Earnings Management Methods Research Articles

Do socially responsible firms demonstrate a preference for using classification shifting to manage earnings?

Prior research finds socially responsible firms are less likely to engage in earnings management, suggesting that socially responsible firms seek to provide more transparent financial reports (Hong and Anderson 2011; Kim, Park, and Wier 2012; Hwang, Choi, Choi, and Lee 2022). We investigate whether managers of CSR firms demonstrate a preference for classification shifting when making trade-off decisions among earnings management methods. First, our results support prior studies that find the overall extent of earnings management is lower for CSR firms. However, this study focuses on the use of classification shifting relative to other forms of earnings management. We find a robust positive relation between CSR performance and the relative use of classification shifting. Our results suggest that while CSR firms engage in lower levels of earnings management they demonstrate a preference to choose classification shifting when engaging in earnings management. These findings are consistent with managers perceiving classification shifting as a less unethical tool relative to accruals earnings management or real activities manipulation. Subsequent analyses reveal that our results are most pronounced for firms with lower external monitoring where managers have the most freedom to make trade-off decisions among earnings management methods based on ethical considerations. Overall, by demonstrating a preference for classification shifting relative to other earnings management tools our study furthers our understanding of the role of ethical considerations in earnings management decisions.

The Impact of International Financial Reporting Standards on Corporate Governance, Board Size and Income Smoothing in the Nigerian Financial Market

Income smoothing as an accounting technique is an earnings management method that has recently piqued the interest of company boards of directors, accountants, and accounting researchers. Income smoothing is the application of financial reporting principles and standards to level out earnings volatility. This paper focussed on the theoretical investigation of the impact of the International Financial Reporting Standard on corporate governance and income smoothing. This study theoretically examined the link between board size and income smoothing, with an emphasis on the intervening effect of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). This paper covers a period of 2003 to 2023 and which focussed on the Nigerian Financial Market. In this study, a systematic literature review (SLR) was performed, and the research revealed crucial impact of the International Financial Reporting Standard on corporate governance and income smoothing. The SLR was performed using a sample of 100 research articles chosen from a pool of 400 papers obtained from Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ABS journal and, among other sources. Following the findings of the many research evaluated, the study discovered significant divergence and inconsistency in the results, indicating that corporate governance has either a positive or negative association with income smoothing.

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

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.

The role of real earnings management in the value relevance of accounting information in Indonesia

Purpose- One feature that should be integrated in financial statements to be relevant to decision-makers is the relevance of the information to the users. When the value and usefulness of accounting information used to gauge business financial performance are undermined by earnings management methods, problems arise. As a result, the information presented may deceive financial statement users about the corporation's financial performance. Because IFRS demands managerial judgment in the accounting process by definition, its adoption may even increase the chance for real earnings management (REM). This study aims to examine the impact of REM to the value relevance of accounting information before and after IFRS adoption. Methodology- The population was manufacturing companies listed on the IDX, with samples 230 firm year observations consists of one hundred fifteen firms year before adoption of IFRS and one hundred fifteen firms year after IFRS adoption. this study used firms’ abnormal levels of cash flows, production costs, and discretionary expenditures as proxies for real earnings management. Using a price model and panel data, the main result confirms that real-based earnings management has an impact on the value relevance of earnings and book value of equity before IFRS adoption, but has no effect after IFRS adoption. Findings- The findings revealed that prior to the adoption of IFRS, real earnings management was employed by companies that had higher earnings value relevance and lower equity book value relevance than companies that did not apply earnings management. After the adoption of IFRS, there is no significant effect of real earnings management on the value relevance of earnings and equity book value. Conclusion- The results show that investors believe that earnings are a signal from managers with the implementation of real earnings management prior to the adoption of IFRS, but after the adoption IFRS, they may not be able to do so. Keywords: Real earnings management, value relevance, accounting information, earnings, equity book value, JEL Codes: M40, M41, M49

Boundaries of the firm and real earnings management

Despite harmful effects, Real Earnings Management (REM) is increasingly becoming a more popular method of earnings management than Accruals based Earnings Management (AEM) (Cohen et al., 2008; Commerford et al., 2018). We argue that when a firm’s organizational structure has extended boundaries with other firms, the benefits due to REM can outweigh the costs. We use family business groups, that extend firm boundaries with other affiliated firms, for testing our conjecture. Using a large dataset of 11,417 firm-year observations of Indian firms, we show that REM is significantly higher in business group affiliated firms compared to standalone firms. Further, intra-group transactions, in the form of purchases, sales, and cash flows from operating activities, contribute to higher REM activities. More importantly, when group affiliated firms engage in intragroup transactions and report higher REM, mainly in the form of abnormal production, they experience an increase in their future profitability and a decrease in their cost of equity.

