Rabih Nehme, Christelle AlKhoury, Abdullah Alharbi
{"title":"Stimulants of behavioural change: accounting education schism and gender","authors":"Rabih Nehme, Christelle AlKhoury, Abdullah Alharbi","doi":"10.1108/arj-05-2021-0145","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/arj-05-2021-0145","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>This paper aims to identify differences in auditors’ behaviour who have undergone work-integrated learning (WIL) versus the classical accounting education.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>In addition to the education factor, auditors’ perception is assessed in scenarios when facing time budget pressure and time deadline pressure. The gender factor is included to highlight any behavioural differences between male and female auditors. Senior auditors working at the Big Four firms in the UK have participated in this survey.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>The results show, from an educational perspective, that traditional accounting program is perceived as a catalyst of dysfunctional audit behaviour in comparison to WIL program that demonstrated a higher degree of ethicality. Furthermore, the results identify male auditors as having more tendency to behaving dysfunctionally when compared to their female counterparts.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Practical implications</h3>\u0000<p>This paper goes beyond assessing auditors’ ethical actions under work-related stresses, to identifying the differences in their behaviour based on their academic background. It can be used as a tool for audit practitioners and accounting faculty by highlighting the factors leading to dysfunctional behaviour and trying to mitigate them.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>The added value of the research paper is that it sheds light on one of the most issues faced by auditors and employees in general. Time pressures embedded in most businesses can harm organizations badly in relation to the behaviour of their employees.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":45591,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Research Journal","volume":"220 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138540700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The impact of the adoption of international accounting and auditing standards on corruption perception","authors":"Elisabeth Penti Kurniawati, Didi Achjari","doi":"10.1108/arj-08-2021-0230","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/arj-08-2021-0230","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>This study aims to investigate the impact of the adoption of international accounting and auditing standards on corruption perception. In addition, this study examines the strength of auditing and reporting standards (SARS) that mediate the relationship.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>Agency theory and bonding theory were applied in this paper to investigate the impact of the adoption of international accounting and auditing standards on corruption perception. Data from 130 countries during three years were collected from Transparency International, Worldwide Governance Indicators, International Federation of Accountants, World Economic Forum, World Bank, Freedom House and World Justice Project. Hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>The results show a positive impact of the adoption of international accounting and auditing standards on corruption perception, directly and indirectly, through the SARS.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Practical implications</h3>\u0000<p>The results provide an insight into corruption eradication strategy through the adoption of international accounting and auditing standards and strengthen the auditing and reporting standards.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>This study is distinctive, as no study has yet examined the impact of the adoption of international accounting standards construct, which contains International Financial Reporting Standards and International Standards on Auditing, on the corruption perception. The corruption perception construct is developed by combining the corruption perception index and the control of corruption indicators.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":45591,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Research Journal","volume":"124 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138540708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abdullah Abdullah, M. A. Hashmi, Muhammad Sikander Iqbal
{"title":"Impact of working capital management on firm profitability and liquidity: the moderating role of family ownership","authors":"Abdullah Abdullah, M. A. Hashmi, Muhammad Sikander Iqbal","doi":"10.1108/arj-07-2021-0212","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/arj-07-2021-0212","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000This study aims to analyze whether family ownership and working capital management (WCM) affect firm profitability and liquidity. Further, we also investigate the moderating effect of family ownership on the association between WCM, firm profitability and liquidity.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000This study uses a sample of 150 nonfinancial companies listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange for the period 2014–2019. For empirical analysis, this study used multiple proxies of family ownership and applied robust and bootstrapped quantile regression models.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The results suggest that family ownership has a negative association with firm profitability and liquidity. Moreover, this study finds a positive association between WCM and firm profitability and liquidity. Furthermore, the results indicate that family ownership negatively moderates the association between WCM and firm profitability. In addition, we argue that family ownership rescinds the impact of WCM as excess liquidity may be used for extracting private benefits and related party transactions.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000First, this study has examined the nexus between family ownership, WCM, firm profitability and liquidity in the context of a developing country, i.e. Pakistan. Second, previous studies have not analyzed the moderating role of family ownership in the association between working capital management, firm profitability and liquidity. Third, this study provides unique evidence that family-owned firms have an adverse liquidity position as compared with other firms.\u0000","PeriodicalId":45591,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Research Journal","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41499019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dante Baiardo C. Viana Jr, Isabel Lourenço, Ervin L. Black
