Main Article Content
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the influence of financial distress on accrual earnings management and real earnings management before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a purposive sampling method, the study analyzed the sectors most impacted by the pandemic lockdown, including energy, transportation, and logistics companies, between 2018 and 2021. The total sample of 236 firm-year observation data points was analyzed in this study using regression analysis. The study finds that financially distressed firms tend to engage less in real earnings management before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the study did not find a similar significant difference for accrual earnings management. This research contributes to the discussion of financial distress and earnings management by looking more closely to the company most affected by the pandemic. Real earnings management is more costly than accrual earnings management, and companies with financial distress may not have enough resources, especially during the pandemic, to maneuver their real business operations.
Keywords
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References
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- Ali, H., Amin, H. M. G., Mostafa, D., & Mohamed, E. K. A. (2022). Earnings management and investor protection during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from G-12 countries. Managerial Auditing Journal, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1108/MAJ-07-2021-3232
- Altman, E. I., & Hotchkiss, E. (2006). Defining Corporate Financial Distress and Bankruptcy. John Wiley & Sons Inc. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67355-4_2
- Anagnostopoulou, S. C., & Tsekrekos, A. E. (2016). The effect of financial leverage on real and accrual-based earnings management. Accounting and Business Research, 47(2), 191–236. https://doi.org/10.1080/00014788.2016.1204217
- Andrianto, R. (2022). Ekonomi Bangkit di 2021, Harga Minyak Mentah Mendidih! Cnbcindonesia.Com.
- Audy, A. P., & Irfan, M. (2021). Strategi Pengelolaan Konflik Perusahaan Transportasi Darat BUMN di Masa Pandemi Covid-19: Studi Kasus PT Kereta Api Indonesia Dalam Penerapan PSBB Jilid II. Jurnal Kolaborasi Resolusi Konflik, 3(1), 25–34.
- Bisogno, M., & De Luca, R. (2015). Financial Distress and Earnings Manipulation: Evidence from Italian SMEs. Journal of Accounting and Finance, 4(1), 42–51.
- BPS. (2022). Berita Resmi Statistik. In Bps.go.id.
- Chamberlain, T. W., Butt, U. R., & Sarkar, S. (2014). Accruals and Real Earnings Management around Debt Covenant Violations. International Advances in Economic Research, 20(1), 119–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11294-013-9422-3
- Choi, J. H., Kim, J. B., & Lee, J. J. (2011). Value relevance of discretionary accruals in the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 30(2), 166–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccpubpol.2010.09.002
- Cohen, D. A., Dey, A., & Lys, T. Z. (2008). Real and Accrual-Based Earnings Management in the Pre- and Post-Sarbanes-Oxley Periods. The Accounting Review, 83(3), 757–787. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr.2008.83.3.757
- Dechow, N., & Mouritsen, J. (2005). Enterprise resource planning systems, management control and the quest for integration. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 30(7–8), 691–733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aos.2004.11.004
- Dechow, P. M., Sloan, R. G., & Sweeney, A. P. (1996). Causes and Consequences of Earnings Manipulation: An Analysis of Firms Subject to Enforcement Actions by the SEC. Contemporary Accounting Research, 13(1), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1911-3846.1996.tb00489.x
- Estrada, M. A. R., Koutronas, E., & Lee, M. (2020). Stagpression: The Economic and Financial Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic. SSRN Electronic Journal, March. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3578436
- Ghazali, A. W., Shafie, N. A., & Sanusi, Z. M. (2015). Earnings Management: An Analysis of Opportunistic Behaviour, Monitoring Mechanism and Financial Distress. Procedia Economics and Finance, 28(April), 190–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(15)01100-4
- Hartono, D., Yusuf, A. A., Hastuti, S. H., Saputri, N. K., & Syaifudin, N. (2021). Effect of COVID-19 on energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions in Indonesia. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 28, 391–404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2021.06.003
- Healy, P., & Wahlen, J. (1999). A Review of the Earnings Management Literature and Its Implications for Standard Setting. Accounting Horizon 13.
