Pub Date : 2021-08-13DOI: 10.1108/ijaim-10-2020-0172
Ozgur Ozdemir, Erhan Kilincarslan
PurposeThis study aims to examine the governance role of shareholders and board of directors in determining firm performance through an eclectic multi-theoretic model that integrates structure and incentive functions of agency theory and capability aspect of the resource-based view.Design/methodology/approachThe research model uses a large panel data set of 2,364 UK firms over the period 2000–2010 and uses alternative specifications of the model to improve robustness.FindingsThe results show that the industry experience of major shareholders as a proxy for shareholder capability has a significant positive impact on investee firm performance. The findings also reveal that the lock-in effect of the largest shareholder has a positive impact on performance, whereas the monitoring effectiveness of shareholders is not associated with ownership concentration. Moreover, the results indicate the underlying capabilities of the board of directors and their impact on corporate performance – particularly, the interlocking directorates of executives have a positive impact on firm performance but those of non-executives have a negative one. However, the previous directorship experience of non-executives has a positive impact on performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study presents a more comprehensive and complete understanding of the governance-performance relationship beyond the narrow or partial explanations provided by single-theory-based studies or those of investigating the effect of various governance tools separately.Practical implicationsThis study provides more insights into the capability dimension of shareholders and the role of incentives in motivating shareholders to exercise stronger oversight on the management rather than just using ownership concentration. Hence, the study can serve as valuable guidance for investors, corporate managers and policymakers.Originality/valueTo the best of the knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study that uses an eclectic philosophical approach, integrating the agency theory and resource-based view, to not only examine the impact of board of directors but also investigate the governance role of shareholders in modern corporations to understand how shareholders acquire the requisite skills and information, the best practices and processes, and ultimately use the scarce and inimitable resources that help investee firms in improving their performance.
{"title":"The governance role of shareholders and board of directors on firm performance: an eclectic governance-performance model","authors":"Ozgur Ozdemir, Erhan Kilincarslan","doi":"10.1108/ijaim-10-2020-0172","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijaim-10-2020-0172","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000This study aims to examine the governance role of shareholders and board of directors in determining firm performance through an eclectic multi-theoretic model that integrates structure and incentive functions of agency theory and capability aspect of the resource-based view.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The research model uses a large panel data set of 2,364 UK firms over the period 2000–2010 and uses alternative specifications of the model to improve robustness.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The results show that the industry experience of major shareholders as a proxy for shareholder capability has a significant positive impact on investee firm performance. The findings also reveal that the lock-in effect of the largest shareholder has a positive impact on performance, whereas the monitoring effectiveness of shareholders is not associated with ownership concentration. Moreover, the results indicate the underlying capabilities of the board of directors and their impact on corporate performance – particularly, the interlocking directorates of executives have a positive impact on firm performance but those of non-executives have a negative one. However, the previous directorship experience of non-executives has a positive impact on performance.\u0000\u0000\u0000Research limitations/implications\u0000This study presents a more comprehensive and complete understanding of the governance-performance relationship beyond the narrow or partial explanations provided by single-theory-based studies or those of investigating the effect of various governance tools separately.\u0000\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000This study provides more insights into the capability dimension of shareholders and the role of incentives in motivating shareholders to exercise stronger oversight on the management rather than just using ownership concentration. Hence, the study can serve as valuable guidance for investors, corporate managers and policymakers.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000To the best of the knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study that uses an eclectic philosophical approach, integrating the agency theory and resource-based view, to not only examine the impact of board of directors but also investigate the governance role of shareholders in modern corporations to understand how shareholders acquire the requisite skills and information, the best practices and processes, and ultimately use the scarce and inimitable resources that help investee firms in improving their performance.\u0000","PeriodicalId":46371,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Accounting and Information Management","volume":"13 4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.2,"publicationDate":"2021-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78327503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-08-03DOI: 10.1108/IJAIM-01-2021-0027
M. Du, Frank O. Kwabi, Tianle Yang
PurposeDrawing on three theoretical frameworks, this paper aims to examine the effects of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and the interaction between SOEs and prior acquisition experience of Chinese domestic and cross-border acquirers.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 4,116 firms consisting of 3,939 domestic mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and 177 cross-border M&As over the period 2004–2017, this study adopts both accounting- and market-based performance measures, namely, return on assets, return on equity and buy-and-hold abnormal return to analyse the effects of SOEs and the interaction between SOEs and prior acquisition experience on acquirers’ performance.FindingsFirst, this paper finds SOEs to exert a positive influence on acquirer performance, contrary to agency theory but in line with the resource-based view. However, the positive relationship between SOEs and performance appears more pronounced for domestic M&A compared to cross-border M&As. Second, this study also finds prior acquisition experience and the combined effect of SOE and prior acquisition experience to have a positive and significant bearing on performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation of this study is the lack of cross-border M&A data with all the relevant information compared to domestic M&A. Thus, the cross-border M&A sample appears lower compared to the domestic M&A sample.Practical implicationsThe results imply that the moderating role of prior acquisition experience on the relationship between SOEs and performance appears to be crucial for cross-border M&A performance compared to domestic M&A.Originality/valueThe findings of this study show SOEs increase performance, contrary to the widely held view based on agency theory that SOEs are inefficient.
