scholarly journals International Differences Between Big Four Auditors and Their Smaller Counterparts in Monitoring Earnings Management

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinhua Wang ◽  
Bibo Yang
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
The United States ◽  
Persistent Problem ◽  
International Differences ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Reporting Incentives ◽  
Agency Issues ◽  
Accounting Reports ◽  
Big Four

Earnings management that misrepresents the firm’s financial picture and misleads investors is a persistent problem. One role of the auditor is to efficiently monitor the accounting reports so as to better inform investors as to the true status of the firm and help close the asymmetric information gap between owners and management. Auditors, however, operate within the constraints of social and legal environments that often display vast international differences. Using sample data from around 50,000 firm-year observations in 42 countries, the paper shows that in the United States the Big Four auditors more effectively monitor overstated earnings than their smaller counterparts, while elsewhere they tend to be more effective in monitoring both overstated and understated earnings. An important policy implication of the results is that uniform worldwide audit and financial reporting standards may not be as effective as might be hoped, because international differences in ownership structures and the resultant agency issues create different reporting incentives.

scholarly journals International Financial Reporting Standards and Earnings Management in Latin America

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 368-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Augusto Timm Rathke ◽  
Verônica de Fátima Santana ◽  
Isabel Maria Estima Costa Lourenço ◽  
Flávia Zóboli Dalmácio
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
The United States ◽  
Reporting Standards ◽  
Anglo Saxon ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Cross Listing

Abstract This study analyzes the level of earnings management in Latin America after the adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and analyzes the role of cross-listing in the United States. The literature on earnings management in less developed countries is still under construction, and few studies focus on this issue, especially with respect to Latin America, despite its relevant role in the global economy. This paper fills this gap in the literature as it analyzes the level of IFRS earnings management regarding the first and main Latin American countries applying IFRS (Brazil and Chile), when compared to the main Anglo-Saxon countries with IFRS tradition (United Kingdom and Australia), and with the main Continental European economies (France and Germany). The results show that Latin American firms present a higher level of earnings management than Continental European and Anglo-Saxon firms, and this opportunistic behavior remains significant when only global players with cross-listing in the United States are analyzed. Thus, even with a unique set of high quality accounting standards (IFRS) and strong reporting incentives, countries' specific characteristics still play an important role in the way IFRS is implemented in each country.

scholarly journals Earnings management and corporate governance: an analysis based on the adoption of IFRS in Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Chacon Prata ◽  
Leonardo Flach
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Panel Data Regression ◽  
Data Regression ◽  
Reference Form ◽  
Big Four

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze whether the adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) strengthened the negative relationship among earnings management and  corporate governance best practices, which are: B3’s differentiated levels of corporate governance, the presence of a board of independent directors and whether the company is audited by a Big Four or not. Methodology: We applied panel data regression with a sample of 92 companies listed in B3 during the period 2002-2007, for the period prior to IFRS and 2010-2015, for the period after IFRS. Data were collected from the explanatory notes, company reference form and in the Economatica® database. In order to measure the dependent variable earnings management, we applied the model proposed by Dechow, Hutton, Kim and Sloan (2012). Results: Results show that when there is an independent administrative committee, the levels of earnings management are lower, and this relationship is driven by the IFRS adoption. We cannot affirm that companies at the highest levels of corporate governance and audited by a Big Four have a lower incidence of earnings management after the application of IFRS. Contributions of the Study: This paper contributes to a better understanding of how variables related to governance can influence the quality of accounting and financial information. It also contributes to the literature that investigates how IFRS can influence the quality of accounting information.

scholarly journals DID IFRS REPORTING BY UK FIRMS REDUCE EARNINGS MANAGEMENT?

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 488-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Medhat Naguib El Guindy
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Management Incentives ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Benchmark Tests ◽  
Mandatory Adoption ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Big Four

This paper investigates the effect of reporting under International Financial Reporting Standards (hereafter IFRS) versus reporting under UK GAAP on earnings management in the UK. Prior studies find mixed evidence regarding the effect of voluntary and mandatory adoption of IFRS on earnings quality. I test whether the effect of reporting under IFRS on earnings management is sufficient to overcome earnings management incentives. Furthermore, I test whether the effect of IFRS reporting is conditional on audit quality surrogated by audit firm size. I build the analysis on measures of discretionary accruals and earnings benchmark tests. I find evidence that reporting under IFRS generally reduces levels of earnings management and furthermore, the mitigating effect of IFRS is stronger for income decreasing than for income increasing earnings management. In addition, I find that audit quality plays a key role in IFRS reporting, with only firms audited by big four auditors having a significant IFRS reporting effect.