- Jacoby, G., Li, J., & Liu, M. (2019). Financial distress , political affiliation and earnings management: The case of politically affiliated private firms. The European Journal of FinanceFinance, 25(6), 508–523. https://doi.org/10.1080/1351847X.2016.1233126
- Jang, M., Jeong, H. C., Kim, T., Suh, D. H., & Joo, S. K. (2021). Empirical analysis of the impact of covid-19 social distancing on residential electricity consumption based on demographic characteristics and load shape. Energies, 14(22). https://doi.org/10.3390/en14227523
- Jensen, & Meckling. (1976). Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs and Ownership Structure. Journal of Financial Economics., 3(4), 305–360.
- Kim, S. H., Udawatte, P., & Yin, J. (2018). The Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility on Real and Accrual-based Earnings Management: Evidence from China. Australian Accounting Review, 29(3), 580–594. https://doi.org/10.1111/auar.12235
- Li, Y., Li, X., Xiang, E., & Geri, H. (2020). Journal of Contemporary Financial distress , internal control , and earnings management: Evidence from China. Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics, 16(3), 100210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcae.2020.100210
- Liu, G., & Sun, J. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on earnings management and the value relevance of earnings: US evidence. Managerial Auditing Journal, 37(7), 850–868. https://doi.org/10.1108/MAJ-05-2021-3149
- Muljono, D. R., & Suk, K. S. (2018). Impacts of financial distress on real and accrual earnings management. Jurnal Akuntansi, 22(2), 222. https://doi.org/10.24912/ja.v22i2.349
- Nalarreason, K. M., T, S., & Mardiati, E. (2019). Impact of Leverage and Firm Size on Earnings Management in Indonesia. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 6(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v6i1.473
- Ozili, P. K., & Arun, T. G. (2020). Spillover of COVID-19: Impact on the Global Economy. SSRN 3562570.
- PwC. (2021). Global Crisis Survey 2021. In Pwc (Issue March).
- Rahman, M. J., Ding, J., Hossain, M. M., & Khan, E. A. (2022). COVID-19 and earnings management: A comparison between Chinese family and non-family enterprises. Journal of Family Business Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/jfbm-01-2022-0011
- Rakshit, D., Chatterjee, C., & Paul, A. (2021). Financial Distress, the Severity of Financial Distress and Direction of Earnings Management: Evidences from Indian Economy. FIIB Business Review, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/23197145211039351
- Roychowdhury, S. (2006). Earnings management through real activities manipulation. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 42(3), 335–370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2006.01.002
- Ryu, H., & Chae, S. (2022). The Impact of COVID-19 on Earnings Management in the Distribution and Service Industries. Journal of Distribution Science, 4(20), 95–100. http://dx.doi.org/10.15722/jds.20.04.202204.95
- Scott, W. R. (2009). Financial Accounting Theory (fifth edit). Prentice Hall.
- Singh, K., & Rastogi, S. (2022). Financial Distress , COVID-19 and Listed SMEs: A Multi-methodology Approach. Vision, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/09722629221096055
- Sylvia & Khalik, A. (2022). Dimensions of Earnings Management in Transportation Service Companies in Indonesia. Jurnal Akuntansi, 26(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.24912/ja.v26i1.816
- Türegün, N. (2019). Does financial crisis impact earnings management? Evidence from Turkey. Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcaf.22418
- Turk, Z., & Kurklu, E. (2017). Financial Failure Estimate in Bist Companies With Altman (Z-Score) and Springate (S-Score) Models. Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 1(1), 1–14.
- Vakilifard, H., & Mortazavi, M. S. (2016). The Impact of Financial Leverage on Accrual-Based and Real Earnings Management. International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, 6(2), 53–60. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarafms/v6-i2/2039
- Viana, D. B. C. Jr, Lourenço, I., & Black, E. L. (2022). Financial distress, earnings management and Big 4 auditors in emerging markets. Accounting Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/arj-06-2021-0165
- Watts, R. L., & Zimmerman, J. L. (1986). Positive Accounting Theory. Prentice Hall.
