scholarly journals Earnings Management Behavior in Malaysia: The Role of Ownership Structure and External Auditing

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-221
Author(s):  
Nor Irdawati Mahyuddin ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Discretionary Accruals ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
External Control ◽  
Listed Firms

"This paper aims to empirically investigate firms’ earnings management (EM) behaviour, representing an issue in the realm of corporate financial reporting. Specifically, it explores the strategic roles of two common governance elements of ownership (managerial, institutional and family) and external audit in shaping the firms’ EM behaviour based on the two common EM attributes of Discretionary Accruals (DA) and Real Activities EM (REM). The analyses based on 227 survived Malaysian listed firms throughout the sixteen-year period from 2001 to 2016 (3,632 firm-year observations) indicate a dynamic EM behaviour depending on the presence of different ownership structures. Whilst a high percentage of family and institutional ownership mitigates DA, it however does not hold true for REM. Further, this paper also shows that the external control mechanism of audit quality is not significant in mitigating both EM attributes. The empirical results suggest that firms facing different challenges would affect the firms’ financial reporting behaviours in their choice of EM. The paper adds to the growing body of empirical knowledge dealing with the determinants of DA and REM from the lens of an emerging economy like Malaysia. KEYWORDS: Earnings management, discretionary accruals, real earnings management, accrual earnings management, financial reporting quality."

scholarly journals The effect of audit committee characteristics on financial reporting quality: The moderating role of audit quality in the Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 19-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sana Mardessi Masmoudi
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Moderating Role

The purposes of this study are to shed light, on the one hand, on the effect of audit committee characteristics, namely independent members in audit committee, a financial expert in audit committee, frequency of meetings and audit committee size on financial reporting quality proxied by real earnings management. On the other hand, it aims to investigate the moderating role of audit quality in the relationship between audit committee characteristics and financial reporting quality. The objective is to contribute to the new evidence on the role of audit committee characteristics towards the financial reporting quality with audit quality as a moderator, particularly the appointment of Big 4 company. This study uses the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to achieve the research purpose by evaluating the data collected from 90 public listed companies from 2010 to 2019 in the Dutch context. The results state that audit committee characteristics have a statistically significant relationship with real earnings management. However, the effect of audit committee meetings on abnormal operating cash flow and discretionary expenses is not significant. There is also evidence that audit quality positively moderates the audit committee and real earnings management links. Lastly, the findings of this study will help professional accountancy bodies and governments to highlight the relevance of earnings management in safeguarding trustworthy financial information, owners’ wealth and to enhance audit committee characteristics in improving audit quality, especially after the enforcement of the Dutch Corporate Governance Code in 2016.

Audit committee and financial reporting quality: the moderating effect of audit quality

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sana Mardessi
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to address the impact of audit quality on financial reporting quality proxied by real earnings management. To further clarify the mentioned links, this study empirically assesses the moderating effect of audit quality. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a sample consisting of 90 non-financial companies that are listed in the Amsterdam stock exchange in AEX all share index over the 2010–2017 period. This study applies a quantitative approach and secondary data as the main source of information for analysis. This paper performs an ordinary least squares regression to examine the moderating effect of audit quality on the relationship between financial reporting quality. Findings Empirical findings demonstrate that corporate governance mechanism, mainly independence members, financial expert and audit committee size has a statistically significant relationship with real earnings management. However, the effect of audit committee meetings on real earnings management is not significant. There is also evidence that audit quality moderates the audit committee – real earnings management links. Originality/value This study extends the existing literature by examining the moderating effect of audit quality on the relationship between financial reporting quality proxied by real earnings management in the Dutch context.

Potential Substitution Between Accrual Earnings Management and Real Earnings Management Among Pakistani Listed Firms

2020 ◽  
pp. 097215092095761
Author(s):  
Syed Farhan Shah ◽  
Abdul Rashid ◽  
Wasim Shahid Malik
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Simultaneous Equations ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Earnings Targets

This article empirically explores the association between accrual earnings management (AEM) and real earnings management (REM) using a sample of 150 non-financial listed firms for the period 2008–2017. The AEM is measured through the original Jones model (1991) and Dechow et al. (1995) model, whereas REM is measured through Roychowdhury’s (2006) model. For empirical analysis, the study estimates simultaneous equations by using ordinary least square (OLS) and the two-stage least square techniques (2SLS). The result of the analysis indicates that there is a negative and significant relationship between AEM and REM, suggesting that Pakistani listed firms employ AEM and REM as a substitute to achieve earnings targets. The results of the study are valuable for auditors and regulators to contemplate, govern and legalize suitable guidelines to enhance the transparency in the financial reporting quality.

scholarly journals Big-Four Auditors and Financial Reporting Quality: Evidence from Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-375
Author(s):  
Gholamreza Zandi ◽  
Muhammad Sadiq ◽  
Shafi Mohamad
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Deep Insight ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Big Four ◽  
Quality Evidence

Purpose of Study: The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether firms audited by big four auditors have better financial reporting quality as compared to firms audited by non-big four auditors in Pakistan. Methodology: This study examine whether firms are more engaged in real earnings’ management when their ability to manage accruals is constrained by big four auditors. In current study, we find that big four auditors’ have curtailed accrual- based earnings management activities in firms. Results: However, firms audited by big four auditors are more engaged in costly real earnings’ management activities. The study used a sample of non-financial listed firms in Pakistan over the period of 2009–2016. This study contributes to the field of corporate governance, where it provides deep insight to policy-makers who are interested in improving financial reporting quality in transnational economies.

