Publication
Title
Earnings management within multinational corporations
Author
Abstract
Using a large sample of multinational corporations (MNCs), we examine the location of earnings management within the firm. We posit and find that MNCs manage their consolidated earnings through an orchestrated reporting strategy across subsidiaries over which they exert significant influence. Specifically, we find that headquarters' influence on subsidiary earnings management increases with the degree of subsidiary integration and the extent of earnings management opportunities. Most importantly, we provide evidence that MNCs exploit regulatory arbitrage opportunities arising from cross-country differences in institutional quality. We document that, in response to exogenous improvements in the quality of their home-country institutions, MNCs rebalance their reporting strategies by clustering earnings management in subsidiaries from countries with more lenient regulations. Taken together, our findings yield important insights on the drivers of earnings management location within the firm and highlight the need for better cross-country coordination in regulatory design.
Language
English
Source (journal)
The accounting review / American Accounting Association. - Menasha, Wis., 1926, currens
Publication
Menasha, Wis. : American Accounting Association , 2019
ISSN
0001-4826 [print]
1558-7967 [online]
DOI
10.2308/ACCR-52274
Volume/pages
94 :4 (2019) , p. 45-76
ISI
000482206600002
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 06.09.2019
Last edited 02.10.2024
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