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Financial crisis and accounting quality: Evidence from five European countries

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  • Iatridis, George
  • Dimitras, Augustinos I.

Abstract

This study investigates how the economic crisis affects the scope for earnings manipulation and the value relevance of reported financial numbers for companies that are audited by a big 4 auditor. The analysis is focused on Portuguese, Irish, Italian, Greek and Spanish listed companies. The findings show that Portugal, Italy and Greece tend to engage more in earnings management in their effort to improve their lower profitability and liquidity, and accommodate their higher debt and growth. Ireland exhibits less evidence of earnings manipulation, while the findings for Spain are to some extent conflicting. Additionally, the reported financial numbers of Portuguese and Greek companies that are audited by a big 4 auditor were found to be of higher quality before the crisis. In contrast, Irish, Italian and Spanish companies report more value relevant financial numbers during the crisis. The results of this study are particularly useful for accounting regulators when preparing accounting rules that seek to reduce information asymmetry and earnings manipulation and increase the quality of reported disclosures in light of a crisis and for investors that need further assistance for the establishment of a profitable investment strategy in periods characterized by high uncertainty and volatility.

Suggested Citation

  • Iatridis, George & Dimitras, Augustinos I., 2013. "Financial crisis and accounting quality: Evidence from five European countries," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 154-160.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:advacc:v:29:y:2013:i:1:p:154-160
    DOI: 10.1016/j.adiac.2013.03.001
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    Cited by:

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    3. Persakis, Anthony & Iatridis, George Emmanuel, 2015. "Earnings quality under financial crisis: A global empirical investigation," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 1-35.
    4. Carmen- Alexandra BALTARIU, 2015. "The Current State Of Knowledge In The Value Relevance Research Field," SEA - Practical Application of Science, Romanian Foundation for Business Intelligence, Editorial Department, issue 7, pages 13-20, April.
    5. Luísa Andreia Serra Costa & António de Melo da Costa Cerqueira & Elísio Fernando Moreira Brandão, 2016. "The impact of financial crisis on earnings management: evidence from EU-25," FEP Working Papers 578, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    6. Hanwen Chen & Siyi Liu & Xin Liu & Jiani Wang, 2022. "Opportunistic timing of management earnings forecasts during the COVID‐19 crisis in China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(S1), pages 1495-1533, April.
    7. Tram-Anh Nguyen & Phu Ha Nguyen & Hiep Ngoc Luu & Trang Nguyen Ha Cu & Phuong-Anh Nguyen, 2023. "Bank provisioning practice during the pandemic: evidence from the COVID-19 outbreak," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(3), pages 248-260, September.
    8. Han, Sangyong & Lai, Gene C. & Ho, Chia-Ling, 2018. "Corporate transparency and reserve management: Evidence from US property-liability insurance companies," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 379-392.
    9. Alhaj-Ismail, Alaa & Adwan, Sami & Stittle, John, 2019. "Share-option based compensation expense, shareholder returns and financial crisis," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 20-35.
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    11. Pathak, Rajesh & Ranajee,, 2020. "Earnings quality and corporate payout policy linkages: An Indian context," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    12. Nikos Vettas & Konstantinos Peppas & Sophia Stavraki & Michail Vasileiadis, 2020. "The contribution of Industry to the Greek economy: facts and prospects," Economic Bulletin, Bank of Greece, issue 52, pages 29-67, December.
    13. Ioannis Asimakopoulos & Athanasios P. Fassas & Dimitris Malliaropulos, 2020. "Does earnings quality matter? Evidence from the Athens Exchange," Economic Bulletin, Bank of Greece, issue 52, pages 93-112, December.
    14. Zahra H. Oskouei & Zahra Heidary Sureshjani, 2021. "Studying the relationship between managerial ability and real earnings management in economic and financial crisis conditions," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(3), pages 4574-4589, July.
    15. Constantina Backinezos & Stelios Panagiotou & Evangelia Vourvachaki, 2020. "Multiplier effects by sector: an input-output analysis of the Greek economy," Economic Bulletin, Bank of Greece, issue 52, pages 7-28, December.
    16. Bona-Sánchez, Carolina & Pérez-Alemán, Jerónimo & Santana-Martín, Domingo Javier, 2019. "Earnings credibility in politically connected family firms," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 316-332.
    17. Dimitras, Augustinos I. & Kyriakou, Maria I. & Iatridis, George, 2015. "Financial crisis, GDP variation and earnings management in Europe," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 338-354.
    18. Afroditi Ntokozi & Christos A. Tzovas & Constantinos G. Chalevas, 2022. "Earnings Management During Financial Crisis: The Case of Greece," Journal of Accounting and Management Information Systems, Faculty of Accounting and Management Information Systems, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, vol. 21(2), pages 200-219, June.
    19. Pavlopoulos, Athanasios & Magnis, Chris & Iatridis, George Emmanuel, 2017. "Integrated reporting: Is it the last piece of the accounting disclosure puzzle?," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 23-46.
    20. Pavlatos, Odysseas & Kostakis, Hara, 2015. "Management accounting practices before and during economic crisis: Evidence from Greece," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 150-164.
    21. Persakis, Anthony & Iatridis, George Emmanuel, 2016. "Audit quality, investor protection and earnings management during the financial crisis of 2008: An international perspective," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 73-101.
    22. Eliwa, Yasser & Haslam, Jim & Abraham, Santhosh, 2016. "The association between earnings quality and the cost of equity capital: Evidence from the UK," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 125-139.
    23. Joanna Lizińska & Leszek Czapiewski, 2023. "Earnings Management amid the COVID-19 Financial Crisis: The Experience of Poland," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 1, pages 93-112.
    24. Federica Palazzi & Massimo Ciambotti & Lorenzo Gelsomini, 2019. "L?adozione dell?Activity-Based Costing nelle PMI: analisi di un caso," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2019(1), pages 97-122.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Big 4 auditing; Economic crisis; Earnings management; Value relevance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

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