Nguyen Hong Thoa , Phan Thi Anh Nguyet * , Nguyen Thi Hong Lieu and Vu Xuan Nam

* Corresponding author: Phan Thi Anh Nguyet (email: ptanguyet@ctu.edu.vn)

Main Article Content

Abstract

This paper focuses on whether adopting International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) reduces financial risk and accounting fraud. Using 9,194 firm-year observations from Thai-listed non-financial firms between 2011 and 2022, we apply the Beneish M-Score and Altman Z-Score models to detect earnings manipulation and financial distress. The evidence shows that firms reporting under IFRS display lower M-scores, suggesting reduced earnings manipulation. However, IFRS adoption does not have a significant effect on financial distress. This is likely because while IFRS improves transparency and reduces opportunistic reporting, it does not address fundamental financial issues. Overall, our paper provides new evidence on the role of IFRS in enhancing reporting quality in emerging markets and offers implications for financial reporting policy in countries such as Viet Nam.

Keywords: Accounting fraud, financial risk, IFRS adoption

Article Details

References

Acaranupong, K. (2019). A Comparative Study of Earnings Quality in ASEAN Countries. University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, 15(47), 49–77.

Adibah, W., Ismail, W., Kamarudin, K. A., Zijl, T. Van, & Dunstan, K. (2013). Earnings quality and adopting IFRS-based accounting standards: Evidence from an emerging market. Asian review of accounting, 21(1), 53–73. https://doi.org/10.1108/13217341311316940

Altman, E. I. (1968). Financial ratios, discriminant analysis and the prediction of corporate bankruptcy. The Journal of Finance, 23(4), 589–609.

Barth, M. E., Landsman, W. R., & Lang, M. H. (2008). International accounting standards and accounting quality. Journal of Accounting Research, 46(3), 467–498. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-679X.2008.00287.x

Beneish, M. D. (1999). The Detection of Earnings Manipulation. Financial Analysts Journal, 5(June), 24–36. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2469/faj.v55.n5.2296

Chen, L., Ng, J., & Tsang, A. (2015). The effect of mandatory IFRS adoption on international cross-listings. The Accounting Review, 90(4), 1395–1435. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-50982

Connelly, B. L., Certo, S. T., Ireland, R. D., & Reutzel, C. R. (2011). Signaling theory: A review and assessment. Journal of Management, 37(1), 39–67. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310388419

Dao, N. G., & Hoang, H. P. (2023). Changes in accounting regulations toward IFRS and value relevance of accounting information from Vietnamese listed firms. Journal of Economic and Banking Studies, 5, 53–68. DOI: 10.59276/JEBS.2023.06.2409

Diem, N. N. P., Huyen, N. P. T., & Nga, T. T. N. (2020). The internal characteristics that affect the quality of financial statement information: Empirical evidence in Vietnam. Journal of Financial and Marketing Research, 58, 27-390. https://doi.org/10.52932/jfm.vi58.33 (in Vietnamese).

Ghosh, P. K., Bairagi, R. K., & Mondal, A. (2020). Adoption of principle-based IFRS and intercompany comparability of operating performance. Asian Journal of Accounting Research, 5(2), 341–352. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJAR-03-2020-0015

Harrington, C. (2005). Analysis ratios for detecting financial statement fraud. Fraud Magazine, 19(2), 25–27.

Harris, M. K., & Williams, L. T. (2020). Audit quality indicators: Perspectives from Non-Big Four audit firms and small company audit committees. Advances in Accounting, 50, 100485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adiac.2020.100485

Hla, D. T., & bin Md Isa, A. H. (2015). Globalization of financial reporting standards of listed companies in ASEAN: Malaysia and Singapore. International Journal of Business and Society, 16(1), 95 – 106. https://doi.org/10.33736/ijbs.556.2015

Jensen, M. C., & Meckling, W. H. (2019). Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs, and ownership structure. In Corporate Governance (pp. 77132). Gower. https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674274051-006

Karğın, S. (2013). The impact of IFRS on the value relevance of accounting information: Evidence from Turkish firms. International Journal of Economics and Finance, 5(4), 71–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijef.v5n4p71

Lee, H. L., & Lee, H. (2013). Do Big 4 audit firms improve the value relevance of earnings and equity? Managerial Auditing Journal, 28(7), 628–646. https://doi.org/10.1108/MAJ-07-2012-0728

