Accounting and various aspects of finance
Mohamad Marfo; Mohammad javad Salimi; Iman Raeesi Vanani; Mojtaba Alifamian
Abstract
Purpose: The rapid development of technology and extensive environmental changes have accelerated economic growth, and the increasing competition among enterprises has restricted access to profit and increased the probability of enterprises ' financial distress. Due to the effects of high costs of financial ...
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Purpose: The rapid development of technology and extensive environmental changes have accelerated economic growth, and the increasing competition among enterprises has restricted access to profit and increased the probability of enterprises ' financial distress. Due to the effects of high costs of financial distress, its prediction has attracted the attention of researchers since the beginning. Therefore, this paper aims at a bibliometric analysis of financial distress research in the accounting, management and economic areas. Design/methodology/approach: The research method is based on a three-step protocol of dataset setting, dataset refining, and analyzing the data. First, the published articles in the financial distress field were collected from the Web of Science database. Second, the document information was refined, and 801 articles were chosen for literature review in this area. Finally, we used the bibliometric analysis toolbox to investigate the documents. Also, bibliometric analysis in this research was conducted using VOSviewer software. Findings: The findings of this research indicate the existence of six main streams of research (methods of predicting financial distress, predictors of financial distress, restructuring strategy, corporate governance, bank bankruptcy and earnings management) in the field of financial distress. Additionally, the results highlight the importance of social responsibility of the company, also demonstrate that improvements in technology, particularly the use of artificial intelligence tools, have enhanced predicting accuracy. IntroductionIn the life cycle of any company, while there are many opportunities for growth, prosperity, and success, there are also situations where the company may face decline, crisis, and failure. Theoretically, it is assumed that business companies operate indefinitely with the aim of making a profit.However, in the modern era of the global economy, companies not only become significantly more established but also face financial distress more frequently than in the past. In other words, due to globalization and the integration of national economies, the incidence of business failures and bankruptcies has risen. Financial failure is not an instantaneous event but a dynamic and generally lengthy process that affects the company's capital structure, investment policies, and performance. Therefore, identifying the factors of financial distress enables the prediction of an enterprise's financial distress.Identifying the factors influencing the financial distress of companies, firstly, enables the taking of appropriate actions by providing necessary warnings. Secondly, investors can distinguish favorable investment opportunities from unfavorable ones and invest their resources in situations and places where they are less likely to lose money.Given the importance and effects of financial distress and the high rate of failure of current businesses, a literature analysis in this area appears necessary. A review of the literature in the field of financial distress uncovers a multitude and variety of topics in past research. Thus, it is crucial to conduct a systematic review of past research to understand its intellectual structure. Moreover, the keywords used in past research represent the field’s main ideas and topics. Therefore, this study is going to draw the intellectual structure of financial distress research through quantitative techniques of co-word analysis, citation, co-citation, bibliometric, and co-authorship analysis. Research Question(s)This research, employing bibliometric analysis, reviewed the literature on financial distress in the fields of accounting, management, and economics. It also analyzed the content of articles in this field to answer the following questions:RQ1. What is the trend of publications in financial distress research?RQ2. What is the citation structure in the financial distress research?RQ3. What are the fundamental streams of financial distress research?RQ4. What are the emerging themes in the financial distress research? MethodologyThe research method is based on a three-step protocol: dataset setting, dataset refining, and analyzing the data. First, the published articles in the financial distress field were collected from the Web of Science database. Second, the document information was refined, and 801 articles were chosen for literature review in this area. Finally, we used the bibliometric analysis toolbox to investigate the documents. Additionally, bibliometric analysis in this research was conducted using VOSviewer software. ResultsOur findings indicate an increasing trend in the number of research studies on financial distress literature over the past six years, with approximately 54% of articles published during this period.We also document that "In Search of Distress Risk" is the most cited paper, receiving 881 citations in the Web of Science database; "Altman" is identified as the most influential author; and the USA emerges as the most influential country in this research field. This predominance can largely be attributed to the fact that most journals indexed in the Web of Science in the fields of accounting and finance are associated with the United States. Consequently, it is evident that the publication of articles by universities and researchers based in this country is more prevalent than in other countries worldwide. The findings of this research reveal the existence of six main streams of research: methods of predicting financial distress, predictors of financial distress, restructuring strategy, corporate governance, bank bankruptcy, and earnings management in the field of financial