Musa Ghazwani, Ibrahim Alamir, Rami Ibrahim A. Salem and Nedal Sawan
This study aims to examine the impact of corporate governance (CG) on anti-corruption disclosure (A-CD), paying particular attention to the FTSE 100. Notably, it examines how…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the impact of corporate governance (CG) on anti-corruption disclosure (A-CD), paying particular attention to the FTSE 100. Notably, it examines how board and audit committees’ characteristics affect the quantity and quality of anti-corruption disclosure.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from FTSE 100 firms, spanning the period from 2014 to 2020, were analysed using the regression of the Poisson fixed effect and GEE analyses.
Findings
The findings show that gender diversity, audit committee expertise and the independence of the audit committee are positively associated with both quantity and quality of anti-corruption disclosure. Notably, no statistically significant relationships were identified between anti-corruption disclosure and factors such as board size, role duality or board meetings.
Research limitations/implications
The findings provide valuable insights for decision-makers and regulatory bodies, shedding light on the elements that compel UK companies to enhance their anti-corruption disclosure and governance protocols to alleviate corruption and propel efforts towards ethical behaviour.
Originality/value
This study makes a notable contribution to the sparse body of evidence by examining the influence of board and audit committee attributes on anti-corruption disclosure subsequent to the implementation of the UK Bribery Act in 2010. Specifically, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study assesses for the first time the impact of board and audit committee mechanisms on both the quantity and quality of anti-corruption disclosure.
Details
Keywords
Rami Ibrahim A. Salem, Musa Ghazwani, Ali Meftah Gerged and Mark Whittington
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…
Abstract
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.
Details
Keywords
Rami Ibrahim A. Salem, Ernest Ezeani, Ali M. Gerged, Muhammad Usman and Rateb Mohammmad Alqatamin
This study aims to examine the influence of the quality of voluntary disclosure (QVD) on earnings management (EM) amongst a sample of commercial banks in the Middle East and North…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the influence of the quality of voluntary disclosure (QVD) on earnings management (EM) amongst a sample of commercial banks in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample of 1,060 bank-year observations for the period 2006–2015, this paper developed a three-dimensional framework to measure the QVD, which considers the quantity, spread and usefulness of the information. Furthermore, this study examines the QVD-EM nexus using an ordinary least squares regression model. This technique is supplemented with conducting an instrumental variable regression model and a two-stage least squares model to overcome the potential occurrence of endogeneity problems.
Findings
The findings suggest that QVD is negatively attributed to EM in the context of MENA banks. The findings also confirm that the quality of financial reporting is enhanced by QVD dimensions that were considered in the framework, leading banks to less engagement in EM practices. In contrast, the influence of the quantity dimension (level) of the disclosed information has an insignificant impact on EM, while the spread and usefulness dimensions of VD are negatively and significantly associated with EM in the region.
Research limitations/implications
Although the results are robust to various measurements and to the possible occurrence of endogeneity problems, there are a few limitations should be acknowledged, which provides opportunities for future research. For example, the sample size is relatively small due to data accessibility issues. Likewise, the findings of the research might not be appropriate for non-financial sectors. These limitations provide a good opportunity for future studies to expand on the research by covering other developing economies and, thereby, enriching the understanding offered by this study.
Practical implications
This study offers several implications for bank managers, academics and policymakers. Firstly, it may help managers to appreciate the function and the importance of QVD in mitigating EM. Secondly, for academics, the study provides suggestive evidence on the impact of QVD on EM; however, future research may need to consider the role of morality and ethical behaviour across different environments in reducing excessive risk-taking and constraining earnings manipulation. Finally, it provides insights for policymakers and regulators to develop a framework or guidance that can help banks in providing high-QVD in the context of developing economies.
Originality/value
The study distinctively develops an innovative measurement for QVD using a new multi-dimensional model. This paper also bring new evidence on QVD complexity and its impact on EM practice from an under-researched developing context, namely, the MENA region.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Usman, Jacinta Nwachukwu, Ernest Ezeani, Rami Ibrahim A. Salem, Bilal Bilal and Frank Obenpong Kwabi
The authors examine the impact of audit quality (AQ) on classification shifting (CS) among non-financial firms operating in the UK and Germany.
Abstract
Purpose
The authors examine the impact of audit quality (AQ) on classification shifting (CS) among non-financial firms operating in the UK and Germany.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper used various audit committee variables (size, meetings, gender diversity and financial expertise) to measure AQ and its impact on CS. The authors used a total of 2,110 firm-year observations from 2010 to 2019.
Findings
The authors 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. The authors also document evidence that audit committee meetings restrain UK managers from engaging in CS. However, the authors found no impact on CS among German firms. The study results hold even after employing several tests.
Research limitations/implications
Overall, the study 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.
Originality/value
Most CS studies used market-oriented economies such as the USA and UK and ignored bank-based economies such as Germany, France and Japan. The authors provide a comparison among bank and market-oriented economies on whether the AQ has a similar impact on CS or not among them.
Details
Keywords
Ernest Ezeani, Rami Ibrahim A. Salem, Muhammad Usman, Frank Kwabi and Bilal
Prior studies suggest that corporate cash holding will reflect firms' corporate governance (CG) environment. Consistent with this prediction, this study aims to examine the impact…
Abstract
Purpose
Prior studies suggest that corporate cash holding will reflect firms' corporate governance (CG) environment. Consistent with this prediction, this study aims to examine the impact of board characteristics on firms' cash holding in the UK, France and Germany.