- Xiao, H., & Xi, J. (2021). Journal of Accounting and Taxation The COVID-19 and earnings management: China’s evidence. Journal of Accounting and Taxation, 13(2), 59–77. https://doi.org/10.5897/JAT2020.0436
- Yazdanfar, D., & Ohman, P. (2020). Financial distress determinants among SMEs: Empirical evidence from Sweden. Journal of Economic Studies, 47(3), 547–560. https://doi.org/10.1108/JES-01-2019-0030
- Younas, N., Uddin, S., Awan, T., & Khan, M. Y. (2021). Corporate governance and financial distress: Asian emerging market perspective. Corporate Governance, 21(4), 702–715. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-04-2020-0119
- Zang, A. Y. (2012). Evidence on the trade-off between real activities manipulation and accrual-based earnings management. Accounting Review, 87(2), 675–703. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-10196
References
Agrawal, K., & Chatterjee, C. (2015). Earnings Management and Financial Distress: Evidence from India. Global Business Review, 16(5S), 140–154. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972150915601928
Ali, H., Amin, H. M. G., Mostafa, D., & Mohamed, E. K. A. (2022). Earnings management and investor protection during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from G-12 countries. Managerial Auditing Journal, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1108/MAJ-07-2021-3232
Altman, E. I., & Hotchkiss, E. (2006). Defining Corporate Financial Distress and Bankruptcy. John Wiley & Sons Inc. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67355-4_2
Anagnostopoulou, S. C., & Tsekrekos, A. E. (2016). The effect of financial leverage on real and accrual-based earnings management. Accounting and Business Research, 47(2), 191–236. https://doi.org/10.1080/00014788.2016.1204217
Andrianto, R. (2022). Ekonomi Bangkit di 2021, Harga Minyak Mentah Mendidih! Cnbcindonesia.Com.
Audy, A. P., & Irfan, M. (2021). Strategi Pengelolaan Konflik Perusahaan Transportasi Darat BUMN di Masa Pandemi Covid-19: Studi Kasus PT Kereta Api Indonesia Dalam Penerapan PSBB Jilid II. Jurnal Kolaborasi Resolusi Konflik, 3(1), 25–34.
Bisogno, M., & De Luca, R. (2015). Financial Distress and Earnings Manipulation: Evidence from Italian SMEs. Journal of Accounting and Finance, 4(1), 42–51.
BPS. (2022). Berita Resmi Statistik. In Bps.go.id.
Chamberlain, T. W., Butt, U. R., & Sarkar, S. (2014). Accruals and Real Earnings Management around Debt Covenant Violations. International Advances in Economic Research, 20(1), 119–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11294-013-9422-3
Choi, J. H., Kim, J. B., & Lee, J. J. (2011). Value relevance of discretionary accruals in the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 30(2), 166–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccpubpol.2010.09.002
Cohen, D. A., Dey, A., & Lys, T. Z. (2008). Real and Accrual-Based Earnings Management in the Pre- and Post-Sarbanes-Oxley Periods. The Accounting Review, 83(3), 757–787. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr.2008.83.3.757
Dechow, N., & Mouritsen, J. (2005). Enterprise resource planning systems, management control and the quest for integration. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 30(7–8), 691–733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aos.2004.11.004
Dechow, P. M., Sloan, R. G., & Sweeney, A. P. (1996). Causes and Consequences of Earnings Manipulation: An Analysis of Firms Subject to Enforcement Actions by the SEC. Contemporary Accounting Research, 13(1), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1911-3846.1996.tb00489.x
Estrada, M. A. R., Koutronas, E., & Lee, M. (2020). Stagpression: The Economic and Financial Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic. SSRN Electronic Journal, March. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3578436
Ghazali, A. W., Shafie, N. A., & Sanusi, Z. M. (2015). Earnings Management: An Analysis of Opportunistic Behaviour, Monitoring Mechanism and Financial Distress. Procedia Economics and Finance, 28(April), 190–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(15)01100-4
Hartono, D., Yusuf, A. A., Hastuti, S. H., Saputri, N. K., & Syaifudin, N. (2021). Effect of COVID-19 on energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions in Indonesia. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 28, 391–404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2021.06.003
Healy, P., & Wahlen, J. (1999). A Review of the Earnings Management Literature and Its Implications for Standard Setting. Accounting Horizon 13.
Jacoby, G., Li, J., & Liu, M. (2019). Financial distress , political affiliation and earnings management: The case of politically affiliated private firms. The European Journal of FinanceFinance, 25(6), 508–523. https://doi.org/10.1080/1351847X.2016.1233126
Jang, M., Jeong, H. C., Kim, T., Suh, D. H., & Joo, S. K. (2021). Empirical analysis of the impact of covid-19 social distancing on residential electricity consumption based on demographic characteristics and load shape. Energies, 14(22). https://doi.org/10.3390/en14227523
Jensen, & Meckling. (1976). Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs and Ownership Structure. Journal of Financial Economics., 3(4), 305–360.
