scholarly journals Accounting-based earnings management: motivations, players, implementation, and detection from the perspective of certified accountants

Accounting ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albertina Paula Monteiro ◽  
Orlando Lima Rua ◽  
Cláudia Pereira ◽  
José Carlos Figueira
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Behavioral Decision Theory ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Law System ◽  
Behavioral Decision ◽  
Creative Accounting ◽  
The Cost

In the scope of Behavioral Decision Theory, Accounting-based Earnings Management (AEM) may compromise the success of decision making of a firm’s stakeholders. Given that AEM constitutes a barrier to the decision-making process, we aim to identify the main motivations of the players of AEM. Besides, in this study we also intend to analyze the implementing and detecting of AEM practices in financial statements and to evaluate whether individual characteristics influence the ability to implement and detect creative accounting practices. To achieve the proposed objectives, a quantitative methodology approach was used. A survey was applied to Portuguese’s certified accountants. In the data analyses, we applied the univariate and multiple analysis. Based on 159 observations, we find that most certified accountants indicate the main motivations are related to the reduction of the cost of capital and tax burden, the strength of the “code law system”, and that the managers are the main players. Our evidence also shows that the AEM practices are easily implemented and detected in the financial statements. In addition, we find that age, professional experience, and academic qualifications of the certified accountant tend to have an impact on the ability to implement AEM in the financial statements, contrary to gender and training area. Furthermore, gender and academic financial statements. This research is important for the development of the literature, entities that operate in accounting standardization and for the users of accounting and financial information. This study contributes to a better understanding of AEM practice, and it originally combines individual characteristics of accounting professionals with AEM practice.

The Limitations of Financial Reporting on Innovation and Its Value-Relevance for the Investor's Decision-Making Process

2019 ◽  
pp. 390-418
Author(s):  
Francisco Leote ◽  
Ana Damião
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Value Relevance ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Accounting Systems ◽  
Financial Factors ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Industry Sectors

This chapter aims to present some limitations of financial reporting on innovation with an impact on the investor's decision-making process. In order to do so, the authors show how accounting recognizes and measures innovation factors: the intangibles. Based on the literature, the authors discuss how the value relevance of financial reporting on innovation is conditioned by non-financial factors. The impacts of the adoption of IFRSs, the effect of the industry sectors and the effect of the individual characteristics of the different countries on the value relevance of the intangible assets are analyzed. The literature suggests a decrease in the value relevance of financial statements due to the manner in which intangibles are recognized and measured in accounting. However, financial reporting on innovation is value relevant to the investor's decision-making and is conditioned by non-financial factors. Value relevance differs among different industry sectors, between different countries and is conditioned by the accounting systems used in the preparation of the financial information.

Behavioral Decision Theory

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuhisa Takemura
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Theory ◽  
Behavioral Economics ◽  
Behavioral Finance ◽  
Utility Theory ◽  
Normative Theory ◽  
Behavioral Decision Theory ◽  
Behavioral Decision ◽  
Descriptive Theory ◽  
Human Decision

Behavioral decision theory is a descriptive psychological theory of human judgment, decision making, and behavior that can be applied to political science. Behavioral decision theory is closely related to behavioral economics and behavioral finance. Behavioral economics is an attempt to understand actual human economic behavior, and behavioral finance studies human behavior in financial markets. Research on people’s decision making represents an important part of these fields, in which various aspects overlap with the scope of behavioral decision theory. Behavioral decision theory focuses on the decision-making phenomena that are broadly divisible into those under certainty, those under risk, and others under uncertainty that includes ambiguity and ignorance. What are the theoretical frameworks that could be used to explain the decision-making phenomenon? Although numerous theories related to decision making have been developed, they are, in essence, often broadly divided into two types: normative theory and descriptive theory. The former is intended to support rational decision making. The latter describes how people actually make decisions. Both normative and descriptive theories reflect the nature of actual human decision making to a degree. Even descriptive theory seeks a certain level of rationality in actual human decision making. Consequently, the two are mutually indistinguishable. Nonetheless, a major example of normative theory is regarded as the system of utility theory that is widely used in economics. A salient example of descriptive theory is behavioral decision theory. Utility theory has numerous variations, such as linear and nonlinear utility theories. Most theories have established axioms and mathematically developed principles. In contrast, behavioral decision theory covers a considerably wide range of variations of theoretical expressions, including theories that have been developed mathematically (such as prospect theory) and those expressed only with natural language (such as multiattribute decision-making process models). Behavioral decision theory has integrated the implications of the normative theory, descriptive theory, and prescriptive theory that help people to make better decisions.

scholarly journals Manipulation of Financial Statements Through the Use of Creative Accounting. Case of Romanian Companies

