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Earnings Management, Audit Quality and Legal Environment: An International Comparison

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  • Mehmet nsal Memis

    (ukurova University, Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences,Department of Business Administration, Adana, Turkey.)

  • Emin H seyin Cetenak

    (ukurova University, Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Department of Business Administration, Adana, Turkey.)

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between earnings management-audit quality and earnings management-legal system quality by using 1507 firms' observations from listed companies in private firms across different 8 emerging countries. Consistent with previous research, differentiation between Big 4 and non-Big 4 audit firms are used as a audit quality proxy and discretionary accruals are used to measure the earnings management. According to the results, only for Brazilian and Mexican companies, there is significant relationship between the discretionary accruals and audit quality. For the other countries there is not significant relationship. Furthermore efficiency of the legal system helps decrease earnings management incentives. Along with results, the big four auditors do not constrain the earnings management incentives in every emerging country but effective legal system does. In this analysis we used other earnings management related variables like the size of the firms, leverage, lagged ROA of the firms which have loss in the previous year and Tobin Q as control variables

Suggested Citation

  • Mehmet nsal Memis & Emin H seyin Cetenak, 2012. "Earnings Management, Audit Quality and Legal Environment: An International Comparison," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 2(4), pages 460-469.
    • Handle: RePEc:eco:journ1:2012-04-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Chi Duong Thi, 2023. "Audit Quality, Institutional Environments, and Earnings Management: An Empirical Analysis of New Listings," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440231, June.
    2. Sayaf Algrady & Xie Xiaojun, 2022. "Influential Factors Affecting Earnings Management in Public Listed Companies: A Conceptual Model," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 12(2), pages 1-10, March.
    3. Ahmad Ibrahim Karajeh & Mohd Yussoff B. Ibrahim, 2017. "Impact of Audit Committee on the Association Between Financial Reporting Quality and Shareholder Value," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 7(3), pages 14-19.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Audit Quality; Earnings Management; Legal Enforcement;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • M42 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Auditing
    • M48 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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