Overseas listing and earnings management methods selection

This paper examines how management manipulates earnings from accrual earnings management to real earnings management after a firm's listing abroad. Using Chinese firms listed overseas, we find that overseas listing inhibits accrual earnings management and induces firms to use production and expense manipulation to increase real earnings management; private firms' overseas listing induces them to implement more real earnings management; firms with low multinational operations' overseas listing induce them to implement more real earnings management; and the overseas listing of low multinational enterprises induces them to implement more real earnings management.

Study on Earnings Management Methods And Influencing Factors of Listed Companies in China

With the further development of China's capital market, the importance of earnings management has gradually become one of the key research topics in the accounting field. Starting from the basic concept of earnings management, this paper mainly studies the motivation, means and influencing factors of earnings management of Chinese listed companies. Through the review and sorting of the relevant literature, the conclusions and suggestions are given at last. This paper argues that supervision for earnings management of Listed companies still needs to be strengthened in China. Based on the study of earnings management of Chinese listed companies, this paper hopes to put forward some suggestions to better improve the securities market environment, improve the capital market system and standardize the financial information disclosure of listed companies in China.

Corporate Income Tax Changes in the Context of Earnings Management: a Review of the Literature

The purpose of the article/hypothesis: This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the theoretical and empirical literature regarding tax-induced earnings management. In particular, the association between anticipated tax changes and earnings management is of interest to the authors.
 Methodology: This paper uses a systematic literature review to achieve its research objectives.
 Results of the research: The presented research is mostly devoted to tax rate decreases and focuses on accrual-based earnings management methods. In anticipation of a tax rate change, companies shift their income from a high to a low tax rate period. Moreover, the probability of tax-induced earnings management is higher in case of extreme changes in the tax rate, larger prospects for tax savings as well as in case of private firms. This paper identifies several inconsistencies and gaps in the current literature, emphasizing that the connection between firms’ characteristics, the level of book-tax conformity and the practice of earnings management remains unclear.

The Effect of Geographic Distance on Earnings Management Decisions

ABSTRACTPrior research has found evidence that country factors and management styles influence earnings management decisions in various geographic locations. Extending this research, we utilize an experimental setting to isolate the effect of geographic distance on the willingness to manage earnings in a near/distant location. In an initial experiment, we find less acceptable earnings management methods generate greater concerns about the method (ethicality and riskiness) leading to less willingness to manage earnings. Yet, greater geographic distance between the decision-maker and reporting location attenuates these concerns, resulting in increased willingness to use a less acceptable method. In contrast, individuals are willing to use a more acceptable method to manage earnings regardless of geographic distance. These findings are consistent with construal level theory (CLT) and are corroborated in a second experiment where we find that greater geographic distance reduces managers' focus on the means of earnings management, thereby reducing concerns about the method.Data Availability: Available upon request from the authors.

Earnings management motives, idiosyncratic risk and corporate social responsibility in an emerging market

This research investigates the impact of the three earnings management methods according to Dechow and Skinner (2000) and Gunny (2005), i.e., accrual earnings management (AEM), real earnings management (REM), and fraudulent accounting (FRA), on idiosyncratic risk. This research also examines the moderating effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure on these associations. This research employs balance panel data consisting of 492 observations from 2016 to 2019. This research obtains 123 companies listed under the manufacturing industry of the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) through purposive sampling. To test the hypotheses, this research uses multiple linear regression models. This research finds that all three earnings management methods are positively associated with idiosyncratic risk. Furthermore, CSR disclosure is proven to weaken the effect of accrual earnings management and fraudulent accounting on idiosyncratic risk, but this does not apply to real earnings management. These results are robust after a sensitivity test. This research fills the existing gap within idiosyncratic risk study. Among similar studies, this research is the first to investigate the effect of fraudulent accounting on idiosyncratic risk and the moderating effect of CSR disclosure. This research also raises awareness of the cost of idiosyncratic risk, especially in emerging markets with relatively smaller stock markets, which makes diversification more challenging. It provides insights to market regulators on how investors can benefit from more disclosures

