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Rank and file equity compensation and earnings management: Evidence from stock options

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  • D. Kip Holderness
  • Adrienna Huffman
  • Melissa Lewis‐Western

Abstract

The widespread use of rank and file equity‐based compensation suggests that executives believe that rank and file employees can affect firm outcomes, and some research supports this view. If equity‐based incentives influence rank and file employees’ productive efforts, they might also influence their earnings management decisions. We find that increases in rank and file employees’ option‐based compensation—our proxy for equity‐based compensation—are associated with increases in earnings management and that this relation is attributable to real activities (as opposed to accrual) earnings management. Cross‐sectional tests indicate that the relation is stronger when rank and file option compensation is likely to generate greater performance incentives and attenuated in the presence of more intense monitoring. Finally, we explore the role of cash constraints and overvaluation as potential alternative explanations for this relation and find that neither accounts for our results.

Suggested Citation

  • D. Kip Holderness & Adrienna Huffman & Melissa Lewis‐Western, 2019. "Rank and file equity compensation and earnings management: Evidence from stock options," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(9-10), pages 1201-1236, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jbfnac:v:46:y:2019:i:9-10:p:1201-1236
    DOI: 10.1111/jbfa.12404
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    Cited by:

    1. Wenxia Ge & Jeong‐Bon Kim, 2020. "How does the executive pay gap influence audit fees? The roles of R&D investment and institutional ownership," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(5-6), pages 677-707, May.
    2. Ahsan Habib & Dinithi Ranasinghe & Julia Yonghua Wu & Pallab Kumar Biswas & Fawad Ahmad, 2022. "Real earnings management: A review of the international literature," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(4), pages 4279-4344, December.
    3. Godsell, David & Huang, Kelly & Lao, Brent, 2023. "Managers’ rank & file employee coordination costs and real activities manipulation," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    4. Hennig, Jan C. & Ahrens, Carolin & Oehmichen, Jana & Wolff, Michael, 2023. "Employee stock ownership and firm exit decisions: A cross-country analysis of rank-and-file employees," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).

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