Accounting Commons^™

Information Search In Times Of Market Uncertainty: An Examination Of Aggregate And Disaggregate Uncertainty, Marshall A. Geiger, Rajib Hasan, Abdullah Kumas, Joyce Van Der Van Der Laan Smith

Accounting Faculty Publications

Purpose – This study explores the association between individual investor information demand and two measures of market uncertainty – aggregate market uncertainty and disaggregate industry-specific market uncertainty. It extends the literature by being the first to empirically examine investor information demand and disaggregate market uncertainty.

Design/methodology/approach – This paper constructs a measure of information search by using the Google Search Volume Index and computes measures of aggregate and disaggregate market uncertainty using institutional investors’ trading data from Ancerno Ltd. The relation between market uncertainty, as measured by trading disagreements among institutional investors, and information search is analyzed using an OLS …

[Introduction To] Called To Account: Financial Frauds That Shaped The Accounting Profession, Paul M. Clikeman

Bookshelf

Called to Account traces the evolution of the global public accounting profession through a series of scandals leading to voluntary or mandated reforms. Ever entertaining and educational, the book describes 16 of the most audacious accounting frauds of the last 80 years, and identifies the accounting standards and legislation adopted as a direct consequence of each scandal.

This third edition offers expanded coverage of the Global Financial Crisis and international auditing. While retaining favorite chapters exposing the schemes of "Crazy Eddie" Antar, "Chainsaw Al" Dunlap, and Barry "the Boy Wonder" Minkow, new chapters describe the accounting problems at Lehman Brothers, …

Debt Covenant Condition And The Relative Use Of Operating Lease And Long-Term Debt, Daniel Gyung Paik, Brandon Byunghwan Lee, Joyce Van Der Laan Smith, Sung Wook Yoon

Accounting Faculty Publications

Purpose: We investigate the relationship between off-balance-sheet (OBS) operating leases and long-term debt by analyzing firms’ debt risk profiles measured by the constraints on firms in the financial ratios in their debt covenants.

Design/methodology/approach: We determine debt risk profiles using three measures: the ex- ante probability of covenant violation (Demerjian and Owens, 2016), firms in violation of debt covenants, and firms close to covenant violations.

Findings: High-risk firms according to all three measures, on average, have a significantly lower level of operating leases, indicating that these firms use OBS leases as a substitute for long-term debt. More interesting, for firms …

Loan Purpose And Accounting Based Debt Covenants, Daniel Gyung Paik, Timothy L. Hamilton, Brandon Byunghwan Lee, Sung Wook Yoon

Accounting Faculty Publications

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the association between the purpose of a loan and the type of debt covenants, separated into balance sheet-based and income statement-based covenants.

Design/methodology/approach

Using private loan deal observations obtained from the DealScan database over the period between 1996 and 2013, the authors classify the sample loan deals into three categories based on the purpose of borrowing, namely, borrowings for corporate daily operating purposes, financing purposes and acquisition and investing purposes. The authors conduct multinomial logistic regression analysis to test the relationship between the choice of financial ratios in a debt covenant …

[Introduction To] Fundamentals Of Advanced Accounting: Seventh Edition, Joe B. Hoyle, Thomas F. Schaefer, Timothy S. Doupnik

Bookshelf

Fundamentals of Advanced Accounting, 7th edition, is ideal for those schools wanting to cover twelve chapters in their advanced accounting course. This concise text allows students to think critically about accounting, just as they will do preparing for the CPA exam. The text continues to show the development of financial reporting as a product of intense and considered debate that continues today and will into the future.

