Predictive Ability of Financial and Non-Financial Performance for Financial Statement Publication Time Frame: Moderating Role of COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined the ability of financial and non-financial performance in predicting financial reports publication time frame as moderated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Theoretical framework: Signal theory postulates that management serves a crucial role in providing information to stakeholders regarding the condition of the company (Brigham & Houston, 2001). According to Spence (1973), companies are motivated to provide relevant information to stakeholders. If the performance conditions are good, the company tend to speed up the process of presenting financial statements. Conversely, if performance is poor, there is a tendency to delay the financial reports publication. The long span of time for the publication of financial reports can indicate bad news that the company has so that it has yet to publish the news to the public. Scott (2015) suggests that when managers know there is unfavorable news about the condition of the company in the future, they will avoid publishing this information or at least delay the presentation of financial statements. Method/design/approach: Financial performance was measured by four indicators: profitability, liquidity and solvency. Meanwhile, variable non-financial performance was measured by the index of good corporate governance (GCG) and auditor reputation. The proposed model was tested based on the quantitative data collected from 156 manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) from 2018 and 2020. The multiple regression analysis was performed to analyze and interpret the data. Results and conclusion: Result indicates that solvency, good corporate governance, and auditor reputation were significant predictors of the time span of financial report publication. However, the predictive ability of profitability and liquidity on the publication timeframe was found to be not significant. Furthermore, the results show that the COVID-19 pandemic moderates the ability of profitability and good corporate governance in predicting the publication timeframe. Research implications: Financial and non-financial performance indicator gives different results in predicting the RWPLK of manufacturing companies in Indonesia. ROA and CR are not able to predict RWPLK, but DER, GCG, KAP are able to predict RWPLK. The role of the COVID-19 pandemic was able to moderate the ability of ROA and GCG in predicting the timeframe for publication of financial reports, but was unable to moderate the ability of CR, DER and KAP in predicting RWPLK. Originality/value: The present study provides the first empirical evidence on the moderating role of the COVID-19 pandemic on the predictive ability of financial and non-financial performance for financial statement publication time frame.