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Understanding earnings quality - MIT Sloan School of Management

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Figure 1. Summary <strong>of</strong> the investigated determinants <strong>of</strong> <strong>earnings</strong> <strong>quality</strong><br />

Figure 1 summarizes the explanatory variables for (“determinants” <strong>of</strong>) the various <strong>earnings</strong> <strong>quality</strong> proxies. The rows represent the most frequently hypothesized<br />

determinants <strong>of</strong> <strong>earnings</strong> <strong>quality</strong> and correspond to the organization <strong>of</strong> the discussion in Sections 5.1 through 5.6. The columns represent our categories <strong>of</strong><br />

commonly used <strong>earnings</strong> <strong>quality</strong> proxies. A shaded box indicates that researchers have investigated whether the determinant explains variation in the <strong>earnings</strong><br />

<strong>quality</strong> proxy. The first number in a shaded box indicates the number <strong>of</strong> papers in our database that examine the association between a determinant and an EQ<br />

proxy. The second number in a shaded box (if there is one) indicates the number <strong>of</strong> papers that provide negative evidence (inconsistent with the theory).<br />

Determinant<br />

Persistence and<br />

accrual attributes<br />

Abnormal<br />

accruals<br />

165<br />

Earnings <strong>quality</strong> proxy<br />

Properties <strong>of</strong> <strong>earnings</strong> ERCs<br />

Smoothness<br />

Asymmetric<br />

timeliness/<br />

Timely loss<br />

recognition<br />

Benchmarking<br />

(loss avoidance)<br />

Benchmarking<br />

(small positive<br />

<strong>earnings</strong> surprise)<br />

Investor response<br />

coefficients<br />

External indicators <strong>of</strong><br />

financial reporting <strong>quality</strong><br />

Firm<br />

characteristics Firm performance 1 5/2 2/1 1 2 2<br />

Firm growth<br />

Financial statement<br />

6 1 1 1/1 2<br />

components 10 1 3 10 2 1<br />

Firm size 1 1 1 2<br />

Firm debt covenant 2/1 3/2 2<br />

Debt as a call option 3<br />

Financial reporting<br />

practices Accounting methods<br />

Other financial reporting<br />

4 1 6<br />

practices<br />

1 2 2<br />

Principles based versus<br />

rules based methods<br />

1 1 1 1<br />

AAERs<br />

Restatements<br />

Internal control<br />

procedures

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