IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/arp/tjssrr/2018p924-932.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Firm Characteristics and Financial Reporting Quality: The Moderating Role of Malaysian Corporate Governance Index

Author

Listed:
  • Rokiah Ishak*

    (Tunku Puteri Intan Safiinaz School of Accountancy, Universiti Utara, Malaysia)

  • Noor Afza Amran

    (Tunku Puteri Intan Safiinaz School of Accountancy, Universiti Utara, Malaysia)

  • Kamarul Bahrain Abdul Manaf

    (Tunku Puteri Intan Safiinaz School of Accountancy, Universiti Utara, Malaysia)

Abstract

The principle role of financial reporting is to provide investors with useful information for investment decision makings. In this study, we examine whether corporate governance moderates the relationship between firm characteristics and financial reporting quality. We use earnings management as measure for financial reporting quality. This study uses secondary data obtained from Thompson Database. The sample of this study is firms listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia from 2012 to 2015. The results of our study reveal that there is a positive value of abnormal cash flow which indicates that companies do practice earnings management through manipulation of cash flow from operations. Large firms are practicing earnings management. Factors such as many business segments and business complexity have encouraged large firms to manage their earnings by manipulating their cash flow from operation. In contrast, firms with high leverage and firms audited by Big 4 are less likely to involve with earnings management. Interestingly, when corporate governance index is used as moderating variable, our result shows that only firms audited by Big 4 are related to earnings management. In terms of the contribution of the study, this study is important for the development of Malaysian capital market and it help investors to better understand how the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on financial reporting quality varies across firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Rokiah Ishak* & Noor Afza Amran & Kamarul Bahrain Abdul Manaf, 2018. "Firm Characteristics and Financial Reporting Quality: The Moderating Role of Malaysian Corporate Governance Index," The Journal of Social Sciences Research, Academic Research Publishing Group, pages 924-932:6.
    • Handle: RePEc:arp:tjssrr:2018:p:924-932
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.arpgweb.com/pdf-files/spi6.30.924.932.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.arpgweb.com/journal/7/special_issue/12-2018/6/4
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Owusu-Ansah, Stephen, 1998. "The impact of corporate attribites on the extent of mandatory disclosure and reporting by listed companies in Zimbabwe," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 605-631.
    2. Ryan Lafond & Sugata Roychowdhury, 2008. "Managerial Ownership and Accounting Conservatism," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 101-135, March.
    3. Gary K Meek & Clare B Roberts & Sidney J Gray, 1995. "Factors Influencing Voluntary Annual Report Disclosures By U.S., U.K. and Continental European Multinational Corporations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 26(3), pages 555-572, September.
    4. Klein, April, 2002. "Audit committee, board of director characteristics, and earnings management," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 375-400, August.
    5. Xie, Biao & Davidson, Wallace III & DaDalt, Peter J., 2003. "Earnings management and corporate governance: the role of the board and the audit committee," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 295-316, June.
    6. Michael C. Jensen, 2010. "The Modern Industrial Revolution, Exit, and the Failure of Internal Control Systems," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 22(1), pages 43-58, January.
    7. Roychowdhury, Sugata, 2006. "Earnings management through real activities manipulation," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 335-370, December.
    8. Inaam Zgarni & Khmoussi Halioui & Fatma Zehri, 2014. "Do the Characteristics of Board of Directors Constrain Real Earnings Management in Emerging Markets? – Evidence from the Tunisian Context," The IUP Journal of Accounting Research and Audit Practices, IUP Publications, vol. 0(1), pages 46-61, January.
    9. Jesus Sáenz González & Emma García-Meca, 2014. "Does Corporate Governance Influence Earnings Management in Latin American Markets?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 121(3), pages 419-440, May.
    10. Patricia M. Dechow & Richard G. Sloan & Amy P. Sweeney, 1996. "Causes and Consequences of Earnings Manipulation: An Analysis of Firms Subject to Enforcement Actions by the SEC," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(1), pages 1-36, March.
    11. Cullinan, Charles P. & Wang, Fangjun & Wang, Peng & Zhang, Junrui, 2012. "Ownership structure and accounting conservatism in China," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 1-16.
    12. R.M. Haniffa & T. E. Cooke, 2002. "Culture, Corporate Governance and Disclosure in Malaysian Corporations," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 38(3), pages 317-349, October.
    13. Masahiro Enomoto & Fumihiko Kimura & Tomoyasu Yamaguchi, 2013. "A Cross-Country Study on the Relationship between Financial Development and Earnings Management," Discussion Paper Series DP2013-34, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, revised Oct 2017.