{"title":"Financial distress, earnings management and Big 4 auditors in emerging markets","authors":"Dante Baiardo C. Viana Jr, Isabel Lourenço, Ervin L. Black","doi":"10.1108/arj-06-2021-0165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/arj-06-2021-0165","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>The purpose of this study is to examine the association between financial distress and accruals-based earnings management in emerging markets, and the role that auditors play in that association.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>This study relies on a sample of 33,455 firm-year observations from 20 emerging markets, covering a large period of analysis of 20 years. A multivariate analysis is performed by considering the level of financial distress as the dependent variable, and the accruals-based earnings management and dummies for the type of auditor as the main independent ones.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>The authors predict and find empirical evidence that firms facing greater financial distress engage in income-increasing accruals-based earnings management in emerging markets, and that such engagement is lower in firms audited by Big 4 firms compared to those audited by non-Big 4 auditors. The authors also find significant differences across Big 4 audit firms in their role of constraining income-increasing earnings management strategies in firms with high levels of financial distress.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>The study adds to previous literature by investigating the association between financial distress and accruals-based earnings management in a comprehensive sample of 20 emerging markets, by providing important overall cross-country empirical evidence that has not been addressed by previous literature. The authors also bring new knowledge by discussing the role played by the Big 4 audit firms in limiting earnings management practices by firms with high levels of financial distress. Such a limitation serves as an important external corporate governance mechanism to restrain managers’ opportunistic behaviour in firms facing financial distress – especially in emerging economies characterized overall by institutional voids.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":45591,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Research Journal","volume":"95 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138540713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
B. Oyewo, V. Tauringana, Babajide Moses Omikunle, Olusola Owoyele
{"title":"The global management accounting principles (GMAP) and the relationship between organizational design elements","authors":"B. Oyewo, V. Tauringana, Babajide Moses Omikunle, Olusola Owoyele","doi":"10.1108/arj-07-2020-0202","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/arj-07-2020-0202","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000This study aims to investigate the relationship between organizational design elements (i.e. quality of management accounting skills and performance management system, PMS), management accounting practice (MAP) sophistication and organizational competitiveness using the Global Management Accounting Principles (GMAP) framework.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000Survey data was obtained through a structured questionnaire from 131 Nigerian firms. Measures of the quality of management accounting skills, robustness of PMS structure, MAP sophistication and organizational competitiveness were derived from the GMAP framework. Structural equation modelling was applied to explore the complexity of relationship among variables.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000While the quality of management accounting skills was found to have a positive but insignificant impact on MAP sophistication, the impact of PMS structure on MAP sophistication was positive and significant. MAP sophistication has a positive impact on organizational competitiveness, but the magnitude of its contribution appears to depend on the quality of management accounting skills and the robustness of PMS structure. The inability of MAP sophistication to exert much influence on organizational competitiveness is attributable to the low contribution of management accounting skills. The result supports the proposition that performance is optimized when all organizational design elements are concurrently improved.\u0000\u0000\u0000Practical implications\u0000The study shows that organizations need to critically look into the quality of skills possessed by personnel in the accounting function, as all organizational design elements must be given equal importance to achieve the best results.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000The study contributes to knowledge by investigating the quality of management accounting skills and the robustness of PMS as organizational design elements affecting MAP and organizational competitiveness using the GMAP framework. The study operationalizes some elements of the GMAP framework by developing measurements that can be used by future studies.\u0000","PeriodicalId":45591,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Research Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42964546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Guest editorial","authors":"Awad Elsayed Awad Ibrahim, Khaled Hussainey","doi":"10.1108/arj-02-2022-382","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/arj-02-2022-382","url":null,"abstract":"ENERGY Systems Integration (ESI) is the process of coordinating the operation and planning of energy systems across multiple pathways and/or geographical scales to deliver reliable, cost-effective energy services with minimal impact on the environment. Energy systems have evolved from individual systems with little or no dependencies into a complex set of integrated systems at scales that include customers, cities, and regions. This evolution has been driven by political, economic, and environmental objectives. As we try to meet the globally recognized imperative to reduce carbon emissions through the deployment of large renewable energy capacities while also maintaining reliability and competitiveness, flexible energy systems are required. This flexibility can be attained through integrating various systems: by physically linking energy vectors, namely electricity, heat, and fuels; by coordinating these vectors across other infrastructures, namely water, data, and transport; by institutionally coordinating energy markets; and, spatially, by increasing market footprint with granularity all the way down to the customer level. Smart grids and ESI are related, in particular, the coupling between electricity, consumers, data and transport. This special section focuses on the aspects of ESI where electricity is coupled to water, heat and fuels and where this coupling brings challenges and/or opportunities. The seven papers in this special section originate from Europe, Asia, North America and Australasia and several of the papers had multiple authors spread across the globe illustrating the international importance of ESI and the collaborations that have developed. The papers cover nearly the full range of ESI sub themes including the coupling between electricity with fuels, heat, gas; the coupling across scales and coupling with other infrastructures (e.g., water). Coupling between electricity and transport is a missing theme but not surprising considering the attention this topic has had in the past decade in the literature. Optimization at a planning and/or an operational time frame is central to nearly all the papers. The energy hub concept introduced over a decade ago by Geidl et al. at ETH Zurich features strongly in the literature survey sections of many of the papers, highlighting the importance of the concept. Renewables integration is an important driver of ESI highlighted in nearly all the papers. The flexibility benefits of integrated energy systems are highlighted throughout by a set of case studies that range from small district heating systems to national scale systems. Enhanced reliability, economic benefits and reductions in emissions all feature strongly across the seven papers and all stem from the ESI approach.","PeriodicalId":45591,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Research Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44236668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
