scholarly journals The Role of Audit Committees in Limiting Earnings Management: An Empirical Study of Saudi Corporations

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Fahad Al Naim ◽  
Thamir Al Barrak
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Size Number ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
Jones Model ◽  
The Impact

This study aims to measure the impact that audit committees have on earnings management for companies listed on Tadawul Stock Exchange. The sample includes firms in the basic materials sector for the years 2017 and 2018. The modified Jones model is used to investigate the impact of audit committee characteristics (independence, financial expertise, size, number of meetings, and percentage of shares owned) on earnings management. The results show that the greater the audit committee’s independence, percentage of shares owned, and number of meetings held contribute to limited earnings management. However, no evidence is found to support that financial experience or audit committee size have an impact on earnings management.

scholarly journals An Investigation on the Audit Committees Effectiveness: The Case for GLCs in Malaysia

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurul Nazlia Jamil ◽  
Sherliza Puat Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
Monitoring Mechanism ◽  
The Impact

Financial reporting quality has been under scrutiny especially after the collapse of major companies. The main objective of this study is to investigate the audit committee’s effectiveness on the financial reporting quality among the Malaysian GLCs following the transformation program. In particular, the study examined the impact of audit committee characteristics (independence, size, frequency of meeting and financial expertise) on earnings management in periods prior to and following the transformation program (2003-2009). As of 31 December 2010, there were 33 public-listed companies categorized as Government-Linked Companies (GLC Transformation Policy, 2010) and there were 20 firms that have complete data that resulted in the total number of firm-year observations to 120 for six years (years 2003-2009).  Results show that the magnitude of earnings management as proxy of financial reporting quality is influenced by the audit committee independence. Agency theory was applied to explain audit committee, as a monitoring mechanism as well as reducing agency costs via gaining competitive advantage in knowledge, skills, and expertise towards financial reporting quality. The study is important as it provides additional knowledge about the impact of audit committees effectiveness on reducing the earnings management, and assist practitioners, policymakers and regulators such as Malaysian Institute of Accountants, Securities Commission and government to determine ways to enhance audit committees effectiveness and improve the financial reporting of GLCs, as well as improving the quality of the accounting profession.     

The role of audit committees in mitigating earnings management: evidence from Jordan

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taha Almarayeh ◽  
Modar Abdullatif ◽  
Beatriz Aibar-Guzmán
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Discretionary Accruals ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study examines the relationship between audit committees (ACs) and earnings management (EM) in the developing country context of Jordan. In particular, it investigates whether audit committee attributes, including their size, independence, expertise and meetings, are able to restrict discretionary accruals as a proxy for EM.Design/methodology/approachThe generalized least square (GLS) regression was used to study the association between audit committee attributes and discretionary accruals, as a proxy of EM, for a sample of industrial firms listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) during the period 2012–2020. Data were obtained from the firms' annual reports.FindingsThe regression results indicate that audit committee independence is the only audit committee attribute that seems to improve the effectiveness of ACs, in that it is significantly associated with less EM, while other audit committee attributes that were tested do not show statistically significant associations.Research limitations/implicationsIn emerging markets, like Jordan, ACs may not be an efficient monitoring mechanism; therefore, it can be argued that the prediction made by the agency theory about the role of ACs in mitigating opportunistic EM activities does not necessarily apply to all contexts.Practical implicationsA better understanding of audit committee effectiveness in developing countries could help regulators in these countries assess the impact of planned corporate governance (CG) reforms and to better monitor and enhance the performance of ACs.Social implicationsIn a setting characterized by closely held companies, high power distance and low demand for high-quality CG mechanisms, this study contributes to understanding how this business system operates, and how improving CG mechanisms could be successful in such cultures.Originality/valueThis study investigates the under-researched relationship between audit committee characteristics and EM in developing countries. In so doing, it aims to provide new insights into this relationship within the developing context case of Jordan, including if and how the institutional setting influences this relationship.

scholarly journals The Impact of Audit Committee Characteristics on Earnings Management: A Canadian Case Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Lynda Ioualalen ◽  
Hanen Khemakhem ◽  
Richard Fontaine
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Toronto Stock Exchange ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
The Impact

The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of three Audit Committee (AC) characteristics, financial expertise, diversity and activism on aggressive earnings management. We hypothesized that these AC characteristics are negatively related to aggressive earnings management. To test or hypothesis, we conducted an empirical test with a sample of 10 Canadian corporations listed on the Toronto stock exchange: 5 companies that were accused of aggressive earnings management and 5 other corporations used as a control group. We analyzed the 5-year period prior to the accusation (1999-2003). We measured earnings management by the level of discretionary accruals (using the modified Jones model (1995). Our results show that activism and the financial expertise of AC members are negatively related to aggressive earnings management; however, we did not find a significant relationship between diversity and aggressive earnings management. These results contribute to help governance oversight organizations identify AC characteristics that have the most influence on the detection of aggressive earnings management, which could help agencies develop and enforce methods to detect and reduce aggressive earnings management practices.