A CHRONOLOGY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF CORPORATE FINANCIAL REPORTING IN CANADA: 1850 TO 1983

1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
George J. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
The United States ◽  
Company Law ◽  
Economic Relationships ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Significant Events ◽  
Canadian Institute ◽  
Chartered Accountants ◽  
Corporate Financial Reporting

A chronology of significant events in the development of corporate financial reporting standards and practices is presented. The introductory comments to the various sections direct attention to some of the main patterns and trends in that development and provide the framework in which the listing of events is to be interpreted. The particularly significant domestic sources of influence are the legislative and professional activities in Ontario and, in more recent times, the activities of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. External influences have been—not unexpectedly—the traditions of English Company law and the close professional, institutional and economic relationships with the United States. Some internationally significant developments unique to Canada are indicated.

scholarly journals The impact of IFRS-based accounting standards on earnings management: evidence from Malaysia

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Yosra Makni Fourati ◽  
Rania Chakroun Ghorbel
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Absolute Value ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Ifrs Adoption ◽  
Earning Quality ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Different Levels

This study aims to examine the consequences of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) convergence in an emerging market. More specifically, we investigate whether the adoption of the new set of accounting standards in Malaysia is associated with lower earnings management. Using a sample of 3,340 firm-year observations across three reporting periods with different levels of IFRS adoption, we provide evidence that IFRS convergence improves earning quality. In particular, we find a significant decrease in the absolute value of discretionary acccruals in the partial IFRS-convergence period (2007-2011), whereas this effect is restrictive after the complete IFRS- implementation.

scholarly journals Nível de convergência dos princípios contábeis brasileiros e norte-americanos às normas do IASB: uma contribuição para a adoção das IFRS por empresas brasileiras

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (56) ◽  
pp. 155-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valdiney Alves Oliveira ◽  
Sirlei Lemes
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
International Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Reporting Standards ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Big Four ◽  
Us Gaap

A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo avaliar em que nível as informações contábeis divulgadas nos mercados: brasileiro e norte-americano atendem aos requisitos da adoção inicial das IFRS - International Financial Reporting Standards. A adoção das IFRS por companhias abertas brasileiras nas suas demonstrações contábeis consolidadas foi exigida pela Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM) na Instrução CVM 457/07. Por meio de uma pesquisa descritiva quanto aos seus objetivos e utilizando-se dos procedimentos técnicos de pesquisa documental e de análise de conteúdo clássica, foram analisadas as demonstrações contábeis elaboradas para o ano de 2008 de acordo com os US GAAPs e os BR GAAPs de 20 empresas brasileiras listadas simultaneamente na Bolsa de Valores de Nova York (NYSE) e na Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo (BOVESPA) e calculou-se o índice de disclosure proposto na pesquisa de Lopes e Rodrigues (2007). A pesquisa apontou para índices de disclosure calculados para o Form 20F maiores do que aqueles calculados para as Demonstrações Financeiras Padrão (DFP), confirmando um nível de convergência maior entre US GAAP e IFRS e sugerindo que, em função da adoção das IFRS as demonstrações contábeis em BR GAAP tendem a se modificar substancialmente aumentando o nível de divulgação. Além disso, os resultados confirmam para a amostra, o exposto na literatura selecionada de que o setor de atuação e o tamanho da empresa influem diretamente no disclosure das informações. Em relação aos auditores, o fato de as demonstrações serem auditadas pelas empresas globais de auditoria conhecidas como Big Four não foi determinante na extensão do disclosure.

Megascreens USA Inc.—A Foreign Operations Case

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 579-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles A. Carslaw ◽  
S. E. C. Purvis
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Foreign Currency ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Consolidated Financial Statements ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Foreign Operations ◽  
Statement Of Cash Flows

This relatively short case gives students a comprehensive overview of the steps required to prepare consolidated financial statements under U.S. GAAP when a subsidiary prepares its accounts under a foreign GAAP—in this case, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). While the case is closely based on an actual Australasian company seeking listing in the United States, the product and the exact financial details are disguised. Specifically, the case exposes students to the following: accounting for foreign currency transactions; adjustments to convert foreign GAAP to U.S. GAAP (accounting for license fees); translation of financial statements; change of functional currency; remeasurement of financial statements; and foreign consolidation and statement of cash flows with foreign operations. The case has been field-tested in an advanced accounting course and is also suitable for use in international accounting courses. Both undergraduate and graduate students have profited from the case.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document