The relationship between earnings management and volunary disclosure quality in Islamic and non-Islamic banks: The case of Mena Region

The aim of the current study is to investigate the relationship between earnings management (EM) and voluntary disclosure quality (VDQ) on Islamic and non-Islamic banks (IBs and NIBs) listed in Middle East and North African (MENA) countries during the period from 2006 to 2015. In accordance with the empirical work of Kanagaretnam et al., (2004) and Yasuda et al., (2004), the two-stage and modified Jones models were employed as major and alternative models respectively to measure EM practices. The multidimensional method of Beretta & Bozzolan (2008) was developed in order to measure VDQ. The panel regression analysis was utilised for the regression model used in the current study. The findings show that the VDQ has a negative and significant impact on EM in both IBs and NIBs, which are in line with the perspectives of both signalling and agency theories. In addition, this result remains unchanged after robustness and several additional tests. Furthermore, the findings of the multivariate analysis show that IBs and NIBs behave differently in terms of both EM practices and VDQ. This result was supported by several alternative tests. Overall, the methodological contribution of this study is the further development of the multidimensional framework of Beretta & Bozzolan, (2008) in order to measure VDQ. It is also the first empirical research, to the best of the researcher’s knowledge, on the relationship between EM and VDQ in the banking industry, especially in Islamic banking. Additionally, it provides empirical evidence on the differences between IBs and NIBs that are listed in MENA countries in terms of EM and VDQ

The relationship between religiosity and voluntary disclosure quality: a cross-country evidence from the banking sector

This study examines whether there is a relationship between religiosity and voluntary disclosure quality (VD_Q). We utilise a three-dimensional approach to capture the VD_Q on an international sample of 1,484 bank-year observations in 12 countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region over 14 years period from 2006 to 2019. Our findings indicate that religiosity is positively associated with banks' VD_Q. Our findings also show that the association between religiosity and VD_Q is more noticeable in banks operating in countries with a low level of legal protection, low level of control of corruption and during the crisis period. We further illustrate that the influence of religiosity is more intense on the spread and usefulness of information dimensions than the quantity dimension. These empirical findings are robust to alternative proxies of religiosity and sample specification. This result supports the notion that religiosity enhances corporate disclosure quality and reduces the asymmetric information gap between managers and outside users of information

How does transparency into global sustainability initiatives influence firm value? Insights from Anglo‐American countries

Corporations use global sustainability reporting principles, certifications, guidelines, and indices to promote corporate transparency. However, the effectiveness of adopting these global transparency approaches, either separately or collectively, in increasing firm value is as yet unclear. Thus, we examine whether different global transparency approaches engender different outcomes related to firm value and whether adopting a comprehensive or integrated global transparency approach could better enhance firm value. We use a sample comprising 6978 firm‐year observations of firms listed in the United States (S&P 500), Canada (S&P‐TSX 221), and the United Kingdom (FTSE 350) from 2013 to 2019. A fixed‐effects regression model is then used to examine the primary associations in this study. This technique was complemented by a two‐step dynamic generalised method of moment (GMM) model to overcome the expected endogeneity concerns. Our findings indicate that adopting global sustainability reporting principles, certifications, and an integrated global transparency approach is positively attributable to the market value of firms. In contrast, firms' adoption of international guidelines and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings cannot predict the firm value in the study context. Our evidence implies that firms' adoption of an integrated global transparency approach adds the most value to those firms when compared with adopting a standalone transparency approach across the three sampled countries. Our study provides practical implications for policymakers and corporate managers and suggests avenues for future studies to build upon our findings

Anti-corruption disclosure quality and earnings management in the United Kingdom: the role of audit quality

Purpose Building upon institutional pressures on firms to deal with corruption, this study aims to investigate the association between a firm's engagement with anti-corruption disclosure quality (ACD_Q) and earnings management (EM). Also, this study examines the moderating role of audit quality in the association between ACD_Q and EM. Design/methodology/approach The authors constructed an ACD_Q index based on the 2010 UK Bribery Act and taking into account a wide range of rules on corruption and bribery, including those of the OECD, World Bank, UNCTAD, UNGC, UNCAC and GRI. Generalized method of moments and panel regression were used to examine the association between ACD_Q and EM. Findings Using a sample of 2,695 firm‐year observations of the UK’s FTSE-350 from 2008 to 2018, this study finds ACD_Q is negatively associated with EM. In addition, this negative relationship is contingent on audit committee independence and audit committee expertise. This finding is supported by additional robustness and sensitivity analysis. Practical implications The empirical evidence reiterates the crucial need for more concerted efforts to ensure corporate engagement in anti-corruption practices with a view to reducing earnings manipulations. Originality/value This study contributes to the limited evidence that investigates how ACD Q influences EM in the UK after the introduction of the UK Bribery Act in 2010. Furthermore, by considering the period from 2008 to 2019, this study investigates the potential moderating role of UK corporate governance reforms in EM reduction. In particular, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study assesses for the first time the moderating effect of audit committee mechanisms on the ACD Q and EM nexus

Pre-COVID-19 student perceptions on blended learning and flipped classroom in accountancy: a case study from two emerging UK HEIs

