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Noncontrolling shareholders' network centrality and corporate earnings management: Governance or conspiracy?

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  • Yang, Zhonghai
  • Xiu, Xue
  • Xu, Meng
  • Zhao, Yixiu

Abstract

Corporate governance is undermined by the tunneling of controlling shareholders. Social networks play a positive role in corporate governance; hence, the question is whether noncontrolling shareholders can take advantage of their network position to participate in corporate governance and subsequently influence earnings management. Our findings indicate that noncontrolling shareholders' network centrality can impede positive accrual-based earnings management and primarily functions as a governance mechanism via external governance. Also influencing the relationship between positive accrual-based earnings management and noncontrolling shareholders' network centrality are the religious culture in different regions and the nature of corporate property rights. Our study contributes to the debate about the role of noncontrolling shareholders by providing direct evidence that the network centrality of noncontrolling shareholders plays an active role in enhancing corporate governance and accounting information quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang, Zhonghai & Xiu, Xue & Xu, Meng & Zhao, Yixiu, 2024. "Noncontrolling shareholders' network centrality and corporate earnings management: Governance or conspiracy?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finana:v:94:y:2024:i:c:s105752192400231x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irfa.2024.103299
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Earnings management; Network centrality; Noncontrolling shareholder; Supervision and governance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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