The impact of audit committee on real earnings management: Evidence from Netherlands

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sana Masmoudi Mardessi ◽  
Yosra Makni Fourati
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Real Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
Relevant Topic ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

This paper aims to examine the effect of the characteristics of an audit committee on real earnings management in the Dutch context. Our sample is composed of 80 non-financial companies listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange during the period between 2010 and 2017. Four proxies are used to measure audit committee characteristics, namely, audit committee independence, financial expertise, gender diversity, and audit committee meetings. To test our hypotheses, we use a regression model to identify the influence of a set of audit committee characteristics on real earnings management after controlling for firm audit committee size, leverage, size, loss, growth and board size. Our analyses provide evidence that audit committee independence and gender diversity constrain real earnings management. Our findings also suggest that audit committee financial expertise reduces to some extent the likelihood of engaging in real earnings management. To the best of our knowledge, the Dutch context is not yet explored especially following the issue of the long-awaited new Dutch Corporate Governance Code in 2016 which has been updated for a long period in 2008. Therefore, corporate governance is a relevant topic in the Netherlands. This study contributes geographically to the Audit Committee and earnings management literature that examines another possible method, specifically, real earnings management.

scholarly journals Audit Committee Effectiveness and Earnings Management Among Publicly Listed Firms in Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-44
Author(s):  
Collins Kapkiyai ◽  
Josephat Cheboi ◽  
Joyce Komen
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Financial Reports ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
Financial Scandals ◽  
Practical Implications

Objective: The paper sought to investigate the role of an effective audit committee in controlling earnings management practices. Design / Methodology: A panel data sourced from the audited financial reports of firms listed at the Kenyan Nairobi Securities Exchange for the periods between 2004 and 2017 were analyzed using a panel regression model. Findings: Audit committee effectiveness proved an important monitoring mechanism for earnings management. The independence, Meeting frequency, and financial expertise of the audit committee evidenced a negative and significant effect on earnings management. Practical Implications: Firms need to ensure that their audit committees operate effectively. This is achieved through enhancing their independence, ensuring optimal meeting frequency, and a higher number of members with financial expertise for fewer earnings management. Originality: The paper suggests the ways through which audit committee effectiveness can be enhanced to reduce earnings management amid rampant global financial scandals.

The role of audit committee attributes in corporate sustainability reporting

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amina Buallay ◽  
Jasim Al-Ajmi
Keyword(s):  
Audit Committee ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Disclosure Requirements ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the extent to which sustainability reporting by banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is affected by the attributes of audit committees. Design/methodology/approach The research is positivist and quantitative, based on a cross-sectional and time series analysis of 59 banks from 2013 to 2017. A multivariate model is used to investigate the impact of selected audit committee attributes (financial expertise, size, members’ independence and meeting frequency) on sustainability reporting. The model is built on agency, legitimacy, resources and stakeholders theories. Findings In contrast to the hypothesis, the authors report a negative association between financial expertise and sustainability reporting. Members’ independence and meeting frequency play a positive role in determining the extent of disclosure. The control variables (bank size, age and auditor type) are positively associated with corporate sustainability reporting. Research limitations/implications The main limitations of this study are related to the chosen attributes of audit committee and do not consider the board’s attributes. However, the authors believe these limitations do not affect the findings. Future research that includes more attributes when they became available will offer more insights into the role of audit committees on sustainability disclosure of financial institutions. Overcoming these limitations may make the results more generalizable. Practical implications The results of this study have important implications for regulators, bank management, investors and creditors. For regulators, in the countries of the GCC and in countries like them, the findings reveal the importance of disclosure requirements. The development of disclosure requirements is likely to improve corporate sustainability reporting and reduce variations in the extent of disclosure among banks. Banks could use these results to improve their reporting to outsiders. For creditors and investors, the study improves their awareness of the importance of corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and environmental information on credit and investment decisions and encourages banks to improve their disclosures of non-financial information. Originality/value This research makes a contribution to the scarce literature on sustainability reporting by banks, especially in an environment where capital markets lack active institutional investors, where regulators play the dominant role in determining the extent of disclosure and where banks are the main source of external finance for the corporate sector.