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 90-107
Author(s):  
Ioana-Lavinia Safta ◽  
Monica Violeta Achim ◽  
Sorin Nicolae Borlea
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Creative Accounting ◽  
Red Flag

AbstractThe manipulation of the information presented through financial statements could represent a significant red flag for suspected fraud. In our paper, we investigated the extent to which the Romanian companies resort to manipulation of information data presented through the reported annual financial statements. For this purpose, we used a group consisting of 62 non-financial companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange for the analyzed period 2017-2018. The results of our study show that a majority percentage of the Romanian companies (approx. 84%) resort to manipulation of information provided through financial statements. Following the analysis carried out by activity fields, the results show that the companies activating in the fields of tourism, constructions, trade and transport resort to the manipulation of financial statements in the percent of 100%, followed by the companies activating in the field of production (86%) and services (50%). Our results are extremely useful to the users of financial information who must acknowledge the risks that they are exposed to in their decision-making process.

The Likelihood of Forced Financial Restatement: The Case of Malaysia

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 144-144
Author(s):  
Intan Waheedah Othman ◽  
Richard Slack ◽  
Rebecca Stratling
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Warning Signals ◽  
Foreign Investments ◽  
Financial Restatement ◽  
Emerging Country

Forced restatement is the corrections made to published financial statements as prompted by the auditors or regulators due to non-compliance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) (Palmrose and Scholz, 2004). Forced restatements that are due to aggressive financial irregularities, lead to the impairment of investors' confidence on the quality of financial reporting, increase investors' concerns on managerial opportunistic decision-making, and cause substantial losses to shareholders. Forced restatement creates great concern, not only in developed countries, but also in developing countries, thus threatening local and foreign investments in these markets. The effort to determine early warning signals of firms that warrant investigation, specifically in the emerging country of Malaysia remain significant. The review from this study would be beneficial to the auditors and regulators to intervene earlier in terms of formulating plans and strategies to minimize aggressive managerial behaviour, and investors, customers, and suppliers to identify and avoid firms at risk of requiring a forced restatement. Keywords: Forced restatement, earnings management, corporate governance, Malaysia.

Diamond Foods, Inc.: Anatomy and Motivations of Earnings Manipulation

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahendra R. Gujarathi
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Real World ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Earnings Manipulation ◽  
Cost Shifting ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Snack Products ◽  
Journal Entries

ABSTRACT Diamond Foods is America's largest walnut processor specializing in processing, marketing, and distributing nuts and snack products. This real-world case presents financial reporting issues around the commodities cost shifting strategy used by Diamond's management to falsify earnings. By delaying the recognition of a portion of the cost of walnuts acquired into later accounting periods, Diamond Foods materially underreported the cost of sales and overstated earnings in fiscal 2010 and 2011. The primary learning goal of the case is to help students understand the anatomy and motivations of earnings manipulation. Specifically, students will have the opportunity to (1) apply the FASB's Conceptual Framework to a real-world context, (2) determine the nature of errors and compute their numerical effects on financial statements, (3) understand motivations for earnings management and actions needed for managing earnings of future years, (4) explain the anatomy of financial reporting fraud by reconstructing journal entries, (5) prepare comparative financial statements for retroactive restatements, (6) explain the rationale for clawback provisions in compensation contracts, and (7) understand the difference between the real and accrual-based earnings management.

scholarly journals Effect of Trust between the Time Pressure and Complexity in Judging and Decision-Making in Auditing

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cleston Alexandre dos Santos ◽  
Paulo Roberto da Cunha
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Behavioral Decision Theory ◽  
Behavioral Decision ◽  
Joint Influence ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
And Task

ABSTRACT Objective: the study aimed to assess the moderating effect of confidence in the joint influence of time pressure and complexity in judgment and decision-making (JDM) in auditing. The behavioral decision theory (BDT) was used from the perspective of the anchoring heuristic. Methods: as a method, the 2x2x2 experiment was used with a final sample of 126 independent auditors. For analysis, the t-test and multiple linear regressions were used. Results: the findings allow us to infer that factors such as trust, time pressure, and complexity, individually and jointly, influence JDM. The study showed that trust moderates the joint influence of time pressure and complexity on JDM. Time pressure and task complexity negatively influence JDM, but when including trust as a moderating factor, the effect of time pressure and complexity is mitigated, reducing the auditor’s difficulties and uncertainties in JDM. Conclusion: the study contributes to BDT, moving academic research toward understanding the interrelationships between personal, environmental, and task factors. It also contributes by presenting evidence that there is a need for considering and observing the effects generated by the factors altogether, in order to contribute to improving the quality of the audit.

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