整體而言，會計盈餘提供財務報表使用者有關於企業獲利能力之相關資訊。然而，由於會計盈餘同時包含了雜訊 (noises) 與偏差 (biases)，因而影響到會計盈餘對公司獲利能力評價的正確性。因此，過去的會計文獻發展出不同的盈餘管理估計模型 (如: Healy 1985; DeAngelo 1986; Friedlan 1994; DeFond and Jiambalvo 1994 以及Dechow, Sloan and Sweeney 1995)，以嘗試去除這些雜訊與偏差。然而，究竟哪一個估計模型能夠提供最為純淨之非裁量性淨利 (nondiscretionary income) 的衡量指標，則並無定論。在效率市場 (market efficiency) 的假說下，本研究透過本益比 (P/E ratio) 的平均數復歸 (mean-reverting) 現象來評比五種盈餘管理估計模型。由於過去的文獻同時發現盈餘成長率與風險係數均會影響本益比的高低，因此，本研究同時將這兩個變數納入考量。 　　實證結果發現，依照上述五種盈餘管理估計模型所估計之本益比皆有平均數復歸的現象。其中Friedlan (1994) 模型在全體樣本與控制盈餘成長率之後，其本益比平均數復歸現象均較其他模型為快；次佳之盈餘管理估計模型為DeFond and Jiambalvo (1994) 與Dechow et al. (1995) 兩模型；最差的則為 Healy (1985) 模型。 / Overall speaking, accounting earnings provide financial statement users with useful information about a firm's profitability. However, because of the biases and noises included in the accounting earnings, the accuracy and reliability of accounting earnings to the evaluation of a firm's profitability may be adversely influenced. In light of this, prior earnings management studies have developed various estimation models of nondiscretionary income (e.g., Healy 1985; DeAngelo 1986; Friedlan 1994; DeFond and Jiambalvo 1994; Dechow, Sloan & Sweeney 1995) with an attempt to remove the biases and noises embedded in the accounting earnings. Nonetheless, there is no consistent empirical evidence about the relative performance of these estimation models. Assuming market efficiency, the main purpose of this study is to utilize the mean-reverting phenomenon of P/E ratios to evaluate the relative performance of these models. Since prior studies have found that earnings growth rate and risk coefficient may affect the magnitude of P/E ratios, we also control for these two variables in our analyses. 　　The empirical results reveal several findings. First, P/E ratios calculated using different earnings management estimation models exhibit the mean-reverting phenomenon. Second, the Friedlan (1994) model has the best performance among all models when we use the overall sample and three subsamples grouped based on the earnings growth rate. In addition, the DeFond and Jiambalvo (1994) and Dechow, Sloan & Sweeney (1995) models perform moderately. Finally, the Healy (1985) model shows the worst performance.