Kim, S. H., Udawatte, P., & Yin, J. (2018). The Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility on Real and Accrual-based Earnings Management: Evidence from China. Australian Accounting Review, 29(3), 580–594. https://doi.org/10.1111/auar.12235
Li, Y., Li, X., Xiang, E., & Geri, H. (2020). Journal of Contemporary Financial distress , internal control , and earnings management: Evidence from China. Journal of Contemporary Accounting & Economics, 16(3), 100210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcae.2020.100210
Liu, G., & Sun, J. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on earnings management and the value relevance of earnings: US evidence. Managerial Auditing Journal, 37(7), 850–868. https://doi.org/10.1108/MAJ-05-2021-3149
Muljono, D. R., & Suk, K. S. (2018). Impacts of financial distress on real and accrual earnings management. Jurnal Akuntansi, 22(2), 222. https://doi.org/10.24912/ja.v22i2.349
Nalarreason, K. M., T, S., & Mardiati, E. (2019). Impact of Leverage and Firm Size on Earnings Management in Indonesia. International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding, 6(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.18415/ijmmu.v6i1.473
Ozili, P. K., & Arun, T. G. (2020). Spillover of COVID-19: Impact on the Global Economy. SSRN 3562570.
PwC. (2021). Global Crisis Survey 2021. In Pwc (Issue March).
Rahman, M. J., Ding, J., Hossain, M. M., & Khan, E. A. (2022). COVID-19 and earnings management: A comparison between Chinese family and non-family enterprises. Journal of Family Business Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/jfbm-01-2022-0011
Rakshit, D., Chatterjee, C., & Paul, A. (2021). Financial Distress, the Severity of Financial Distress and Direction of Earnings Management: Evidences from Indian Economy. FIIB Business Review, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/23197145211039351
Roychowdhury, S. (2006). Earnings management through real activities manipulation. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 42(3), 335–370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2006.01.002
Ryu, H., & Chae, S. (2022). The Impact of COVID-19 on Earnings Management in the Distribution and Service Industries. Journal of Distribution Science, 4(20), 95–100. http://dx.doi.org/10.15722/jds.20.04.202204.95
Scott, W. R. (2009). Financial Accounting Theory (fifth edit). Prentice Hall.
Singh, K., & Rastogi, S. (2022). Financial Distress , COVID-19 and Listed SMEs: A Multi-methodology Approach. Vision, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/09722629221096055
Sylvia & Khalik, A. (2022). Dimensions of Earnings Management in Transportation Service Companies in Indonesia. Jurnal Akuntansi, 26(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.24912/ja.v26i1.816
Türegün, N. (2019). Does financial crisis impact earnings management? Evidence from Turkey. Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcaf.22418
Turk, Z., & Kurklu, E. (2017). Financial Failure Estimate in Bist Companies With Altman (Z-Score) and Springate (S-Score) Models. Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 1(1), 1–14.
Vakilifard, H., & Mortazavi, M. S. (2016). The Impact of Financial Leverage on Accrual-Based and Real Earnings Management. International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, 6(2), 53–60. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarafms/v6-i2/2039
Viana, D. B. C. Jr, Lourenço, I., & Black, E. L. (2022). Financial distress, earnings management and Big 4 auditors in emerging markets. Accounting Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/arj-06-2021-0165
Watts, R. L., & Zimmerman, J. L. (1986). Positive Accounting Theory. Prentice Hall.
Xiao, H., & Xi, J. (2021). Journal of Accounting and Taxation The COVID-19 and earnings management: China’s evidence. Journal of Accounting and Taxation, 13(2), 59–77. https://doi.org/10.5897/JAT2020.0436
Yazdanfar, D., & Ohman, P. (2020). Financial distress determinants among SMEs: Empirical evidence from Sweden. Journal of Economic Studies, 47(3), 547–560. https://doi.org/10.1108/JES-01-2019-0030
Younas, N., Uddin, S., Awan, T., & Khan, M. Y. (2021). Corporate governance and financial distress: Asian emerging market perspective. Corporate Governance, 21(4), 702–715. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-04-2020-0119
Zang, A. Y. (2012). Evidence on the trade-off between real activities manipulation and accrual-based earnings management. Accounting Review, 87(2), 675–703. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-10196