Earnings Management Preferences of Family Firms and Its Impact on the Market Value of the Firm

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the preference for earnings management techniques by the family firms and the impact of the same on the performance of the firm. Family firms contrary to non-family firms are driven by different objectives. Using socio emotional wealth theory, we hypothesize that family firms prefer an earnings management technique, which is less risky in the long term. Using the publicly available data on all the family firms listed on Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), our analysis indicates prevalence both accrual based and real activity earnings management among Indian family firms. However, revenue based real activity earnings management was preferred by those family firms that have exhausted the possibility of accrual based earnings management. Our analysis of the impact of earnings management choice on market value indicates a short-term positive impact of the accrual based earnings management. Revenue based real activity earnings management was found to have long term positive impact but the cost based real activity earnings management had a long term negative impact on the value of the market value of the firm.