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Does accounting conservatism pay?

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  • Raghavan J. Iyengar
  • Ernest M. Zampelli

Abstract

We investigate whether or not there is a link between conservative accounting practices and the sensitivity of executive pay to accounting performance. Using several accrual‐based measures of accounting conservatism as well as alternative measures of accounting performance, we estimate an econometric model of CEO compensation that incorporates the interaction of accounting conservatism and accounting performance. Consistent with optimal contracting theory, we find that the sensitivity of executive pay to accounting performance is higher for firms that report conservative accounting earnings. These results support the hypothesis that accounting conservatism, by limiting earnings management opportunities and improving the reliability of accounting performance measures, allows firms to formulate contracts that tie executive compensation more closely to accounting performance.

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  • Raghavan J. Iyengar & Ernest M. Zampelli, 2010. "Does accounting conservatism pay?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 50(1), pages 121-142, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:50:y:2010:i:1:p:121-142
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-629X.2009.00325.x
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    1. Takuya Iwasaki & Shota Otomasa & Atsushi Shiiba & Akinobu Shuto, 2012. "The role of accounting conservatism in executive compensation contracts (Forthcoming in Journal of Business Finance and Accounting)," CARF F-Series CARF-F-370, Center for Advanced Research in Finance, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo, revised Jul 2018.
    2. Takuya Iwasaki & Shota Otomasa & Atsushi Shiiba & Akinobu Shuto, 2012. "Excess Executive Compensation and the Demand for Accounting Conservatism," Discussion Paper Series DP2012-08, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    3. Mohamed Khalil & Sandy Harianto & Yilmaz Guney, 2022. "Do political connections reduce earnings management?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 273-310, July.
    4. Araceli Mora & Martin Walker, 2015. "The implications of research on accounting conservatism for accounting standard setting," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(5), pages 620-650, August.
    5. Sherif Elhalaby & Adel Sarea & Awwad Alnesafi & Mujeeb Saif Mohsen Al-Absy, 2023. "The Adoption of AAOIFI Standards by Islamic Banks: Understanding the Microeconomic Consequences," Economies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-22, January.
    6. Ruch, George W. & Taylor, Gary, 2015. "Accounting conservatism: A review of the literature," Journal of Accounting Literature, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 17-38.
    7. Qing L. Burke & Tim V. Eaton & Mengying Wang, 2019. "Trade liberalization and conditional accounting conservatism: evidence from import competition," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 53(3), pages 811-844, October.
    8. Ishida, Souhei & Ito, Kunio, 2013. "The Effect of Accounting Conservatism on Corporate Investment Behavior," Working Paper Series 175, Center for Japanese Business Studies (HJBS), Graduate School of Commerce and Management Hitotsubashi University.

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