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Earnings management and auditor specialization in the post-sox era: An examination of the banking industry

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  • DeBoskey, David Gregory
  • Jiang, Wei

Abstract

This study examines the impact of auditor specialization on bank loan loss provisions for a large cross-section of US banks for the period 2002–2006. We find a positive relationship between earning (before provision) and loan loss provision, suggesting that bank managers use LLP to smooth earnings in the post-SOX period. However, this relationship is significantly moderated by audit industry expertise, providing strong evidence that industry specialization constrains income smoothing. In further analysis, we find some evidence that auditor specialization is more effective in reducing potentially incoming-increasing earnings management. Our results hold after controlling for self-selection bias and are robust to alternative measures of industry specialization. Overall, our findings support the conclusion that audit industry expertise plays an effective monitoring role in constraining management’s discretionary accounting choices.

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  • DeBoskey, David Gregory & Jiang, Wei, 2012. "Earnings management and auditor specialization in the post-sox era: An examination of the banking industry," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 613-623.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:36:y:2012:i:2:p:613-623
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2011.09.007
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    2. Dahl, Drew, 2013. "Bank audit practices and loan loss provisioning," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(9), pages 3577-3584.
    3. 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.
    4. Leila GHARSELLAOUI & Anis JARBOUI, 2017. "Impact de l’interaction de la qualité d’audit et de la propriété institutionnelle sur la transparence de la communication financière : cas des entreprises cotées à la BVMT," Journal of Academic Finance, RED research unit, university of Gabes, Tunisia, vol. 8(1), June.
    5. Miller, Steve M. & Moussawi, Rabih & Wang, Bin & Yang, Tina, 2021. "Institutional investors and bank governance: An international analysis of bank earnings management," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    6. Leila GHARSELLAOUI & Anis JARBOUI, 2017. "Impact de l’interaction de la qualité d’audit et de la propriété institutionnelle sur la transparence de la communication financière : cas des entreprises cotées à la BVMT," Journal of Academic Finance, RED research unit, university of Gabes, Tunisia, vol. 8(1), June.
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    8. Danisman, Gamze Ozturk & Demir, Ender & Ozili, Peterson, 2021. "Loan loss provisioning of US banks: Economic policy uncertainty and discretionary behavior," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 923-935.
    9. Alzoubi, Ebraheem Saleem Salem, 2018. "Audit quality, debt financing, and earnings management: Evidence from Jordan," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 69-84.
    10. Bley, Jorg & Saad, Mohsen & Samet, Anis, 2019. "Auditor choice and bank risk taking," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 37-52.
    11. Eun Jung Cho & Ju Ryum Chung & Ho-Young Lee, 2019. "The Role of Labor Unions in Corporate Transparency: Focusing on the Role of Governance in Auditor Change Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-21, May.
    12. Yuan, Rongli & Cheng, Yingli & Ye, Kangtao, 2016. "Auditor Industry Specialization and Discretionary Accruals: The Role of Client Strategy," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 217-239.
    13. Mijoo Lee & In Tae Hwang, 2019. "The Effect of the Compensation System on Earnings Management and Sustainability: Evidence from Korea Banks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-24, June.
    14. Zainuldin, Mohd Haniff & Lui, Tze Kiat, 2020. "Earnings management in financial institutions: A comparative study of Islamic banks and conventional banks in emerging markets," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    15. Le Ha Thi Thu, 2020. "The Impact of Auditor Specialization and Banks’ Listing Status on Earnings Management in Vietnamese Commercial Banks," Asian Journal of Law and Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, April.
    16. Kharuddin, Khairul Ayuni Mohd & Basioudis, Ilias G & Farooque, Omar Al, 2021. "Effects of the Big 4 national and city-level industry expertise on audit quality in the United Kingdom," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    17. Le, Ha Thi Thu & Tran, Ha Giang & Vo, Xuan Vinh, 2021. "Audit quality, accruals quality and the cost of equity in an emerging market: Evidence from Vietnam," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    18. Elaoud, Assawer & Jarboui, Anis, 2017. "Auditor specialization, accounting information quality and investment efficiency," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 616-629.
    19. Lin, Yu-En & Li, Yi-Wen & Cheng, Teng Yuan & Lam, Keith, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility and investment efficiency: Does business strategy matter?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    20. Umair Saeed Bhutta & Zhang Youtang & Ali Raza, 2019. "Do Earnings Management Leads to Sub-optimal Investments by Firms? Empirical Evidence From the Textile Sector of Pakistan," Journal of International Business Research and Marketing, Inovatus Services Ltd., vol. 4(2), pages 11-19, January.
    21. Ozili, Peterson Kitakogelu, 2021. "Big 4 auditors, bank earnings management and financial crisis in Africa," MPRA Paper 108608, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    22. Robert McKeown, 2017. "An Overview Of The Canadian Banking System: 1996 To 2015," Working Paper 1379, Economics Department, Queen's University.
    23. Hegde, Shantaram P. & Kozlowski, Steven E., 2021. "Discretionary loan loss provisioning and bank stock returns: The Role of economic booms and busts," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    24. Leon Li & Nen-Chen Richard Hwang & Gilbert V. Nartea, 2019. "Effects of Earnings Management Strategy on Earnings Predictability: A Quantile Regression Approach Based on Opportunistic Versus Efficient Earnings Management," Working Papers in Economics 19/09, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Auditor specialization; Auditor industry expertise; Loan loss provision; Banking industry; Income smoothing; Earnings management;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • N22 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-
    • C12 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Hypothesis Testing: General

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