Real earnings management trends in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of non-financial listed companies in Vietnam

Real earnings management comprises the intervention by managers intending to change business strategies or policies to achieve specific goals. The paper aims to examine trends and levels of real earnings management in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam. The study uses time series data, and the sample includes 1,800 observations from 2016 to 2021. The methods of the study are regression analyses of the real earnings management model. The results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic positively and significantly affected real earnings management of companies listed on the Vietnamese stock exchange. The trends and levels of real earnings management in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic increase depending on the severity of the pandemic. In terms of applications, the study provides evidence that the quality of financial reporting is lower during the pandemic. Listed enterprises in Vietnam are using high financial leverage, leading to a higher vulnerability to shocks such as the pandemic. Therefore, the real earnings management technique mainly used by managers is operating cash flow adjustment by using income maximization strategies to increase the ability to borrow capital to maintain business operations. The study suggests that the choice of income maximization or income minimization strategy depends mainly on commitments with the capital provider (credit institutions), specific contexts, and economic factors.