Drivers of Earnings Management: The Profit and Loss before Earning Management

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the effect of two major drivers including: bad company and also the lower benefit from the profits over the previous year on earnings management process of active companies in the capital markets in Iran. Research time period is 6-year (from 2006 till 2011) and the population is all the listed companies in Tehran Stock Exchange. The sample was obtained by screening method includes 199 company. The results of hypotheses testing using panel data showed the probability of using of discretionary accruals in order to show profitable enterprise increases, when the company has loss before using earning management in Iranian market capital. The results also indicate that when the current company's profit is lower than the previous year's profit, the possibility of using the discretionary accruals increases to show positive changes in profitability. Thus, it can be announced that bad and also lower benefit from last year, are as two major driving of earnings management.