distress. Additionally, the results of the research not only underscore the importance of a company’s social responsibility but also highlight how technological advancements, particularly the use of artificial intelligence tools, have enhanced the accuracy of financial distress predictions. Discussion and ConclusionIn this study, first, the evolution of literature in this field has been reviewed through bibliometric analysis over the last four decades. Secondly, from a performance perspective, the indicators related to the article, citation indicators, and combined article and citation indicators have been examined. Additionally, scientific mapping of articles in this field has been conducted through citation analysis, co-citation analysis, co-authorship analysis, and co-word analysis. Finally, clustering and content analysis of the articles in this field have been performed.First, performance analysis was conducted to answer the first two research questions. The research findings confirm that during the last four decades, the literature on financial distress has significantly grown. Examining the growth trend of the articles’ number indicates the effect of changes in the business environment on financial distress. Thus, this trend shows an increase in the number of articles from 2010 onwards, the reason for which is attributed to the financial crisis of 2008, which caused many companies to face financial distress due to the impossibility of financing. Additionally, the trend of published articles shows a significant increase in articles during the period of COVID-19 and after (2020, 2022, 2023). The limitation caused by this public crisis (COVID-19) has increased the possibility of financial distress for companies, and many researchers have investigated this issue. Secondly, to examine the third question of the research, co-citation and bibliographic coupling analysis have been used. As indicated in the mentioned findings section, the studies conducted can be classified into three clusters: predicting financial distress, which is mainly based on accounting data criteria; a cluster of default risk and systematic risk, which provides information about the prospects of the company and the volatility of assets; and finally, the cluster of restructuring strategies, which includes studies that seek to exit this cycle of financial distress using these strategies. The Bibliographic coupling analysis indicates that six main streams of research (financial distress prediction methods, financial distress prediction factors, restructuring strategy, corporate governance, bankruptcy of banks, and earnings management) exist in the financial distress field.Thirdly, the co-word analysis was conducted to answer the fourth question of the research. The increase in the frequency of the words ‘machine learning’ and ‘social responsibility of the company’ in recent years indicates the development of advanced techniques and models in data mining. This development has become so widespread that a large number of research papers are published every year in many fields, including finance, using techniques and algorithms of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Additionally, regarding social responsibility, this trend suggests the primary purpose of enterprises has shifted from profit maximization to increasing shareholder wealth and protecting the interests of other stakeholders, including society and the environment. Therefore, it is expected that future studies will focus increasingly on social responsibility and sustainability.
Financial audit
AliAkbar Javan; jafar babajani; mohamad marfo; Farokh Barzideh
Abstract
In this study, by using the Fuzzy Delphi research methodology and getting the expert opinions, it was tried to identify indicators for improving audit quality approved by experts in order to design a suitable model for the Economy of IRAN by utilizing a confirmatory factor analysis model. Also in this ...
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In this study, by using the Fuzzy Delphi research methodology and getting the expert opinions, it was tried to identify indicators for improving audit quality approved by experts in order to design a suitable model for the Economy of IRAN by utilizing a confirmatory factor analysis model. Also in this research, the gap between current and desired situation of audit quality indicators in IRAN is investigated. Finally, the dimensions of audit quality are ranked in terms of importance. For this purpose, following the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, 60 indicators were identified. These indicators were classified in five dimensions: a. Input factors with 21 indicators; B. Process factors with 10 indicators; C. Output factors with 9 indicators; D. Key interactions with 10 indicators; and E. Contextual factors by 10 indicators. Data were analyzed by utilizing R, Amos and Super Decisions software. The findings indicate that 54 indicators have been adopted, which provide a model for improving the Audit Quality. Also the results of comparing the current and desired situation of audit quality improvement indicators shows a significant difference between the current situation of the audit quality and the desired environment in Iran. Finally, the results of ranking the dimensions affecting the improvement of audit quality Shows that process factors are in the first place of importance from the point of view of experts, input factors are in the second place, main interactions and contextual factors are both in the third place and output factors are in the fourth place. IntroductionThe accuracy of the operation of each component of the financial reporting supply chain leads to higher-quality financial reporting. One of the most important components of this chain is external audits that, by considering the public interests, assure that the financial information presented in financial reports is fair and reliable (IAASB, 2011; Royaei et al., 2015; Imani Barandagh, Mehrani and Hojjat Shamami, 2016). Therefore, the international auditing and assurance standards board (IAASB), using a holistic approach, published a framework