scholarly journals Earnings management motives and firm value following mandatory IFRS adoption – evidence from Canadian companies

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 280-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Leung
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Firm Value ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Accounting Quality ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Protection Mechanism ◽  
Ifrs Adoption ◽  
Legal Enforcement

When Canada already has a set of well- established legal enforcement and investor protection mechanism to control earnings management; and the quality of Canadian GAAP is high, I examine if the accounting quality for Canada can still be improved since its adoption of IFRS mandatorily in 2011. The extant literature argues that IFRS adoption benefits firms domiciled in countries with strong legal and financial institutions. However, when the quality of IFRS is as good as the local standards for many Anglo-Saxon countries such as Canada, it is questionable for these countries to receive substantial economic consequences. Following the literature, I estimate a set of comprehensive measurements of earnings management as the proxies of accounting quality. Empirically, I document evidence that even though the results are mixed, there are still certain significant improvements in accounting quality. However, I find that firms issuing more equities are motivated to associate with lower earnings quality. Also, firms engaging in two distinct strategic directions (prospector vs. defender) have systemically dissimilar effects on earnings quality in IFRS adoption. Finally, I document evidence that firm value following IFRS adoption has been increased, but at the expense of lower accounting quality. Overall, my study shed some lights into the literature that accounting standards per se is not sufficient to ensure a uniform-level of accounting quality because firm-level earnings management motives are important factors too.

scholarly journals Heterogeneity in earnings quality between different classes of companies after IFRS adoption: evidence from Brazil

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (73) ◽  
pp. 113-131
Author(s):  
Roberto Black ◽  
Sílvio Hiroshi Nakao
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Value Relevance ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Accounting Earnings ◽  
Ifrs Adoption ◽  
Before And After

ABSTRACT This paper aims to investigate the existence of heterogeneity in earnings quality between different classes of companies after the adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). IFRS adoption is generally associated with an increase in the quality of financial statements. However, companies within the same country are likely to have different economic incentives regarding the disclosure of information. Thus, treating companies equally, without considering the related economic incentives, could contaminate earnings quality investigations. The case of Brazil is analyzed, which is a country classified as code-law, in which tax laws determined accounting practice and in which IFRS adoption is mandatory. First, Brazilian companies listed on the São Paulo Stock, Commodities, and Futures Exchange (BM&FBOVESPA) were separated into two classes: companies issuing American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) before IFRS adoption and companies that did not issue ADRs until the adoption of IFRS. Then, this second class of companies was grouped, using cluster analysis, into two different subclasses according to economic incentives. Based on the groups identified, the quality of accounting earnings is tested for each class of the companies before and after IFRS adoption. This paper uses timely recognition of economic events, value relevance of net income, and earnings management as proxies for the quality of accounting earnings. The results indicate that a particular class of companies began showing conditional conservatism, value relevance of net income, and lower earnings management after IFRS adoption. On the other hand, these results were not found for the two other classes of companies.

The impact of the global economic crisis of 2008 on earnings quality in Mexico

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-421
Author(s):  
Jose Miranda-Lopez ◽  
Ivan Valdovinos-Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Previous Literature ◽  
Income Smoothing ◽  
Accounting Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Economic Crisis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the earnings quality of companies listed on Mexico’s primary stock market, the Bolsa Mexicana de Valores (Bolsa) before and during the global economic crisis of 2008. Previous research has shown that these economic events can have potentially conflicting effects on the quality of earnings of listed companies in capital markets around the world. Design/methodology/approach This paper operationalizes earnings quality based on earnings management. Therefore, four constructs to proxy for earnings quality are developed from previous literature, and multiple regression analysis along with tests of differences across two time periods, 2005–2007 and 2008–2010, are used to determine if there is a significant change in the accounting quality of companies listed on the Bolsa before and after the start of the global economic crisis. Findings Results indicate a statistically significant decrease of earnings quality on three out of the four constructs used to proxy for earnings management. There is only one construct in this category that shows a significant increase of earnings quality. Research limitations/implications There are different number of constructs and methodologies used to test for earnings quality. This study draws on four different constructs on two dimensions of earnings quality from previous literature, but other methodologies and constructs can potentially be used as well, such as discretionary accruals. Furthermore, there is a chance that there can be confounding factors affecting the results of this study besides the effects of the global economic crisis. Finally, the sample used in this study comprises non-financial public companies listed on the Bolsa, which can affect the generalization of the results to countries other than Mexico. Practical implications The results of this study can be of interest to Mexican and foreign investors, standard setters and regulators of the Bolsa, as the results show a strong incentive to manage companies’ earnings using income smoothing in an emerging economy during an economic crisis even after converging to a higher-quality set of accounting standards. Results can also be of interests to investors and regulators in other Latin-American countries with economies similar to that of Mexico. Originality/value This is the first study to test the quality of earnings of Mexican companies before and during the global economic crisis of 2008. Thus, this study contributes to the accounting quality literature by offering evidence showing a significant increase of income smoothing during the global economic crisis for companies listed in a developing economy with a relevant history of economic crises, even when these companies were using recently converged, higher-quality accounting standards.

