Ownership structure and financial reporting integrity: the moderating role of earnings quality in Egyptian practice

Purpose - This study examines the correlation between ownership structure (OS) and financial reporting integrity (FRI), with emphasis on the impact of earnings quality (EQ) in the Egyptian context. Design/methodology/approach - The study uses data from 472 firm-year observations of Egyptian publicly listed companies between 2014 and 2021 and carried out descriptive statistics, correlation tests, multiple regression analysis and two-stage least squares (2SLS) to test the hypotheses. Findings - The results revealed that blockholders and institutional ownership significantly enhance reporting integrity through effective oversight and monitoring. The findings underscore the vital role of concentrated OS in overseeing reporting practices and mitigating managerial opportunism, thereby improving the transparency and reliability of financial disclosures in Egypt. Practical implications - The findings enrich the literature on corporate governance and financial reporting quality and have important implications for policymakers, regulators and corporate stakeholders. Originality/value - This work contributes valuable insights on how OS and EQ can bolster FRI, offering crucial information for combating financial crises and facilitating smooth business operations in Egypt.