{"title":"State ownership, prior experience and performance: a comparative analysis of Chinese domestic and cross-border acquisitions","authors":"M. Du, Frank O. Kwabi, Tianle Yang","doi":"10.1108/IJAIM-01-2021-0027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/IJAIM-01-2021-0027","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000Drawing on three theoretical frameworks, this paper aims to examine the effects of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and the interaction between SOEs and prior acquisition experience of Chinese domestic and cross-border acquirers.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000Using a sample of 4,116 firms consisting of 3,939 domestic mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and 177 cross-border M&As over the period 2004–2017, this study adopts both accounting- and market-based performance measures, namely, return on assets, return on equity and buy-and-hold abnormal return to analyse the effects of SOEs and the interaction between SOEs and prior acquisition experience on acquirers’ performance.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000First, this paper finds SOEs to exert a positive influence on acquirer performance, contrary to agency theory but in line with the resource-based view. However, the positive relationship between SOEs and performance appears more pronounced for domestic M&A compared to cross-border M&As. Second, this study also finds prior acquisition experience and the combined effect of SOE and prior acquisition experience to have a positive and significant bearing on performance.\u0000\u0000\u0000Research limitations/implications\u0000The limitation of this study is the lack of cross-border M&A data with all the relevant information compared to domestic M&A. Thus, the cross-border M&A sample appears lower compared to the domestic M&A sample.\u0000\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000The results imply that the moderating role of prior acquisition experience on the relationship between SOEs and performance appears to be crucial for cross-border M&A performance compared to domestic M&A.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000The findings of this study show SOEs increase performance, contrary to the widely held view based on agency theory that SOEs are inefficient.\u0000","PeriodicalId":46371,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Accounting and Information Management","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.2,"publicationDate":"2021-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81098458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-08-03DOI: 10.1108/ijaim-10-2020-0159
Xiaogang Bi, A. Boateng
PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the effects of external sources of finance and ownership type on the value creation of Chinese acquiring firms.Design/methodology/approachThe data set consists of domestic-listed mainland Chinese firms engaged in domestic mergers and acquisitions during the period 2004–2012. Standard event study methodology and cross-sectional regression analysis are used to examine the relationship between external finance, ownership type and value creation of the acquiring firms.FindingsThis paper finds that whereas bank financing is positively related to the firm value of privately-owned enterprises (POEs), bank financing has a negative but insignificant influence on the firm value of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Moreover, equity financing has a negative and significant effect on the value creation of SOE acquirers, however, this appears not to be the case of POEs.Research limitations/implicationsThe results suggest that the capital markets in China take into consideration the discriminatory and cheap access to bank loans available to SOEs as negative signals to stock markets, which cause capital markets to punish SOEs through price depreciation. Conversely, capital markets reward POEs in respect of Chinese banks’ discrimination against POEs in bank financing.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that the capital markets in China take into account the discriminatory and cheap access to bank loans available to SOEs as negative signals to stock markets, which cause capital markets to punish SOEs through price depreciation. Conversely, capital markets reward POEs in respect of Chinese banks’ discrimination against POEs in bank financing.Originality/valueThe results of this study show that external sources of finance and ownership type influence acquiring firm value in an environment where the corporate governance system is weak and the banking sector is dominated by state banks. Further reforms in the financial sector, particularly, in the corporate governance system appear warranted.