Standard Jones and Modified Jones: An Earnings Management Tutorial

ABSTRACT Context: measurement of earnings management usually requires multi-step models for computation. After examining the literature through bibliometrics studies, literature review, and research databases, we found that the Standard Jones model and its subsequent modifications are those that have more prominent use. Much of this research is potentially interesting for business theories related to earnings quality and accounting manipulation; however, it is difficult to be understood by junior researchers and practitioners, because they are not clearly described in the literature or the steps may be easy to confuse. Objective: in this tutorial, we present several key concepts about earnings management and explain, step by step, how to measure it. Method: our tutorial considers measurement using the following models: Standard Jones, Modified Jones, Modified Jones with return on assets (ROA), and Modified Jones using Cash Flows and Accruals Reversals. Conclusions: our main contribution with this tutorial is to provide a step-by-step guide for future studies, so that they can be more comparable with each other when using measurement methods of earnings management.

Corporate Earnings Pressure and Supply Chain Real Earnings Management

Listed companies face multiple earnings pressures from stakeholders in their operations. When normal operations cannot achieve earnings expectations or having opportunistic motivations, companies often choose to conduct earnings management under earnings pressure. With the enhancement of the recognition and supervision of accrual-based earnings management, real earnings management has gradually become the main earnings management tool for companies under earnings pressure. Due to the concealment of real earnings management and information asymmetry, it is difficult for the company’s external stakeholders to detect real earnings management. Meanwhile, the high degree of supply chain concentration is one of the important characteristics that distinguish the Chinese market from the West. It is also a typical scenario for relational transactions in China. Transactions with customers and suppliers can directly affect the company’s earnings, and long-term transactions provide the basis for forming relationship and conducting relational transactions. Therefore, whether the company will conduct earnings management based on the supply chain relationship is an important research question with Chinese characteristics. Our research on this problem can help to improve investors’ understanding of the company’s real earnings management, and improve the efficiency of capital market in information transmission and resource allocation.This paper uses A-share non-financial companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2007 to 2019 as the main research sample to examine the impact of earnings pressure on the company’s supply chain real earnings management. The empirical results show that: Corporate earnings pressure has a positive effect on the company’s supply chain real earnings management, and bargaining power and executive shareholding of the company separately strengths and weakens this impact. Moreover, there is an alternative relationship between supply chain real earnings management and upward accrual-based earnings management under earnings pressure. This paper also further analyzes the implementation of supply chain real earnings management and its economic consequences. We mainly find that supply chain real earnings management is different from the company’s excess production, and is more pronounced when earnings pressure is positive; for economic consequences, the implementation of supply chain real earnings management can help the company meet or beat analysts’ forecasts, so as to increase the company’s market value and analysts’ coverage, but there will be a reversal of supply chain real earnings management in the following year.This paper makes two primary contributions: First, this paper enriches the literature on the impact of earnings pressure on corporate operation and accounting behaviors. It examines the company’s supply chain earnings management under earnings pressure, and proves that the company’s response to earnings pressure can be reflected in external cooperative earnings management, rather than be limited to the company’s internal environment. Second, this paper contributes to the relevant research on real earnings management. It studies the company’s real earnings management by supply chain under earnings pressure, and explores its specific implementation conditions, which enriches the existing research content of the company’s real earnings management methods. It also can help investors better understand the company’s earnings management approach under earnings pressure, and improve the effectiveness of the capital market signal mechanism.

