Corporate governance: association the spots between institutional enhancement, organisational modification and earnings quality

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the link between earnings quality, Audit Committees and the Board of companies located in Jordan through the lens of enhancing corporate governance. Design/methodology/approach The real earnings management (REM) and accruals earnings management models were notably used within the panel data robust regression analysis approach; these were used against certain Audit Committee characteristics (i.e. meeting frequency, amount of Board and Committee participants [both internal and external], size) and Board of Directors. Findings The former characteristics were found to have a positive relationship with REM, while the latter yielded mixed results: while there was no significant identifiable relationship between Board outsiders and REM, there was a positive relationship identified between Board meetings, Board insiders and Board size and REM. In regard to this study’s limitations, the qualitative data gathered for the Board of Directors through the lens of corporate governance enhancement should have been documented with more detail; furthermore, the study was limited to the study of just one nation. Research limitations/implications The data is limited to only a single country. More explanation for Board of Directors need qualitative understandings into corporate governance improvement. The control variables are essentially partial in a developing market context. Practical implications The different corporate governance code and guidelines improvements have varied influence on earnings quality. As predictable, boards of directors most effect on earnings quality. Improvements have included most modification to audit committees but through them slight measured effect on earnings quality. Social implications Jordan’s corporate governance improvements expected organised corporate governance practices generally in place amongst its boards, and though invoking considerable modification to audit committees, eventually included slight modification to earnings quality. However, both improved earnings quality. Originality/value This particular research appears to be the first to consider both Audit Committee and Board of Directors characteristics in one model; indeed, in this vein, this research is also the first to explore the corporate governance enhancements that initially stemmed from there being zero code or guideline regarding its use, despite it becoming required recently. Hence, the authors can say this study has high originality.

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

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.

Overseeing the external audit function: Evidence from audit committees’ reported activities

Recently, in response to calls for more transparency, many firms have begun reporting the activities undertaken by their audit committees in overseeing the work of the external auditor. We use a composite measure of audit committees’ reported oversight activities for a sample of S&P 1500 firms and examine the extent to which these reported activities are associated with audit quality. We find that when firms’ audit committees report exerting strong oversight, they have higher audit quality as proxied by audit fees, discretionary accruals, the likelihood of meeting or beating earnings benchmarks, and restatements. We also find that the market reacts positively to reports indicating strong oversight, consistent with perceptions of higher audit quality. This study extends prior literature on audit committees by introducing a new comprehensive measure of audit committees’ reported oversight activities and sheds light on how these activities map into audit quality.

The Impact of Corporate Governance Mechanisms on the Commitment of Managers in an IPO Setting: Evidence from Korean Small and Venture Firms

Managers’ commitment and dedication crucially affect the sustainable growth of firms. When private companies first offer their shares to the public in an initial public offering (IPO), an IPO lockup is one way of revealing managers’ commitments. IPO lockups are agreements that promise not to sell the shares retained by pre-IPO shareholders for a specified period in the market after the IPO. This paper investigates the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on the length of the lockup period. The paper’s sample consists of IPO firms that have gone public in Korea’s KOSDAQ market, which is a listing venue for small and venture companies. The major findings of this paper are as follows: first, the length of the lockup period increases with the number of outside directors and, second, IPO firms with audit committees have longer lockup periods than those without them. These results indicate that managers of firms with greater board independence choose a longer lockup period when going public. This paper also finds that the lockup period is positively related to the presence of venture capitalists serving as directors of IPO firms, which suggests that venture capital directors may ensure that managers have longer lockups. Overall, these findings suggest that, when small and venture companies go public, managers may use the IPO lockup as a commitment device that complements corporate governance mechanisms in reducing investor concern about the moral hazard problem of managers.

Mechanism Effect Corporate Governance and Characteristics Company on Disclosure Intellectual Capital on Registered Pharmaceutical Companies on the Indonesia Stock Exchange

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of the mechanism corporate governance and company characteristics to disclosure intellectual capital in pharmaceutical companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2015-2020. The population of this study were pharmaceutical companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2015-2020. The sample in this study was 6 pharmaceutical companies which were determined through purposive sampling. This study analyzes the company's annual report using the method content analysis. Data analysis was carried out by classical assumption test, hypothesis testing and multiple regression analysis methods. The results of this study indicate that the size of the board of commissioners, the number of meetings of the board of commissioners, and profitability have an effect partially or simultaneously on disclosure. intellectual capital. Meanwhile, independent commissioners, audit committees, number of audit committee meetings, company size, and leverage has no partial or simultaneous effect on disclosure intellectual capital.

Board Committee Overlap and the Use of Earnings in CEO Compensation Contracts

Using proxy statement data describing the terms of compensation contracts, we examine how overlapping membership between compensation and audit committees influences the use of earnings metrics in compensation. Although research predicts that such overlap could either increase or decrease the reliance on earnings, we find that firms with overlapping directors rely less on earnings-based performance measures in incentive contracts without altering the overall level of performance-contingent cash bonuses. In addition, we provide evidence that firms substitute earnings measures with measures less subject to earnings management. Our findings are robust to potential alternative explanations, extend to an implicit relation between earnings and compensation for a larger sample, and are not driven by the tendency toward an overlapping committee structure more broadly. This paper was accepted by Suraj Srinivasan, accounting.

Auditor Evaluation and Reporting on Cybersecurity Risks

Tremendous improvements in information networking capabilities have brought with them increased security risks resulting from the deterioration of the ability of a physical layer of computer security to protect an organization's information system. As a result, audit committees have had to deal with new security issues as well as the need to understand the cyber perpetrator and ensure the proper training of employees to consider cybersecurity risks. Standard setters including the Institute of Internal Auditors and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants have issued guidance about lines of defense and reporting on an entity's cybersecurity risk management program and controls, respectively. Each of these topics is considered along with how cybersecurity guidance from COBIT, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Center for Internet Security can be mapped into five cyber infrastructure domains to provide an approach to evaluate a system of cybersecurity.

The effect of financial distress on earning management practices using classification shifting: The moderating effect of good corporate governance

The existence of good corporate governance is expected to minimize the occurrence of earnings management practices when the company is in financial distress condition. This research aims to provide empirical evidence on the influence of financial distress on earnings management practices as well as the existence of good corporate governance projected by the proportion of independent commissioners and the proportion of audit committees in weakening the influence of financial distress on earnings management practices. The population of this study is property, real estate, and building construction sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the period 2015-2019. Sampling techniques used are purposive sampling techniques and obtained samples as many as 185 samples. The earnings management tool used in this study was classification shifting. The data analysis techniques in this study used Eviews 10. The results of the analysis provide evidence that financial distress affects earnings management practices, while the proportion of independent commissioners is unable to moderate, and the audit committee strengthens the influence of financial distress on earnings management practices.

The effect of financial and non-financial performance on investors’ reactions: The role of corporate governance mechanisms as moderating

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of financial and non-financial performance on investor reactions and the role of corporate governance mechanisms as moderating. The analysis technique used is the moderated regression analysis (MRA). The research population is manufacturing sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). Based on the purposive sampling method, 78 companies were selected as the samples (390 firm-year observations). The results of this study provide empirical evidence that the existence of financial and non-financial performance in a company can increase investor reactions. Institutional ownership plays a role in the relationship between financial performance and investor reactions. Meanwhile, independent commissioners, boards of directors, and audit committees have no role in the relationship between financial performance and investor reactions. And independent commissioners and institutional ownership can moderate the influence of non-financial performance on investor reactions. Meanwhile, the board of directors and audit committee cannot moderate the influence of non-financial performance on investor reactions.