The Nexus between Corporate Lyfe Cycle and Earnings Management at Companies Listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange

Abstract

This research investigates the nexus between the corporate life cycle (CLC) and accrual-based earnings management (AEM) and real earnings management (REM) practices. Companies listed on the main segment of the Bucharest Stock Exchange between 2007 and 2021 are analyzed through fixed effects and random effects models. The regression analysis uncovers that earnings management practices vary based on the developmental stage of the company. In the introduction stage, Romanian companies tend to prefer AEM techniques, while in the growth and maturity phases, REM practices are more prevalent. The conditions in which firms operate, the pressure from the capital market and the discretion over costs characteristic of each stage of development explain the preference for a certain method of earnings management. Overall, this investigation helps clarify CLC's role in adopting earnings management techniques (AEM/REM) and signals the need to pay particular attention to the quality of financial reporting of companies in the early stages of development. The findings hold significance for auditors, financial analysts, investors, lenders, and regulators alike.