Mongrut, S., Tello Marín, M., Torres Postigo, M. del C., & Fuenzalida O’Shee, D. (2021). IFRS adoption and firms’ opacity around the world: what factors affect this relationship? Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Science, 26(51), 7–21. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEFAS-02-2020-0060

Nejad, M. Y., Ahmad, A. Z. L. I. N. A., Rahim, R. A., & Salleh, F. A. I. R. U. Z. (2020). Does IFRS drive information asymmetry reduction? Evidence from ASEAN-6 countries. Asian Journal of Accounting and Governance, 14(0), 99–114. http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/AJAG-2020-14-08

Nguyen, L. A., Vesty, G., Kend, M., Nguyen, Q., & O’Connell, B. (2023). Intertwined institutionalization: pressures on Vietnam’s accounting profession during transition to IFRS. Pacific Accounting Review, 32(4), 475–493. https://doi.org/10.1108/PAR-03-2020-0026

Nguyen, T. L. H., Nguyen, H., & Nguyen, T. N. (2020). Factors affecting enterprises that apply the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS): A case study in Vietnam. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 7(12), 409–422. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2020.vol7.no12.409

Phan, D., Mascitelli, B., & Barut, M. (2014). Perceptions towards international financial reporting standards (IFRS): The case of Vietnam. Global Review of Accounting and Finance Journal, 5(1), 132–152.

Pham, T. T. M. (2019). Combine the Beneish M-Score model and the Z-Score index to identify the possibility of fraud on the financial statements of companies listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange. Journal of Accounting and Auditing, 8(1), 57–61 (in Vietnamese).

RSM. (2023). 7 challenges when adopting IFRS. https://www.rsmhanoi.com.vn/en/post/7-challenges-when-adopting-ifrs

Soltani, B. (2014). The anatomy of corporate fraud: a comparative analysis of high profile American and European corporate scandals. Journal of Business Ethics, 120, 251–274 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1660-z

Tangruenrat, C., & Yomchinda, N. (2022). IFRS adoption and value relevance: Evidence from the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Journal of Federation of Accounting Professions, 4(10), 66–80.
https://so02.tcithaijo.org/index.php/JFAC/article/view/254477/172032

Tran, T. C., Ha, X. T., Le, T. H. P., & Nguyen, N. T. (2019). Factors affecting IFRS adoption in listed companies: Evidence from Vietnam. Management Science Letters, 9, 2169–2180. https://doi.org/10.5267/j. msl. 2019.7.035

Tran, V. H.(2017). Identifying financial reporting fraud of listed companies on the Vietnamese stock market – empirical evidence at the HOSE stock exchange (Master's thesis). Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics (in Vietnamese).

Tu, D. N., Anh, V. H., Tam, V. N., Quynh, M. T. T., Chau, H. T. M., & Hoa, N. M. H. (2018). Is there a difference in financial ratios between fraudulent and non-fraudulent companies in Vietnam?. Ho Chi Minh City Open University Journal of Science - Economics and Business Administration, 13(3), 248–260 (in Vietnamese).

Tungsriwong, S. (2022). Value relevance of IFRS-based accounting information adoption in Thailand-listed companies. Journal of Business, Innovation and Sustainability, 17(1), 181-193. https://so02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/BECJournal/article/view/247937

Viana, D. B. C., Lourenço, I. M. E. C., & Paulo, E. (2023). The effect of IFRS adoption on accrual-based and real earnings management: emerging markets' perspective. Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies, 13(3), 485–508. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/JAEE-05-2021-0172

Wardhani, R., & Anggraenni, M. D. (2017). The effect of leverage and IFRS convergence on earnings management through real activities manipulation in Asia. Asian Journal of Business and Accounting, 10(1), 87-125.

Wooldridge, J. M. (2002). Econometric analysis of cross-section and panel data, 2002. Cambridge, 22, 135–158.

Yarana, C. (2023). Factors influencing financial statement fraud: an analysis of the fraud diamond theory from evidence of Thai listed companies. WSEAS Transactions on Business and Economics, 20, 1659–1672. https://doi.org/10.37394/23207.2023.20.147

Yip, R. W., & Young, D. (2012). Does mandatory IFRS adoption improve information comparability?. The Accounting Review, 87(5), 1767-1789. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-50192