Subordinates as the First Line of Defense against Biased Financial Reporting

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Jane Jollineau ◽  
Thomas W. Vance ◽  
Alan Webb
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Private Information ◽  
Working Relationships ◽  
First Line ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Informal Controls ◽  
Willingness To Serve

ABSTRACT Managers who generate financial reports often rely on subordinates who possess private information to provide inputs. When managers have incentives to manipulate reports, they may request biased inputs from subordinates. However, subordinates can act as informal controls and constrain managers' opportunism. We experimentally examine two potential determinants of subordinates' willingness to serve as informal controls: their perception of the subordinate-manager relationship quality and their beliefs about the ethical nature of the task. Subordinates who perceive a high-quality relationship with their manager provide more bias, despite a compensation scheme that makes compliance costly. This result suggests that managers who cultivate close working relationships with subordinates may undermine the control system. Subordinates' beliefs about the ethical nature of the task also reduce compliance, but more so when the manager requests income-increasing estimates. Our findings contribute to the management accounting literature by providing insights into the role of subordinate employees as informal controls.

scholarly journals ERRORS AND FRAUD IN ACCOUNTING. THE ROLE OF EXTERNAL AUDIT IN FIGHTING CORRUPTION

10.26458/1743 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 29-36
Author(s):  
Luminita Ionescu
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
External Control ◽  
Electronic Systems ◽  
High Quality ◽  
External Audit ◽  
Strong Connection ◽  
Recent Developments

Accounting errors and fraud are common in most businesses, but there is a difference between fraud and misinterpretation of communication or accounting regulations. The role of management in preventing fraud becomes important in the last decades and the importance of auditing in curbing corruption is increasingly revealed. There is a strong connection between fraud and corruption, accelerated by electronic systems and modern platforms.The most recent developments tend to confirm that external auditing is curbing corruption, due to international accounting and auditing standards at national and regional levels. Thus, a better implementation of accounting standards and high quality of external control could prevent errors and fraud in accounting, and reduce corruption, as well.The aim of this paper is to present some particular aspects of errors and fraud in accounting, and how external audit could ensure accuracy and accountability in financial reporting. 

Losing control: the gap in multi-level government reporting

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josette Caruana ◽  
Kimberly Zammit
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Fiscal Federalism ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Budget Execution

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between control by the Maltese Central Government on Local Government and the format and basis of budgetary and financial reporting used. The study analyses the role of reporting in agency and fiscal federalism theories.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were carried out with the controller (Central Government officials and the National Audit Office), while a survey was carried out with the controlled (Maltese Local Councils).FindingsThe type of reporting used by Maltese Local Councils may be undermining the control that Central Government seeks to exercise on overspending and debt levels. The Local Councils’ financial statements report accrual deficits and increasing liabilities. This overspending appears to slip through Parliamentary scrutiny because the latter approves cash allocations to Local Councils; the financial reports submitted to Parliament do not highlight overspending in cash terms; and the cash budget execution report that should be prepared by Local Councils is not given due importance.Originality/valueCentral Government should be consistent in its policy towards Local Government, which may require more elaborate reporting. This study highlights the importance of aligning the reporting required (top-down) and the reporting presented (bottom-up) – otherwise, control is at stake.

The Role of Financial Reporting Quality in Mitigating the Constraining Effect of Dividend Policy on Investment Decisions

2013 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 1007-1039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santhosh Ramalingegowda ◽  
Chuan-San Wang ◽  
Yong Yu
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Firm Value ◽  
Dividend Policy ◽  
Investment Decisions ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Investment Projects

ABSTRACT Miller and Modigliani's (1961) dividend irrelevance theorem predicts that in perfect capital markets dividend policy should not affect investment decisions. Yet in imperfect markets, external funding constraints that stem from information asymmetry can force firms to forgo valuable investment projects in order to pay dividends. We find that high-quality financial reporting significantly mitigates the negative effect of dividends on investments, especially on R&D investments. Further, this mitigating role of financial reporting quality is particularly important among firms with a larger portion of firm value attributable to growth options. In addition, we show that the mitigating role of high-quality financial reporting is more pronounced among firms that have decreased dividends than among firms that have increased dividends. These results highlight the important role of financial reporting quality in mitigating the conflict between firms' investment and dividend decisions and thereby reducing the likelihood that firms forgo valuable investment projects in order to pay dividends. Data Availability: Data are available from public sources identified in the paper.

