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Accrual-based and real activity earnings management at the back door: Evidence from Chinese reverse mergers

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  • Zhu, Tingting
  • Lu, Meiting
  • Shan, Yaowen
  • Zhang, Yuanlong

Abstract

We examine how Chinese reverse merger (RM) firms trade off and conduct income-increasing earnings management through accrual-based and real activities manipulation strategies. We find that Chinese RM firms engage in both real activities and accrual-based manipulation at higher levels than non-Chinese RM firms, regular US firms and other Chinese US-listed firms. Further analysis suggests that Chinese RM firms use real activities and accrual-based manipulation as substitutes and tend to transition to real activities management in the years after a reverse takeover. Big 4 auditors can effectively constrain both real activities and accrual-based earnings management in Chinese RM firms. We also find that accruals manipulation is more costly relative to real activities management in the short term because it predicts changes in post-acquisition operating performance in Chinese RM firms. Overall, the results provide practical implications to regulators, investors and auditors on the channels through which Chinese RM firms manipulate earnings and the economic consequence of those manipulations.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhu, Tingting & Lu, Meiting & Shan, Yaowen & Zhang, Yuanlong, 2015. "Accrual-based and real activity earnings management at the back door: Evidence from Chinese reverse mergers," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(PA), pages 317-339.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pacfin:v:35:y:2015:i:pa:p:317-339
    DOI: 10.1016/j.pacfin.2015.01.008
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    6. Zijian Cheng & Grant Fleming & Zhangxin (Frank) Liu, 2017. "Financial constraints and investment thirst in Chinese reverse merger companies," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 57(5), pages 1315-1347, December.
    7. Edy Suprianto & Doddy Setiawan, 2018. "Impact of family control on the relationship between earning management and future performance in Indonesia," Business and Economic Horizons (BEH), Prague Development Center, vol. 14(2), pages 342-354, April.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Earnings management; Reverse merger; Accrual-based manipulation; Real activities manipulation; Firm performance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

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