{"title":"External sources of finance and value creation of Chinese mergers and acquisitions: does ownership type matter?","authors":"Xiaogang Bi, A. Boateng","doi":"10.1108/ijaim-10-2020-0159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijaim-10-2020-0159","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000This paper aims to investigate the effects of external sources of finance and ownership type on the value creation of Chinese acquiring firms.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The data set consists of domestic-listed mainland Chinese firms engaged in domestic mergers and acquisitions during the period 2004–2012. Standard event study methodology and cross-sectional regression analysis are used to examine the relationship between external finance, ownership type and value creation of the acquiring firms.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000This paper finds that whereas bank financing is positively related to the firm value of privately-owned enterprises (POEs), bank financing has a negative but insignificant influence on the firm value of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Moreover, equity financing has a negative and significant effect on the value creation of SOE acquirers, however, this appears not to be the case of POEs.\u0000\u0000\u0000Research limitations/implications\u0000The results suggest that the capital markets in China take into consideration the discriminatory and cheap access to bank loans available to SOEs as negative signals to stock markets, which cause capital markets to punish SOEs through price depreciation. Conversely, capital markets reward POEs in respect of Chinese banks’ discrimination against POEs in bank financing.\u0000\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000The results suggest that the capital markets in China take into account the discriminatory and cheap access to bank loans available to SOEs as negative signals to stock markets, which cause capital markets to punish SOEs through price depreciation. Conversely, capital markets reward POEs in respect of Chinese banks’ discrimination against POEs in bank financing.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000The results of this study show that external sources of finance and ownership type influence acquiring firm value in an environment where the corporate governance system is weak and the banking sector is dominated by state banks. Further reforms in the financial sector, particularly, in the corporate governance system appear warranted.\u0000","PeriodicalId":46371,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Accounting and Information Management","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.2,"publicationDate":"2021-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90860611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-07-22DOI: 10.1108/ijaim-03-2021-0056
Erhan Kilincarslan
PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of board independence on the cash dividend payments of family firms listed on the Borsa Istanbul (BIST) in balancing controlling families’ power to mitigate agency problems between family and minority shareholders in the post-2012 period. The authors focus on this period because Turkish authorities implemented mandatory regulations on the employment of independent directors on boards from fiscal year 2012.Design/methodology/approachThe research model uses a panel dataset of 153 BIST-listed family firms over the period 2012–2017, employs alternative dependent variables and regression techniques and is applied to various sub-groups to improve robustness.FindingsThe empirical results show a strong positive effect of board independence on dividend decisions. The authors further detect that family directorship exhibits a negative effect, whereas both board size and audit committees have positive influences but chief executive officer (CEO)/duality has had no significant impact on the dividend policies of Turkish family firms since the new compulsory legal requirements in the Turkish market.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings suggest that independent directorship and dividend policy are complementary governance mechanisms to reduce agency conflicts between families and minority shareholders in Turkey, which is a civil law-based emerging country characterized by high family ownership concentration.Practical implicationsThe authors present evidence that Turkish family firms’ corporate boards have evolved, to some extent, from being managerial rubber stamps to more independent boards that raise opposing voices in family decision-making. However, independent directors’ preference for dividend-induced capital market monitoring implies that their direct monitoring is less effective than it is supposed to be. This suggests a need to revise the Turkish Corporate Governance Principles to enhance independent directors’ monitoring and supervisory power.Originality/valueThis is thought to be the first study to provide insights on how board independence influences dividend policy in controlling agency problems in Turkish family firms since Turkish authorities introduced compulsory rules on the employment of independent directors on boards.