Earnings Quality of Foreign versus U.S. Reverse Mergers: Geographical Location or Firm-Level Incentives?

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chu Chen ◽  
Giorgio Gotti ◽  
Don Herrmann ◽  
Kathryn Schumann
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Business Press ◽  
Reverse Mergers ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Reverse Merger

ABSTRACT We test whether geographical location, audit quality, and equity offering play a role in the earnings quality of reverse merger (RM) firms. We provide evidence that, contrary to the popular focus on foreign reverse mergers by the business press, earnings management is equally likely in both U.S. and foreign RM companies. We find that firm characteristics are more indicative of the likelihood to manage earnings than geographical location. The presence of a Big 4 auditor for RM firms is associated with higher earnings quality and a survival rate almost twice as high in comparison to RM firms audited by a non-Big 4 auditor. Moreover, we find that while earnings management is a common practice at all RM firms, it is especially pervasive for RM firms that are issuing new equity after the reverse merger.

scholarly journals Impact of Macro and Micro Governance Structures on Earnings Management

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Muhammad Nurul Houqe
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Discretionary Accruals ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Legal Enforcement ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Reported Earnings ◽  
Macro Variables

<p><b>This study examines the macro and micro level determinants of the quality of reported earnings. The prior literature suggests that both micro and macro variables impact on discretionary accruals choice in managing earnings. However, most of the studies on earnings management have been single country studies that have focussed only on micro variables as all firms within the samples examined have been subject to the same interplay of macro economic, legal, cultural and institutional frameworks. This study addresses this gap in the literature by using a sample of 156,906 firm year observations from 63 countries over the period 1998-2007 to examine the role of thirteen micro and macro variables in determining earnings quality.</b></p> <p>The macro variables studied include legal enforcement, political system, and control of corruption, culture and adoption of IFRS. Earnings management is estimated using the modified Jones model (Dechow et al. 1995) in a cross section (DeFond and Jiambalvo 1994; Francis et al. 1998).</p> <p>The results of the study indicate that macro and micro level variables have a strong impact on earnings management behaviour and thus earnings quality. The limits imposed by a country's legal, cultural and institutional setting on managerial discretionary accruals choices, strongly impact the quality of reported earnings. Future research on earnings management should therefore control both micro and macro level variables.</p>

scholarly journals Impact of Macro and Micro Governance Structures on Earnings Management

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Muhammad Nurul Houqe
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Discretionary Accruals ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Legal Enforcement ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Reported Earnings ◽  
Macro Variables

<p>This study examines the macro and micro level determinants of the quality of reported earnings. The prior literature suggests that both micro and macro variables impact on discretionary accruals choice in managing earnings. However, most of the studies on earnings management have been single country studies that have focussed only on micro variables as all firms within the samples examined have been subject to the same interplay of macro economic, legal, cultural and institutional frameworks. This study addresses this gap in the literature by using a sample of 156,906 firm year observations from 63 countries over the period 1998-2007 to examine the role of thirteen micro and macro variables in determining earnings quality. The macro variables studied include legal enforcement, political system, and control of corruption, culture and adoption of IFRS. Earnings management is estimated using the modified Jones model (Dechow et al. 1995) in a cross section (DeFond and Jiambalvo 1994; Francis et al. 1998). The results of the study indicate that macro and micro level variables have a strong impact on earnings management behaviour and thus earnings quality. The limits imposed by a country's legal, cultural and institutional setting on managerial discretionary accruals choices, strongly impact the quality of reported earnings. Future research on earnings management should therefore control both micro and macro level variables.</p>

scholarly journals The Role of IFRS on Financial Reporting Quality and Global Convergence: A Conceptual Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Auwalu Musa
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Accounting Quality ◽  
Ifrs Adoption ◽  
The World ◽  
Timely Loss Recognition

This study examines the role of International Financial Reporting Standards on financial reporting quality and the global convergence. The IFRS adoption is already an issue of global relevance across countries of the world due to the quest for uniformity, reliability and comparability of financial statements of companies. The adoption of IFRS in Europe is an example of accounting quality across-borders with different institutional frameworks and enforcement rules. This allows investigating whether, and to what extent accounting regulation per se can affect the quality of financial reporting and leads to convergence in financial reporting. Specifically, the study review how the change in the recognition and measurement of firms operating accrual item, the loan loss provision, affects income smoothing behaviour and timely loss recognition. The study found that the IFRS convergence reduces the scope for earnings management, is related to more timely loss recognition and leads to more value relevant accounting measures. Thus, the study reviews background and guidance on the change in financial reporting quality following extensive IFRS adoption around the world countries. The study found that a difference in accounting quality is related to country’s overall infrastructure setting. The study also highlights the importance of investor protection for financial reporting quality and the need for regulators to design mechanisms that limit managers' earnings management practice. The study found from different literatures that the adoption of IFRS leads to higher quality of accounting numbers and improve foreign direct investment across countries.