for audit quality in which the main factors contributing to audit quality are introduced. Researchers in different countries, including Iran, are expected to pay attention to the indicators suggested by the IAASB and adjust these indicators according to the context in which audit firms operate to help those involved in the financial reporting supply chain, especially auditors, to improve audit quality.Thus, conducting a study aimed at developing a model for audit quality improvement in Iran, considering the indicators suggested by the IAASB to improve audit quality and enhance the position of the auditing profession in Iran.Research Question(s)The present study can answer this question: What is the audit quality improvement model in Iran?Literature Review2.1. Audit quality definition:There is still no comprehensive, worldwide, and consensual definition, and thus, audit quality can be introduced as a complex and multidimensional concept (Mashayekhi et al., 2013; Alavi and Vakili Fard, 2021) that cannot be limited to a simple definition and the opinions of all those involved in the financial reporting supply chain should be taken into account (Bonner, 2008; Knechel et al., 2012; IAASB, 2014; Mohammadrezaei et al., 2019).2.2. Efforts to improve audit quality:Financial crises in recent decades have called into question the auditing profession and audit quality. Therefore, Policymakers have made attempts to identify key indicators of audit quality. As a more considerable step, in 2014, the IAASB developed a framework for audit quality in which the main factors contributing to audit quality were introduced. The IAASB has introduced the main factors contributing to audit quality in this framework and believes that following the framework in the economic environment of each country can lead to high-quality audits and improve the position of the auditing profession in society.MethodologyThe present study is applied research in terms of purpose and descriptive survey in terms of the data collection method. The purpose of this study is to identify the indicators of audit quality improvement in Iran and develop a model for audit quality improvement. To this end, the fuzzy Delphi method and the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) technique are employed.3.1. Statistical population and sampling methodThe statistical population of this study comprises audit experts (the partners and senior managers of audit firms that are a member of the IACPA and Iran audit organization). The expert panel members were selected using the purposive sampling technique and 80 questionnaires were distributed among the audit experts, and finally, 58 questionnaires were collected to analyze the data.Results4.1. The importance level of the research indicators based on experts’ opinions (the results obtained from the fuzzy Delphi method)According to the obtained results, no indicator is removed, and all the indicators play a role in improving audit quality in Iran and are confirmed by experts. 4.2. Audit quality improvement modelIn the next step, the CFA technique was used to extract the research final model. To this end, first, the first-order one-factor CFA model related to audit quality improvement was fitted, and after removing items with factor loadings less than 0.5, 54 indicators remained. The final research model, which is a model for improving audit quality in the economic environment of Iran, was formed as described in Figure 2. Discussion and ConclusionThis study, using the fuzzy Delphi method and obtaining the opinions of 58 experts, seeks to identify audit quality improvement indicators and design a model suitable for the economic environment of Iran. To this end, based on the theoretical framework, 60 indicators were collected and categorized into five dimensions: a) input factors with 21 indicators, b) process factors with 10 indicators, c) output factors with 9 indicators, d) key interactions within the financial reporting supply chain with 10 indicators, and e) contextual factors with 10 indicators. The results show that 54 out of 60 indicators in five separate dimensions are accepted, which represent the model for audit quality improvement in the economic environment of Iran according to experts’ opinions as described in the aforementioned model (Figure 2).
Financial Accounting
Mosa Bozorg Asl; mohamad marfo; mahdi mahannejad
Abstract
Linguistic features of information provided by business unit management could facilitate the goals of the transmission of economic facts. In recent years, these characteristics have always been considered in research in the field of accounting and behavioral finance. Therefore, this study seeks to examine ...
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Linguistic features of information provided by business unit management could facilitate the goals of the transmission of economic facts. In recent years, these characteristics have always been considered in research in the field of accounting and behavioral finance. Therefore, this study seeks to examine the effect of financial reporting tone on audit fees. The sample consists of 63 companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange for the period from 2012 to 2019. Financial reporting tone is measured using the model introduced by Muhammad et al (2019). Also, a natural logarithm is used to measure audit fees. The data are analyzed and the hypotheses are tested based on the multivariate regression model and panel data. The findings show that financial reporting tone has a significant negative effect on audit fees. In other words, if the financial reporting tone conveys an optimistic tone, the audit fee will be less. Results indicate that financial reporting tone reflects factors that auditors consider in assessing audit risk.
Ghasem Blue; Mohammad Marfou; Arian Ghahremani
Abstract
The purpose of the present study is to explain the effect of accounting information quality on corporate equity cost and to investigate the moderating role of information asymmetry and the simultaneous moderating role of this variable and the comparability of financial statements in this context. The ...