{"title":"The influence of board independence on dividend policy in controlling agency problems in family firms","authors":"Erhan Kilincarslan","doi":"10.1108/ijaim-03-2021-0056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijaim-03-2021-0056","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000This study aims to investigate the impact of board independence on the cash dividend payments of family firms listed on the Borsa Istanbul (BIST) in balancing controlling families’ power to mitigate agency problems between family and minority shareholders in the post-2012 period. The authors focus on this period because Turkish authorities implemented mandatory regulations on the employment of independent directors on boards from fiscal year 2012.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The research model uses a panel dataset of 153 BIST-listed family firms over the period 2012–2017, employs alternative dependent variables and regression techniques and is applied to various sub-groups to improve robustness.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The empirical results show a strong positive effect of board independence on dividend decisions. The authors further detect that family directorship exhibits a negative effect, whereas both board size and audit committees have positive influences but chief executive officer (CEO)/duality has had no significant impact on the dividend policies of Turkish family firms since the new compulsory legal requirements in the Turkish market.\u0000\u0000\u0000Research limitations/implications\u0000The findings suggest that independent directorship and dividend policy are complementary governance mechanisms to reduce agency conflicts between families and minority shareholders in Turkey, which is a civil law-based emerging country characterized by high family ownership concentration.\u0000\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000The authors present evidence that Turkish family firms’ corporate boards have evolved, to some extent, from being managerial rubber stamps to more independent boards that raise opposing voices in family decision-making. However, independent directors’ preference for dividend-induced capital market monitoring implies that their direct monitoring is less effective than it is supposed to be. This suggests a need to revise the Turkish Corporate Governance Principles to enhance independent directors’ monitoring and supervisory power.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000This is thought to be the first study to provide insights on how board independence influences dividend policy in controlling agency problems in Turkish family firms since Turkish authorities introduced compulsory rules on the employment of independent directors on boards.\u0000","PeriodicalId":46371,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Accounting and Information Management","volume":"101 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.2,"publicationDate":"2021-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77327539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-06-08DOI: 10.1108/IJAIM-11-2020-0188
Tariq Elrazaz, Moataz Elmassri, Yousry Ahmed
PurposeThis paper aims to investigate whether UK public targets manage their earnings using real activities manipulation in the period prior to the announcement of a mergers and acquisition (M&A). It also examines whether the payment method in M&As affects the degree to which takeover targets manipulate earnings.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 131 UK listed targets acquired over the period 1995–2013, this paper examines real earnings management (REM) by employing OLS regression models. The data related to deals have been mainly collected from Thomson One Banker and Thomson Reuters Eikon databases. REM is examined by investigating abnormal cash flow from operations, abnormal discretionary expenses and abnormal production costs. This analysis was supplemented by conducting additional robustness checks.FindingsThe results show that UK takeover targets manage earnings upwards through cutting discretionary expenses in the year prior to the acquisition, while they do not do so by manipulating sales or production costs. Moreover, targets of cash-only or mixed-payment deals do not have the same strong motivation to manage their earnings as stock-financed deal target counterparts do. Our results continue to hold after using alternative accrual earnings management (EM) measures, controlling for unobservable firm heterogeneity using the fixed-effect model and controlling for endogeneity using the two-stage Heckman (1979) model.Practical implicationsThe main findings of this study could be beneficial for various parties involved M&As, such as standard setters and regulators. A need arises to improve disclosure rules and enhance overall financial reporting quality in the capital markets with the aim of reducing information asymmetry and agency conflicts.Originality/valueAs far as the literature on EM around M&As is concerned, only EM by acquirers has been examined, and not much attention has been paid to targets’ EM.
本文旨在调查英国公共目标是否在宣布并购(M&A)之前使用真实活动操纵来管理其收益。本文还考察了并购中的支付方式是否会影响收购目标操纵盈余的程度。本文以1995-2013年期间收购的131家英国上市公司为样本,采用OLS回归模型检验了实际盈余管理(REM)。与交易相关的数据主要来自Thomson One Banker和Thomson Reuters Eikon数据库。REM是通过调查异常的经营现金流、异常的可自由支配费用和异常的生产成本来检验的。通过进行额外的健壮性检查来补充此分析。研究结果表明,英国的收购目标通过在收购前一年削减可自由支配的开支来提高收益,而他们并不通过操纵销售或生产成本来做到这一点。此外,纯现金或混合支付交易的目标企业没有像股票融资交易的目标企业那样强烈的动机来管理自己的收益。在使用替代权责发生盈余管理(EM)措施,使用固定效应模型控制不可观察的企业异质性和使用两阶段Heckman(1979)模型控制内生性之后,我们的结果仍然成立。实际意义本研究的主要发现可能对并购的各方有益,如标准制定者和监管者。有必要改进披露规则,提高资本市场的整体财务报告质量,以减少信息不对称和代理冲突。就并购相关的新兴市场研究文献而言,只研究了收购方的新兴市场,而对目标企业的新兴市场关注较少。
