence on the dynamics between CSR activities and the reporting behavior of managers. These findings have important implications for investors, analysts and regulators.

Direct and mediated associations among earnings quality, book-tax differences and the audit quality

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakia Riguen Koubaa ◽  
Anis Jarboui
Keyword(s):  
Audit Quality ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Accounting Conservatism ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Audit Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Academic Researchers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the direct and indirect links between book-tax differences (BTDs) and audit quality using accounting conservatism (proxy of earnings quality). Hence, this paper seeks to extend prior audit quality research. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a sample of Tunisian listed firms on the Tunis Stock Exchange and operating in the industrial and commercial sectors during 2005-2012. This investigation is motivated by structural equations system models that specify both a direct link and an indirect link that is mediated by information reflected in BTDs. Findings The results show that for the Tunisians companies, firms with large BTDs are associated with higher audit quality implies that such BTDs represent an observable proxy for earnings quality that affects auditor decisions. The authors find statistically an indirect link between abnormal BTDs and audit quality that is mediated by earnings quality. The current study also provides evidence that information reflected in BTDs can improve audit quality. Practical implications The findings may be of interest to the academic researchers, practitioners and regulators who are interested in discovering the informational value of BTDs in the audit process. Originality/value This paper extends the existing literature by examining the mediation effect of information reflected in BTDs on relationship between BTDs and audit quality.

scholarly journals A longitudinal study of audit quality differences among independent auditors

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manh Dung Tran ◽  
Khairil Faizal Khairi ◽  
Nur Hidayah Laili
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Goodwill Impairment ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
High Level

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the differences of audit quality of financial statements among auditors, including Big 4 and non-Big 4 auditors. Design/methodology/approach By employing cross-sectional analysis of compliance (a proxy of audit quality) of goodwill impairment testing of listed firms in the context of Hong Kong, the variation of audit quality of financial statements of auditees has been shown. Findings Audit quality of Big 4 auditors is viewed to be higher than that of non-Big 4 audit firms and the homogeneity of audit quality among Big 4 auditors is not long accepted, but variation. Practical implications Even though unqualified opinions have been given on the auditors’ reports, the quality of financial statements audit is a skeptical issue because of the high level of non-compliance of goodwill impairment testing under International Financial Reporting Standards. Originality/value This study does emphasize the higher audit quality of financial statements of Big 4 auditors than that of non-Big 4 auditors and stresses the variation of audit quality among Big 4 auditors.

The impact of equity incentive plans (EIPs) on accounting conservatism in listed Chinese firms

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sun Liu ◽  
Jie Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Accounting Conservatism ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Chinese Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Equity Incentives ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Equity Incentive

PurposeThis study investigates whether listed firms using equity incentive plans (EIPs) adopt more conservative accounting in China's unique corporate setting.Design/methodology/approachBased on a sample of 2,243 listed firms and 9,950 firm-year observations for the period of 2008–2017, this study employs piecewise cross-sectional regression models with year and industry fixed effects to examine the associations proposed in the research hypotheses.FindingsThis study finds a positive relationship between the adoption of EIPs and accounting conservatism in listed Chinese firms. Further analyses reveal that this positive relationship is more pronounced when listed Chinese firms use restricted stock units (RSUs), instead of stock options, in their EIPs.Research limitations/implicationsUnlike many early studies, this paper empirically investigates the impacts of two different types of equity incentives – stock options and RSUs – and thus contributes to accounting and corporate governance literature by providing a better understanding of the impacts of different types of equity incentives on financial reporting quality. However, this study does not consider other alternative equity incentive measurements because of the limited data regarding Chinese firm's executive compensation.Practical implicationsThis study offers investors and policymakers in China some insight into how accounting conservatism in listed firms might be shaped by equity incentives used in their managerial compensation schemes.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few that examines the effects of using equity incentives in a large emerging market. It offers support for the view that the recent introduction of policies on EIPs by the Chinese government has an overall positive impact on listed firm's financial reporting quality, as reflected by greater degrees of accounting conservatism.

Do globalisation and adoption of IFRS by banks in Africa lead to less earnings management?

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Amidu ◽  
Haruna Issahaku
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Accounting Information ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Accounting Information Quality ◽  
National Economies

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the implications of globalisation and the adoption of international standards (International Financial Reporting Standards [IFRS]) for accounting information quality. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a sample of 329 banks across 29 countries leading up to and beyond the implementation of IFRS to test for related hypotheses. Findings First, banks’ financial statements are prepared on the basis of international standards as national economies are integrated when social norms are diffused. Building on these results, the second test suggests that the relatively high-quality earnings among banks in Africa during the period is attributable to the adoption of and interaction of IFRS with globalisation and the strategy of banks to diversify within and across interest and non-interest income. Originality/value The authors investigate how globalisation and the adoption of IFRS affect accounting information quality.

The relationship between cost stickiness and financial reporting quality in Tehran Stock Exchange

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (9) ◽  
pp. 1550-1565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Nasrin Ziba ◽  
Ali Daemi Gah
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Statistical Software ◽  
Testing Hypotheses ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Cost Stickiness

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between financial reporting and cost stickiness in companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. Design/methodology/approach Data of all Iranian manufacturing listed companies gathered for testing hypotheses during 2010–2016 and R statistical software are employed in order to analyzing data. Findings The results of this study indicate that there is a significant relationship between administrative, sale, material, labor and overhead costs and the financial reporting qualities of the companies under study. Originality/value The study focuses on relationship between financial reporting and cost stickiness in companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange, which is the first study of its type in Iran.

Adoption of IFRS in Japan: challenges and consequences

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriyuki Tsunogaya ◽  
Andreas Hellmann ◽  
Simone Domenico Scagnelli
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Accounting System ◽  
International Accounting Standards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Institutional Complementarity ◽  
Accounting Environment ◽  
Social Organizational

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to provide a rigorous and holistic analysis of the main features of the Japanese accounting environment. It also raises issues related to the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in Japan. Design/methodology/approach – For the purpose of investigating the Japanese accounting system, this study applies the accounting ecology framework developed by Gernon and Wallace (1995) and provides a content analysis of relevant meetings of the Business Accounting Council of Japan. Findings – The findings of this study provide evidence that it would be problematic to require the adoption of IFRS for all listed companies in Japan. The main reason for this is that the Japanese policymakers and standard-setting bodies follow two objectives: enhancing the international comparability of financial reporting and maintaining institutional complementarity between financial reporting and other infrastructures such as accounting-related laws. Research limitations/implications – This study is relevant for accounting researchers and professionals with an interest in Japanese accounting practices. It is also useful for the International Accounting Standards Board and representatives of countries planning to adopt IFRS in the future. Originality/value – The findings of this study show that contextual issues such as social, organizational and professional environments cannot be ignored in the adoption of IFRS in Japan.

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