scholarly journals Earnings management and the quality of non-financial reporting in a regulated context

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 56-67
Author(s):  
Zouhaira Khelil-Rhouma ◽  
Mounira Hamed-Sidhom

This research aims to study the relationship between firms’ accounting earning management practices and the quality of non-financial information disclosed in their annual reports. It is part of the ongoing debate on the reality or symbolism of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of companies and their transparency in this area (Buertey, Sun, Lee, & Hwang, 2019; Bozzolan, Fabrizi, Mallin, & Michelon, 2015; Prior, Surroca, & Tribo, 2008; Riahi-Belkaoui, 2003). We apply generalized least squares (GLS) regression on panel data obtained by a content analysis of annual reports of French SBF 120 listed firms, for the 2012 to 2015 period. The study confirms that upward earnings management led to the disclosure of more mandatory environmental information, but no effect is detected on their objectivity. Environmental disclosures contribute to drawing an image of regulatory compliance and divert stakeholders’ attention from the opportunistic discretionary intervention on financial reporting. Findings support the substitution relationship between financial and non-financial reporting (Francis, Nanda, & Olsson, 2008; Yip, Van Staden, & Cahan, 2011). However, we evidenced that firms that are practicing more aggressive earning management are providing less comprehensive mandatory environmental reporting. Our findings differ from previous studies in that we consider information disclosed in response to regulatory requirements. Also, we analyze not only the comprehensiveness of information but also their objectivity, and demonstrate that earnings management practices have different effects on these characteristics

Author(s):  
Phung Anh Thu ◽  
Nguyen Vinh Khuong

The investigation was conducted to contribute empirical evidence of the association between going concern and financial reporting quality of listed firms on the Vietnam stock market. Based on data from 279 companies listed on the HNX and HOSE exchanges in Vietnam for the period 2009-2015, the quantitative research. Results found that the relationship between the going concern and financial reporting quality of listed firms. Research results are significant for investors, regulators to the transparency of financial reporting information. Keywords Going concern, financial reporting quality, listed firms References Agrawal, K., & Chatterjee, C. (2015). Earnings management and financial distress: Evidence from India. Global Business Review, 16(5_suppl), 140S-154S.Bergstresser, D., & Philippon, T. (2006). CEO incentives and earnings management. Journal of Financial Economics, 80(3), 511–529.Burgstahler, D., & Dichev, I. (1997). Earnings management to avoid earnings decreases and losses. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 24(1), 99–126.Charitou, A., Lambertides, N., & Trigeorgis, L. (2007a). Earnings behaviour of financially distressed firms: The role of institutional ownership. Abacus, 43(3), 271–296.Chen, Y., Chen, C., & Huang, S. (2010). An appraisal of financially distressed companies’ earnings management: Evidence from listed companies in China. Pacific Accounting Review, 22(1), 22–41Dechow, P., & Dichev, I. (2002). The Quality of Accruals and Earnings: The Role of Accrual Estimation Errors. The Accounting Review, 77, 35-59.DeFond, M., & Jiambalvo, J. (1994). Debt covenant violation and manipulation of accruals. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 17(1), 145–176.DeFond, M.L., & Park, C.W. (1997). Smoothing income in anticipation of future earnings. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 23(2), 115–139.Dichev, I., & Skinner, D. (2004). Large sample evidence on the debt covenant hypothesis. Journal of Accounting Research, 40(4), 1091–1123.Đinh Thị Thu T., Nguyễn Vĩnh K. (2016). Tác động của hành vi điều chỉnh thu nhập đến khả năng hoạt động liên tục trong kế toán: Nghiên cứu thực nghiệm cho các doanh nghiệp niêm yết tại Việt Nam, Tạp chí phát triển khoa học và công nghệ, Quí 3, tr.96-108.Đỗ Thị Vân Trang (2015). Các mô hình đánh giá chất lượng báo cáo tài chính, Tạp chí chứng khoán Việt Nam, 200, tr 18-21.Habib, A., Uddin Bhuiyan, B., & Islam, A. (2013). Financial distress, earnings management and market pricing of accruals during the global financial crisis. Managerial Finance, 39(2), 155-180.Jaggi, B., & Lee, P. (2002). Earnings management response to debt covenant violations and debt restructuring. Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance, 17(4), 295–324.Kasznik, R., (1999). On the association between voluntary disclosure and earnings management. Journal of accounting research, 37(1), pp.57-81.Lu, J. (1999). An empirical study of earnings management by loss-making listed Chinese companies. KuaijiYanjiu (Accounting Research), (9), 25–35.McNichols, M.F. and Stubben, S.R., (2008). Does earnings management affect firms’ investment decisions?. The accounting review, 83(6), pp.1571-1603.Selahudin, N.F., Zakaria, N.B., & Sanusi, Z.M. (2014). Remodelling the earnings management with the appear- ance of leverage, financial distress and free cash flow: Malaysia and Thailand evidences. Journal of Applied Sciences, 14(21), 2644–2661.Skinner, D.J., & Sloan, R. (2002). Earnings surprises, growth expectations, and stock returns or don’t let an earnings torpedo sink your portfolio. Review of Accounting Studies, 7(2/3), 289–312.Sweeney, A.P., (1994). Debt-covenant violations and managers' accounting responses. Journal of Accounting & Economics, 17(3): 281-308.Trần Thị Thùy Linh, Mai Hoàng Hạnh (2015). Chất lượng báo cáo tài chính và kỳ hạn nợ ảnh hưởng đến hiệu quả hoạt động của doanh nghiệp Việt Nam, Tạp chí phát triển kinh tế, 10, tr.27-50.Trương Thị Thùy Dương (2017). Nâng cao chất lượng báo cáo tài chính công ty đại chúng, Tạp chí tài chính, 1(3), tr.55-56.Uwuigbe, Ranti, Bernard, (2015). Assessment of the effects of firm’s characteristics on earnings management of listed firms in Nigeria, Asian Economic and Financial Review,5(2):218-228.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristian Baú Dal Magro ◽  
Roberto Carlos Klann

