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Do Accounting Standards Influence the Level of Earnings Management? Evidence from Germany


Igor Goncharov


WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management

Jochen Zimmermann


University of Bremen - Faculty of Business Studies and Economics; University of Bremen - Chair of Accounting and Control

December 2006


Abstract:     
German firms were allowed to present consolidated accounts prepared under German GAAP, IAS or US GAAP. The article analyses whether the level of earnings management differs between the standards. While the manipulation under German GAAP and IAS is roughly the same, we find significantly lower levels of earnings management for the firms that report their results under US GAAP. This is consistent with an interpretation that a different amount of accounting choices embedded in different accounting standards influences the level of earnings management. Our results hold for various proxies of earnings management and after controlling for factors influencing the adoption of the standards. As there is no evidence for self-selection driving the results, this is an indication for a superior quality of US earnings in comparison to German GAAP or even IAS.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 29

Keywords: earnings management, reporting incentives, international accounting standards

JEL Classification: M41, M47

working papers series


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Date posted: March 26, 2003  

Suggested Citation

Goncharov, Igor and Zimmermann, Jochen, Do Accounting Standards Influence the Level of Earnings Management? Evidence from Germany (December 2006). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=386521 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.386521

Contact Information

Igor Goncharov (Contact Author)
WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management ( email )
Burgplatz 2
Vallendar, 56179
Germany
+49 261 6509 730 (Phone)
+49 261 6509 739 (Fax)
Jochen Zimmermann
University of Bremen - Faculty of Business Studies and Economics ( email )
Hochschulring 4
Germany
+49 421 218 9121 (Phone)
University of Bremen - Chair of Accounting and Control ( email )
Bremen, D-28334
Germany
+49 421 218-9119 (Phone)
HOME PAGE: http://www.controlling.uni-bremen.de
Feedback to SSRN (Beta)


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