Anticipation And Reaction To Going Concern Modified Audit Opinions By Sophisticated Investors, Marshall A. Geiger, Abdullah Kumas

Accounting Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether institutional investors (i) anticipate a distressed firm's receipt of a first‐time going‐concern modified audit opinion, and (ii) react to a first‐time going‐concern modified opinion by engaging in abnormal net selling of firm shares. Using a proprietary database of US institutional investor trades, we find that institutional investors are net sellers of first‐time going‐concern opinion firms beginning 6 months before the release of the report and remain net sellers through the subsequent 3 months. We also find that the severity of the reasons auditors modify their opinions is associated with increased trading …

Instructional Case: Can Management Accounting Help Aid Associations Make Tough Choices In Haiti?, Daniel Gyung Paik, W. Darrell Walden, Kip R. Krumwiede

Accounting Faculty Publications

Based on an actual situation, this case explores the use of management accounting analysis in a difficult make-or-buy decision in the real world of humanitarian aid. An aid organization produces a specially designed, highly nutritious peanut butter medicine to save the lives of Haiti’s malnourished children. The challenge is deciding whether to source the peanuts from Haitian farmers and pay more or from foreign suppliers and pay less. Students perform both quantitative and qualitative cost-benefit, break-even, operating leverage, and product costing analysis. Performance measurement, incentive issues, short-term versus long-term thinking, micro and macroeconomics, and ethical issues are also considered. The …

Market Ambiguity And Individual Investor Information Demand, Rajib Hasan, Abdullah Kumas, Joyce Van Der Laan Smith

Accounting Faculty Publications

We examine whether ambiguity in the market leads to an increase in information demand by individual investors. Drawing on the asset-pricing model proposed by Mele and Sangiorgi (2015), which incorporates market ambiguity, we measure individual information demand using daily Google searches and measure market ambiguity using a metric based on the market trades of institutional investors. We find that individual investors increase their information demand during periods of greater market ambiguity. We also provide evidence that information demand from individual investors spikes around earnings announcement days primarily when market uncertainty is driven by net-selling activity. Overall, these results suggest that …

A Study Of Long-Lived Asset Impairment Under U.S. Gaap And Ifrs Within The U.S. Institutional Environment, Philip K. Hong, Daniel Gyung Paik, Joyce Van Der Laan Smith

Accounting Faculty Publications

This paper explores whether differences in accounting standards influence reporting behavior within the U.S. institutional environment where both IFRS and U.S. GAAP are used for reporting purposes. We focus on the accounting for impairment of long-lived assets, an area where significant differences exist between U.S. GAAP and IFRS. We identify all U.S.-listed firms who have recognized long-lived asset impairment losses during the 2004–2012 period. From these firms, we identify firms following IFRS, then develop a matched sample of U.S. GAAP firms, using a propensity score matching procedure. We examine the relation between impairment loss and unexpectedly high or low earnings …

Acquired In-Process Research Development And Earnings Management, Daniel Gyung Paik, Junyoup Lee, Eun Suh Lee, Kevin H. Kim

Accounting Faculty Publications

New accounting standards, namely SFAS 141 and 142, were adopted in 2001. The release of these two regulations offers a unique opportunity to explore how managers have changed their earnings manipulation behavior by using IPR&D costs. In this study, we examine whether and how the amount of IPR&D at the acquisition deals is associated with discretionary accruals, which serve as a proxy for earnings management. We use a sample of firms reporting acquired IPR&D over the period of 1993 to 2007 with a matched group based on size and industry. Our results provide evidence that managers strategically use the IPR&D …

The Association Between Audit Fees And Accounting Restatement Resulting From Accounting Fraud And Clerical Errors, Daniel Gyung Paik, Taewoo Kim, Kip Krumwiede, Brandon B. Lee

Accounting Faculty Publications

Restatements of financial reporting arise from many sources including changes in accounting rules, changes in reporting entity, accounting errors, and fraud (or “irregularities”). Theory predicts that audit effort (measured by audit fees) and financial report restatements should be negatively associated because more audit effort means that auditors should be more likely to find errors or other issues that could lead to later restatement (Shibano 1990; Matsumura and Tucker, 1992; Lobo and Zhao, 2013). However, other studies have found either a positive association or no association between audit fees and subsequent restatements (Kinney et al., 2004; Stanley and DeZoort, 2007; Cao …

A Study Of Long-Lived Asset Impairment Under U.S. Gaap And Ifrs Within The U.S. Institutional Environment, Daniel Gyung Paik, Keejae Hong, Joyce Van Der Laan Smith