{"title":"Real earnings manipulation surrounding mergers and acquisitions: the targets’ perspective","authors":"Tariq Elrazaz, Moataz Elmassri, Yousry Ahmed","doi":"10.1108/IJAIM-11-2020-0188","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/IJAIM-11-2020-0188","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000This paper aims to investigate whether UK public targets manage their earnings using real activities manipulation in the period prior to the announcement of a mergers and acquisition (M&A). It also examines whether the payment method in M&As affects the degree to which takeover targets manipulate earnings.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000Using a sample of 131 UK listed targets acquired over the period 1995–2013, this paper examines real earnings management (REM) by employing OLS regression models. The data related to deals have been mainly collected from Thomson One Banker and Thomson Reuters Eikon databases. REM is examined by investigating abnormal cash flow from operations, abnormal discretionary expenses and abnormal production costs. This analysis was supplemented by conducting additional robustness checks.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The results show that UK takeover targets manage earnings upwards through cutting discretionary expenses in the year prior to the acquisition, while they do not do so by manipulating sales or production costs. Moreover, targets of cash-only or mixed-payment deals do not have the same strong motivation to manage their earnings as stock-financed deal target counterparts do. Our results continue to hold after using alternative accrual earnings management (EM) measures, controlling for unobservable firm heterogeneity using the fixed-effect model and controlling for endogeneity using the two-stage Heckman (1979) model.\u0000\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000The main findings of this study could be beneficial for various parties involved M&As, such as standard setters and regulators. A need arises to improve disclosure rules and enhance overall financial reporting quality in the capital markets with the aim of reducing information asymmetry and agency conflicts.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000As far as the literature on EM around M&As is concerned, only EM by acquirers has been examined, and not much attention has been paid to targets’ EM.\u0000","PeriodicalId":46371,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Accounting and Information Management","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79643420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-06-04DOI: 10.1108/ijaim-02-2021-0052
Amal Yamani, K. Hussainey, Khaldoon Albitar
PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of financial instrument disclosures under the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 7 on the cost of equity capital (COEC).Design/methodology/approachThe sample consists of 56 banks listed in the Gulf cooperation council (GCC) stock markets over 7 years from 2011 to 2017. A self-constructed index is used to measure the compliance level in addition to quantitative methods and panel data regression adopted to test the research hypotheses.FindingsThe authors find that the compliance level with IFRS 7 does not improve from 2011 until 2017 in the GCC banks. The authors also find that compliance with IFRS 7 disclosures reduces the COEC.Originality/valueThe authors also provide new empirical evidence that the level of mandatory financial instruments disclosures under IFRS 7 reduces the COEC. The findings offer policy implications. It shows that compliance with IFRS 7 disclosure requirements leads to desirable economic consequences.
{"title":"The impact of financial instruments disclosures on the cost of equity capital","authors":"Amal Yamani, K. Hussainey, Khaldoon Albitar","doi":"10.1108/ijaim-02-2021-0052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijaim-02-2021-0052","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000This study aims to investigate the impact of financial instrument disclosures under the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 7 on the cost of equity capital (COEC).\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The sample consists of 56 banks listed in the Gulf cooperation council (GCC) stock markets over 7 years from 2011 to 2017. A self-constructed index is used to measure the compliance level in addition to quantitative methods and panel data regression adopted to test the research hypotheses.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The authors find that the compliance level with IFRS 7 does not improve from 2011 until 2017 in the GCC banks. The authors also find that compliance with IFRS 7 disclosures reduces the COEC.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000The authors also provide new empirical evidence that the level of mandatory financial instruments disclosures under IFRS 7 reduces the COEC. The findings offer policy implications. It shows that compliance with IFRS 7 disclosure requirements leads to desirable economic consequences.\u0000","PeriodicalId":46371,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Accounting and Information Management","volume":"64 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.2,"publicationDate":"2021-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80069558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-05-19DOI: 10.1108/IJAIM-09-2020-0141
E. Adu‐Ameyaw, A. Danso, Samuel Acheampong, Cynthia Akwei
PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of executive bonus compensation on a firm’s financial leverage policy and the extent to which this compensation–leverage relation is moderated by firm growth and executive ownership.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from 213 non-financial and non-utility UK FTSE 350 firms for the period 2007–2015, generating a total of 1,784 firm-year observations, panel econometric methods are used to test the model.FindingsDrawing insights from agency theoretic view, this paper uncovers that managerial cash bonus compensation is negatively and significantly related to financial leverage. However, stock bonus compensation has a positive and significant impact on leverage. This study also observes that compensation–leverage is moderated by both firm growth and executive ownership. The results remain robust to alternative econometric models.Originality/valueWhile this paper builds on the risk-motivated argument of executive bonus compensation literature, it is the first – to the best of the knowledge – to explore the bonus compensation-corporate financial leverage and, particularly, examine the extent to which firm growth and corporate executive ownership matter in this relationship.
