IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jrisks/v12y2024i2p32-d1332721.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Features of the Association between Debt and Earnings Quality for Small and Medium-Sized Entities

Author

Listed:
  • José Sequeira

    (ISCAP, Polytechnic of Porto, 4465-004 Matosinhos, Portugal)

  • Cláudia Pereira

    (CEOS.PP, ISCAP, Polytechnic of Porto, 4465-004 Matosinhos, Portugal)

  • Luís Gomes

    (CEOS.PP, ISCAP, Polytechnic of Porto, 4465-004 Matosinhos, Portugal)

  • Armindo Lima

    (CEOS.PP, ISCAP, Polytechnic of Porto, 4465-004 Matosinhos, Portugal)

Abstract

The main source of financing is bank loans for Portuguese small and medium-sized entities (SMEs), which implies several constraints to obtaining additional funds. Relying on the argument of Positive Accounting Theory (PAT) that accounting choices are not neutral and on Agency Theory that information asymmetry prevails between insiders and outsiders, we analyzed the impacts of debt on earnings quality, focusing on its level, its increases, and its term of payment. We estimated econometric regressions using panel data with fixed effects over 2013–2019, using discretionary accruals as an inverse proxy of earnings quality. We found empirical evidence that the relationship between debt and earnings quality tends to vary in sign, as the quality of financial information deteriorates with debt, but as debt becomes high, firms tend to increase the quality of earnings. Furthermore, we found that short-term debt tends to decrease earnings quality more than long-term debt. This article aimed to contribute to the prior literature by collecting evidence that debt levels tend to be an incentive to increase earnings management and fill the gap by analyzing the influence of different debt features. This evidence is useful because earnings management may compromise both stakeholders’ confidence and the efficient allocation of capital.

Suggested Citation

  • José Sequeira & Cláudia Pereira & Luís Gomes & Armindo Lima, 2024. "Features of the Association between Debt and Earnings Quality for Small and Medium-Sized Entities," Risks, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-13, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jrisks:v:12:y:2024:i:2:p:32-:d:1332721
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9091/12/2/32/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9091/12/2/32/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dechow, Patricia & Ge, Weili & Schrand, Catherine, 2010. "Understanding earnings quality: A review of the proxies, their determinants and their consequences," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 344-401, December.
    2. Jensen, Michael C, 1986. "Agency Costs of Free Cash Flow, Corporate Finance, and Takeovers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 323-329, May.
    3. Heung Joo Jeon & Hyun Min Oh, 2020. "Debt Origin and Investment Efficiency from Korea," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-27, August.
    4. Kothari, S.P. & Leone, Andrew J. & Wasley, Charles E., 2005. "Performance matched discretionary accrual measures," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 163-197, February.
    5. Rifka Aulia Inayah, 2021. "Analysis the Effect of Financial Distress, Leverage and Free Cash Flow on Earnings Management," GATR Journals afr203, Global Academy of Training and Research (GATR) Enterprise.
    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. (Grace) Qing Hao & Keming Li, 2016. "The Bright Side of Discretionary Accruals: Evidence from Finance and Innovation," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 22(4), pages 540-575, September.
    2. Zhang, Yuyang & Uchida, Konari & Dong, Liping, 2020. "External financing and earnings management: Evidence from international data," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    3. Seyed Sajad Ebrahimi Rad & Zaini Embong & Norman Mohd-Saleh & Romlah Jaffar, 2016. "Financial Information Quality and Investment Efficiency: Evidence from Malaysia," Asian Academy of Management Journal of Accounting and Finance (AAMJAF), Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, vol. 12(1), pages 129-151.
    4. Muhammad Kaleem Khan & Yixuan Qin & Chengsi Zhang, 2022. "Financial structure and earnings manipulation activities in China," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(8), pages 2593-2621, August.
    5. Abdullah Alsaadi, 2021. "Can Inclusion in Religious Index Membership Mitigate Earnings Management?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 169(2), pages 333-354, March.
    6. Sabur Mollah & Omar Farooque & Asma Mobarek & Philip Molyneux, 2019. "Bank Corporate Governance and Future Earnings Predictability," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 56(3), pages 369-394, December.
    7. Espahbodi, Reza & Liu, Nan & Weigand, Robert A., 2022. "Opportunistic earnings management or performance-related effects? Evidence from dividend-paying firms," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    8. Kim, Kyonghee & Mauldin, Elaine & Patro, Sukesh, 2014. "Outside directors and board advising and monitoring performance," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(2), pages 110-131.
    9. Luca Menicacci, 2022. "Financial reporting and book-tax conformity: A review of the issues," FINANCIAL REPORTING, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2022(1), pages 41-77.
    10. Le, Ha Thi Thu & Vo, Xuan Vinh & Vo, Thi Thuc, 2021. "Accruals quality and the cost of debt: Evidence from Vietnam," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    11. Pavol Durana & Lucia Michalkova & Andrej Privara & Josef Marousek & Milos Tumpach, 2021. "Does the life cycle affect earnings management and bankruptcy?," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 12(2), pages 425-461, June.
    12. Kim, Sang-Joon & Bae, John & Oh, Hannah, 2019. "Financing strategically: The moderation effect of marketing activities on the bifurcated relationship between debt level and firm valuation of small and medium enterprises," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 663-681.
    13. Qin, Wei & Liang, Quanxi & Jiao, Yan & Lu, Meiting & Shan, Yaowen, 2022. "Social trust and dividend payouts: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    14. Du, Qianqian & Shen, Rui, 2018. "Peer performance and earnings management," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 125-137.
    15. Habib, Ahsan & Ranasinghe, Dinithi & Muhammadi, Abdul Haris & Islam, Ainul, 2018. "Political connections, financial reporting and auditing: Survey of the empirical literature," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 37-51.
    16. Junyoup Lee & Eunsuh Lee & Kevin H. Kim & Daniel Gyung H. Paik, 2018. "Acquired In‐process Research Development and Earnings Management," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 28(4), pages 577-588, December.
    17. Campa, Domenico, 2019. "Earnings management strategies during financial difficulties: A comparison between listed and unlisted French companies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 457-471.
    18. Wil Martens & Prem W. S. Yapa & Maryam Safari, 2020. "The Impact of Financial Statement Comparability on Earnings Management: Evidence from Frontier Markets," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-25, November.
    19. Thomas A. Gilliam, 2021. "Detecting Real Activities Manipulation: Beyond Performance Matching," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 57(4), pages 619-653, December.
    20. Robert O. Etengu & Dr. Tobias O. Olweny & Dr. Josephat O. Oluoch, 2020. "Voluntary Disclosure of Financial and Capital Market Data and Earnings Management: Empirical Evidence from Uganda," Journal of Finance and Investment Analysis, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 9(1), pages 1-3.

    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:gam:jrisks:v:12:y:2024:i:2:p:32-:d:1332721. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.