IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jjrfmx/v17y2024i8p348-d1454596.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effect of Earnings Management on Earnings Quality and Sustainability: Evidence from Gulf Cooperation Council Distressed and Non-Distressed Companies

Author

Listed:
  • Khaled Aljifri

    (Accounting Department, College of Business & Economics, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Tariq Elrazaz

    (Accounting Department, College of Business & Economics, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

This study evaluates the effect of earnings management on earnings quality and sustainability in the GCC region, particularly in distressed and non-distressed companies. Studies on earnings quality and sustainability have mostly concentrated on developed markets, with little attention paid to emerging markets like the GCC region. This research is the first to examine how manipulating earnings impacts the quality and sustainability of earnings in distressed and non-distressed companies. This study utilized a unique dataset that represents the GCC region, which has a specific socio-cultural context. We collected data from 839 publicly listed companies in the GCC region between 2011 and 2022 using DataStream ® , WorldScope (WS), and Refinitiv Eikon. To test our hypotheses and ensure accuracy, we used three types of regressions (the fixed effects model, OLS, and 2SLS) and conducted robustness and endogeneity tests. The results of this study indicate that accruals-based earnings management has a negative impact on earnings quality for distressed and non-distressed firms but a positive effect on earnings sustainability for both types of companies. The results of this study also find variations in earnings management practices across industries. These findings provide valuable guidance for auditors, investors, and other stakeholders to evaluate the earnings quality and sustainability of distressed and non-distressed companies, benefiting the GCC economy and similar economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Khaled Aljifri & Tariq Elrazaz, 2024. "Effect of Earnings Management on Earnings Quality and Sustainability: Evidence from Gulf Cooperation Council Distressed and Non-Distressed Companies," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-21, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jjrfmx:v:17:y:2024:i:8:p:348-:d:1454596
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1911-8074/17/8/348/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1911-8074/17/8/348/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John S. Howe & Reza Houston, 2016. "Earnings Management, Earnings Surprises, and Distressed Firms," Accounting and Finance Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 5(1), pages 1-64, February.
    2. Al-Sehali, Mohammed & Spear, Nasser, 2004. "The decision relevance and timeliness of accounting earnings in Saudi Arabia," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 197-217.
    3. Vasiliki Athanasakou & Norman C. Strong & Martin Walker, 2011. "The Market Reward for Achieving Analyst Earnings Expectations: Does Managing Expectations or Earnings Matter?," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(1-2), pages 58-94, January.
    4. Dechow, Patricia & Ge, Weili & Schrand, Catherine, 2010. "Understanding earnings quality: A review of the proxies, their determinants and their consequences," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 344-401, December.
    5. Tariq Zaglol Elrazaz & Moataz Elmassri & Yousry Ahmed, 2021. "Real earnings manipulation surrounding mergers and acquisitions: the targets’ perspective," International Journal of Accounting & Information Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 29(3), pages 429-451, June.
    6. Iatridis, George & Kadorinis, George, 2009. "Earnings management and firm financial motives: A financial investigation of UK listed firms," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 164-173, September.
    7. Subramanyam, K. R., 1996. "The pricing of discretionary accruals," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1-3), pages 249-281, October.
    8. Altman, Edward I. & Haldeman, Robert G. & Narayanan, P., 1977. "ZETATM analysis A new model to identify bankruptcy risk of corporations," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 29-54, June.
    9. Mitchell A. Petersen, 2009. "Estimating Standard Errors in Finance Panel Data Sets: Comparing Approaches," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(1), pages 435-480, January.
    10. Erickson, Merle & Wang, Shiing-wu, 1999. "Earnings management by acquiring firms in stock for stock mergers," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 149-176, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. (Grace) Qing Hao & Keming Li, 2016. "The Bright Side of Discretionary Accruals: Evidence from Finance and Innovation," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 22(4), pages 540-575, September.
    2. Pavol Durana & Lucia Michalkova & Andrej Privara & Josef Marousek & Milos Tumpach, 2021. "Does the life cycle affect earnings management and bankruptcy?," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 12(2), pages 425-461, June.
    3. Lennox, Clive & Wang, Zi-Tian & Wu, Xi, 2018. "Earnings management, audit adjustments, and the financing of corporate acquisitions: Evidence from China," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 21-40.
    4. Chen, Changling & Kim, Jeong-Bon & Yao, Li, 2017. "Earnings smoothing: Does it exacerbate or constrain stock price crash risk?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 36-54.
    5. Persakis, Anthony & Iatridis, George Emmanuel, 2015. "Earnings quality under financial crisis: A global empirical investigation," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 1-35.
    6. Qin, Yiyi & Cai, Jun & Rhee, S. Ghon, 2021. "Do Japanese firms systematically inflate expected rate of returns from defined benefit pension plans?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    7. Fargher, Neil & Wee, Marvin, 2019. "The impact of Ball and Brown (1968) on generations of research," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 55-72.
    8. Armstrong, Christopher S. & Balakrishnan, Karthik & Cohen, Daniel, 2012. "Corporate governance and the information environment: Evidence from state antitakeover laws," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 185-204.
    9. Nguyet T. M. Nguyen & Abdullah Iqbal & Radha K. Shiwakoti, 2022. "The context of earnings management and its ability to predict future stock returns," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 123-169, July.
    10. Li, Leon, 2019. "Is there a trade-off between accrual-based and real earnings management? Evidence from equity compensation and market pricing," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 191-197.
    11. Sun, Zeyu & Kong, Ningning & Wu, Lei & Bao, Yu, 2024. "Does contingent payment in M&As induce acquirers’ earnings management? Evidence from performance commitment," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    12. Nagar, Neerav & Sen, Kaustav, 2015. "Investor Protection and Cash Flow Misclassification," IIMA Working Papers WP2015-12-03, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
    13. Davis, Frederick & Khadivar, Hamed, 2024. "Accrual and real earnings management by rumored takeover targets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    14. Takuya Iwasaki & Norio Kitagawa & Akinobu Shuto, 2012. "Managerial discretion over initial earnings forecasts “Forthcoming in Pacific-Basin Finance Journalâ€," CARF F-Series CARF-F-369, Center for Advanced Research in Finance, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo, revised Nov 2022.
    15. Dichev, Ilia D. & Graham, John R. & Harvey, Campbell R. & Rajgopal, Shiva, 2013. "Earnings quality: Evidence from the field," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(2), pages 1-33.
    16. Jun Cai & Yiyi Qin & Anxing Wang, 2018. "Earnings, Mergers And Acquisitions Under Pension Disclosure Standards," Advances in Decision Sciences, Asia University, Taiwan, vol. 22(1), pages 137-179, December.
    17. Doukas, John A. & Zhang, Rongyao, 2020. "Corporate managerial ability, earnings smoothing, and acquisitions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    18. Nilabhra Bhattacharya & Bidisha Chakrabarty & Xu (Frank) Wang, 2020. "High-frequency traders and price informativeness during earnings announcements," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 1156-1199, September.
    19. Iwasaki, Takuya & Kitagawa, Norio & Shuto, Akinobu, 2023. "Managerial discretion over initial earnings forecasts," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    20. 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.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jjrfmx:v:17:y:2024:i:8:p:348-:d:1454596. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.