Zar, Inc.: A Case in Earnings Quality

2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jimmy W. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Controversial Issue ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Way

Zar, Inc., a high-tech company, has recently experienced turnover in its CEO and CFO positions. Zar, like other firms in its industry, is undergoing a down year due to the declining economy. Thomas Brown, who has recently been hired as the CFO, quickly realizes that there is little he can do to avoid the firm's first loss in many years. However, Thomas also understands that there are things that he can do to pave the way toward greater profits in the future. You are invited to listen in on three separate conversations that the CFO has with the CEO, the firm's audit committee, and finally with Zar's independent auditor. After hearing each conversation, you will be asked to evaluate the CFO's ideas as well as those of other parties to the dialogue. Some of the questions are rather straightforward and can be answered by recalling or researching specific accounting standards. Other questions are more open-ended and will require your best judgment based on the facts given in the case. Some questions may require you to provide additional information before making a definite decision. All of the scenarios focus on earnings quality and should enhance your understanding of this critical and controversial issue that pervades financial reporting today.

Accounting Standards and Earnings Quality — Evidence from Registered ADRs

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (04) ◽  
pp. 1850022
Author(s):  
Yaseen S. Alhaj-Yaseen ◽  
Kean Wu ◽  
Leslie B. Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Securities And Exchange Commission ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Reporting Standard ◽  
International Financial Reporting Standard ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Gaap

This paper examines the changes in earnings quality of registered American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) as a result of switching accounting standards. We aim to shed light on the potential impact of International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) adoption on US firms. A suboptimal approach to achieve this goal is through examination of US firms’ surrogates such as ADRs. Unlike previous studies, we made a distinction between registered and unregistered ADRs and affirmed that registered ADRs are the closest surrogates with which to conduct our analysis because they are exclusively required to adhere to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s stringent disclosure requirements. When cross-listing their equity on the US exchanges, foreign issuers can file their financial reports with the SEC using IFRS, US GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles), or their domestic GAAP with reconciliation to US GAAP. An improvement in earnings quality is documented when ADRs adopt US GAAP or IFRS versus domestic GAAP. However, when the comparison is made between US GAAP and IFRS, no difference in earnings quality is documented. These results indicate that switching to high-quality accounting standards is likely to improve earnings quality. This improvement is maximized when the difference between reporting standards is high and minimized if otherwise. Our conclusion is that the adoption of IFRS in the US is unlikely to change earnings quality of local issuers. Moreover, we drew a distinction between reconciliation with and adoption of high-quality accountings standards and find that while the former can enhance earnings quality, the latter can further improve it.

scholarly journals Corporate Social Responsibility, Audit Committee Expertise, and Financial Reporting: Empirical Evidence from Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10517
Author(s):  
Haeyoung Ryu ◽  
Soo-Joon Chae ◽  
Bomi Song
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Accounting Expertise ◽  
Corporate Social

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) involves multiple activities and is influenced by the cultural and legal environment of the country in which a firm is located. This study examines the role of audit committees’ (AC) financial expertise in the relationship between CSR and the earnings quality of Korean firms with high levels of CSR. Using a multivariate analysis, it investigates whether the ACs that include members with accounting expertise, finance expertise, or supervisory expertise individually affect a firm’s decision making. It also examines how ACs with diverse expertise contribute toward improving the financial reporting quality of firms with high levels of CSR. The results demonstrate that when there is a certified accountant in the AC of a firm that practices CSR based on ethical motivation, the earnings management through discretionary accruals is more strictly controlled. This is more effective when the AC comprises members with accounting and non-accounting expertise. This finding implies that the AC plays a positive role in improving the accounting information quality of firms with CSR excellence. Moreover, while the role of accounting experts in the AC is important for maintaining high earnings quality, combining other types of expertise creates synergy.