    14. murhadi, werner R., 2009. "Good Corporate Governance And Earnings Management Practices: An Indonesian Cases," MPRA Paper 24756, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Nov 2009.
    15. Burgstahler, David & Dichev, Ilia, 1997. "Earnings management to avoid earnings decreases and losses," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 99-126, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ujkan Bajra & Simon Cadez, 2018. "The Impact of Corporate Governance Quality on Earnings Management: Evidence from European Companies Cross†listed in the US," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 28(2), pages 152-166, June.
    2. Luminita Enache & Antonio Parbonetti & Anup Srivastava, 2020. "Are all outside directors created equal with respect to firm disclosure policy?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 541-577, August.
    3. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2021. "Earnings quality and internal control in bank-dominated corporate governance," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(2), pages 188-220, April.
    4. Nguyet T. M. Nguyen & Abdullah Iqbal & Radha K. Shiwakoti, 2022. "The context of earnings management and its ability to predict future stock returns," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 123-169, July.
    5. Neeraj K. Sehrawat & Amit Kumar & Nandita Lohia & Satvik Bansal & Tanya Agarwal, 2019. "Impact of Corporate Governance on Earnings Management: Large Sample Evidence from India," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 9(12), pages 1335-1345, December.
    6. Armstrong, Christopher S. & Guay, Wayne R. & Weber, Joseph P., 2010. "The role of information and financial reporting in corporate governance and debt contracting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 179-234, December.
    7. Marra, Antonio & Mazzola, Pietro & Prencipe, Annalisa, 2011. "Board Monitoring and Earnings Management Pre- and Post-IFRS," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 205-230, June.
    8. Boahen, Eric & Mamatzakis, Emmanuel, 2016. "Do Religion, Corporate Governance and BIG 4 Audit Interactions Affect Misclassification?," MPRA Paper 76804, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Greco, Giulio, 2012. "Ownership structures, corporate governance and earnings management in the European Oil Industry," MPRA Paper 37198, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Kamran & Attaullah Shah, 2014. "The Impact of Corporate Governance and Ownership Structure on Earnings Management Practices: Evidence from Listed Companies in Pakistan," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 19(2), pages 27-70, July-Dec.
    11. Elnahass, Marwa & Salama, Aly & Yusuf, Noora, 2022. "Earnings management and internal governance mechanisms: The role of religiosity," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    12. Yves Mard, 2005. "Vers Une Information Comptable Plus Transparente : L'Apport Des Recherches Portant Sur La Gestion Des Résultats Comptables," Post-Print halshs-00581229, HAL.
    13. Dechow, Patricia & Ge, Weili & Schrand, Catherine, 2010. "Understanding earnings quality: A review of the proxies, their determinants and their consequences," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 344-401, December.
    14. Stockmans, Annelies & Lybaert, Nadine & Voordeckers, Wim, 2013. "The conditional nature of board characteristics in constraining earnings management in private family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 84-92.
    15. Sugato Chakravarty & Chiraphol N. Chiyachantana & Christine Jiang, 2011. "THE CHOICE OF TRADING VENUE AND RELATIVE PRICE IMPACT OF INSTITUTIONAL TRADING: ADRs VERSUS THE UNDERLYING SECURITIES IN THEIR LOCAL MARKETS," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 34(4), pages 537-567, December.
    16. Lars Moratis & Max van Egmond, 2018. "Concealing social responsibility? Investigating the relationship between CSR, earnings management and the effect of industry through quantitative analysis," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-13, December.
    17. Dimitropoulos, Panagiotis E. & Asteriou, Dimitrios, 2010. "The effect of board composition on the informativeness and quality of annual earnings: Empirical evidence from Greece," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 190-205, June.
    18. Kuo, Jing-Ming & Ning, Lutao & Song, Xiaoqi, 2014. "The Real and Accrual-based Earnings Management Behaviors: Evidence from the Split Share Structure Reform in China," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 101-136.
    19. Mujeeb Saif Mohsen Al-Absy & Ku Nor Izah Ku Ismail & Sitraselvi Chandren, 2018. "Accounting expertise in the audit committee and earnings management," Business and Economic Horizons (BEH), Prague Development Center, vol. 14(3), pages 451-476, June.
    20. Ng, Jeffrey & Wu, Hong & Zhai, Weihuan & Zhao, Jing, 2021. "The effect of shareholder activism on earnings management: Evidence from shareholder proposals11We appreciate the helpful comments and suggestions from Stephen Taylor, Gary Biddle, Santosh Ramalingego," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:arp:tjssrr:2018:p:924-932. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Managing Editor (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://arpgweb.com/?ic=journal&journal=7&info=aims .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.