{"title":"Executive bonus compensation and financial leverage: do growth and executive ownership matter?","authors":"E. Adu‐Ameyaw, A. Danso, Samuel Acheampong, Cynthia Akwei","doi":"10.1108/IJAIM-09-2020-0141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/IJAIM-09-2020-0141","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000This study aims to examine the impact of executive bonus compensation on a firm’s financial leverage policy and the extent to which this compensation–leverage relation is moderated by firm growth and executive ownership.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000Using data from 213 non-financial and non-utility UK FTSE 350 firms for the period 2007–2015, generating a total of 1,784 firm-year observations, panel econometric methods are used to test the model.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000Drawing insights from agency theoretic view, this paper uncovers that managerial cash bonus compensation is negatively and significantly related to financial leverage. However, stock bonus compensation has a positive and significant impact on leverage. This study also observes that compensation–leverage is moderated by both firm growth and executive ownership. The results remain robust to alternative econometric models.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000While this paper builds on the risk-motivated argument of executive bonus compensation literature, it is the first – to the best of the knowledge – to explore the bonus compensation-corporate financial leverage and, particularly, examine the extent to which firm growth and corporate executive ownership matter in this relationship.\u0000","PeriodicalId":46371,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Accounting and Information Management","volume":"119 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.2,"publicationDate":"2021-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81432911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-19DOI: 10.1108/IJAIM-10-2020-0156
Syed Numan Chowdhury, Yasser Eliwa
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether audit quality influence real earnings management activities using a sample of UK listed firms that have strong incentives to manage earnings upward through meeting past year’s earnings as a benchmark in the post-adoption period of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a sample of 4,774 firm-year observations of UK listed firms during the period 2005–2018. Univariate and multivariate analyses have been conducted to test the association after controlling for firm characteristics and institutional variables.FindingsThe study reports that the presence of Big 4 auditors is significantly and positively related with greater levels of sales and discretionary expenses manipulation. Though the authors do not find any conclusive evidence on production costs manipulation, the aggregated measure of real earnings management shows a significant positive association with the presence of Big 4 auditors.Practical implicationsThe study implies that managers who have incentives to manage earnings upward around the UK firms take advantage of the accounting flexibility in defining policies while reducing information asymmetry among the investors to signal better future performance. The approach to detect earnings manipulation as described in the auditing standards fails to limit the managerial use of real activities due to limited scope and unclear guidance. Thus, due to the significant impact on public policies, the results should, therefore, be of interest to the regulators and standard setters.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that examines the association between audit quality and real earnings management for the UK all-purpose operational firms in sampled data that just meet past year’s earnings as a benchmark in the post-IFRS period.
{"title":"The impact of audit quality on real earnings management in the UK context","authors":"Syed Numan Chowdhury, Yasser Eliwa","doi":"10.1108/IJAIM-10-2020-0156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/IJAIM-10-2020-0156","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000The purpose of this paper is to examine whether audit quality influence real earnings management activities using a sample of UK listed firms that have strong incentives to manage earnings upward through meeting past year’s earnings as a benchmark in the post-adoption period of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The authors use a sample of 4,774 firm-year observations of UK listed firms during the period 2005–2018. Univariate and multivariate analyses have been conducted to test the association after controlling for firm characteristics and institutional variables.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The study reports that the presence of Big 4 auditors is significantly and positively related with greater levels of sales and discretionary expenses manipulation. Though the authors do not find any conclusive evidence on production costs manipulation, the aggregated measure of real earnings management shows a significant positive association with the presence of Big 4 auditors.\u0000\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000The study implies that managers who have incentives to manage earnings upward around the UK firms take advantage of the accounting flexibility in defining policies while reducing information asymmetry among the investors to signal better future performance. The approach to detect earnings manipulation as described in the auditing standards fails to limit the managerial use of real activities due to limited scope and unclear guidance. Thus, due to the significant impact on public policies, the results should, therefore, be of interest to the regulators and standard setters.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that examines the association between audit quality and real earnings management for the UK all-purpose operational firms in sampled data that just meet past year’s earnings as a benchmark in the post-IFRS period.\u0000","PeriodicalId":46371,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Accounting and Information Management","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.2,"publicationDate":"2021-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72588111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-02-26DOI: 10.1108/IJAIM-01-2021-0020
