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Shareholder litigation risk and real earnings management: a causal inference

Author

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  • Qunfeng Liao
  • Bo Ouyang

Abstract

Purpose - The authors study how shareholder litigation risk impacts a firm’s decision of real earnings management (REM). This paper aims to shed light on how shareholder litigation risk impacts REM. The authors further explore how the intensifying effect varies systematically conditioning on the degree of information asymmetry and the strength of internal corporate governance. Design/methodology/approach - In this study, the authors use the 1999 Ninth Circuit Court ruling as a quasi-experiment that reduces shareholder litigation risk to address endogeneity and establish a causal inference. Findings - The difference-in-difference tests suggest lower shareholder litigation risk intensifies REM. In other words, higher litigation risk mitigates REM. Cross-sectional test results suggest the negative effect of decreased shareholder litigation is more pronounced when monitoring difficulty is higher, when information environment is more impoverished and when internal corporate governance is weaker. The negative effect is also stronger in firms with higher sensitivity to legal threats. Originality/value - Protection of investors’ interest is the focus of corporate governance. Designed as an important corporate governance mechanism, shareholder litigation enables investors to pursue legal actions to recover their losses in the event of corporate misbehaviors. However, whether shareholder litigation is an effective corporate governance tool and beneficial to shareholders and firms is not without controversy. The authors contribute to the debate by providing evidence that supports the argument that shareholder litigation threat significantly disciplines REM, a form of costlier earnings management technique and myopic investment behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Qunfeng Liao & Bo Ouyang, 2019. "Shareholder litigation risk and real earnings management: a causal inference," Review of Accounting and Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 18(4), pages 557-588, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:eme:rafpps:raf-06-2018-0122
    DOI: 10.1108/RAF-06-2018-0122
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Wongsinhirun, Nopparat & Chatjuthamard, Pattanaporn & Jiraporn, Pornsit & Lee, Sang Mook, 2024. "Customer concentration and shareholder litigation risk: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    2. Anutchanat Jaroenjitrkam & Sirimon Treepongkaruna & Pornsit Jiraporn, 2022. "Does shareholder litigation risk promote or hinder corporate social responsibility? A quasi‐natural experiment," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(3), pages 657-674, May.
    3. Mubashar Tanveer & Mohsin Altaf & Zahid Ali Akbar & Uzma Nisar, 2022. "Influence of Advertising Intensity on Real Earnings Management: Evidence from Four Sectors of Pakistan," Journal of Economic Impact, Science Impact Publishers, vol. 4(1), pages 158-164.
    4. Elmawazini, Khaled & Galariotis, Emilios & Hossain, Ashrafee T. & Rjiba, Hatem, 2024. "Federal judge ideology and real earnings management," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Litigation risk; Information asymmetry; Real earnings management; Internal corporate governance; G34; M41; M48;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • M48 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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