The impacts of free cash surplus flows, audit quality and ownership on earnings management: The Jordan case

Abstract

This paper primarily aims to identify and evaluate the effect of Free Cash Surplus flows, Audit Quality and the ownership on Earnings Management. The study shows that financial distress has a significant impact on earnings management for samples on the Jordanian listed companies during (2003-2016). The Cash Flow Statement provides information on the flow of cash in and out of the organization over a specific period. It shows how an organization spends its money (cash outflows) as well as the source of the money (cash inflows). The Cash Flow Statement – additionally alluded to as the statement of cash flows or fund flows, which is one of the financial statements that is often utilized in the measurement of an organization’s financial performance and overall wellbeing. The study also investigates the prevalence of both accrual and base earnings management for the empirical corporate finance which claims that the better corporate governance constraints between earnings management and the relation of high free-cash -flows firms the more will the increase will be at the income management and the earnings management. Although, the research has addressed the issues of earnings management and the real activities handling; this research paper put these two issues together. The analysis provides a mixed support when using different earnings management detection models. The findings of this study could serve as a guideline to a proper and understanding of earnings management to public listed companies, regulators, and various stakeholders