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The purpose of the present study is to explain the effect of accounting information quality on corporate equity cost and to investigate the moderating role of information asymmetry and the simultaneous moderating role of this variable and the comparability of financial statements in this context. The research timeframe for this period is 5 years from the beginning of 2013 until the end of 2017 and the sample includes 91 companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange. Multivariate regression was used for statistical analysis. The results of the analysis indicate that the quality of accounting information has an adverse effect on equity cost, so that the higher the quality of accounting information, the lower the cost of equity; and vice versa. Also, information asymmetry has a direct relationship with this effect. But the simultaneous impact of comparability of financial statements and information asymmetry on the impact of accounting information quality on equity costs is not confirmed. The results of the first two hypotheses are similar to those of Emof et al. (2018), which examined the effect of accounting information quality on equity cost in the United States, but the third hypothesis suggests that it is inconsistent.
Roohalah Seddighi; Mohammad Marfou; Ali Ghasemi
Abstract
International Financial Reporting Standards for Small and Medium Sized Entities (IFRS For SMEs) is a set that has less requirements than international financial reporting standards. Small and medium enterprises are being adopted in many countries and these standards are under consideration in Iran. It ...
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International Financial Reporting Standards for Small and Medium Sized Entities (IFRS For SMEs) is a set that has less requirements than international financial reporting standards. Small and medium enterprises are being adopted in many countries and these standards are under consideration in Iran. It is necessary that this set of standards be examined before application. In the present study, by using the fair value approach in SME reporting standards, the impact of this approach on the performance indicators based of SME-standards has been investigated. The main purpose of this study is to investigate changes in performance indicators after applying SMEs standards.The statistical population of this research is the subsidiry companies of the public companies whose activities are investment and 95 companies selected as sample. The research period is 2015 to 2017. Therefore, using historical data in the audited financial statements of these companies and the fair value of the investment portfolio of these companies based on the trading portfolio and the report on the status of the portfolio in the codal website, changes in return on assets ratio (ROA) and return on equity ratio (ROE) as performance indicators, is evaluated statistically after applying the fair value approach and compared with the indicators based on Iran's accounting standard. The results indicated that the ratio of return on assets and return on equity as performance indicators, after the implementation of the International Financial Reporting Standard for small and medium sized entities did not change significantly.
masoumeh naqdi
Abstract
Earnings forecast accuracy can affect investment efficiency. We expect that an increase in earnings forecast accuracy will result in an increase in investment efficiency and a decrease in both over-investment and under-investment. The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between management ...
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Earnings forecast accuracy can affect investment efficiency. We expect that an increase in earnings forecast accuracy will result in an increase in investment efficiency and a decrease in both over-investment and under-investment. The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between management earnings forecast accuracy and investment efficiency. Following the literature, we use the deviation from the expected level of investment considering the growth opportunities, as the measure of investment efficiency. To examine the hypotheses, we identify a sample of 133 firms listed on Tehran Securities and Stock Exchange during the period of 2009-2013.Regression analysis is used to examine the hypotheses and 10 control variables (size, ROA, Tobin’s Q, sales growth, leverage, stock return, forecast horizon, stdev. Stock returns, stdev. ROA and stdev. I) are used in the regression models. Findings suggest that there is a positive relationship between earnings forecast accuracy and investment efficiency and there is a negative relationship between earnings forecast accuracy and over-investment. In case of under-investment the relation is not strong. The results of examining hypotheses indicates that an increase in earnings forecast accuracy results in an increase in investment efficiency and a decrease in over-investment. Regarding the under-investment, no strong relation was found between earnings forecast accuracy an under-investment.
Vahid Molla Imeny; Mohammad Marfou
Abstract
The speed of transferring of accounting information from transferors to users is so important that it is mentioned in accounting conceptual framework as a qualitative characteristics of accounting information. Barriers and problems discovering in information channel between transferors and users not ...
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The speed of transferring of accounting information from transferors to users is so important that it is mentioned in accounting conceptual framework as a qualitative characteristics of accounting information. Barriers and problems discovering in information channel between transferors and users not only can Accelerates the transmission of information but also can benefit users more. In this research we investigate the relationship between disclosure quality and audit report lag for 164 companies of Tehran Stock Exchange between the years of 1387 to 1391. We use disclosure quality ranking, management forecast error and prior period adjustments as the representatives of disclosure quality and test them with audit report lag in Eviews and SPSS software. The findings of panel analysis shows that there is a significant negative relationship between audit report lag and dependent variables, management forecast error and prior period adjustments. The final result shows a positive relationship between disclosure quality and audit report lag. Furthermore there is significant negative relationship between company size and audit report lag and there is no relationship between auditor sizes, having good news or bad news and company debts with audit report lag.
