Does Financial Crisis Cause Earnings Management?

Abstract

Previous research on how financial crisis affects managers’ earnings management behavior has resulted in different scenarios with inconclusive results. This Chapter presents both the positivist and the critical realist approach to the research question. To address the ambiguity in the findings in the literature, the present study used a mainstream approach, with the results showing no statistical support for the hypothesis that financial crisis influences earnings management. More specifically, results indicate that managers’ earnings behavior does not differ from the pre-crisis to the crisis periods. Further, it presents critical realism as an alternative to mainstream approach. The study argues against the existence of a causal law based on a constant conjunction model (i.e., whenever a financial crisis happens, earnings management happens) and concludes that financial crisis cannot be seen as the cause of earnings management. Finally, it suggests exploring other structures at work that might be responsible for earnings management.