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Managerial reporting, overoptimism, and litigation risk

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  • Laux, Volker
  • Stocken, Phillip C.

Abstract

We examine how the threat of litigation affects an entrepreneur's reporting behavior when the entrepreneur (i) can misrepresent his privately observed information, (ii) pays legal damages out of his own pocket, and (iii) is optimistic about the firm's prospects relative to investors. We find higher expected legal penalties imposed on the culpable entrepreneur do not always cause the entrepreneur to be more cautious but instead can increase misreporting. We highlight how this relation depends crucially on the extent of entrepreneurial overoptimism, legal frictions, and the internal control environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Laux, Volker & Stocken, Phillip C., 2012. "Managerial reporting, overoptimism, and litigation risk," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(3), pages 577-591.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jaecon:v:53:y:2012:i:3:p:577-591
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jacceco.2012.02.001
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    6. Jeremy Bertomeu & Edwige Cheynel & Edward Xuejun Li & Ying Liang, 2021. "How Pervasive Is Earnings Management? Evidence from a Structural Model," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(8), pages 5145-5162, August.
    7. Xu Jiang & Volker Laux, 2024. "What Role Do Boards Play in Companies with Visionary CEOs?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(3), pages 981-1005, June.
    8. Lin Nan & Xiaoyan Wen, 2019. "Penalties, Manipulation, and Investment Efficiency," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(10), pages 4878-4900, October.
    9. Christian Blecher, 2019. "The influence of uncertainty on the standard-setting decision between fair value and historical cost accounting under asymmetric information," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 47-72, July.
    10. Gu, Junjian, 2021. "FDI characteristics, industry homogeneity, and audit fees in Japanese multinationals," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    11. Mary Brooke Billings & Matthew C. Cedergren & Svenja Dube, 2021. "Does litigation change managers’ beliefs about the value of voluntarily disclosing bad news?," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 1456-1491, December.
    12. Jeremy Bertomeu, 2013. "Discussion of Earnings Manipulation and the Cost of Capital," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(2), pages 475-493, May.
    13. Schantl, Stefan F. & Wagenhofer, Alfred, 2020. "Deterrence of financial misreporting when public and private enforcement strategically interact," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1).
    14. Mirko S. Heinle & Robert E. Verrecchia, 2016. "Bias and the Commitment to Disclosure," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 62(10), pages 2859-2870, October.
    15. Laux, Volker & Stocken, Phillip C., 2018. "Accounting standards, regulatory enforcement, and innovation," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 221-236.
    16. Xu Jiang & Ming Yang, 2024. "Optimal Accounting Rules, Private Benefits of Control, and Efficient Liquidation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 70(9), pages 6302-6314, September.
    17. Habib, Ahsan & Jiang, Haiyan & Bhuiyan, Md. Borhan Uddin & Islam, Ainul, 2014. "Litigation risk, financial reporting and auditing: A survey of the literature," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 145-163.
    18. Chia-Feng (Jeffrey) Yu, 2017. "Interactive Reporting Bias Surrounding CEO Turnover," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(2), pages 239-282, April.
    19. Nicole L. Cade & Lisa Koonce & Kim I. Mendoza, 2020. "Using video to disclose forward-looking information: the effect of nonverbal cues on investors’ judgments," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 1444-1474, December.
    20. Li, Xingli & Pukthuanthong, Kuntara & Glenn Walker, Marcus & Walker, Thomas John, 2016. "The determinants of IPO-related shareholder litigation: The role of CEO equity incentives and corporate governance," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 81-126.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mandatory disclosure; Litigation; Overoptimism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K41 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Litigation Process
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

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