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Do scaling and selection explain earnings discontinuities?

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  • Burgstahler, David
  • Chuk, Elizabeth

Abstract

Earnings distributions commonly exhibit statistically significant discontinuities at zero earnings, which are widely interpreted as evidence of earnings management to avoid a loss. In contrast, Durtschi and Easton (2005, 2009, hereafter DE) assert that discontinuities are instead explained by some combination of prior researchers׳ choice(s) of scaling and sample selection as well as a scaling-related effect due to a systematic relation between the sign of earnings and market prices. Resolution of the conflicting interpretations of discontinuities is important because (1) it affects how investors, regulators, and scholars view earnings management and (2) it demonstrates the importance of a close linkage between theory and research design choices. We point out that DE provide no evidence that scaling or selection create discontinuities, but only evidence showing that changes in scaling or selection eliminate discontinuities. We demonstrate why the research designs used by DE eliminate discontinuities and why alternative designs using the same data yield statistically significant discontinuities that cannot be attributed to either scaling or selection.

Suggested Citation

  • Burgstahler, David & Chuk, Elizabeth, 2015. "Do scaling and selection explain earnings discontinuities?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 168-186.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jaecon:v:60:y:2015:i:1:p:168-186
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jacceco.2014.08.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Anantharaman, Divya & Chuk, Elizabeth & Kamath, Saipriya, 2021. "Location, location, location! Real effects from the mandated removal of pension expected return from operating income," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 108931, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Joseph O. AKANDE & Adedeji D. GBADEBO & Ahmed O. ADEKUNLE, 2023. "Discontinuities In Earnings Distributions: Evidence From South Africa," Oradea Journal of Business and Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 8(2), pages 8-22, September.
    8. Trimble, Madeline, 2018. "A reinvestigation into accounting quality following global IFRS adoption: Evidence via earnings distributions," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 18-39.
    9. Dirk E. Black & Spencer R. Pierce & Wayne B. Thomas, 2022. "A Test of Income Smoothing Using Pseudo Fiscal Years," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(7), pages 5533-5555, July.
    10. Erkens, Michael H.R. & Gan, Ying & Yurtoglu, B. Burcin, 2018. "Not all clawbacks are the same: Consequences of strong versus weak clawback provisions," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 291-317.
    11. Haga, Jesper & Huhtamäki, Fredrik & Sundvik, Dennis, 2022. "Employee effort and earnings management," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    12. Pantic, B., 2016. "Comparability of financial reports: A literature review of most recent studies," Working Papers 6451, Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg State University.
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    14. Leonidas Enrique de la Rosa & Nikolaj Kirkeby Niebuhr, 2019. "Loss aversion and the zero-earnings discontinuity," Economics Working Papers 2019-09, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    15. Thomas Hemmer & Eva Labro, 2019. "Management by the Numbers: A Formal Approach to Deriving Informational and Distributional Properties of “Unmanaged” Earnings," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(1), pages 5-51, March.
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    17. Harris, David G. & Shi, Linna & Xie, Hong, 2018. "Does benchmark-beating detect earnings management? Evidence from accounting irregularities," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 25-45.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Earnings management; Discontinuities;

    JEL classification:

    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • M40 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - General

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