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Does internal control over financial reporting really alleviate agency conflicts?

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Listed:
  • Baolei Qi
  • Liuchuang Li
  • Qing Zhou
  • Jinghui Sun

Abstract

This study investigates whether internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) alleviates the managerial expropriation of corporate resources. We do this by examining the potential effects of material weaknesses in internal control on the values of corporate cash holdings and capital expenditures. Our findings suggest that ICFR facilitates the scrutiny and discipline of capital markets and thus alleviates the agency problems. Our results support the premise that high financial reporting quality impairs managers’ abilities to use corporate resources in a self†serving manner.

Suggested Citation

  • Baolei Qi & Liuchuang Li & Qing Zhou & Jinghui Sun, 2017. "Does internal control over financial reporting really alleviate agency conflicts?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 57(4), pages 1101-1125, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:57:y:2017:i:4:p:1101-1125
    DOI: 10.1111/acfi.12198
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    Cited by:

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    2. Chenxi Wang & Deli Wang & Xincai Deng & Shun Wang, 2023. "Research on the Impact of Enterprise Digital Transformation on Internal Control," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-18, May.
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    4. Imran Abbas Jadoon & Umara Noreen & Usman Ayub & Muhammad Tahir & Naima Shahzadi, 2021. "The Impact of Family Ownership on Quality and Disclosure of Internal Control in Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-16, August.
    5. Derrick W. H. Fung & David Jou & Ai Ju Shao & Jason J. H. Yeh, 2021. "The informativeness of embedded value reporting to stock price," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(4), pages 5341-5376, December.
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    7. Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2021. "Earnings quality and internal control in bank-dominated corporate governance," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(2), pages 188-220, April.
    8. Chalmers, Keryn & Hay, David & Khlif, Hichem, 2019. "Internal control in accounting research: A review," Journal of Accounting Literature, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 80-103.
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    13. Cao, Yuqiang & Li, Chenglin & Liu, Xinghe & Lu, Meiting & Shan, Yaowen, 2022. "Economic policy uncertainty and debt allocation within business groups," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).

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