AUDITORS’ VIEW ON ACCEPTABILITY OF CLIENTS’ EARNINGS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

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Farisha Hamid, Hafiza Aishah Hashim ORCID logo, Zalailah Salleh ORCID logo

https://doi.org/10.22495/cocv13i4c4p2

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to assess the views of auditors on earnings management in Malaysia. This study uses a questionnaire designed by Merchant and Rockness (1994), which consists of thirteen (13) short scenarios. Each scenario describes a potentially questionable earnings management activity undertaken by the general manager. The respondents were asked to judge the acceptability of each of the scenarios using a five-point (5) Likert scale. Based on responses, this study finds that acceptability varies with the type of earnings management. The auditors believe that discretionary accrual manipulation is more unethical than real activities manipulation, while the consistency with MFRS and the direction of effect on earnings management do not seem to be an issue to the respondents regarding the acceptability of earnings management.

Keywords: Earnings Management, Auditors, Clients’ Practices

How to cite this paper: Hamid, F., Hashim H. A., & Salleh, Z. (2016). Auditors’ view on acceptability of clients’ earnings management practices. Corporate Ownership & Control, 13(4-4), 535-541. https://doi.org/10.22495/cocv13i4c4p2