The Value Relevance of Earnings in the Presence of Earnings Management: Indonesia as Evidence

Abstract

This study examines the influence of earnings management on the value relevance of earnings, that is, the value relevance of level and changes of earnings. The sample consists of manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), comprising 606 observations. By using panel data regression, this study provides evidence that the level of earnings has no value relevance; conversely, changes in earnings have value relevance, indicating that earnings have less value relevance. Furthermore, the results of the relevance test of earnings value with the presence of earnings management show that the relevance of the value of the earnings level increases with the presence of earnings management; on the contrary, the relevance of earnings changes decreases with the presence of earnings management. Based on the value of earnings response coefficient, the impact of earnings management on the value relevance of level and changes of earnings appears to indicate that earnings management reduces the value relevance of earnings.