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1 – 10 of over 3000Jalil Khaksar, Mahdi Salehi and Mahmoud Lari DashtBayaz
This paper aims to analyze the relationship between the following auditor's characteristics with detecting frauds in the listed companies on the Tehran Stock Exchange.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze the relationship between the following auditor's characteristics with detecting frauds in the listed companies on the Tehran Stock Exchange.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple regression model is used to test the research hypothesis. The hypothesis was further tested with a sample of 187 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (1,309 observations) from 2012 to 2018 and by using multiple regression models based on panel data and the random-effects model.
Findings
The results suggest a positive and significant relationship between audit firms' size, auditor rotation, specialization in the industry, the audit market's focus, auditor's independence, audit report lag and renewal of financial statements with fraud detection. The results revealed a significant relationship between the period of auditor tenure, auditor's narcissism, audit fees and the type of auditors' opinion (un-qualified opinion) with fraud detection.
Originality/value
As the present study is a pioneer in examining this issue in the emerging markets, it provides users, analysts and legal entities with useful information about auditor characteristics that significantly affect the fraud detection of financial statements. The results mitigate the literature gap and improve knowledge in this area.
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Milad Soltani, Alexios Kythreotis and Arash Roshanpoor
The emergence of machine learning has opened a new way for researchers. It allows them to supplement the traditional manual methods for conducting a literature review and turning…
Abstract
Purpose
The emergence of machine learning has opened a new way for researchers. It allows them to supplement the traditional manual methods for conducting a literature review and turning it into smart literature. This study aims to present a framework for incorporating machine learning into financial statement fraud (FSF) literature analysis. This framework facilitates the analysis of a large amount of literature to show the trend of the field and identify the most productive authors, journals and potential areas for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, a framework was introduced that merges bibliometric analysis techniques such as word frequency, co-word analysis and coauthorship analysis with the Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling approach. This framework was used to uncover subtopics from 20 years of financial fraud research articles. Furthermore, the hierarchical clustering method was used on selected subtopics to demonstrate the primary contexts in the literature on FSF.
Findings
This study has contributed to the literature in two ways. First, this study has determined the top journals, articles, countries and keywords based on various bibliometric metrics. Second, using topic modeling and then hierarchy clustering, this study demonstrates the four primary contexts in FSF detection.
Research limitations/implications
In this study, the authors tried to comprehensively view the studies related to financial fraud conducted over two decades. However, this research has limitations that can be an opportunity for future researchers. The first limitation is due to language bias. This study has focused on English language articles, so it is suggested that other researchers consider other languages as well. The second limitation is caused by citation bias. In this study, the authors tried to show the top articles based on the citation criteria. However, judging based on citation alone can be misleading. Therefore, this study suggests that the researchers consider other measures to check the citation quality and assess the studies’ precision by applying meta-analysis.
Originality/value
Despite the popularity of bibliometric analysis and topic modeling, there have been limited efforts to use machine learning for literature review. This novel approach of using hierarchical clustering on topic modeling results enable us to uncover four primary contexts. Furthermore, this method allowed us to show the keywords of each context and highlight significant articles within each context.
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Mark Lokanan, Vincent Tran and Nam Hoai Vuong
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the possibility of rating the credit worthiness of a firm’s quarterly financial report using a dynamic anomaly detection method.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the possibility of rating the credit worthiness of a firm’s quarterly financial report using a dynamic anomaly detection method.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a data set containing financial statements from Quarter 1 – 2001 to Quarter 4 – 2016 of 937 Vietnamese listed firms. In sum, 24 fundamental financial indices are chosen as control variables. The study employs the Mahalanobis distance to measure the proximity of each data point from the centroid of the distribution to point out the extent of the anomaly.
Findings
The finding shows that the model is capable of ranking quarterly financial reports in terms of credit worthiness. The execution of the model on all observations also revealed that most financial statements of Vietnamese listed firms are trustworthy, while almost a quarter of them are highly anomalous and questionable.
Research limitations/implications
The study faces several limitations, including the availability of genuine accounting data from stock exchanges, the strong assumptions of a simple statistical distribution, the restricted timeframe of financial data and the sensitivity of the thresholds for anomaly levels.
Practical implications
The study opens an avenue for ordinary users of financial information to process the data and question the validity of the numbers presented by listed firms. Furthermore, if fraud information is available, similar research can be conducted to examine the tendency for companies with anomalous financial reports to commit fraud.
Originality/value
This is the first paper of its kind that attempts to build an anomaly detection model for Vietnamese listed companies.