Purpose Although board interlocking underlying forces are largely hidden, the purpose of this paper is to provide managers, auditors, analysts, regulators and other stakeholders with sociological board interlocking information considering the different backgrounds of their members. Design/methodology/approach The research sample gathered 1,606 observations from 2010 to 2017. For data analysis, the direct and indirect board interlocking linkages, considering the different backgrounds of board members, established the centrality indicators. Subsequently, the authors used these indicators according to each measured background in the regression models. Findings The results indicate that the political background of board interlocking members is positively related to real earnings management practices, while the financial background has a mitigating effect on such practices. Research limitations/implications The findings suggest that individual skills and interests conveyed across the corporate social network have shaped corporate governance, with distinct impacts on the quality of accounting information. Practical implications The authors conclude that both backgrounds could have implications on agency conflicts, increasing (policy) or reducing (financial) information asymmetry between the company and its various stakeholders, which indicates that the authors must consider sociological and not just economic aspects within corporate governance. Social implications The sociological background of individuals is necessary for the congruence of monitoring mechanisms, and consequently, the quality of accounting information. Originality/value This study examines the influence of the political and financial background of board interlocking members on real earnings management practices in Brazilian publicly traded companies in the International Financial Reporting Standards post-adoption period.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 81-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dea’a Al-Deen Omar Al-Sraheen ◽  
Khalid Alkhatib

The key objective of this paper is to propose a model for limiting earning management practices among manufacturing firms in Jordan. In order to do so, two independent variables are examined in this paper, namely, political influence and CEO Duality. Discretionary total accruals according to the modified Jones model (1991) was used in order to estimate the level of earnings management, which is the dependent variable. The sample comprised 64 companies for the financial year 2013. The results suggest that a positive and significant association existed among both political influence and CEO duality and earning management. This means that both independent variables exacerbated earnings management. Further research is required to determine what urgent legislation should be developed to restrict the presence of members who have political connections on the board of directors. Also, the need exists for the separation of roles of Chairman and CEO to ensure the independence and complying with the requirements of corporate governance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 6-18
Author(s):  
Abubakar Yayangida ◽  
◽  
Agbi Samuel ◽  
Joshua Okpanachi ◽  
Victor Atabo ◽  
...  

This paper is an empirical analysis of the impact of Executive compensation on earnings quality of listed firms in Nigeria for the period of 2015-2019. The study adopts the multiple regression technique. Data were collected from the annual reports and accounts of sampled firms. The findings reveal that Executive compensation positively and significantly affect the earnings quality of listed Conglomerates in Nigeria, the result implies that firms that pay higher emoluments to its executive are likely to improve the quality of earnings. It is recommended that the listed Conglomerates firms should increase the amount paid as emoluments to their executives as the higher emolument paid and received by executives improve the level of earnings quality and reduces earnings management which may be detrimental to the goal and objectives of the firm. Key words: Compensation, Conglomerates, Executive, Incentives, Performance, Shareholders


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Dea'a Al-Deen Omar Alsraheen ◽  
Isam Hamad Saleh