The Effect of the Presence ofAudit Committees on Earnings Management in Morocco

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Yassine El Haddad ◽  
Zakaria Ez-Zarzari
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Stock Price ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Industry Sectors

Our paper will try emphasizing the effect of the presence of audit committees on earnings management within the Moroccan context, and most specifically in the companies listed in the Casablanca stock exchange. We have adopted previous research embedded in the Dechow, Sloan and Sweeny (1995) model of earnings management that requires a maximum of 6 companies by sector, a condition that limited our sample to 27 companies dispatched only on 4 industry sectors. Given that the companies manipulate the accruals to show the increasing results or to maintain the stock price, the role of the audit committee is to ensure that this manipulation is to be reduced in order to provide investors with accurate information. In the Moroccan context, this reduction started appearing in 2014. The years 2011, 2012 and 2013 were marked by a preparation of implementation tools of these committees mainly the integration of independent administrators within the administrative boards. However, due to lack of data, this study might be limited given the fact that the year 2016, which represented a year where the listed companies should have created an audit committee, was not covered by our study.

scholarly journals Impact of Audit Committee Adoption and its Characteristics on Financial Performance: Evidence from 100 French Companies

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wided Bouaine ◽  
Yosr Hrichi
Keyword(s):  
Audit Committee ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Voluntary Adoption ◽  
Financial Firm ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Firm Market Performance

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of legal creation of audit committees on financial firm performance. Precisely, we examine the impact of the establishment of audit committee, following the enactment of Ordinance No. 2008-1278, on financial firm market performance. Moreover, we investigate whether the audit committee characteristics such as independence of the members of the audit committees, the size; the accounting and financial expertise of the committee members as well as the frequency of audit committee meetings determine financial performance.We choose two measures for performance namely ROE and ROA. We conduct a panel study for a sample of 100 French companies listed on the Paris Stock Exchange from 2007 to 2015.The results show that the appearance of a legal text pushes the establishment of the committee but has no significant effect on the company's performance. This can be explained by the strong voluntary adoption of the audit committee following the publication of the Viénot Reports (Saada, 1998).

scholarly journals Impact of IFRS Convergence in India: An Evidence from First-Time Adoption of Indian Accounting Standards

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 157
Author(s):  
T.P. Ghosh
Keyword(s):  
Audit Committee ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Voluntary Adoption ◽  
Financial Firm ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of legal creation of audit committees on financial firm performance. Precisely, we examine the impact of the establishment of audit committee, following the enactment of Ordinance No. 2008-1278, on financial firm market performance. Moreover, we investigate whether the audit committee characteristics such as independence of the members of the audit committees, the size; the accounting and financial expertise of the committee members as well as the frequency of audit committee meetings determine financial performance.We choose two measures for performance namely ROE and ROA. We conduct a panel study for a sample of 100 French companies listed on the Paris Stock Exchange from 2007 to 2015.The results show that the appearance of a legal text pushes the establishment of the committee but has no significant effect on the company's performance. This can be explained by the strong voluntary adoption of the audit committee following the publication of the Viénot Reports (Saada, 1998).

scholarly journals INSTITUTIONAL SHAREHOLDING A MODERATOR TO AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARACTERISTICS AND EARNINGS MANAGEMENT OF LISTED CONGLOMERATE FIRMS IN NIGERIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. 98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbas Umar ◽  
Shehu Usman Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
The Impact

The relevance of audit committee characteristics in constraining managerial opportunistic tendencies has been explored by various researchers; the confrontational view in terms of the direction of their relationship has paint a vague picture which begs the introduction of other monitoring mechanism that may give a clear cut picture on direction of this relationship. This study uses two-stage least squares model and examines the impact of audit committee characteristics, institutional shareholding on discretionary accruals of listed conglomerate firms in Nigeria. Secondary data were extracted from the annual reports of 6 most active listed firms on the Nigerian Stock Exchange for the period 2006 to 2015. After running the OLS regression, a robustness test was conducted for validity of statistical inferences. A multiple regression was employed using HACC Model. The study documents that audit committee characteristic and institutional shareholding has significant impact on earnings management of the firms, specifically, audit committee size, audit committee financial expertise and institutional shareholding are inversely related with earnings management, while audit committee independence is positively and significantly related with earnings management, but there is no such impact of audit committee meetings. Furthermore, institutional shareholding and audit committee size are inversely related with earnings management; audit committee independence and institutional shareholding are positively, strongly and significantly constraining earnings management, while audit committee financial expertise with committees’ meetings and institutional shareholding reveals no impact on earnings management. In line with the findings, the study recommended  that regulatory bodies like CAMA, SEC, and NSE should ensure that listed conglomerate firms in Nigeria strictly adhere with code of best practice so that the interest of various stakeholder’s would be fully protected.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document