Audit Committee Features and Earnings Management: Further Evidence from Singapore

Publication Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2004

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the link between audit committees and earnings management providing a more comprehensive simultaneous analysis of the influence of audit committee features using a sample of 485 firm-years from Singapore's publicly traded firms during the 2000–2001 calendar period. Empirical findings indicate firms with a higher proportion of independent audit committee members are more effective at constraining earnings management. Firms with audit committees that are more diligent and/or lack the presence of independent directors serving simultaneously on a substantial number of boards and committees are more effective at constraining earnings management. These findings are robust to alternative income-incentives facing corporate management. Overall, our findings have implications for stakeholders, regulators, and corporate governance. For example, our findings infer policymakers may need to focus on other audit committee characteristics to strengthen the committee's ability to constrain earnings management rather than continue the present fixation with independence.

Keywords

earnings management; audit committees; income-reporting incentives; Singapore; corporate governance.

Discipline

Accounting | Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics | Corporate Finance

Research Areas

Corporate Governance, Auditing and Risk Management

Publication

International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics

Volume

1

Issue

2/3

First Page

233

Last Page

258

ISSN

1741-802X

Identifier

10.1504/ijbge.2004.005257

Publisher

Inderscience Publishers

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS