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Corporate governance, ownership structure and managing earnings to meet critical thresholds among Chinese listed firms

Author

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  • Liona Lai

    (York University)

  • Henry Tam

    (York University)

Abstract

This study investigates the behaviors of Chinese listed firms in using non-operating below-the-line items to manage earnings to meet rights-issuance threshold and to avoid delisting, and whether ownership structure and certain corporate governance mechanisms are related to such earnings management behaviors. The present empirical analyses document that the likelihood of managing earnings to meet these critical regulatory thresholds is negatively related to the adoption of independent directors in the board of directors and to the percentage shareholdings of the largest shareholders and positively related to the percentage share of state ownership in China. Further investigation documents that the relationship between earnings management and the fraction of independent directors in the board could be non-linear. There is little evidence, however, that board size, percentage shareholdings of CEO, the duality of CEO and top director of the board, the quality of external auditor, or foreign ownership is related to such earnings management measure. Using the distribution approach to detect earnings management, this study supplements the extant literature on the relationship between corporate governance, ownership structure and earnings management using traditional accrual-based measures. This study offers insights to policy makers, particularly those in emerging economies, about the inducement of earnings management behaviors by government regulations and the prescription to deter earnings management behaviors by encouraging certain internal corporate governance mechanisms.

Suggested Citation

  • Liona Lai & Henry Tam, 2017. "Corporate governance, ownership structure and managing earnings to meet critical thresholds among Chinese listed firms," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 789-818, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:rqfnac:v:48:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s11156-016-0568-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11156-016-0568-y
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    Cited by:

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    2. Li Li Eng & Xi Tian & T. Robert Yu, 2018. "Financial Statement Analysis: Evidence from Chinese Firms," Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies (RPBFMP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(04), pages 1-32, December.
    3. D. G. DeBoskey & Yan Luo & Linying Zhou, 2019. "CEO power, board oversight, and earnings announcement tone," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 657-680, February.
    4. Mohamed Khalil & Aydin Ozkanc & Yilmaz Yildiz, 2020. "Foreign institutional ownership and demand for accounting conservatism: evidence from an emerging market," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 1-27, July.
    5. Han, Minghui & Ding, Ashley & Zhang, Hao, 2022. "Foreign ownership and earnings management," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 114-133.
    6. Sami Adwan & Alaa Alhaj-Ismail & Ranko Jelic, 2022. "Non-executive employee ownership and financial reporting quality: evidence from Europe," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 793-823, August.
    7. Amon Chizema & Wei Jiang & Jing-Ming Kuo & Xiaoqi Song, 2020. "Mutual funds, tunneling and firm performance: evidence from China," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 55(1), pages 355-387, July.
    8. Andrzej Piosik & Ewa Genge, 2019. "The Influence of a Company’s Ownership Structure on Upward Real Earnings Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-24, December.
    9. Luminita Enache & Antonio Parbonetti & Anup Srivastava, 2020. "Are all outside directors created equal with respect to firm disclosure policy?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 541-577, August.
    10. GuoHua Cao & WenJun Geng & Jing Zhang & Qi Li, 2023. "Financial constraints, short selling and corporate fraud: Evidence from China," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(2), pages 297-320, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Corporate governance; Ownership structure; Earnings management; Earnings thresholds; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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