Khaldoon Albitar, H. Al‐Shaer, Mahmoud Elmarzouky
PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has been adding pressures on companies to commit to their social and ethical responsibilities. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting is the main tool through which companies communicate their social behaviour and the need for credible information is censorious during the crisis. This paper aims to measure the level of COVID-19 disclosures in CSR reports by using an automated textual analysis technique based on a sample of UK companies and investigate whether the level of disclosure is enhanced for companies that subject their CSR reports to an assurance process.Design/methodology/approachThe study sample consists of FTSE All-share non-financial listed companies. The authors use a computer-aided textual analysis, and we use a bag of words to capture COVID-related information in the CSR section of the firm’s annual reports.FindingsThe results suggest that the existence of independent external assurance is significantly and positively associated with the provision of COVID-19 information in CSR reports. The authors also find that when assurance is provided by Big 4 accountancy firms, the disclosure of COVID-related information is enhanced. Furthermore, large companies are more likely to disclose COVID-related information in their CSR reports that are externally assured from top-tier accountancy firms, suggesting that assurance could be a burden for smaller firms. Overall, the findings suggest that assurance on CSR reports provides an “insurance-like” protection that mitigates the risks and signals the management’s ethical behaviour during the pandemic.Practical implicationsThe study approach helps to assess the level of corporate engagement with COVID-19 practices and the extent of related disclosures in CSR reports based on the COVID-19 Secure Guidelines published by the UK government. This helps to emphasise how companies engage and communicate COVID-19-related information to stakeholders through CSR reports and ensure a safe working environment during this pandemic. Managers will need to assess the costs and benefits of purchasing assurance on CSR disclosures, giving the ethical signal that assurance sends to the market and protection that it covers during the crisis.Originality/valueThis paper provides a shred of unique evidence of the impact of the existence of external assurance and the type of assurer on the disclosure of COVID-related information in CSR reports. To the best of authors’ knowledge, no study has yet investigated the corporate disclosure on an unforeseen event in CSR reports and the role of CSR assurance in this respect.
{"title":"Do assurance and assurance providers enhance COVID-related disclosures in CSR reports? An examination in the UK context","authors":"Khaldoon Albitar, H. Al‐Shaer, Mahmoud Elmarzouky","doi":"10.1108/IJAIM-01-2021-0020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/IJAIM-01-2021-0020","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000The COVID-19 pandemic has been adding pressures on companies to commit to their social and ethical responsibilities. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting is the main tool through which companies communicate their social behaviour and the need for credible information is censorious during the crisis. This paper aims to measure the level of COVID-19 disclosures in CSR reports by using an automated textual analysis technique based on a sample of UK companies and investigate whether the level of disclosure is enhanced for companies that subject their CSR reports to an assurance process.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The study sample consists of FTSE All-share non-financial listed companies. The authors use a computer-aided textual analysis, and we use a bag of words to capture COVID-related information in the CSR section of the firm’s annual reports.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The results suggest that the existence of independent external assurance is significantly and positively associated with the provision of COVID-19 information in CSR reports. The authors also find that when assurance is provided by Big 4 accountancy firms, the disclosure of COVID-related information is enhanced. Furthermore, large companies are more likely to disclose COVID-related information in their CSR reports that are externally assured from top-tier accountancy firms, suggesting that assurance could be a burden for smaller firms. Overall, the findings suggest that assurance on CSR reports provides an “insurance-like” protection that mitigates the risks and signals the management’s ethical behaviour during the pandemic.\u0000\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000The study approach helps to assess the level of corporate engagement with COVID-19 practices and the extent of related disclosures in CSR reports based on the COVID-19 Secure Guidelines published by the UK government. This helps to emphasise how companies engage and communicate COVID-19-related information to stakeholders through CSR reports and ensure a safe working environment during this pandemic. Managers will need to assess the costs and benefits of purchasing assurance on CSR disclosures, giving the ethical signal that assurance sends to the market and protection that it covers during the crisis.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000This paper provides a shred of unique evidence of the impact of the existence of external assurance and the type of assurer on the disclosure of COVID-related information in CSR reports. To the best of authors’ knowledge, no study has yet investigated the corporate disclosure on an unforeseen event in CSR reports and the role of CSR assurance in this respect.\u0000","PeriodicalId":46371,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Accounting and Information Management","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.2,"publicationDate":"2021-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90974364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-01-29DOI: 10.1108/IJAIM-08-2020-0126
