Category Archives: RESEARCH ARTICLE

Stock market liquidity during crisis periods: Australian evidence

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Abstract

Liquidity is an important characteristic of financial markets, affecting portfolio decisions and priced risk. During periods of market turmoil, such as occurs during financial crisis, investors have an elevated need for cash and so understanding how liquidity differs during those periods is important. We examine how stock market liquidity was impacted by two crises with distinct origins, the global financial crisis (GFC) and the COVID-pandemic. Our sample includes the S&P/ASX200 constituents for the period January 2005–December 2020. We find that the Australian stock market is less liquid during both crisis periods; spreads are wider, depth is lower, and price impact is larger (stock prices move a lot in response to small amounts of volume). Although the magnitude of the liquidity change is greater at the onset of COVID, the duration of the impact is longer during the GFC, resulting in a larger average effect. While trading volume declines during the GFC, it increases during COVID. Our results are robust to alternate liquidity proxies, methodologies and crisis period identification, and generally applicable across stock sectors.

CEO social capital, business environment, and the level of corporate risk‐taking in China

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Abstract

We find a significant positive role of chief executive officer (CEO) social capital on the level of corporate risk-taking for Chinese listed firms from 2008 to 2019. We reveal that a better business environment tends to reduce this positive relationship. In addition, we also find that corporate innovations provide moderation effects on the relationship. Further analysis of heterogeneity tests on firm characteristics suggests that CEO social capital's effect on corporate risk-taking is significant and stronger for non-state-owned enterprises, firms with fewer female directors on their board, and firms with more cash holdings.

The challenges facing Chinese accounting scholars publishing in English (and Chinese) language journals

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Abstract

Interviews with accounting scholars in China found that the pressure to publish in English language journals is high for reasons of tenure and promotion, but the expectation of acceptance is low. Publishing in Chinese language journals is equally as difficult because of socio-cultural factors that favour a limited group of scholars with reputational capital. Scholars in China either avoid submitting articles to English language journals, collaborate with western scholars to enhance the probability of success, or focus on quantitative methodologies because of a perception that it is less demanding on language capability compared with qualitative approaches to research.

The new audit report with key audit matters: Lessons from Thailand’s first implementation

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Abstract

Using a mixed method research design, this study is the first to provide comprehensive evidence of the impacts of Thailand's first implementation of the new audit report with key audit matters (KAMs), which took place in 2016. Survey evidence shows that the new audit report improves the informative value and effectively narrows the deficient-standards and deficient-performance gaps. Nonetheless, financial statement users have made new demands for information that lie beyond auditors' traditional responsibility. Moreover, marginally significant evidence from archival data shows that although the disclosure of KAMs increases audit fees and audit delays, it improves audit quality. However, the market does not value KAMs.

Proprietary information and the choice between public and private debt

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Abstract

The high costs of disclosing confidential information lead firms with proprietary information to prefer private debt (bank loan) to public debt (corporate bond). We provide empirical evidence supporting this proposition using the staggered adoption of the inevitable disclosure doctrine (IDD) by US state courts that exogenously increased the value of proprietary information. The focal firms are significantly less likely to issue bonds after the IDD adoption. Financing through public debt decreases more for firms in which the protection of proprietary information is relatively more important.

I’d do anything, but I won’t do that: Job crafting in the management accounting profession

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Abstract

We examine management accountants' attempts to customise their roles through job crafting behaviour. In a field survey of 284 professional management accountants, we show that role identity conflicts are associated with attempts to narrow/sideline tasks and relationships in order to achieve greater fit. We also identify two key moderators of this behaviour, namely job discretion and business involvement. Our findings contribute to discussions on how and why accountants self-initiate changes to their roles and the boundary factors that shape these actions. In doing so, we challenge current perspectives on business partnering by exposing a dark side of high business involvement.

Cryptocurrency as an alternative inflation hedge?

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Abstract

We examine the association of Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrency, returns with changes in inflation expectations, and form a comparison with gold, a traditional inflation hedge. We control for uncertainty in economic policy, cryptocurrency, and financial markets, and show that cryptocurrency returns are positively related to changes in US inflation expectations only for a limited set of circumstances. Unlike with gold, the identified relationship is only significant for short-term inflation expectations, and when inflation or market-implied inflation expectations are below 2% (the Fed's inflation target). Moreover, cryptocurrency returns tend to be lower on days with monthly consumer price index (CPI) announcements and respond negatively to CPI surprises. Our results suggest that cryptocurrencies do not currently offer investors a viable alternative to gold for hedging inflation.

Allocation of decision‐making power and labour income share in listed companies: Evidence from China

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Abstract

This paper utilises the perspective of listed companies to explore the influence of decision-making power allocation on labour income share and analyses the possible mechanisms. Utilising 16,650 firm-year observations from both the Shenzhen and Shanghai stock exchanges between 2008 and 2021, the results show that decentralised decision-making power can significantly improve the labour income share of enterprises. This result is more obvious in enterprises with non-state-owned property rights and low total factor productivity. Furthermore, decentralising enterprise decision-making power reduces rent dissipation within the company, improves enterprise investment enthusiasm, increases investment in research and development, and promotes upgrading the labour force.

How do big customers influence bank loans in China? The role of state ownership and political connections

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Abstract

Firms with big customers are associated with not only high operational efficiency but also high operational risks. We study the effect of big customers on various aspects of bank loan contracts using a manually collected contract-level dataset from China over the period of 2001–2016. We find that, big customers help firms obtain lower borrowing interest rates, longer loan duration, and larger loan amounts, though this is accompanied by more restrictive borrowing conditions. We further find that state ownership and political connections are important considerations when banks make loan decisions to firms with big customers. Overall, our results show how benefits and costs of big customers are evaluated by banks and priced into bank loan contract terms.

Affect and reason in uncertain accounting settings: The case of capital investment appraisal

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Abstract

Affect is generally characterised as distinct from, and detrimental to, reason in investment appraisal. This paper, in contrast, illustrates that affect is integral to reasoning, particularly when uncertainty disturbs investment appraisal. Investment appraisals produce uncertain projections about the future, which generate discomfort. This causes actors to undertake adaptive activities to craft calculations they can become comfortable with, which we characterise as epistemic participation and shaping the politics of expectations. These activities constitute a dualistic fusion of comfort and reason: discomfort initiates and informs reasoning to regain comfort. We further show the effects of the laborious efforts accompanying this accretion of both knowledge and comfort. Our arguments are supported by an analysis of investment appraisal for a 30-year capital project.