We investigate if high-ability managers are more likely to intentionally smooth earnings, a form of earnings management, and when they are more likely to do so. Although prior studies provide evidence that high-ability managers report higher quality earnings, the literature does not indicate...

We examine whether the strength of internal control over financial reporting (internal control) reduces the expropriation of resources from the firm by managers and controlling shareholders. Although we have ample evidence from prior literature that internal controls reduce errors in financial...

Coletti, Sedatole, and Towry (2005) provide seminal evidence that controls can increase trust and cooperation. Garrett, Livingston, and Tayler (2018) replicate and extend Coletti et al. (2005), providing evidence that the results extend to different tasks and to individuals in non-interactive...

We examine whether the strength of internal control over financial reporting (internal control) reduces the expropriation of resources from the firm by managers and controlling shareholders. Although we have ample evidence from prior literature that internal controls reduce errors in financial...

Earnings are an important input for equity investors’ valuation decisions. Managers and analysts increasingly report non-GAAP earnings on an ongoing basis, routinely removing recurring items, such as amortization and stock-based compensation, from GAAP earnings. We document that by 2019,...

We examine the disclosure of non-GAAP earnings information in quarters containing transitory gains to investigate whether the primary motivation for these managers to disclose non-GAAP earnings is to inform or mislead. In this setting, non-GAAP earnings are more informative than GAAP earnings,...

To inform the debate on the merits of internal control audits, we examine managers' decisions to temporarily exempt newly acquired businesses from Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We provide evidence that managers are more likely to elect the exemption when expected compliance costs are...

We document strong evidence of a declining relation between R&D and future profitability, which coincides with a number of important economic changes including a significant increase in R&D spending. We identify several contributors to this decline, including changes in the nature and riskiness...

We examine the relation between accruals quality and internal controls using 705 firms that disclosed at least one material weakness from August 2002 to November 2005 and find that weaknesses are generally associated with poorly estimated accruals that are not realized as cash flows. Further, we...

The frequency of special items has increased dramatically over time, offering a convenient conduit for the inappropriate classification of past, present, and future recurring expenses as non-recurring. Identifying this misclassification is especially important in light of the pervasive use of...