Accounting-based financial scandals caused by fraudulent financial reports negatively affect the financial markets and cause loss of confidence in investors. Financial reporting…
Abstract
Accounting-based financial scandals caused by fraudulent financial reports negatively affect the financial markets and cause loss of confidence in investors. Financial reporting quality needs to be improved in order to build and maintain trust in financial markets. To increase the quality of financial reports, fraudulent financial reporting risks should be defined. At this point, regulators, practitioners, and researchers are in constant search.
There are improved approaches to the detection of financial reporting frauds in the literature. Many studies have been conducted on the “Fraud Triangle Theory” and the “Fraud Diamond Theory” approaches. The Fraud Triangle Theory argues that while fraudulent action is taking place in defining the elements of press, rationalization, and opportunity, the Fraud Diamond Theory approach argues that in order to achieve these three elements, the capability to carry out a fraud in individuals must be improved.
In this study, it is aimed to investigate the effect of Fraud Diamond elements on fraudulent financial reports. For the scope of the research, data of 26 companies from Manufacturing Industry enterprises operating in BORSA ISTANBUL between 2013 and 2017 were used. Financial reports of the companies are divided into two groups: (1) Fraudulent Financial Reports and (2) Non-Fraud Financial Reports. The hypotheses developed within the scope of the research were tested using the Logistic Regression analysis in IBM SPSS Statistic 20 program.
As a result of the study, it has been determined that there is a negative correlation between borrowing level, asset profitability, independent audit firm, auditor exchanges and institutionalization level, and fraudulent financial reports. It was understood that the change in assets and the size of the audit committee did not have any effect on the fraudulent financial reports.
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Banking industry peculiarly has become soft target for several pernicious deceptive and fraudulent activities. The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the literature…
Abstract
Purpose
Banking industry peculiarly has become soft target for several pernicious deceptive and fraudulent activities. The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the literature published in past 20 years on bank frauds and present a holistic view on causes and consequences of bank frauds and measures to curtail this menace. Towards the end the paper provides avenues for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review approach is used in this study and articles are selected via pre-set inclusion criteria. The literature is mapped on the basis of databases, year of publication, country of study and journal of publication. This paper is based on 70 selected articles published in four prominent databases between 2000 and 2021.
Findings
This study reveals that frauds in banking industry have become a matter of grave concern for almost all countries across the globe, causing significant financial and non-financial damages to banks, customers, other stakeholders and economy. Numerous factors such as pressure and opportunity are responsible for fraud occurrence. This study further evinced that banking institutions inevitably should have a robust fraud risk management in place to prevent, detect and respond to defalcation.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the only paper among 70 selected articles which systematically reviews the literature published in past 20 years and provides a comprehensive view on all aspects related to bank frauds.
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Jiali Tang and Khondkar E. Karim
This paper aims to discuss the application of Big Data analytics to the brainstorming session in the current auditing standards.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the application of Big Data analytics to the brainstorming session in the current auditing standards.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors review the literature related to fraud, brainstorming sessions and Big Data, and propose a model that auditors can follow during the brainstorming sessions by applying Big Data analytics at different steps.
Findings
The existing audit practice aimed at identifying the fraud risk factors needs enhancement, due to the inefficient use of unstructured data. The brainstorming session provides a useful setting for such concern as it draws on collective wisdom and encourages idea generation. The integration of Big Data analytics into brainstorming can broaden the information size, strengthen the results from analytical procedures and facilitate auditors’ communication. In the model proposed, an audit team can use Big Data tools at every step of the brainstorming process, including initial data collection, data integration, fraud indicator identification, group meetings, conclusions and documentation.
Originality/value
The proposed model can both address the current issues contained in brainstorming (e.g. low-quality discussions and production blocking) and improve the overall effectiveness of fraud detection.
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This paper aims to review the relevant forensic accounting research (FAR) around the world and suggests avenues for future research in forensic accounting.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review the relevant forensic accounting research (FAR) around the world and suggests avenues for future research in forensic accounting.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used the thematic and systematic literature review methodology to analyse the existing literature in FAR.
Findings
The major thematic areas in the literature are fraud motivation, fraud consequences, fraud detection using forensic accounting techniques, forensic accounting theory, forensic accounting skills, forensic accounting education and forensic accounting jobs. The quantity of FAR is relatively small compared to the quantity of research in other accounting specializations. FAR is well developed in the USA and Canada and is less developed in Europe, Oceania and Asia. There is high interest in FAR in African countries. There is a relatively low global interest in internet information about “forensic accounting research” compared to global interest in other forensic accounting topics. Areas for future research include the role of the environment, digitalization, religiosity and sustainable development in forensic accounting.
Practical implications
FAR around the world is lopsided, as some regions have more advanced FAR compared to other regions. There is a need for even development of FAR across all regions and a need to publicize the outputs of FAR to a larger audience to increase people’s interest in forensic accounting.