本研究係探析保險業在監理管制下，若有違監理標準之虞時，其經理人是否興起盈餘管理的動機，以避免不必要的監理成本。蓋保險監理最重要的目的為預防保險公司失卻清償能力，以保障被保險人的權益，並維持金融安定。在實施風險基礎資本制前，邊際清償能力的標準仍以保險法第143條第一項之規定為依歸，即保險業認許資產減除負債之餘額，未達實收資本之45%時，主管機關應命其於限期內，以現金增資補足之。若保險業不依第143條規定限期增資補足者，保險法第149條第二項授權主管機關應依情節輕重，分別處以派員監理、撤換負責人或有關人員、限期改組、甚至命其停業或解散。故本研究預期清償能力不佳的保險公司，其經理人會動用裁量性應計項目調整財務狀況，以跨過清償能力標竿，避免受到監理機關的注意與查核。另外，保險法對於保險業資金運用管道有所縮限，以驅使保險公司穩健地運用資金，預防保險公司因巨額投資損失致使清償能力敗壞。但隨著產業競爭度增強與低利率時代的來臨，保險公司在經營績效與保單預定利率的壓力下，是否會安於目前的投資限制，而放棄賺取投資報酬的機會。據此，本研究預期年度中持有短期有價證券總額超過或可能超過35%資金門檻的保險公司，其經理人會選擇處分位於利得部位的短期有價證券，以規避超過保險法第146條之1第一項第二款的門檻限制。同理，年度中持有合格的公司股票及公司債超過或可能超過35%資金門檻的保險公司，其經理人可能會選擇出售位於利得部位的股票或公司債，以規避超過146條之1第一項第三款的門檻限制。 　　在研究設計上，為捕捉各類操縱財務報表的淨影響，本研究採用總裁量性應計項目作為代理變數。在所有可用的裁量性應計項目估計模型中，研究指出Modified Jones模型顯示了相對較強的檢定力(Dechow et al. 1995)。因此本研究援引Modified Jones模型估計裁量性應計數字。其次，將該模型析出的裁量性應計數字與各類監理門檻距離組成一迴歸模型，以測試其關聯性強弱。實證結果如下：一、在產險業，保單持有人盈餘與實收資本之45%的距離愈小者，其盈餘管理幅度愈大。二、壽險業比較沒有利用裁量性應計項目來達到監理標準的動機。但依公司規模來看，大小公司行為仍有所差異，即相較於大公司，小公司利用裁量性應計項目來達到監理標準的動機較為強烈。根據本文實證研究結論，建議監理機關與被保險人應特別注意產險業及小壽險公司的財務狀況，並確認其清償能力之品質。 / This paper examined whether insurance companies have incentives to manipulate accounting accruals to appear more solvent and less risky. In Taiwan, virtually all industries are regulated to some degree, but insurance industry faces regulatory monitoring that is explicitly tied to accounting data. Insurance regulators required that insurers meet conditions for minimum financial health. It is frequency asserted that such regulations create incentives to manipulate financial statement to avoid regulatory intervention The primary hypothesis of this paper is that the incentive to manipulate financial statement is a decreasing function of the insurers’ difference between policyholders’ surplus and 45% of capital. This paper assumes that insurance managers use their reporting discretion to achieve solvency goal and avoid exceeding investment limits. Following Healy (1985), accruals-based measures are wide employed in test of earnings management hypothesis. In the past, the most frequency used techniques for estimating discretionary accruals are the cross-sectional versions of the modified Jones model. In this paper, the magnitude of earnings management is proxied by the discretionary accruals which are estimated by using a cross-sectional version of the modified Jones model and regressed by three differences of regulatory requirements which measure the insurers’ behavior under the regulation. The evidence indicates that when policyholders’ surplus of property-casualty insurers is closer to 45% of capital, the incentive to manipulate financial statement is stronger. On the other hand, life insurers have less incentive to manipulate financial statement, but relative to big size insurers, small size insurers have stronger incentive to meet regulatory requirements.

中國證監會於1998年設置特別處理政策（special treatment policy, ST）以管理上市公司是否得持續保有上市的狀態，在該制度下，上市公司如果連續報導二年虧損，其股票將被標記「特別處理」。為了瞭解中國證券市場避免虧損的盈餘管理現象是證券市場誘因或是ST政策誘因所致，本文以ST監管政策的臺灣證券市場為對照樣本，以檢視ST政策影響中國上市公司盈餘管理的證據。主要研究結果為： 一、不論是臺灣上市公司或中國上市公司，都可以很清楚的看到在0%附近出現了明顯的跳動，都有為了避免虧損的盈餘管理現象。 二、中國大陸證券市場在1998年特別處理制度實施後，小額利潤佔利潤公司家數比例與小額虧損公司佔虧損公司家數比例之差異比呈現顯著上升趨勢，足見有比較多的公司會操弄盈餘通過零盈餘的門檻。 三、在排除非ST政策環境下所固有的避免虧損之證券市場誘因盈餘管理現象後，中國證券市場的差異比仍明顯集中於0%上方，這種避免虧損的嚴重傾向說明了ST監管制度為中國大陸上市公司避免虧損盈餘管理的政策誘因。

