IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v77y2025ics1544612325003460.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Supervisory board, internal control quality, and earnings management

Author

Listed:
  • Zheng, Yong
  • Han, Yue

Abstract

Based on data from Chinese A-share listed companies from 2003 to 2022, this study delves into how the supervisory board significantly reduces both accrual and real earnings management through the quality of internal control, revealing its core role in enhancing corporate governance. The findings indicate that the supervisory function of the board not only directly curtails earnings management practices but also indirectly strengthens this effect by enhancing management incentives and external audit quality. Furthermore, both management incentives and high-quality external audits have been proven to effectively modulate the supervisory effects, enhancing their restraining influence on accrual earnings management, while having a minimal impact on real earnings management. Through analyzing different profit motives and corporate governance structures, this study further confirms the environmental sensitivity of the supervisory board's role and the functional differences under various governance contexts, providing empirical support for optimizing corporate governance.

Suggested Citation

  • Zheng, Yong & Han, Yue, 2025. "Supervisory board, internal control quality, and earnings management," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:77:y:2025:i:c:s1544612325003460
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2025.107083
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612325003460
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2025.107083?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhang, Huilin & Boubaker, Sabri & Ni, Xiaoran, 2023. "Creditor rights and real earnings management: Evidence from quasi-natural experiments," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    2. Kuo, Ya-Fen & Lin, Yi-Mien & Chien, Hsiu-Fang, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility, enterprise risk management, and real earnings management: Evidence from managerial confidence," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    3. Oz, Ibrahim Onur & Yelkenci, Tezer, 2018. "Examination of real and accrual earnings management: A cross-country analysis of legal origin under IFRS," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 24-37.
    4. Liu, Yanmei, 2023. "Managerial ownership and the effectiveness of internal control," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PA).
    5. Tian, Kun & Li, Yang & Wang, Canghong & Zhou, Tingyuan, 2024. "Corporate strategic differences and earnings management," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    6. Gao, Yihong & Pan, Xingyu & Ye, Qiaoyan, 2023. "Corporate governance effects of state asset protection: A perspective on real earnings management," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PD).
    7. Zhijun Lin & Ming Liu & Carlos Noronha, 2016. "The Impact of Corporate Governance on Informative Earnings Management in the Chinese Market," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 52(3), pages 568-609, September.
    8. Tomasz Sosnowski & Anna Wawryszuk-Misztal, 2019. "Diversity on management and supervisory board and accuracy of management earnings forecasts in IPO prospectuses," Ekonomia i Prawo, Uniwersytet Mikolaja Kopernika, vol. 18(3), pages 347-363, September.
    9. Dechow, Patricia M. & Kothari, S. P. & L. Watts, Ross, 1998. "The relation between earnings and cash flows," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 133-168, May.
    10. Enni Savitri & Andreas Andreas & Almasdi Syahza & Tatang Ary Gumanti & Nik Herda Nik Abdullah, 2020. "Corporate governance mechanism and financial performance: role of earnings management," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 7(4), pages 3395-3409, June.
    11. GONG, Yuanyuan & YAN, Yongjun & YANG, Nianxiang, 2021. "Does internal control quality improve earnings persistence? Evidence from China's a-share market," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).
    12. Fields, L. Paige & Gupta, Manu & Wilkins, Mike & Zhang, Shage, 2018. "Refinancing pressure and earnings management: Evidence from changes in short-term debt and discretionary accruals," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 62-68.
    13. repec:eme:hppsss:h-08-2016-0062 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Khenissi, Mohamed & Jahmane, Abderrahman & Hofaidhllaoui, Mahrane, 2022. "Does the introduction of CSR criteria into CEO incentive pay reduce their earnings management? The case of companies listed in the SBF 120," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    15. Li, Yuanhui & Nie, Weiqian & Xiang, Erwei & Djajadikerta, Hadrian Geri, 2018. "Can banks identify firms’ real earnings management? Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 23-29.
    16. Kathrin Johansen & Saskia Laser & Doris Neuberger & Ettore Andreani, 2017. "Inside or outside control of banks? Evidence from the composition of supervisory boards," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 31-58, February.
    17. Lin, Yuchuan & Xing, Xinpeng, 2024. "Supply chain spillover effect of media attention to customers from the perspective of real earnings management," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    18. Han, Wei & Wu, Di, 2023. "Internationalization and earnings management: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    19. Wang, Ping & Chi, Mingyuan & Wang, Xiaochun, 2023. "Overseas listing and earnings management methods selection," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PB).
    20. Tan, Yizhi & Yang, Chengjie & Qian, Kaihao & Jiang, Chengxin, 2024. "Asset injection and enterprise earnings management," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 62(PB).
    21. Roychowdhury, Sugata, 2006. "Earnings management through real activities manipulation," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 335-370, December.