Accounting Faculty Publications

This paper explores whether differences in accounting standards influence reporting behavior within the U.S. institutional environment where both IFRS and U.S. GAAP are used for reporting purposes. We focus on the accounting for impairment of long-lived assets, an area where significant differences exist between U.S. GAAP and IFRS. We identify all U.S.-listed firms who have recognized long-lived asset impairment losses during the 2004 to 2012 period. From these firms, we identify firms following IFRS, then develop a matched sample of U.S. GAAP firms, using a propensity score matching procedure. We examine the relation between impairment loss and unexpectedly high or …

Corporate Social Responsibility Performance And Outsourcing: The Case Of The Bangladesh Tragedy, Daniel Gyung Paik, Brandon B. Lee, Kip R. Krumwiede

Accounting Faculty Publications

Multinational firms frequently outsource the manufacturing of their products to factories in less- developed countries to take advantage of much lower labor costs. A tragic disaster occurred in Bangladesh in April 2013 when a clothing factory building collapsed, killing more than a thousand workers. Subsequently, textile companies in the U.S. and in Europe who outsource their manufacturing in Bangladesh had to decide whether to commit to better working conditions by signing one of two worker safety agreements (WSAs) born in the after-math of the tragedy. Although many firms signed one of these agreements, many more did not. This study explores …

Responsible Accounting For Stakeholders, Jeffrey S. Harrison, Joyce Van Der Van Der Laan Smith

Accounting Faculty Publications

Through a critique of existing financial theory underlying current accounting practices, and reapplication of this theory to a broad group of stakeholders, this paper lays a normative foundation for a revised perspective on the responsibility of the public accounting profession. Specifically, we argue that the profession should embrace the development of standards for reporting information important to a broader group of stakeholders than just investors and creditors. The FASB has recently moved in the opposite direction. Nonetheless, an institution around accounting for stakeholders continues to grow, backed by a groundswell of support from many sources. Based on institutional theory, we …

Responsible Accounting For Stakeholders, Jeffrey S. Harrison, Joyce Van Der Laan Smith

Management Faculty Publications

Through a critique of existing financial theory underlying current accounting practices, and reapplication of this theory to a broad group of stakeholders, this paper lays a normative foundation for a revised perspective on the responsibility of the public accounting profession. Specifically, we argue that the profession should embrace the development of standards for reporting information important to a broader group of stakeholders than just investors and creditors. The FASB has recently moved in the opposite direction. Nonetheless, an institution around accounting for stakeholders continues to grow, backed by a groundswell of support from many sources. Based on institutional theory, we …

Does The Adoption Of Ifrs Affect Corporate Social Disclosure In Annual Reports?, Joyce Van Der Van Der Laan Smith, Andrea L. Gouldman, Rasoul H. Tondkar

Accounting Faculty Publications

In this exploratory study we investigate the impact of the implementation of IFRS on corporate social disclosures (CSD) within the context of stakeholder theory. We measure the level of CSD in annual reports using a disclosure instrument based on the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report “Guidance on Corporate Responsibility Indicators in Annual Reports”. We find that IFRS adoption had a differential effect on CSD based on a firm's institutional setting i.e., the stakeholder–management relationship prevalent in their institutional environment. Firms in the stakeholder countries did not have a significant change in the level of CSD following the …

Releasing Information In Xbrl: Does It Improve Information Asymmetry For Early U.S. Adopters?, Marshall A. Geiger, David S. North, Daniel D. Selby

Accounting Faculty Publications

Information released in XBRL is intended to improve the quality and accessibility of SEC filings, leading to less information asymmetry in the equity market. Research findings on the effects of XBRL on information asymmetry in the US., however, are mixed. Kim et al. (2012) reports that XBRL reduces information asymmetry while Blankespoor et al. (2012) reports that XBRL increases information asymmetry. In contrast to these prior studies, we report that the answer as to whether XBRL affects information asymmetry is matter of firm size. In this study we examine shifts in two measures of information asymmetry for early adopters of …

Do External Financial Statement Auditors Sufficiently Adjust Their Audit Plans For Automated-Control Deficiencies?, Daniel D. Selby

