중소기업과 벤처기업의 이익조정에 대한 연구

Abstract

This paper investigates whether and how SMEs and venture companies manage earnings. This study compares and analyzes whether SMEs and venture companies use real earnings management or accruals earnings management. Also, we examine whether stock market listing affects the earnings management of SMEs and venture companies. Dechow and Skinner (2000) define accruals earnings management as manager’s earnings management using changes in accrual estimation or accounting treatments. Accrual earnings management does not have real effects thus there are no direct costs but there is a risk of the auditor requiring adjustments. Roychowdhury (2006) defines real earnings management as manager’s earnings management by conducting suboptimal real activities. Real earnings management has costs to firm value but does not violate GAAP and thus the firm does not face risk in the auditing process. SMEs and venture companies are smaller and have weaker finances. Thus the manager faces many restrictions that also limit earnings management. Therefore, SMEs and venture companies may face greater cost of increasing production or discretionary spending of SG&A expenses. Thus SMEs and venture companies would be more likely to take the risk of violating accounting rules than conduct real earnings management. We find that both SMEs and venture companies conduct lower level real earnings management. The results are consistent for both listed and non-listed firms except accruals earnings management. This results suggests that SMEs and venture companies prefer accruals earnings management generally compared to real earnings management, which incur real costs, regardless of whether they are exchange listed. The contribution of this study is two-fold. First, we provide useful information about whether and how SMEs and venture companies conduct earnings management by examining both accruals earnings management and real earnings management. Second, we provide useful insight into whether listing affects the earnings management method of SMEs and venture companies.