    22. Li, Leon, 2019. "Is there a trade-off between accrual-based and real earnings management? Evidence from equity compensation and market pricing," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 191-197.
    23. Song, Bomi & Chung, Heesun & Kim, Bum-Joon & Sonu, Catherine Heyjung, 2023. "Do business trainings for audit committees matter in organizations? Focusing on earnings management," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    24. Kałdoński, Michał & Jewartowski, Tomasz, 2020. "Do firms using real earnings management care about taxes? Evidence from a high book-tax conformity country," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    25. Kałdoński, Michał & Jewartowski, Tomasz & Mizerka, Jacek, 2020. "Capital market pressure, real earnings management, and institutional ownership stability - Evidence from Poland," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    26. Davis, Frederick & Khadivar, Hamed, 2024. "Accrual and real earnings management by rumored takeover targets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    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. 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.
    2. Sawssen Khlifi & Ghazi Zouari, 2021. "The Impact of CEO Overconfidence on Real Earnings Management: Evidence from M&A Transactions," Journal of Accounting and Management Information Systems, Faculty of Accounting and Management Information Systems, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, vol. 20(3), pages 402-424, September.
    3. Kałdoński, Michał & Jewartowski, Tomasz & Mizerka, Jacek, 2020. "Capital market pressure, real earnings management, and institutional ownership stability - Evidence from Poland," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    4. Sawssen Khlifi & Ghazi Zouari, 2022. "The Moderating Role of Good Corporate Governance on The Relationship Between Corporate Social Responsibility and Real Earnings Management," Journal of Accounting and Management Information Systems, Faculty of Accounting and Management Information Systems, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, vol. 21(4), pages 524-545, December.
    5. Gao, Yihong & Pan, Xingyu & Ye, Qiaoyan, 2023. "Corporate governance effects of state asset protection: A perspective on real earnings management," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PD).
    6. Li, Zhaochu & Lytvynenko, Iryna P. & Philippoff, Karl S., 2021. "Stock market reactions to R&D cuts used to manage earnings," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    7. Tianjiao Zhao & Xiang Xiao & Qinghui Dai, 2021. "Transportation Infrastructure Construction and High-Quality Development of Enterprises: Evidence from the Quasi-Natural Experiment of High-Speed Railway Opening in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-23, December.
    8. Shan Lu & Peng Wu & Lei Gao & Richard Gifford, 2023. "Are State-Owned Enterprises Equally Reliable Information Suppliers? An Examination of the Impacts of State Ownership on Earnings Management Strategies of Chinese Enterprises," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-26, February.
    9. Ammar Hussain & Minhas Akbar & Muhammad Kaleem Khan & Ahsan Akbar & Mirela Panait & Marian Catalin Voica, 2020. "When Does Earnings Management Matter? Evidence across the Corporate Life Cycle for Non-Financial Chinese Listed Companies," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-19, December.
    10. Thomas A. Gilliam, 2021. "Detecting Real Activities Manipulation: Beyond Performance Matching," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 57(4), pages 619-653, December.
    11. Zhang, Jiawei & Wang, Ruzhou & Ding, Yi & Liang, Fangzhi, 2025. "Can ESG ratings influence relationship-based transactions: Empirical evidence from Chinese listed companies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    12. Enomoto, Masahiro & Kimura, Fumihiko & Yamaguchi, Tomoyasu, 2015. "Accrual-based and real earnings management: An international comparison for investor protection," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 183-198.
    13. Tunyi, Abongeh A. & Ntim, Collins G. & Danbolt, Jo, 2019. "Decoupling management inefficiency: Myopia, hyperopia and takeover likelihood," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1-20.
    14. Bartosz Kabaciński & Jerome Geyer-Klingeberg & Jacek Piotr Mizerka & Andreas Rathgeber & Agnieszka Stróżyńska-Szajek & Mikołaj Nowicki, 2024. "Real Earnings Management and Quality of Corporate Governance: A Meta-Regression Analysis," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 4, pages 1-29.
    15. Ahmad Almashaqbeh & Hasnah Shaari & Hijattulah Abdul-Jabbar, 2019. "The Effect of Board Diversity on Real Earnings Management: Empirical Evidence From Jordan," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 11(5), pages 495-508, August.
    16. Kim, Hyonok & Yasuda, Yukihiro & 安田, 行宏, 2020. "Earnings Management and Stock Market Listing," Working Paper Series G-1-24, Hitotsubashi University Center for Financial Research.
    17. Amin, Qazi Awais & Cumming, Douglas, 2021. "Blockholders and real earnings management-the emerging markets context," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    18. Alexandre Garel & Jose Martin-Flores & Arthur Petit-Romec & Ayesha Scott, 2021. "Institutional investor distraction and earnings management," Post-Print hal-03096196, HAL.
    19. Rasmi Meqbel & Mohammad Alta'any & Salah Kayed & Ahmed Al‐Omush, 2024. "Earnings management and sustainability assurance: The moderating role of CSR committee," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 1769-1785, May.
    20. Isabel‐Maria García‐Sánchez & Nazim Hussain & Sana Akbar Khan & Jennifer Martínez‐Ferrero, 2020. "Managerial entrenchment, corporate social responsibility, and earnings management," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(4), pages 1818-1833, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • M42 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Auditing

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:eee:finlet:v:77:y:2025:i:c:s1544612325003460. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    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.