High Tech, High Think, High Imagine

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 29-34
Author(s):  
Jill Raitt
Keyword(s):  
Education System ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The Future ◽  
Quality Of Learning ◽  
Quality In Education ◽  
The Way

Jill Raitt highlights the gap between imagination and information, shifting the conversation towards the tangible impacts of an education system that relies on test scores instead of the quality of learning and teaching. The way an individual is taught influences their perception of the unfamiliar, and thus the quantification of quality in education could lead to irreconcilable sociopolitical climates in the future. Originally published in the February 1991 issue of the Council of Societies for the Study of Religion Bulletin (20, no. 1), the piece continues to speak volumes today, particularly in the context of educating in the age of COVID-19.

Principles-Based versus Rules-Based Accounting Standards: The Influence of Standard Precision and Audit Committee Strength on Financial Reporting Decisions

2011 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 747-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Agoglia ◽  
Timothy S. Doupnik ◽  
George T. Tsakumis
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Accounting Scandals ◽  
Reporting Decisions ◽  
Standard Precision ◽  
Corporate Financial Reporting

ABSTRACT: Recent accounting scandals have resulted in regulatory initiatives designed to strengthen audit committee oversight of corporate financial reporting and have led to a concern that U.S. GAAP has become too rules-based. We examine issues related to these initiatives using two experiments. CFOs in our experiments exhibit more agreement and are less likely to report aggressively under a less precise (more principles-based) standard than under a more precise (more rules-based) standard. Our results also indicate that CFOs applying a more precise standard are less likely to report aggressively in the presence of a strong audit committee than a weak audit committee. We find no effect of audit committee strength when the standard is less precise. Finally, we find support for a three-path mediating model examining mechanisms driving the effect of standard precision on aggressive reporting decisions. These results should be of interest to U.S. policymakers as they continue to contemplate a shift to more principles-based accounting standards (e.g., IFRS).

The Future of Audit in Light of Technological Changes

2021 ◽  
pp. 228-249
Author(s):  
Sanja Sever Mališ ◽  
Lajoš Žager ◽  
Mateja Brozović
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Technological Changes ◽  
External Audit ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Future ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
The Way

External audit of financial statements plays a key role in achieving transparent financial reporting, since its purpose is to provide reasonable assurance that the presented financial statements are free of material misstatements due to fraud or error. In the process of fulfilling this role, auditors must be adaptable, especially when it comes to technological advancements. This chapter explains the effect that new technologies have on audit of financial statements. In addition to summarizing the technological changes that impacted the audit profession in the past and therefore introduced new generations of audit, the authors have identified issues and challenges in the way the audit is currently performed. Some of the new technologies that are discussed in this chapter have the potential to mitigate these issues. However, new challenges and risks may be introduced with accepting these technologies in the process of financial reporting and auditing.

scholarly journals The impact of AAOIFI accounting standards on earnings quality: The case of Islamic banks in Bahrain

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 160-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adel Mohammed Sarea
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Islamic Banks ◽  
Islamic Financial Institutions ◽  
Global Investors ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this paper is to examine the change in earnings quality after the adoption of AAOIFI Accounting Standards in Islamic Banks of Bahrain. In this paper, we hypothesize that, adoption of AAOIFI accounting standards could lead to high level of earnings quality. However, data were collected from the annual reports of 5 Islamic banks in Bahrain during 2002-2011. The findings indicate that the change in earnings quality after the adoption of AAOIFI in Islamic Banks of Bahrain is higher due to the improvement of the quality of financial reporting. The Adoption of AAOIFI accounting standards is expected to lead to high level of earnings quality among Islamic Financial Institutions and play a significant role in attracting global investors’ interest in the local markets, especially in a developing country like Bahrain.

scholarly journals De verplichte naleving van International Accounting Standards

2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. 294-296
Author(s):  
Martin Hoogendoorn
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
International Accounting ◽  
International Accounting Standards ◽  
The Way