The practice of using earnings management methods under tax incentives absence and financial incentives restriction conditions

Subject. This article analyzes the regularities of the processes of application of earnings management methods in the absence of tax incentives and in conditions of limited use of financial incentives. Objectives. The article aims to identify trends in the use of earnings management methods in the absence of tax incentives and in conditions of limited application of financial ones, and substantiate a set of analytical procedures for their identification to enhance the reliability of the organization's financial situation assessment. Methods. For the study, reviewing academic papers on the subject matter, I used the general scientific cognition methods of comparison, generalization, grouping, systematization, and the principle of historicism. Results. The article defines the most important financial incentives, including the tax ones, when earnings management is aimed at reducing or redistributing the tax burden, and financial incentives in terms of positioning in the stock market and adjusting dividend payments. The article finds the regularities of changes in individual financial indicators helping identify enterprises that likely use earnings management methods in terms of accounting for exchange rate differences. Conclusions and Relevance. The research shows that the probability of applying earnings management methods remains in the absence of discernible financial benefits in the short term in terms of reducing the tax burden or the possibility of attracting additional external financing in the financial markets. The unique character of the research lies in the study of the practice of applying earnings management methods in the absence of apparent financial incentives.

Analysis of the earnings management methods of China's electric power companies based on modified Jones model

With the constant revision of accounting standards, the earnings management methods are constantly changed and innovated in order to achieve the purpose of beautifying the statements and manipulating profits. This paper took the electricity listed companies as the research object, selected the financial data of 52 listed companies in the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2014 to 2016 as the sample, and employed the SPSS statistics software to analyze the earnings management methods of the listed companies in the electric power industry and to draw the conclusions through empirical research. Based on the preliminary statistical analysis of the earnings management methods of listed companies in the electric power industry, this paper used the modified Jones model to verify the empirical analysis. The main conclusions of this paper are as follows: There is a positive linear relationship between fixed assets management, assets impairment management and discretional accruals of the listed companies in the electric power industry. The degree of its influence is more obvious and stable than that of other earnings management methods, and passed the significance test. The collinear diagnostics can also prove a more reasonable correlation among the variables, indicating that the results obtained from the modified Jones model is more significant.

Non-executive female directors and earnings management using classification shifting

Prior business studies have focused on the role of non-executive female directors in constraining accruals-based earnings management with relatively less attention paid to other less risky earnings management methods. In contrast to these studies, we investigate whether non-executive female directors go beyond the neoclassical measurement and recognition-based accounting issues and pay more attention to the classification of core expenses within the income statement. We find evidence supporting the ongoing debate that classification shifting is less likely to attract the attention of either external or internal monitors. We did not find evidence that non-executive female directors are more likely to challenge managers’ opportunistic classificatory practices; rather, the results reveal a significant positive relationship between non-executive female directors and classification shifting. Finally, our finding remains robust after controlling for potential endogeneity problems and tokenism.

The Effect of Unexpected Auditor selection on Manager’s Earnings Management Method

본 연구의 목적은 기업의 재무구조 및 규모에 기반한 감사인 예측모형에 의해 예측된 감사인과 실제로 선임한 감사인이 다른 경우, 경영자의 이익조정 선택을 살펴보는 것이다. 특히 예측감사인이 Non-Big4이지만 실제로 선임한 감사인이 높은 감사품질로 알려진 Big4인 환경에서 경영자가 어떠한 이익조정 수단을 선택하는지 분석하고자 한다. 분석결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 예측감사인과 실제감사인이 서로 다른 기업은 예측감사인과 실제감사인이 동일한 기업과 이익조정 수단 간의 유의미한 차이를 발견하지 못하였다. 이는 예측감사인과 실제감사인이 서로 다른 기업을 의미하는 변수가 예측감사인이 Non-Big4이지만 실제감사인이 Big4인 기업과 예측감사인이 Big4이지만 실제감사인이 Non-Big4인 기업을 모두 포함하기 때문에 두 기업이 서로 상반된 이익조정 수단을 선택하여 상쇄된 결과인 것으로 추측된다. 둘째, 예측감사인은 Non-Big4이지만 실제감사인은 Big4인 기업은 재량적발생액 이익조정과는 유의하지 않았으나, 실제이익조정과는 유의한 양(+)의 관계가 나타났다. 이러한 결과는 실제로 선임한 Big4의 높은 감사품질로 인해 발생액이익조정이 제한된 기업이 실물이익조정으로 대체한 것으로 보인다. 본 연구는 감사인과 피감기업 간 규모의 불일치가 경영자의 이익조정 행위를 효과적으로 억제하지 못한다는 선행연구를 확장하여, 기업의 재무구조 및 규모에 기반한 예측감사인과 실제감사인이 서로 다른 기업에서 이익조정 수단 간의 대체관계를 밝혔다는 공헌점이 있다.