Accounting Faculty Publications

Shelton (1999) found that experience, based on rank, mitigates the influence of less-than diagnostic evidence in going concern assessments. But, numerous studies (e.g., Abdolmohammadi and Wright 1987) question the external validity of studies that use rank to determine experience. I suspect that specialized domain experience is a better measure because all auditor ranks do not have procedural knowledge in going concern decisions but many auditors may have procedural knowledge in audit planning (AICPA 2008) and automated controls (Hunton et al. 2004). I investigate whether external financial statement auditors (henceforth auditors) sufficiently adjust their audit plans for material-automated-control-weaknesses. I determine the …

Will It Be A Tough Year?, Daniel D. Selby, W. Darrell Walden

Accounting Faculty Publications

While there may be some glimmers of hope about a turnaround to the U.S. economy, such as decreasing unemployment, Virginia CPAs aren't betting on a huge recovery in the next year.

The second annual VSCPA Economic Outlook Survey reveals Virginia CPAs are more pessimistic about the United States and Virginia economies than they were last year, but they are actually more optimistic about Virginia's economy compared to the United States as a whole. Likewise, VSCPA members continue to feel good about the economic outlook in Virginia relative to neighboring states.

Do Ceos And Principal Financial Officers Take A "Bath" Separately Or Together?: An Investigation Of Discretionary Accruals Surrounding Appointments Of New Ceos And Pfos, Marshall A. Geiger, David S. North

Accounting Faculty Publications

This study presents the first targeted examination of changes in financial reporting surrounding the appointment of both new CEOs and Principal Financial Officers (PFOs). We identify companies that appoint new CEOs and PFOs in the period 1995 to 2002 and find that the change in discretionary accruals is negative and significant in the year of hire (from t-1 to t) for firms appointing a new CEO or both a new CEO and PFO (i.e., the "big bath"), but not for firms appointing only a new PFO. We also find that firms appointing both executives in the same year report significant …

The Influence Of Irrelevant Information On Is Auditor Key Risk Factor Predictions, Daniel D. Selby

Accounting Faculty Publications

Can information systems (IS) auditors ignore irrelevant information when they assess key risk factors (KRFs)? Irrelevant information is information that is of little or no value to a specific task or predicted future outcome. When assessing a KRF, IS auditors sift through numerous pieces of information to target items that are relevant to understanding the KRF. Some items encountered by IS auditors may be relevant to understanding the KRF, while other items encountered may be irrelevant. IS auditors should ignore irrelevant information when they assess KRFs.

An example of irrelevant information that an IS auditor may encounter during a financial …

The Effect Of Institutional And Cultural Factors On The Perceptions Of Earnings Management, Marshall A. Geiger, Joyce Van Der Van Der Laan Smith

Accounting Faculty Publications

In this study we examine the effect of stakeholder orientation versus shareholder orientation, and the level of cultural secrecy on individuals’ perceptions of earnings management practices. Examining perceptions from 1,260 participants from 13 countries indicates that individuals from stakeholder-oriented institutional back- grounds were less accepting of earnings management, including both accounting earn- ings management and operating earnings management activities, than participants from shareholder-oriented institutional backgrounds, and that individuals from secretive cultures were more accepting of both types of earnings management activities. Our findings provide evidence of the anticipated perceptual differences across countries with respect to earnings management and suggest the …

Do Auditors Adjust Their Audit Plans Accordingly When They Encounter Material Automated Control Weaknesses?, Daniel D. Selby

Accounting Faculty Publications

Automated control weaknesses are associated with defects in computer hardware or computer applications. AU 319 does not require auditors to add professionals with specialized skills in automated controls (or IT audit specialists) to the audit engagement. Auditors may encounter a material automated control weakness and adjust their audit plan without the assistance of an IT audit specialist. Thus, auditors may not adjust their audit plan enough to gain an understanding of the material automated control weakness. This is an important problem for auditors because this problem may result in misstated financial statements and incorrect internal control opinions if auditors fail …

The Impact Of Corporate Social Disclosure On Investment Behavior: A Cross-National Study, Joyce Van Der Van Der Laan Smith, Ajay Adhikari, Rasoul H. Tondkar, Robert L. Andrews

Accounting Faculty Publications

We examine the impact of corporate social disclosure (CSD) on investment behavior in the US, Japan, France, and Sweden using stakeholder theory as the underlying framework for our analysis. We find that there is a significant difference in investors’ reactions to CSD across countries. Using a unique stakeholder scale we also find that these reactions are related to the investors’ stakeholder orientation. These findings provide insight into cross-national dif- ferences in the perceived relevance of CSD to investors.

