Earnings management and voluntary disclosure of management's responsibility for the financial reports

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between voluntary disclosure of a statement of management's responsibility for the financial reports (MRF) and earnings management, both accrual and real earnings management, in firms listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).

Design/methodology/approach

The samples in this study are selected from listed companies on the SET in the year 2009. The multiple regression are used to test hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that the inclusion of a MRF has no association with both discretionary accrual and real earnings management activities (i.e. sales manipulation, a decrease in discretionary expenditures, and overproduction). The findings from the study reveal that firms with or without the MRF manipulate their earnings in a similar manner.

Research limitations/implications

The sample for the study includes Thai listed firms in the year 2009 only. The small sample size may limit the validity of generalizations from these conclusions.

Practical implications

Based on the results, the regulators will know that the voluntary disclosure of management responsibilities on the financial reports is an ineffective tool to control earnings management.

Social implications

Like Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002, a disclosure of management responsibilities on the financial reports should be required by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand.

Originality/value

Investors will know that firms with or without the MRF manipulate their earnings in a similar manner. The voluntary disclosure of an MRF in Thailand does not guarantee earnings quality.

Citation

Kiattikulwattana, P. (2014), "Earnings management and voluntary disclosure of management's responsibility for the financial reports", Asian Review of Accounting, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 233-256. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARA-11-2013-0075