Originality/value
The study extends the literature by presenting a rigorous thematic and systematic review of the existing literature. It highlights the depth of FAR, the major thematic areas, the benefits of FAR to society and the geographical reach of existing FAR.
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Polydoros Demetriades and Samuel Owusu-Agyei
The purpose of this paper is to examine Toshiba’s fraudulent financial reporting in relation to the fraud diamond (pressure, opportunity, rationalisation and capability).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine Toshiba’s fraudulent financial reporting in relation to the fraud diamond (pressure, opportunity, rationalisation and capability).
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative empirical research, analysing secondary data from Toshiba’s published annual reports before restatement, from 2008–2014 has been used. A simultaneous equations approach was used to test the hypothesis. Excel software was used to analyse secondary data and to carry out correlation analysis and descriptive statistics analysis.
Findings
This study uncovers evidence that pressure proxied by return on assets (ROA), the opportunity proxied by ineffective monitoring (BDOUT), rationalisation proxied by audit opinion (AO) and capability proxied by board member changes (BCHANGE) had moderate to strong relationship to financial statement fraud (FSF) (proxied by Beneish M-score model). However, ROA has a negative and significant effect on Toshiba’s FSF. BDOUT, AO and BCHANGE have positive and significant effect on Toshiba’s FSF. Furthermore, there is no multicollinearity problem within the four variables. Overall, this study has statistically proven that all dimensions of fraud diamond are required for the explanation of Toshiba’s accounting scandal.
Originality/value
Although a few studies discuss the four dimensions (fraud diamond), none, to our surprise, exists which explain the circumstances led Toshiba’s high-level executives to commit fraud. This study is the first thorough investigation of Toshiba’s accounting scandal that uses all four dimensions to explain Toshiba’s FSF.
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The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the elements of the fraud diamond theory in detecting financial statement fraud among non-financial firms in Kenya…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the elements of the fraud diamond theory in detecting financial statement fraud among non-financial firms in Kenya. Secondary data used to calculate ratios and figures representing the study variables was collected using a checklist for each of the targeted firms listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange in Kenya for the 2013-2017 period.
Design/methodology/approach
Secondary data used to calculate ratios and figures representing the study variables was collected using a checklist for each of the targeted firms listed in the Nairobi Securities Exchange in Kenya for the 2013-2017 period. Convenience sampling technique was used to come up with a sample size of 35 out of the targeted population of 45 non-financial firms listed in Kenya (78% representation). This sample size was representative enough of the targeted population.
Findings
The results strongly supported that all the four elements of the fraud diamond triangle influenced financial statement fraud in Kenya. However, using three parameters, namely R2, predicted sign and standard error, to compare the applicability of either the Yoon et al. (2006) or the modified Jones (1991), our study findings are mixed. It is therefore imperative that a new model should be developed in detecting earnings management in the Kenyan context. Note that including other variables will to a greater extent increase the explanatory power in detecting earnings management practiced by non-financial firms listed in Kenya.
Research limitations/implications
Use of secondary information in the study was one limitation. Certain financial information was missing from some of the targeted firms’ official websites and the Nairobi Securities Exchange research handbooks. The researcher ensured that only non-financial firms whose audited financial statements were easily accessible were included in the study. Firms whose records were not readily available were excluded from the survey.
Practical implications
Practically, this study enables regulatory authorities in Kenya to understand the extent with which each element of the fraud diamond theory could be relied on in detecting financial statement fraud. Moreover, it will advise them on the areas to lay more emphasis when attempting to detect financial statement fraud using this model.
Originality/value
The main value of this study is the determination of the key elements of the fraud diamond theory, which have influence on financial statement fraud among non-financial firms listed in Kenya.
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Arief Hidayatullah Khamainy, Mahrus Ali and M. Arif Setiawan
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of the new fraud diamond model in explaining financial statement fraud.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of the new fraud diamond model in explaining financial statement fraud.
Design/methodology/approach
The variables used to examine the factors consist of motivation, opportunity, personal integrity and capability. This research used manufactured companies listed in the Indonesia Stock Exchange of the 2015–2019 period as the population.
Findings
There has been a positive influence between personal financial need (OSHIP), nature of the industry (RECEIVABLE) and history of sale (SG) toward financial statement fraud, while the negative effect is found only in the effective monitoring (IND).
Research limitations/implications
The new fraud diamond model theory which is used as a reference in this study is a new and under-developed theory. So the author suggests that further research on this theory be carried out to strengthen the new fraud diamond model theory and ensure whether it can be used as a reference to find out the causes of financial statement fraud. In addition, the object used in this study is limited to manufacturing companies, so the author suggests that further research combine several types of companies.
Originality/value
The research finding supports the new fraud diamond model theory in elaborating the financial statement fraud phenomenon.
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