The Effects of a Structural Reform on Corporate Outcomes in China: A Generalized Propensity Score Matching Approach

ABSTRACT In March 2010, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) launched a reform introducing both margin trading and short selling into China’s stock market. This paper examines the impact of this reform on corporate outcomes in the short run and long run. In our analysis, we adopt a generalized propensity score (GPS) matching method that allows treatment effects to change over time. Our empirical results not only indicate that the reform positively bolstered stock trading activities, but also constrained managers’ behavior, such as their method of earnings management. We think that disclosure policies adopted by managers can influence stock trading activities. This study has several important implications that policymakers might find useful. We provide evidence supporting the CSRC to allow more firms to join the reform.

SHORT-TERM DEBT AND FIRMS' EARNINGS MANAGEMENT CHOICES: THE CASE OF VIETNAM

The primary purpose of this research is to explore the link between short-term debt and firms' earnings management choices. It focuses on understanding how and when short-term debt will improve or reduce the earnings management activity of companies. Our proxy for real earnings management is based on the measure developed by (Roychowdhury, 2006). Using a sample of listed firms in the period of 2009-2018 in Vietnam, the study determines an important positive correlation between short-term debt and real activities manipulation. Our results further show that firms having lower levels of short-term debt tend to use real earnings management activities, but those that have higher levels of short-term debt are prone to use accrual-based earnings management method rather than altering real activities, inducing an inverted U-shaped relationship between short-term debt and real earnings management.

Problematics of Creative Accounting and Earnings Management in the Context of the Development of Accounting Theories

The beginnings of accounting can be found even in the 14st century, when trade transactions began to be recorded in the books of account. To this day, accounting has evolved at certain stages, depending on goals were set for the accounting for that period. In the article after concluding the analysis of scientific sources the following are presented: the stages of accounting development, which were influenced not only by different Anglo-Saxon, Germanic and Latin accounting systems, but also by economic and political factors; the influence of accounting on the development of accounting theories is revealed. The concept of positive accounting theory, assumptions for manipulating accounting and the concept and application methods of earnings management and creative accounting are presented. Based on the research, a model of multi-paradigm approach is presented, in which the methodologies of normative and positive accounting theory can be fully applied. The proposed complexity of methodologies can help to solve not only the problems of creative accounting and earnings management, but also other problems of the 21st century. accounting issues.

A Review of Management Earning and Real Transaction Manipulations Pre and Post IFRS Adoption in Nigeria

The paper examined the accounting quality in the financial statement, concerning earnings management practices by managers. The financial statements provide critical information that is useful to various groups, investors, standard setters, shareholders and government. The practices of various methods of earnings management are classified into accounting-based and market- based earnings management. The study classified the earnings management techniques in various ways that affect the quality of financial statements in the pre and post-IFRS adoption. The introduction of IFRS and its accompanying standards in the area of earnings management might imply real improvements in the financial statements about the quality. The earnings management techniques include the following: earnings management towards a target, earnings smoothing, discretionary accruals, accruals quality, and timely loss recognition as against other proxies of accounting quality. These are opportunities managers have to get quality Financial Statements that accomplish their intentions. The essence is that they use them to achieve their objectives either getting the desired level of profit or not recording losses for the business. The review results are that in the pre-IFRS the earnings management in use was the accrual-based earnings technique in which managers adjust assumptions and estimates the accounting system. In the post-IFRS, managers revert to real transactions based earnings management which involves the timing and structuring actual business activities to achieve a desired financial reporting result (for example, the timing of the sale of equipment that will result in a gain in a quarter in which extra earnings are needed, delaying major repairs, advertising, research, and development expenses write–off, and foregoing capital projects that positive net present value).