Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Accounting
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
In this study, I examine whether earnings management varies by a firm’s life-cycle stage relative to its industry life-cycle stage. This relationship, measured as Leaders, Match, or Laggards, concerns strategic groups with different operating strategies. Leaders (Laggards) employ a pioneering (an imperfect imitation) strategy. Overall, I find evidence that Leaders engage in less earnings management than do Match firms. Specifically, Leaders (Laggards) engage in less (more) accruals-based earnings management (AEM) than do Match firms, and Leaders engage in less real-activities earnings management (RAM) than do Match firms. Within firm life-cycle stages, I find additional evidence that Leaders engage in less RAM than do Match firms. This evidence of variation in earnings management suggests that incentives to manage earnings vary among strategic groups.
Date
7-3-2020
Recommended Citation
Boucree, Candice Roche, "Earnings Management of Leaders and Laggards" (2020). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 5315.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/5315
Committee Chair
Moffitt, Jacquelyn
DOI
10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.5315