scholarly journals Environmental costs and its role in improving the quality of financial reporting

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 194-211
Author(s):  
Ali Altug Bicer ◽  
Eman Ali El.Darewi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Environmental Costs ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Measurement Models

This study aims to show the importance of environmental costs, and the role of these costs to improve the quality of financial reporting in Libyan oil companies and offering the suggestions to develop it. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researchers developed a questionnaire contains (35) questions, distributed to (100) of the officials of the financial departments, auditing, and costs and the parties concerned with the preparation of financial reports, collected and used in the analysis, a one-sample T-test was used. It seems to the researchers that there was the presence of environmental awareness and the company's strategy towards environmental issues, the study also showed there are obstacles that limit the application of measurement and disclosure of environmental costs. Moreover, it seems to the researchers that the measurement models for environmental costs increase the company's commitment to environmental responsibilities. The results of the study also showed the presence of a statistically significant relationship between environmental costs and the increase in the quality of the financial reports. Finally, there was a statistically significant relationship between environmental costs and decision making. The study suggested some recommendations to develop the application of accounting for environmental costs and disclosure to provide appropriate information to rationalize and take decisions in the oil companies in Libya, as well as the need for companies to protect the environment and provide funding and support to preserve the environment.

scholarly journals دور التخصص الصناعي لمراجع الحسابات في موثوقية التقارير المالية

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-193
Author(s):  
د. أسامة محمد صالح ◽  
د. محمد آدم محمد هارون
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Analytical Method ◽  
Study Data ◽  
T Test ◽  
Inductive Method ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Industrial Specialization

     This study examines the role of the auditor industrial specialization in financial reports reliability. The study problem was the contribution of the auditor industrial specialization in enhancing the confidence of the financial reporting information. The study aimed to determine the role of the auditor industrial specialization in financial reports reliability. The study used the deductive and inductive method to determine the problem, the hypothesis and test hypotheses of the study. The study also used the historical and descriptive analytical method to review the previous studies and analyze the study data. The study data were analyzed by statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) using One sample T test. The study reached a number of results, the most important of which is: a statistically significant relationship between the auditor industrial specialization and financial reports reliability, and the auditor industrial specialization contributes to enhancing confidence in financial reports.  

A Rationale for Imperfect Reporting Standards

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry L. Friedman ◽  
John S. Hughes ◽  
Beatrice Michaeli
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Private Information ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Direct Costs ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Mandatory Reporting ◽  
Comparative Statics ◽  
Voluntary Disclosures ◽  
Financial Reports

The aim of general purpose financial reporting is to provide information that is useful to investors, lenders, and other creditors. With this goal, regulators have tended to mandate increased disclosure. We show that increased mandatory disclosure can weaken a firm’s incentive to acquire and voluntarily disclose private information that is not amenable to inclusion in mandated reports. Specifically, we provide conditions under which a regulator, seeking to maximize the total amount of information provided to investors via both mandatory and voluntary disclosures, would mandate less informative and more conservative financial reports even in the absence of any direct costs of increasing informativeness. This result is robust to allowing the firm to make reports more informative and to imposing a nondisclosure cost or penalty on the firm. The results and comparative statics analysis contribute to our understanding of interactions between mandatory reporting and voluntary disclosure and demonstrate a novel benefit to setting accounting standards that mandate imperfectly informative reports. This paper was accepted by Suraj Srinivasan, accounting.