Purpose This study aims to explore the perceptions of accountancy students on the use of technology, blended learning and flipped classroom in two emerging UK higher education institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach The primary data for the study were collected using a questionnaire survey and descriptively analysed. Findings The findings revealed that there is some use of technology in terms of the Blackboard and PowerPoint presentations but blogs and wikis have very limited use. An aspect that does not seem to be integrated fully yet is the use of blended technology and a flipped classroom. Practical implications The study findings offer a picture of how technology, blended learning and the flipped classroom technique were utilised with accountancy students prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This information is valuable for accounting educators and by extension to other aspects of business studies disciplines in providing a comparison between the pre-COVID-19 scenario and the current one and thus enabling an evaluation of advancement in the application of these teaching strategies as a result of the pressure imposed by social distancing. Such intelligence will facilitate the identification of areas where enhancing learning outcomes has been possible and point to opportunities for improved student experience. Originality/value Where COVID-19 brought about significant structural change in teaching and learning in the HE environment, this study represents a pre-COVID-19 consideration of student perceptions on blended learning and flipped classroom. This study thus has the potential to anchor future relevant studies that consider the post-COVID-19 environment

Accountancy students’ perceptions of the quality of teaching and learning experiences in two UK business schools: implications for generic skills development

Purpose Focusing on the quality of teaching and learning, this study aims to explore the perceptions of accountancy students in two emerging UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) of the quality of their learning experiences and the impact of these experiences on generic skills development. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was used to collect the data. OLS regression was used to test the hypothesis regarding the impact of student learning experiences (lecturer ability, assessment and curriculum) on generic skills development. Findings Students value the lecturer as the most important determinant of the quality of their experience. They rated their assessment programme very positively, and the curriculum suggests that students tend to experience a deep blended approach to learning. They also felt that they acquired a wide range of soft competency skills such as those associated with research, critical thinking and time management. Multivariate findings indicate that lecturer ability and curriculum contribute significantly and positively to generic skills development. Practical implications The study provides a benchmark for international accounting and business educators in any efforts to assess the efficacy of HE delivery since the pandemic. By implication, it enables the identification of enhancements to the previous character of delivery and hence offers the means to direct improvements to the student experience. Such improvements can then be seen in the National Student Survey (NSS) scores, thereby positively contributing to the next Teaching Excellence Framework. Additionally, such tangible enhancements in NSS scores may be advantageous to HEIs, in the UK and other Western countries, in their efforts to recruit international students on whom they place great reliance for increased revenue, to their international business education programmes. Originality/value This study addresses the research gap surrounding the link between teaching and learning approaches in accounting and the development of generic skills. Furthermore, acknowledging that the COVID-19 pandemic with its imposed structural change in the HE teaching and learning environment ushered in a new model of curriculum delivery, this study reflects on the pre-COVID-19 scenario and gathers student perceptions of their teaching and learning experiences before the changes necessitated by lockdowns. It therefore brings the opportunity to anchor future research exploring the post-COVID-19 environment and secure comparative analyses

Board monitoring and capital structure dynamics: evidence from bank-based economies

We examine the impact of board characteristics on the speed of adjustment and the capital structure dynamics of firms in bank-based economies. Using 3927 firm-year observations over a 10-year (2009–2019), we find that board characteristic influences firms' speed of adjustment in a bank-based (stakeholder-oriented) system. We also find some evidence that board characteristics have varying impacts on the capital structure of Japanese, French and German firms. We conclude that firms' capital structure reflects the corporate governance environment they operate. Our results are robust to accounting for endogeneity and alternative leverage measure

Audit Quality and Classification Shifting: Evidence from UK and Germany

Purpose – We examine the impact of audit quality (AQ) on Classification Shifting (CS) among non-financial firms operating in the UK and Germany. Methodology – This paper used various audit committee variables (size, meetings, gender diversity, and financial expertise) to measure AQ and its impact on CS. We used a total of 2110 firm-year observations from 2010 to 2019. Findings - We found that the presence of female members on the audit committee and audit committee financial expertise deter the UK and German managers from shifting core expenses and revenue items into special items to inflate core earnings. However, audit committee size is positively related to CS among German firms but has no impact on UK firms. We also document evidence that audit committee meetings restrain UK managers from engaging in CS. However, we found no impact on CS among German firms. Our results hold even after employing several tests. Originality - Most CS studies used market-oriented economies such as the USA and UK and ignored bank-based economies such as Germany, France, and Japan. We provide a comparison among bank and market-oriented economies on whether the AQ has a similar impact on CS or not among them. Implications - Overall, our findings provide broad support in an international setting for the board to improve its auditing practices and offer essential information to investors to assess how AQ affects the financial reporting process

Corporate board and dynamics of capital structure: Evidence from UK, France and Germany

Abstract: Theoretical arguments suggest that capital structure will adjust to the dynamics of the corporate governance environment. In line with this prediction, we examine the impact of board characteristics on capital structure dynamics and the speed of adjustment. Using 2690 firm‐year observations for 2009–2018, we find that firms in a stakeholder‐oriented corporate governance environment adjust their leverage faster than those in a shareholder‐oriented environment. We also find that corporate board characteristics influence firms' capital structure and speed of adjustment towards target leverage. Our findings are robust to alternative measures of leverage and endogeneity. The overall evidence supports the relevance of the corporate board's composition in both shareholder‐oriented and stakeholder‐oriented corporate governanc (CG) environments. We conclude that board composition mitigates agency conflict

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020