Adriana Silva, Susana Jorge, L. L. Rodrigues
PurposeExisting research has concluded that accounting quality is influenced not only by the quality of accounting standards, but also by enforcement systems. Therefore, enforcement is one of the key factors for ensuring International Financial Reporting Standards’ (IFRS) compliance and achieving accounting quality. However, one still does not know what has been studied about this relationship in scientific literature. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to identify, recap and evaluate the current state of research on the relationship between IFRS enforcement and accounting quality, to provide a critical overview of publications in this field and to identify future areas of interest.Design/methodology/approachSupported by a structured literature review, this paper fills in a research gap by conducting a scientometric analysis of papers on the relationship between IFRS enforcement and accounting quality construed in a broad sense. It reviews papers published between 2006 and 2019 selected from the Web of Science database, particularly analyzing main journals, authors, geographic areas of study, methods used, specific topics explored and future lines of research to be developed.FindingsMain findings show a shortage of studies analyzing IFRS enforcement practices in individual countries and, in turn, the impact these practices may have on the accounting quality. This gap calls for further research to know the effectiveness of the IFRS-related enforcement mechanisms.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous scientometric studies focused on the enforcement of IFRS and accounting quality. This study fills this research gap and improves the understanding about what has been published on the topic, also proposing an agenda for future research that can help regulators to adjust policies for the implementation and enforcement of IFRS.
目的现有研究认为,会计质量不仅受会计准则质量的影响,还受执行制度的影响。因此,执行是确保国际财务报告准则(IFRS)合规性和实现会计质量的关键因素之一。然而,人们仍然不知道科学文献中对这种关系进行了哪些研究。因此,本文的目的是识别、回顾和评估有关国际财务报告准则执行与会计质量之间关系的研究现状,提供该领域出版物的重要概述,并确定未来的关注领域。设计/方法/方法在结构化文献综述的支持下,本文通过对广义上解释的国际财务报告准则执行与会计质量之间关系的论文进行科学计量分析,填补了研究空白。它回顾了从Web of Science数据库中选择的2006年至2019年发表的论文,特别是分析了主要期刊、作者、研究的地理区域、使用的方法、探索的具体主题和未来要开发的研究方向。主要发现表明,缺乏分析个别国家的国际财务报告准则执行实践以及这些实践可能对会计质量产生的影响的研究。这一差距需要进一步研究,以了解与国际财务报告准则相关的执法机制的有效性。原创性/价值据作者所知,以前没有科学计量学研究集中在国际财务报告准则的执行和会计质量。本研究填补了这一研究空白,提高了对已发表的关于该主题的理解,并为未来的研究提出了一个议程,可以帮助监管机构调整政策,以实施和执行国际财务报告准则。
{"title":"Enforcement and accounting quality in the context of IFRS: is there a gap in the literature?","authors":"Adriana Silva, Susana Jorge, L. L. Rodrigues","doi":"10.1108/IJAIM-08-2020-0126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/IJAIM-08-2020-0126","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000Existing research has concluded that accounting quality is influenced not only by the quality of accounting standards, but also by enforcement systems. Therefore, enforcement is one of the key factors for ensuring International Financial Reporting Standards’ (IFRS) compliance and achieving accounting quality. However, one still does not know what has been studied about this relationship in scientific literature. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to identify, recap and evaluate the current state of research on the relationship between IFRS enforcement and accounting quality, to provide a critical overview of publications in this field and to identify future areas of interest.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000Supported by a structured literature review, this paper fills in a research gap by conducting a scientometric analysis of papers on the relationship between IFRS enforcement and accounting quality construed in a broad sense. It reviews papers published between 2006 and 2019 selected from the Web of Science database, particularly analyzing main journals, authors, geographic areas of study, methods used, specific topics explored and future lines of research to be developed.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000Main findings show a shortage of studies analyzing IFRS enforcement practices in individual countries and, in turn, the impact these practices may have on the accounting quality. This gap calls for further research to know the effectiveness of the IFRS-related enforcement mechanisms.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous scientometric studies focused on the enforcement of IFRS and accounting quality. This study fills this research gap and improves the understanding about what has been published on the topic, also proposing an agenda for future research that can help regulators to adjust policies for the implementation and enforcement of IFRS.\u0000","PeriodicalId":46371,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Accounting and Information Management","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":30.2,"publicationDate":"2021-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80240250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}