Ownership Differences and Firms' Income Smoothing Behavior |
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Authors: | Steven J Carlson & Chenchuramaiah T Bathala |
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Institution: | Assistant Professor of Accouting, University of North Dakota,;Associate Professor of Finance, North Dakota State University |
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Abstract: | This paper examines the association between differences in ownership structure and income smoothing behavior in firms. The underlying constructs affecting this association include agency relationships, managerial incentives, information asymmetry, and firm profitability. A logistic regression model is used to test the association between income smoothing and variables related to inside ownership, institutional holdings, leverage, managerial compensation, profitability, and firm size. The evidence suggests that ownership differences, managers' incentive structures, and firm profitability are important in explaining income smoothing behavior in firms. By separating inside ownership and levels of debt into different levels, we are able to show the existence of a non-monotonic relationship between ownership differences and firms' income smoothing behavior. |
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Keywords: | income smoothing earnings variability accounting choice ownership structure agency problem |
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