The Implications of Correlation between Measurement Error in the Discretionary Accruals Proxy and Partitioning Variable in Earnings Management Detection Test

Using a sample including 2642 observations of 2003-2016 annual data of firms listed in Tehran Security Exchange, this study investigates the implications of correlation between non-discretionary accruals and partitioning variables when testing the positive accounting theories hypotheses. In earnings...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Arash Ghorbani, Mohammad Reza Abbaszadeh
Format: Article
Language:fas
Published: Allameh Tabataba'i University Press 2018-09-01
Series:مطالعات تجربی حسابداری مالی
Subjects:
Online Access:https://qjma.atu.ac.ir/article_9845_187017f72553f74807975b6f0b26bda1.pdf
_version_ 1797378333196943360
author Arash Ghorbani
Mohammad Reza Abbaszadeh
author_facet Arash Ghorbani
Mohammad Reza Abbaszadeh
author_sort Arash Ghorbani
collection DOAJ
description Using a sample including 2642 observations of 2003-2016 annual data of firms listed in Tehran Security Exchange, this study investigates the implications of correlation between non-discretionary accruals and partitioning variables when testing the positive accounting theories hypotheses. In earnings management detection tests, it is common for researchers to use variables which partition their sample into two groups, for which differences in motivation for income manipulation are predicted. Since earnings management stimuli are assumed to be correlated with variables like firm performance, leverage or size, the use of these proxies are popular in empirical tests of positive accounting theories hypotheses. The correlation between non-discretionary accruals and the partitioning variable implies that part of the variation of non-discretionary accruals is generated by the partitioning variable. If accruals model does not control for the correlation, this part will be added to the discretionary accruals. In this study, we provide evidence that, when correlation between non-discretionary accruals and the above-mentioned partitioning variables remains uncontrolled, accrual-based models tend to generate measurement error in the estimate of discretionary accruals that significantly affects the sign and the magnitude of correlation between discretionary accruals and the partitioning variables. The findings of a Monte Carlo simulation also indicate that the Jones model relatively generates less type I error when it is adjusted to control for the relation between non-discretionary accruals and firm performance.
first_indexed 2024-03-08T20:05:16Z
format Article
id doaj.art-af8cbd7e21da4512a03ae47457c3137b
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2821-0166
2538-2519
language fas
last_indexed 2024-03-08T20:05:16Z
publishDate 2018-09-01
publisher Allameh Tabataba'i University Press
record_format Article
series مطالعات تجربی حسابداری مالی
spelling doaj.art-af8cbd7e21da4512a03ae47457c3137b2023-12-23T10:37:08ZfasAllameh Tabataba'i University Pressمطالعات تجربی حسابداری مالی2821-01662538-25192018-09-01155915918810.22054/qjma.2018.98459845The Implications of Correlation between Measurement Error in the Discretionary Accruals Proxy and Partitioning Variable in Earnings Management Detection TestArash Ghorbani0Mohammad Reza Abbaszadeh1Assistant Professor, Department of Accounting, Islamic Azad University, BojnourdAssociate Professor, Department of Accounting, Ferdowsi University, MashhadUsing a sample including 2642 observations of 2003-2016 annual data of firms listed in Tehran Security Exchange, this study investigates the implications of correlation between non-discretionary accruals and partitioning variables when testing the positive accounting theories hypotheses. In earnings management detection tests, it is common for researchers to use variables which partition their sample into two groups, for which differences in motivation for income manipulation are predicted. Since earnings management stimuli are assumed to be correlated with variables like firm performance, leverage or size, the use of these proxies are popular in empirical tests of positive accounting theories hypotheses. The correlation between non-discretionary accruals and the partitioning variable implies that part of the variation of non-discretionary accruals is generated by the partitioning variable. If accruals model does not control for the correlation, this part will be added to the discretionary accruals. In this study, we provide evidence that, when correlation between non-discretionary accruals and the above-mentioned partitioning variables remains uncontrolled, accrual-based models tend to generate measurement error in the estimate of discretionary accruals that significantly affects the sign and the magnitude of correlation between discretionary accruals and the partitioning variables. The findings of a Monte Carlo simulation also indicate that the Jones model relatively generates less type I error when it is adjusted to control for the relation between non-discretionary accruals and firm performance.https://qjma.atu.ac.ir/article_9845_187017f72553f74807975b6f0b26bda1.pdfaccrual modelspartitioning variablesmeasurement errors
spellingShingle Arash Ghorbani
Mohammad Reza Abbaszadeh
The Implications of Correlation between Measurement Error in the Discretionary Accruals Proxy and Partitioning Variable in Earnings Management Detection Test
مطالعات تجربی حسابداری مالی
accrual models
partitioning variables
measurement errors
title The Implications of Correlation between Measurement Error in the Discretionary Accruals Proxy and Partitioning Variable in Earnings Management Detection Test
title_full The Implications of Correlation between Measurement Error in the Discretionary Accruals Proxy and Partitioning Variable in Earnings Management Detection Test
title_fullStr The Implications of Correlation between Measurement Error in the Discretionary Accruals Proxy and Partitioning Variable in Earnings Management Detection Test
title_full_unstemmed The Implications of Correlation between Measurement Error in the Discretionary Accruals Proxy and Partitioning Variable in Earnings Management Detection Test
title_short The Implications of Correlation between Measurement Error in the Discretionary Accruals Proxy and Partitioning Variable in Earnings Management Detection Test
title_sort implications of correlation between measurement error in the discretionary accruals proxy and partitioning variable in earnings management detection test
topic accrual models
partitioning variables
measurement errors
url https://qjma.atu.ac.ir/article_9845_187017f72553f74807975b6f0b26bda1.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT arashghorbani theimplicationsofcorrelationbetweenmeasurementerrorinthediscretionaryaccrualsproxyandpartitioningvariableinearningsmanagementdetectiontest
AT mohammadrezaabbaszadeh theimplicationsofcorrelationbetweenmeasurementerrorinthediscretionaryaccrualsproxyandpartitioningvariableinearningsmanagementdetectiontest
AT arashghorbani implicationsofcorrelationbetweenmeasurementerrorinthediscretionaryaccrualsproxyandpartitioningvariableinearningsmanagementdetectiontest
AT mohammadrezaabbaszadeh implicationsofcorrelationbetweenmeasurementerrorinthediscretionaryaccrualsproxyandpartitioningvariableinearningsmanagementdetectiontest