This paper mainly aims to explore the role of monitoring mechanisms in limiting the earnings management practices among service firms in Jordan. The data used in this study were from the financial annual reports of 59 ASE listed service firms in 2015. The results of multiple regression analysis demonstrate the fairly varied influence of board of directors’ variables. This paper presented three hypotheses covering board independency, CEO duality and audit committee. According to the results, internal monitoring mechanisms significantly impact the level of the practices of earnings management and the reduction of the agency conflict. Additionally, the regulatory bodies in Jordan should focus more on the role of internal monitoring mechanisms in Jordanian companies in terms of effectiveness in order to improve the quality of financial reports can be improved via the assurance of high quality of earnings. Finally, this study becomes a catalyst for more research on quality of financial reports and earnings quality in Jordan and other countries where there is still lack of studies in this domain.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 4894-4897

Earnings manipulation studies are of utmost importance to both the shareholders and stakeholders because of its effect in investment and management decisions. The practices are directly affecting the quality of financial reporting and increase information asymmetry between the management and shareholders. Thus, Audit Quality is one of the tool academicians use in measuring the level of earning practices in the organizations. However, this study investigated the possible effect of audit quality towards the change of earnings management level among the Nigerian listed firms. The study used all the public listed firms in the main flow of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) as a population from the year 2012 until 2017. Sixty-three selected companies were selected as a sample based on the filtration criteria of the study. The financial data was obtained from the Thompson Reuters DataStream, and the corporate governance data was from the annual reports and accounts of the companies. Audit quality and accrual model was used to test the relationship between the study variable. The study applied multiple regression to test the model. It was revealed from the regression that audit quality is negatively significant with accrual earnings management. This finding is indicating that any increases in the unit of audit fees will decrease the earnings management of the selected firms. Thus, the finding is supporting agency theory and is contrary to the assumption of creative accounting theory. The result of this study will assist the relevant authorities in decision making and policy setting towards the best practices of the Nigerian listed firms.


2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 304-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erlina Diamastuti ◽  
Ahmad Dahlan Malik ◽  
Budi Rofelawaty

The background of this study the phenomenon of earnings management practices often does companies that resulted in losses for the stakeholders and degrade the quality of financial reporting information. Therefore, this study aims to interpret the behavior of accountants in earnings management practices. The approach taken is hermeneutic interpretive. Hermeneutic approach undertaken by the authors based on the curiosity of the author of the views and understanding of accountants and businessmen related to earnings management practices. The views and comments of the accountant may be the interpretation which would have a meaning according to their worldview. As a result, earnings management commentary in the practice of accountants in the study found: 1) Accountants have always considered that the accounting figures are mirrored the progress of the company; 2) Profit Management don’ts home still in the corridor accounting policy rather than to meet the interests unilaterally; 3) The tendency of managers does materialistic behavior in earnings management practices.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-53
Author(s):  
Richard Fosu Amankwa ◽  
John Kweku Mensah Mawutor ◽  
Eric Boachie Yiadom

This study examined the effect of IFRS adoption on the quality of financial statements of selected firms on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The study used the extent of management practices as a metric for financial statement quality. The audited annual reports of the selected firms from the GSE were analyzed using a panel regression model over the period 2001-2006 and 2007-2014. The study finds the adoption of IFRS to be significantly and negatively affect earnings management practices and, thus, improves financial statement quality. On the extent of earnings management practices, the study finds a decrease in the post-adoption era as opposed to the pre-adoption era, signifying an improvement in accounting quality. The panel regression results show that adopting IFRS significantly decreases the extent of earnings management.  


Author(s):  
Marco Bisogno

<p>Purpose: The aim of the paper is to investigate earnings management practices related to goodwill accounting, focusing on its first recognition as well as its write-offs, due to the impairment test.</p><p>Design/methodology/approach: The study refers to a sample of Italian listed firms and the analysis covers three years, with a total of 591 firm-year observations. The modified Jones’ regression model has been used in estimating discretionary accruals, as a proxy of earnings management practices.</p><p>Findings: A positive relationship between discretionary accruals and yearly changes in goodwill has been proved. Findings also show an incidence of leverage and performance.</p><p>Research limitations/implications: The study focuses on a single context (Italy) and it is essentially based on financial-economic variables.</p><p>Practical implications: Findings of the study could be relevant for standard-setters in future revisions of goodwill accounting.</p><p>Social implication: The study could support investors in evaluating the incidence of first recognition as well as goodwill impairment on the quality of earnings.</p>


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