Khaled Elleuch, Salah Mezlini, Siegfried Fouvry and Philippe Kapsa
Damage of aluminium alloy under contact loading is detected in different cases independent of contact configuration and operating conditions. An investigation of two industrial…
Abstract
Damage of aluminium alloy under contact loading is detected in different cases independent of contact configuration and operating conditions. An investigation of two industrial cases is proposed to describe how it is possible to study the material degradation under friction. The experimental simulation of aluminium damage in laboratory conditions is carried out. Two contact configurations are studied in order to reproduce the industrial damage of aluminium alloys. Varying experimental conditions relative to a specific contact body for each test have demonstrated a realistic correlation between damage, test configuration and material properties. Independent of the tribological system, plastic deformation seems to be the major parameter controlling the wear of aluminium alloy under friction in the studied cases.
Hania Waleed Tawfik El-Feel, Diana Mostafa Mohamed, Hala Magdy Amin and Khaled Hussainey
This paper aims to provide insights into the complicated relationship between earnings management (EM) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) during the financial downturn…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide insights into the complicated relationship between earnings management (EM) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) during the financial downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
Parametric t-tests and non-parametric Wilcoxon rank-sum tests accompanied by ordinary least squares regression analysis, augmented with Newey–West procedure approaches, are used for a sample that consists of 1,984 firms from 47 countries for the period of 2014–2020. EM was proxied once with discretionary accruals using the modified Jones model (1995) and once with real earnings management (REM) using the Roychowdhury model (2006). This study uses environmental, social, and governance scores from the Thomson Reuters database as a proxy for CSR.
Findings
The results reveal that firms tend to engage more in EM practices during the pandemic and that more socially responsible firms tend to be honest and transparent during the financial reporting process. Interestingly, it was found that more socially responsible firms engaged less in REM practices during the pandemic.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this research help lenders, investors, policymakers and managers gain a better understanding of EM practices during a negative shock and shed light on the importance of CSR in being ethical.
Originality/value
The findings extend both the literature on the role of CSR in promoting financial reporting quality and the literature on the impact of COVID-19 on accrual and REM practices.
Details
Keywords
Saoussen Boujelben and Chourouk Boujelben
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of the emotional attachment strength of family members to their business on the quality of the voluntary disclosure of their key…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of the emotional attachment strength of family members to their business on the quality of the voluntary disclosure of their key performance indicator (KPI). More specifically, the authors focused on the effect of two dimensions of the socio-emotional theory, i.e. “family influence and control” and “firm dynasty succession.”
Design/methodology/approach
The authors performed a content analysis of annual reports for a sample of 87 French families listed in CAC All-Tradable to calculate a disclosure quality index of KPI. The authors proxied the “family influence and control” by the proportion of family members appointed in the board. To identify the “firm dynasty succession” concern, the authors classified firms according to the generation they belonged to. The authors estimated a cross-sectional linear regression model to meet the research objective.
Findings
This study confirms the role of the family affective attachment in decreasing the quality of KPI disclosure in such a way to preserve its socio-emotional wealth. The family firms’ principals who desire to sustain their control on the firm, to perpetuate the business for future generations and to protect their emotional wealth tend to avoid the disclosure of credible and reliable KPI information.
Practical implications
The findings have meaningful practical implications. First, they provide relevant insights into the regulatory bodies of the financial reporting regarding the increasing appeal for making KPI disclosure mandatory. Second, as the family businesses are the most widespread proprietorship in the French context, the effect of the family agenda on the quality of the KPI should be of interest to various policymakers and financial statements’ users of such firms. Third, the results inform nonfamily shareholders regarding the importance of selecting representatives on the board that should share similar interest with regard to KPI disclosure.
Social implications
From a societal perspective, this study is relevant in taking into account the critical role the family businesses have in the French economy. This study should help the minority shareholders to protect their interests and maximize their wealth within the family firm because it sheds light on the influence that family members have on hiding key information on the firm’s real performance.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no prior study in the family firms literature has examined the quality of voluntary disclosure of KPI. Although most previous studies merely compared family and nonfamily firms in terms of voluntary disclosure, the authors acknowledge and address the heterogeneity between family firms. The authors contribute to the few prior empirical validations of SEW implication on voluntary disclosure decisions by testing the effect of an additional dimension, which is family dynasty.