Ayurveda and Vyadhikshamatwa (Immunity) During Covid 19

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 1351-1355
Author(s):  
Jagruti N Chaple
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Treatment Protocol ◽  
The Body ◽  
Physical Work ◽  
First Line ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Immune Modulators ◽  
Physical Strength ◽  
Natural Way

COVID-19 which has been declared as pandemic by WHO has harsh impact globally. No treatment protocol has been mentioned yet; main public advice mainly focuses on frequently hand hygiene and social distancing. This concept is mentioned by Acharya Charaka in Janapadodhwansa. Of Rasayana is based upon the immunomodulation. It boosts up the immunity and help to keep the body and mind in the best of its health. Rasayandravya has been first line of defence for Janapadodhwansa (Epidemic Condition). Dhatusarata, balanced state of dosha, health of srotas and agni must be maintained with proper diet and regimen to maintain immunity. This article aims to provide information about the role of Rasayanadravyas (Gudhuchi, Amalaki and Haridra) which can be in cooperated in day to day life and act as immune modulators. Bala is leading factor of all dhatus and its capacity to perform physical work. Physical strength depends on kaphadosha and high-quality dhatus. As ojas is essence of all dhatus, bala ultimately depends on ojas. Modern immunity matches with AyurvedicVyadhiksamata. Capacity to prevents the spread of diseases in the body and capacity of body of blocking the diseases in its primary stage is called as immunity. Ayurveda are significantly helpful in strengthening the immune system and thereby offers a natural way for the prevention of pandemic diseases.

Do Type II Subsequent Events Impair Financial Reporting Quality?

2019 ◽  
Vol 95 (6) ◽  
pp. 97-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Czerney ◽  
Jaime J. Schmidt ◽  
Anne M. Thompson ◽  
Wei Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Resource Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Resource Constrained ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Subsequent Event

ABSTRACT This study examines whether material corporate events that occur during the year-end closing process constrain management's and the auditor's resources and inhibit them from providing high-quality financial reports. For a sample of U.S. company financial reports issued during 2000–2013, we identify material corporate events using Type II subsequent event footnote disclosures (i.e., material events that occur in year t+1, but prior to the issuance of the year t financial statements, yet do not affect amounts recognized in year t). We find that Type II subsequent events are associated with lower financial reporting quality, as measured by the need to subsequently restate the year t financial statements. The increased restatement likelihood only occurs when managers are resource-constrained. Auditors can mitigate the increased restatement risk, but only when they allocate more resources to the engagement. Our results underscore the importance of resource management in the financial reporting and audit processes.

IFRS and the Accounting Consensus

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shyam Sunder
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Monopoly Power ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Rote Learning ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Single Body ◽  
University Curricula ◽  
Broad Consensus

SYNOPSIS: A broad consensus in accounting favors principles over rules to guide creation of a uniform high-quality set of standards for use everywhere, and granting monopoly power to a single body for this purpose. If implemented into policy, this consensus will discourage discovery of and evolution toward better methods of financial reporting, make it difficult to conduct comparative studies of the consequences of using alternative methods of accounting, promote substitution of analysis and thinking by rote learning in accounting classes, help discourage talented youth from collegiate programs in accounting, and probably endanger the place of accounting discipline in university curricula. Because the presumed benefits in the form of increased comparability of financial reports internationally or stateside are unlikely to be realized, the wisdom of undertaking these burdens remains questionable. The paper calls for a re-examination of the accounting consensus.

scholarly journals Does the Mark-to-Model Fair Value Measure Make Assets Impairment Noisy?: A Literature Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tadeusz Dudycz ◽  
Jadwiga Praźników
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Fair Value ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Asset Impairment ◽  
Accounting Model ◽  
Anglo American

With the purpose of reporting high-quality, transparent, and comparable information in financial statements, there is a strong, visible trend towards the implementation and use of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), which represent the Anglo-American accounting model. According to IFRS, the fair value has become a dominant measurement paradigm. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of the implementation of the mark-to-model fair value measures for asset impairment tests on the relevance and reliability of information presented in financial reports. Among the three levels of the fair value hierarchy, mark-to-model is most controversial because it is susceptible to manipulation and has poor verifiability. After a systematic literature review and a synthesis of high-quality contributions in this field, we conclude that the implementation of asset impairment tests, that use the mark-to-model fair value measures, is not promising for increasing the quality and reliability of the information presented in financial statements. Unfortunately, research has shown that companies are using that tool to manage their earnings and promote managers’ unethical behaviour. Furthermore, capital markets’ reaction to asset impairment announcements is negative. Performed analysis can provide valuable pointers for standard setters, accounting policy makers, and researchers.

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