Paul M. Klekner (B), Roger R. Schnorbus

Robins School of Business White Paper Series, 1980-2022

This is a fictitious case study, including the name of the restaurant and the people involved.

Paul Klekner graduated first in his class from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in 1998; his fellow students named him the chef most likely to succeed in the future. After graduation, he and his wife, Sarah, moved back to his home in Richmond, Virginia where he was employed as a chef at several restaurants including Bottega and Old Original Bookbinders. In 2003, he decided to open his own restaurant, Rogerios, in the Tobacco Row section of Richmond. With an inheritance of $300,000 he …

Effects Of Auditor Type And Evidence Domain Type On The Influence Of Irrelevant Internal Control Evidence And The Potential For Audit Failure, Daniel Selby

Bookshelf

Internal control systems consist of two evidence domains, automated control evidence and manual process evidence. Auditors can possess knowledge and expertise in both internal control evidence domains. But, auditors tend to possess more knowledge and expertise in one internal control evidence domain than the other internal control evidence domain. Thus, auditors have superior domain knowledge in one of the internal control evidence domains.

Auditors at large accounting firms tend to specialize in the evidence domain of automated controls (information technology auditors or IT auditors) or manual processes (financial auditors). Audit Standard 5 requires IT auditors and financial auditors to gain …

Chinese Gaap And Ifrs: An Analysis Of The Convergence Process, Songlan Peng, Joyce Van Der Van Der Laan Smith

Accounting Faculty Publications

In this study, we examine the process of convergence through a longitudinal analysis (1992–2006) of the convergence of Chinese GAAP with IFRS from the perspective of process theory. We find that significant steps toward convergence occurred through the issuance of four successive Chinese GAAPs: 1992, 1998, 2001, and 2006. Convergence occurred both through the direct import of standards from IFRS and progressive changes to Chinese GAAP. Direct import was observed for items either reflective of traditional Chinese accounting practice or ones that addressed situations not considered or not relevant under the pre- vious accounting model. Progressive changes to Chinese GAAP …

Does Convergence Of Accounting Standards Lead To The Convergence Of Accounting Practices? A Study From China, Songlan Peng, Rasoul H. Tondkar, Joyce Van Der Van Der Laan Smith, David W. Harless

Accounting Faculty Publications

In this empirical study we examine whether China's efforts to converge domestic accounting standards with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) over the past 15 years have resulted in the successful convergence of Chinese listed firms. This study is unique in that we evaluate convergence of firms' accounting practices from three perspectives: (1) the level of compliance with Chinese GAAP and IFRS, (2) the consistency of accounting choices under Chinese GAAP and IFRS, and (3) identification of significant differences in the net incomes produced under Chinese GAAP and IFRS (earnings gap).

Using the 1999 and 2002 annual reports of 79 Chinese …

The Timeliness Of Accounting Disclosures In International Security Markets, C. Mitchell Conover, Robert E. Miller, Andrew Szakmary

Finance Faculty Publications

In this study, we examine financial reporting lags, the incidence of late filing, and the relationship between reporting lags, firm performance and the degree of capital market scrutiny. We use a large sample of firms spanning 22 countries over an eleven-year period. A focal point of our analysis is whether the incidence of late filing, and the relations between reporting days and other variables, differ systematically between common and code law countries. Relative to U.S. firms, we report that the time taken and allowed for filing is usually longer in other countries and that the statutory requirement is more frequently …

Debt Financing Does Not Create Circularity Within Pro Forma Analysis, Tom Arnold, Peter C. Eisemann

Finance Faculty Publications

Using debt to finance a firm's external financing need within a pro forma analysis can lead to "circularity" when finding the appropriate value for debt. The circularity incorrectly implies that there is no direct solution for finding the value of debt. In this paper, a direct solution for the value of debt is found; thereby showing that circularity need not exist. Further, the technique is demonstrated to be more accurate than the "additional funds needed" (AFN) approach featured in many texts.