Design/methodology/approach
Using 2,805 firm-year observations between 2009 and 2019, the authors examine the relationship between board characteristics and corporate cash holding. The authors used two measures of cash holdings as our dependent variables. As independent variables, the authors used CG characteristics relevant to effective board monitoring such as board meetings, outside directors, board size and board gender diversity.
Findings
The authors find that board characteristics influence firms' cash holdings of firms in the UK, France and Germany. However, this study documents evidence of varying impacts of board monitoring on the cash holding of the UK when compared to German and French firms, the countries that are classifiable as bank-based economies. The result of this study is robust to alternative cash-holding measures and endogeneity.
Practical implications
This study provides evidence supporting the board's impact in mitigating agency conflict in shareholder- and stakeholder-oriented CG environments.
Originality/value
This study contributes to previous works on firms’ financial orientation by showing that the impact of board characteristics on corporate cash holdings varies between bank- and market-based economies.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Usman, Ernest Ezeani, Rami Ibrahim A. Salem and Xi Song
This paper aims to examine the relationship between audit characteristics (ACs) and audit fees on classification shifting (CS) among German-listed non-financial firms.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the relationship between audit characteristics (ACs) and audit fees on classification shifting (CS) among German-listed non-financial firms.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample of 130 German-listed (Deutscher Aktienindex, Mid Cap dax and Small caps Index) firms from 2010 until 2019, this study investigated the impact of audit committee size, audit committee meetings, audit committee financial expertise and audit fees on CS.
Findings
This study found the evidence of CS, meaning that managers misclassify recurring expenses in the income statement into non-recurring expenses to inflate core earnings. This study also found that the audit fee ratio, audit committee financial expertise and frequency of audit meetings are negatively associated with CS among German-listed firms. However, the audit committee size does not influence CS.
Research limitations/implications
This study will help the board improve its internal auditing practices and provide essential information to investors to assess how ACs affect the quality of financial reporting.
Originality/value
This study focused on a bank-oriented economy, i.e. Germany, with lower investor protection and low transparency. This paper documents new evidence on how ACs and audit fees impact CS among German firms, as most of the previous studies on CS mainly focused on market-oriented economies such as the UK and the USA.
Details
Keywords
Nedal Sawan, Krayyem Al-Hajaya, Mohammad Alshhadat and Rami Ibrahim A. Salem
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…
Abstract
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.
Details
Keywords
Nedal Sawan, Krayyem Al-Hajaya, Rami Ibrahim A. Salem and Mohammad Alshhadat
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…
Abstract
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.
Details
Keywords
Rami Salem, Ernest Ezeani, Ali Meftah Gerged and Bilal Bilal
This study aims to examine how banks’ credit ratings can be driven by the quality of the disclosed financial and nonfinancial information in emerging economies.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine how banks’ credit ratings can be driven by the quality of the disclosed financial and nonfinancial information in emerging economies.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample of 1,590 bank-year observations of 29 Islamic and 77 conventional banks across 17 MENA countries from 2006 to 2020, we conducted a random-effects regression model that is supported by various methods, including 2SLS and GMM models, to overcome the potential incidence of endogeneity concerns.
Findings
We found that the quality of voluntary disclosure positively influences the credit rating of Islamic and conventional banks. Although the spread and usefulness of disclosed information are positively associated with banks’ ratings, the quantity dimension is not. Audit quality also significantly influences Islamic banks’ credit ratings compared to their traditional counterparts.
Practical implications
Our evidence offers practical implications for regulators and standards setters in emerging economies to develop more effective disclosure regimes to enhance the impact of the quality of banks’ voluntary disclosures on their credit ratings.
Originality/value
Our paper contributes to the existing literature by investigating the effect of the quality of voluntary disclosures on credit ratings along three dimensions: quantity, spread and usefulness of the information. Further, our research contributes to the international accounting literature by investigating the effect of audit quality on the credit ratings of both conventional and Islamic banks in a cross-country setting.
Details
Keywords
Abdul Samad, Salman Bashir and Sumaiya Syed
Growing environmental challenge awareness among consumers is today's business reality that pushes for sustainable product development. Governments, industries, and consumers'…
Abstract
Growing environmental challenge awareness among consumers is today's business reality that pushes for sustainable product development. Governments, industries, and consumers' attention are significantly moved from traditional products to eco-friendly product development. Green product development is the future for manufacturing businesses' survival in most markets. Green product development is an emerging phenomenon and, unfortunately, lacks theoretical and empirical research regarding effective organizational policies and practices for green product development. This study aims at filling research gaps towards green product development by highlighting green employee aspects influenced by leadership for sustainable business growth. The study hypothesized relations between the green effect of transformational leadership on green product development as an outcome through green behaviour, green climate, and green innovative creativity. Data was collected from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of Karachi through a self-administered survey questionnaire. Results revealed significant support for hypothesized relations through the partial least square statistical tool. This study contributes theoretical and empirical advancement in past literature wherein leadership style influences employee behaviour that leads to predict product development from an environmental perspective. Study inferences suggest for visionary green leadership style for sustainable business growth. Limitations of this study regarding other variable inclusiveness, sampling, and geography are potential extensions for further scholarly investigation.