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Earnings Management and Cultural Values

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  • KURT A. DESENDER
  • CHRISTIAN E. CASTRO
  • SERGIO A. ESCAMILLA DE LEÓN

Abstract

Using theory and empirical data from social psychology to measure for cultural differences between countries, we study the effect of individualism as defined by Hofstede (1980) and egalitarianism as defined by Schwartz (1994, 1999, 2004) on earnings management. We find a significant influence of both cultural measures. In line with Licht et al. (2004), who argue that individualistic societies may be less susceptible to corruption, we find that countries scoring high on individualism tend to have lower levels of earnings management. In addition, we find that egalitarianism, defined as a society's cultural orientation with respect to intolerance for abuses of market and political power, is negatively related with earnings management. Our results are robust to different specifications and controls. The main message of this paper is that besides formal institutions, cultural differences are relevant to explain earnings management behaviour. We think that our work adds to the understanding of the importance of cultural values in managerial behaviour across countries contributing to the literature on earnings management and law and institutions.
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Suggested Citation

  • Kurt A. Desender & Christian E. Castro & Sergio A. Escamilla De León, 2011. "Earnings Management and Cultural Values," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(3), pages 639-670, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:ajecsc:v:70:y:2011:i:3:p:639-670
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    14. Lewellyn, Krista B. & Bao, Shuji 'Rosey', 2017. "The role of national culture and corruption on managing earnings around the world," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(6), pages 798-808.
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    17. Licht, Amir N. & Adams, Renee B., 2020. "Shareholders and Stakeholders around the World: The Role of Values, Culture, and Law in Directors' Decisions," LawFin Working Paper Series 13, Goethe University, Center for Advanced Studies on the Foundations of Law and Finance (LawFin).
    18. Wijayana, Singgih & Gray, Sidney J., 2018. "Capital market consequences of cultural influences on earnings: The case of cross-listed firms in the U.S. stock market," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 134-147.
    19. Charles J. Reuter, 2011. "A survey of culture and finance," Post-Print hal-03016357, HAL.
    20. Singgih Wijayana & Sidney J. Gray, 2019. "Institutional Factors and Earnings Management in the Asia-Pacific: Is IFRS Adoption Making a Difference?," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 307-334, April.
    21. Houqe, Muhammad Nurul & Monem, Reza M. & Tareq, Mohammad & van Zijl, Tony, 2016. "Secrecy and the impact of mandatory IFRS adoption on earnings quality in Europe," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 40(PB), pages 476-490.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • K22 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Business and Securities Law
    • K4 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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