scholarly journals Methodological Analysis of Accounting Quality : Empirical Approach to DeAngelo’s Model and the Modified Jones Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-210
Author(s):  
Ervin Denich
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Empirical Approach ◽  
Accounting Quality ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Jones Model ◽  
A Company

The aim of this study is twofold: the first goal is to systemise and summarise the models designed to measure the quality of financial statements, as these reports can form the basis of decision-making for the users. The second goal is to analyse the financial statements prepared by manufacturing companies acting in Baranya Country, from a quality perspective, applying the DeAngelo (1986) model and the modified Jones model (1995). Earnings quality is measured by the change in total accruals divided by total assets, considering a 4-years period of time between 2016 and 2019. Calculating the T-statistic, the amount of total accruals is a negative figure in the covered period. Consequently, it might suggest that managers make some decisions, which have a decreasing impact on earnings level of a company. Although the results of this study show some evidence of earnings management, further investigation is required in order to provide a more confident conclusion.

scholarly journals Impact of Macro and Micro Governance Structures on Earnings Management

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Muhammad Nurul Houqe
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Discretionary Accruals ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Legal Enforcement ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Reported Earnings ◽  
Macro Variables

<p>This study examines the macro and micro level determinants of the quality of reported earnings. The prior literature suggests that both micro and macro variables impact on discretionary accruals choice in managing earnings. However, most of the studies on earnings management have been single country studies that have focussed only on micro variables as all firms within the samples examined have been subject to the same interplay of macro economic, legal, cultural and institutional frameworks. This study addresses this gap in the literature by using a sample of 156,906 firm year observations from 63 countries over the period 1998-2007 to examine the role of thirteen micro and macro variables in determining earnings quality. The macro variables studied include legal enforcement, political system, and control of corruption, culture and adoption of IFRS. Earnings management is estimated using the modified Jones model (Dechow et al. 1995) in a cross section (DeFond and Jiambalvo 1994; Francis et al. 1998). The results of the study indicate that macro and micro level variables have a strong impact on earnings management behaviour and thus earnings quality. The limits imposed by a country's legal, cultural and institutional setting on managerial discretionary accruals choices, strongly impact the quality of reported earnings. Future research on earnings management should therefore control both micro and macro level variables.</p>

scholarly journals A Panel Examination of IFRS Adoption and Financial Statement Quality: Evidence from Selected Firms in Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-53
Author(s):  
Richard Fosu Amankwa ◽  
John Kweku Mensah Mawutor ◽  
Eric Boachie Yiadom
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Financial Statement ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Panel Regression ◽  
Accounting Quality ◽  
Ifrs Adoption ◽  
Ghana Stock Exchange

This study examined the effect of IFRS adoption on the quality of financial statements of selected firms on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The study used the extent of management practices as a metric for financial statement quality. The audited annual reports of the selected firms from the GSE were analyzed using a panel regression model over the period 2001-2006 and 2007-2014. The study finds the adoption of IFRS to be significantly and negatively affect earnings management practices and, thus, improves financial statement quality. On the extent of earnings management practices, the study finds a decrease in the post-adoption era as opposed to the pre-adoption era, signifying an improvement in accounting quality. The panel regression results show that adopting IFRS significantly decreases the extent of earnings management.  

scholarly journals Impact of Macro and Micro Governance Structures on Earnings Management

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Muhammad Nurul Houqe
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Discretionary Accruals ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Legal Enforcement ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Reported Earnings ◽  
Macro Variables

<p><b>This study examines the macro and micro level determinants of the quality of reported earnings. The prior literature suggests that both micro and macro variables impact on discretionary accruals choice in managing earnings. However, most of the studies on earnings management have been single country studies that have focussed only on micro variables as all firms within the samples examined have been subject to the same interplay of macro economic, legal, cultural and institutional frameworks. This study addresses this gap in the literature by using a sample of 156,906 firm year observations from 63 countries over the period 1998-2007 to examine the role of thirteen micro and macro variables in determining earnings quality.</b></p> <p>The macro variables studied include legal enforcement, political system, and control of corruption, culture and adoption of IFRS. Earnings management is estimated using the modified Jones model (Dechow et al. 1995) in a cross section (DeFond and Jiambalvo 1994; Francis et al. 1998).</p> <p>The results of the study indicate that macro and micro level variables have a strong impact on earnings management behaviour and thus earnings quality. The limits imposed by a country's legal, cultural and institutional setting on managerial discretionary accruals choices, strongly impact the quality of reported earnings. Future research on earnings management should therefore control both micro and macro level variables.</p>

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