Tijdens het schrijven van deze column, op woens-dagmiddag 14 juni, vlak voor de deadline, gaf een blik op het laatste nieuws op de IASC-website een verrassend bericht. Interne marktcommissa-ris Bolkestein meldt dat de Europese Commissie in het document ‘EU Financial Reporting Strategy: the way forward’ de intentie heeft uitge-sproken om voor te stellen dat alle beursgenoteer-de ondernemingen in Europa verplicht zijn uiter-lijk in 2005 hun geconsolideerde jaarrekening op te stellen in overeenstemming met International Accounting Standards (IAS). Dat is nogal wat, zeker ook voor Nederlandse ondernemingen. Want de naleving van IAS in Nederland is nog altijd zeer beperkt.

scholarly journals Impact of corporate governance mechanisms on financial reporting quality: a study of Indian GAAP and Indian Accounting Standards

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Faozi A. Almaqtari ◽  
Abdulwahid Abdullah Hashed ◽  
Mohd Shamim ◽  
Waleed M. Al-ahdal
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Governance Mechanisms ◽  
Corporate Governance Mechanisms ◽  
The Impact

The present study examines the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on financial reporting quality under Indian GAAP and Indian Accounting Standards (Ind. AS). A sample of 97 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange is selected. Corporate governance mechanisms have been considered as independent variables, and financial reporting quality is the dependent variable. Corporate governance is measured by board effectiveness (board size, independence, diligence, and expertise), audit committee attributes (size, independence, diligence, and expertise), foreign ownership, and audit quality. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and OLS regression are conducted to estimate the results. The study results reveal that board characteristics and audit committee attributes, except for audit committee diligence, have a significant effect on financial reporting quality. However, the impact of board diligence and audit committee attributes is negative. Foreign ownership has no contribution to financial reporting quality, but audit quality has a significant effect. The findings of the study have considerable implications for regulators, policymakers, managers, investors, analysts, and academicians. More emphasis should be given to compliance with Ind. AS, and an oversight body for compliance with Ind. AS should be established. AcknowledgmentThis publication was supported by Deanship of Scientific Research, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia.

scholarly journals Effect of Audit Committee Expertise and Meeting on Earnings Quality in Indonesian Listed Companies: A Conceptual Approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-54
Author(s):  
Lidya Primta Surbakti ◽  
Hasnah Binti Shaari ◽  
Hasan Mohammed Ahmed Bamahros
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: The purpose of this paper will focus on monitoring and improving corporate governance through earnings quality. In particular, audit committee effectiveness is seen as a significant factor in ensuring effective corporate governance and in view of this, the aim of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework that will examine the impact expertise, meeting and meeting attendance on the earnings quality of companies. Methodology: Future empirical studies could be conducted quantitatively with secondary data. The report from annual reports of companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) starting from the period of implementation of the new code on implementation guideline in 2013. Implication: In fact, the main issue was centered on financial reporting manipulations and there is need to examine and develop a mechanism that in addition, agency theory is expected to explain the above three factors in providing explanation to accounting information that relates to the earnings quality under study. Finally, it is expected that future empirical studies with this conceptual framework can enhance earnings quality for users of financial statements such as: investors, creditors, shareholders and other stakeholders in Indonesia and beyond.

Dynamic Data: Corporate Governance and Auditors' Evaluation of Accounting Estimates

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey R. Cohen ◽  
Ganesh Krishnamoorthy ◽  
Arnold M. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
House Of Representatives ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Audit Process ◽  
Dynamic Data ◽  
Sarbanes Oxley ◽  
Accounting Scandals ◽  
Reporting Process

Corporate governance issues have grown more salient in light of alleged corporate accounting scandals and the subsequent enactment of the landmark Sarbanes-Oxley Act (U.S. House of Representatives 2002). However, even in cases where no fraud has occurred and management is completely aboveboard, the role of various players in the corporate governance framework in maintaining a high-quality financial reporting process cannot be overlooked. This case presents facts surrounding the valuation of inventory at Dynamic Data, a high-tech firm. You will be asked to consider, from an auditor's perspective, whether inventory should be carried at cost in light of changing market conditions. Further, you will be asked to consider the role, if any, that the Audit Committee and Board of Directors might play in the financial reporting process. Special consideration will also be given to examining the implications of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the audit process.

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