The Impact of Going Concern on Financial Reporting Quality: Evidence from Vietnam

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phung Anh Thu ◽  
Nguyen Vinh Khuong
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Viet Nam ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Going Concern ◽  
Debt Covenant

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.

scholarly journals Venture Capital and Financial Reporting in Newly Public Firms

2018 ◽  
pp. 411-429
Author(s):  
Lars Helge Hass ◽  
Monika Tarsalewska
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Venture Capitalists ◽  
Public Firms ◽  
Reporting Practices

Financial intermediaries such as venture capitalists (VCs) not only provide financing, they also play an active role in firm governance and in financial practices before a firm goes public. Venture capitalists are actively engaged in monitoring and advising their portfolio firms. Thus, one also expects them to exert significant influence over the development of financial reporting practices. This chapter reviews recent literature and empirical evidence on VCs and financial reporting quality in newly public firms. It surveys the role of VCs in such activities as earnings management. In particular, it discusses how their monitoring activities and reputation can impact how their portfolio firms establish financial reporting practices. Subsequently, it also reviews the consequences of misreporting, and whether they affect VC behavior ex ante. Finally, the chapter uses recent data to provide empirical evidence on the effect of VCs on accrual and real earnings management.

scholarly journals AN INVESTIGATION ON THE EFFECT OF AUDIT COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL REPORTING QUALITY IN PRE AND POST IFRS ADOPTION: EVIDENCE FROM MALAYSIAN COMPANIES

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-35
Author(s):  
Citrawati Jatiningrum ◽  
Fauzi ◽  
Rita Irviani ◽  
Mujiyati ◽  
Shahanif Hasan
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Ifrs Adoption ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose of study: This study sought to investigate the effect of the audit committee on Financial Reporting Quality (FRQ), explicitly focuses on the period pre- and post-mandatory IFRS adoption in Malaysia. The Financial Reporting Quality in this study proxied by earnings management. Malaysian. Methodology: The sample study has covered 81 listed companies on Bursa Malaysia, with 567 observations, which examined the time of 2009 to 2015. The relationship was analyzed by statistical multiple regression linear methods and also examined the significance of differences between pre and post IFRS adoption by paired sample t-test. Result: The main finding reveals that the relationship between the audit committee and financial reporting quality after IFRS adoption in Malaysia has more significant. However, empirical evidence showed that the post period of mandatory IFRS evidently no significant difference level of earnings management practice. This result indicates that the IFRS adoption cannot reduce managerial discretion yet and the possibility for EM manipulation for Malaysian companies. Implication/Application: This finding has critical implications for regulators and policymakers, that the consequences of IFRS adoption do not increase the quality of financial reporting when EM practices still continue in the different forms. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study gives empirical evidence that there are differences in relationship level between audit quality and earnings management in the period before and after IFRS mandatory adoption in Malaysia companies.

CFO/CEO-Board Social Ties, Sarbanes-Oxley, and Earnings Management

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 537-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gopal V. Krishnan ◽  
K. K. Raman ◽  
Ke Yang ◽  
Wei Yu
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Sarbanes Oxley ◽  
Time Period ◽  
The Board Of Directors

SYNOPSIS Prior research suggests that the efficacy of a formally independent member of the board of directors could be undermined by social ties with the CEO. In this study, we examine the relation between CFO/CEO-board social ties and earnings management over the 2000–2007 time period. Our results suggest that CFOs/CEOs picked more socially connected directors in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) time period (possibly as a way out of the mandated independence requirements). Our results also suggest a positive relation between CFO/CEO-board social ties and earnings management. Still, the increase in managerial/board risk aversion since SOX appears to have negated the effect of social ties on earnings management in the post-SOX period. Board independence and financial reporting quality remain topics of ongoing interest. The study is important in advancing our understanding of the role of social ties in earnings management.

scholarly journals The Role Of Board Characteristics In Mitigating Management Opportunism: The Case Of Real Earnings Management

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorra Talbi ◽  
Mohamed Ali Omri ◽  
Khaled Guesmi ◽  
Zied Ftiti
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Board Characteristics ◽  
The Impact

<p>This study seeks to provide empirical evidence of the efficacy of board characteristics in constraining management opportunism, measured by real earnings management. The paper uses regression analysis to document empirical evidence regarding the impact of the independence of boards of directors and the independence of committees on real earnings management in 7,481 US firms over the period 2000 to 2009. This study contributes to empirical studies on the role of corporate governance in financial reporting quality by demonstrating the role of the independence of boards of directors and the independence of committees in constraining real earnings management. These results should contribute to providing an orientation for future regulators regarding possible amendments, especially in the wake of the current financial crisis.</p>

scholarly journals An empirical analysis of the effect of audit quality on financial reporting fraud

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (4-4) ◽  
pp. 391-399
Author(s):  
Fujen Daniel Hsiao ◽  
Jerry W. Lin ◽  
Joon S. Yang
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Auditor Independence ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Financial Reporting Fraud

Several highly publicized financial reporting fraud cases (e.g., Enron, Tyco International, and WorldCom) have put the role of external auditors and quality of their audit in ensuring corporate financial reporting quality under considerable scrutiny. Much research has been conducted on the determinants of earnings management. Since earnings management is inherently unobservable, most studies use various measures of accruals as proxies for earnings management. This study examines the relationship between audit quality and a more direct measure of earnings management – financial reporting fraud. Contrary to the concerns that nonaudit services are the primary reason for auditor independence impairment that results in lower audit and earnings quality, this study finds no significant relationship between reporting fraud and fees paid to auditors for various services.

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