W. M. Wan Mohammad, Nik Mohamad Zaki Nik Salleh, Wan Fadzilah Wan Yusoff
{"title":"Does audit committee constrain firms’ risks in Malaysian family manufacturing firms?","authors":"W. M. Wan Mohammad, Nik Mohamad Zaki Nik Salleh, Wan Fadzilah Wan Yusoff","doi":"10.1108/arj-01-2021-0025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/arj-01-2021-0025","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose\u0000The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between audit committees’ characteristics and firms’ risk in Malaysian manufacturing firms.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000The effect of audit committees on firms’ risk is investigated by 930 firm-year observations between the fiscal years of 2004 and 2009 of Bursa Malaysia listed firms during the global financial crisis. Panel data regression analysis is used to analyze the relationship.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000The findings of this study indicate that audit committee’s independence reduces firms’ risk. Nonetheless, across various analysis, the authors fail to associate audit committee’s qualification and membership in professional bodies with firms’ risk. Consistently, the authors find that family ownership is negatively associated with IDIOSYNCRATIC risks, supporting previous studies claim that family firms are more risk averse than non-family firms.\u0000\u0000\u0000Research limitations/implications\u0000The analysis is confined to Malaysian family manufacturing sectors during global financial crisis 2007–2008.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000This study offers insights into the importance of audit committees’ qualification and knowledge in Malaysian family manufacturing firms in reducing firms’ risk and providing stability to investors investment.","PeriodicalId":45591,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Research Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47578971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Acknowledgments: thank you to our reviewers","authors":"R. Monem","doi":"10.1108/arj-02-2022-381","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/arj-02-2022-381","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45591,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Research Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2022-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46846012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Board diversity and financial performance: empirical evidence from the United Kingdom","authors":"Khaled Hosny, Adel Elgharbawy","doi":"10.1108/arj-02-2020-0037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/arj-02-2020-0037","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship between board diversity and financial performance from a wide perspective, including multiple dimensions of board diversity. Design/methodology/approach The cross-sectional design of the FTSE 350 companies in the period of 2013–2019 was adopted in this study. Data were collected using the Thomson Reuters Eikon and BoardEx databases and analyzed via ordinary least Squares (OLS) regression. Findings Both gender and skill diversity positively affect financial performance. However, other dimensions of diversity, including board tenure, education and network, have no significant influence on financial performance. On the other hand, nationality diversity negatively affects financial performance, and the gender diversity of executive directors negatively affects market-based performance. The results remain unchanged after considering endogeneity concerns and using alternative measures of financial performance. Practical implications This study provides useful insights into the importance of board diversity and its implications for firm performance, which can help in the development of future regulations and policies, such as female representation on the board. The findings can also guide companies toward the best way of diversifying their boardrooms in different aspects. Originality/value This study extensively investigates board diversity, including gender, tenure, skill and education, network and nationality, using the lens of the resource dependency theory. It also extends the scope of the study to examine some characteristics of executive directors, including gender and age. The evidence is provided from one of the leading countries in regulating corporate governance (CG), i.e. the UK.","PeriodicalId":45591,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Research Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46238142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“It’s a long story…” – impression management in South African corporate reporting","authors":"Shreeya Jugnandan, G. Willows","doi":"10.1108/arj-07-2021-0209","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/arj-07-2021-0209","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange use impression management techniques to obscure financial performance across the corporate reporting suite.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000Mixed-effect linear regression models were used to examine whether there is a relationship between the financial performance of a company and the length or complexity of the reports produced.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000Consistent with trends examined internationally, companies with lower financial performance tend to present lengthier disclosures throughout the reporting complement. However, there is limited evidence to suggest a definitive relationship between report complexity and performance. Corporate reports have maintained a consistent level of complexity and are not easily readable.\u0000\u0000\u0000Social implications\u0000This paper is unique as it simultaneously considers multiple corporate reports, including the annual financial statements, integrated reports and market announcements. The paper contributes to the limited body of literature on impression management from emerging economies.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000A comparison of the complexity measures to the average education level of South Africans indicates that most corporate reports are not readable to the layman investor. Thus, despite there being no definitive relationship between complexity and performance, there is impetus to simplify corporate reporting.\u0000","PeriodicalId":45591,"journal":{"name":"Accounting Research Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2021-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49054702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}