隨著經濟全球化、分工化的趨勢下，我國企業為提升競爭力並獲取更高的利潤，逐漸將企業轉移至大陸。根據投審會的統計，台灣企業單一年度在大陸的核准投資金額已從初期1991年的1.74億美元，成長至2002年的67.23億美元，去年2010年更達到146.17億美元，中國大陸已取代美國成為台灣最大的對外投資地區。然而兩岸之間敏感的政治因素，政府對於投資大陸之上限、技術及資本市場一直存在相當之限制，使得台商為了規避相關法規之限制，掙脫「台資」身份投資中國大陸的枷鎖，紛紛以各種合法及不合法的管道突圍。 有鑑於違規投資大陸事件層出不窮，我國遂於2008年放寬投資大陸之相關規定，其中影響最鉅的為投資上限淨值，將其從40%改為60%。雖然限制條件放寬了，但是投資大陸上限仍舊存在，對於投資大陸需求較高的企業，為提高投資大陸的金額，可能會透過各種管道，其中包括盈餘管理之可能。 本研究即在探討我國相關法令中，對於企業投資中國大陸的限制存在那些限制，而企業為了規避這些限制可能採取那些手法，並以計算投資上限的淨值作為主要的研究標的，探討公司是否會進行淨值管理。本研究實證結果顯示，投資大陸比例接近其限額之企業，相較於投資大陸比例很低的企業，確實較有可能透過盈餘管理，以達到提高投資中國大陸限額的目的。 / With the tendency of global economic development and collaboration, it is necessary for our enterprises to transfer their operating center to China in order to promote competition and get more profit. According to the statistics by Investment Commission, the approve amount to invest in China from Taiwanese entrepreneurs in a year has increased from 0.174 billion in 1991 to 6.723 billion in 2002. In 2010, the amount is up to 14.617 billion. Mainland China has substituted for the US to become Taiwan’s major investment area. But the sensitive political issues between two sides of Taiwan Strait make Taiwan government establish many constraints, including the upper limit for investment in China, the technology and the capital market. To avoid the regulations of constraints and the “Taiwanese identity”, Taiwanese entrepreneurs use many legal and illegal ways to invest in China. Because illegal events about investment in China emerged one after another incessantly, our government relaxed a part of the regulations in 2008. The most influence in the regulations of constraints is the upper limit for investment; it changed from 40% to 60%. Although the constraints have relaxed, the upper limit for investment still exists. For those enterprises with higher investment demand, there is still a possibility for them to use ways to enhance the investment amount, including earnings management. The purpose of this research is to clarify the regulatory policy of Taiwan government toward investment in China, and the ways enterprises use to avoid the constraints. Besides, the main object of research is net worth which is calculated for the upper limit for investment. The empirical results demonstrate that enterprises whose investments are close to the upper limit are more likely to use earnings management to enhance the investment amount than enterprises whose investments are far away from the upper limit.

<p>Nowadays, there exist two reporting regimes, rules-based and principle-based (comply-or-explain). In the rules-based environment, researchers have studied the relationship between internal control quality and accounting quality. Prior studies have suggested that reports on internal control are an effective way for investors to evaluate the quality of the firm‟s internal control. By having a sound system of internal control, it creates reliance upon the firm‟s financial reporting. Therefore, the condition of internal control has direct connection to the investors‟ decision making.  In  U.S., where the corporate governance has been known to be typically rules-based, most researches have shown a positive relationship between internal control reporting and accounting quality. In the comply-or-explain reporting regime, there has only been one research as far as we know, that investigates the relationship between internal control reporting and accounting quality. The research took place in Netherlands; their study provided positive association between internal control  reporting quality and accounting quality, particularly earnings quality. The result is consistent with other research in rules-based regime.    The Swedish code has  been enacted for  five years and it is in the same regime as Netherlands. However, under current Swedish code, we are not aware of any empirical research  that  has taken place to address the effectiveness of the code. Therefore, we conducted the study with 152 firms listed on Swedish NASDAQ OMXS to test internal control reporting quality and accounting quality. We used proxies for internal control reporting quality: effectiveness statement of  internal control, internal control reporting score and internal control proportion. Simultaneously, we use discretionary accruals as a proxy of accounting quality. Our result showed a negative significant relationship between internal control reporting score and discretionary accruals but this relationship is quite weak and sensitive. It is broken with the presence of one more variable in regression, such as size variable. The result could not give any evidence for relationships between either effectiveness statements or extent of internal control reporting with discretionary accruals. Although, the relationship between internal control reporting score and discretionary accruals is not tight, it still encourage the  notion  that firms with good internal control report will improve their accounting quality. Our research contributes knowledge to wide-range of concerned parties. Moreover, it also suggests valuable ideas for further studies in the same area.</p>

Nowadays, there exist two reporting regimes, rules-based and principle-based (comply-or-explain). In the rules-based environment, researchers have studied the relationship between internal control quality and accounting quality. Prior studies have suggested that reports on internal control are an effective way for investors to evaluate the quality of the firm‟s internal control. By having a sound system of internal control, it creates reliance upon the firm‟s financial reporting. Therefore, the condition of internal control has direct connection to the investors‟ decision making.  In  U.S., where the corporate governance has been known to be typically rules-based, most researches have shown a positive relationship between internal control reporting and accounting quality. In the comply-or-explain reporting regime, there has only been one research as far as we know, that investigates the relationship between internal control reporting and accounting quality. The research took place in Netherlands; their study provided positive association between internal control  reporting quality and accounting quality, particularly earnings quality. The result is consistent with other research in rules-based regime.    The Swedish code has  been enacted for  five years and it is in the same regime as Netherlands. However, under current Swedish code, we are not aware of any empirical research  that  has taken place to address the effectiveness of the code. Therefore, we conducted the study with 152 firms listed on Swedish NASDAQ OMXS to test internal control reporting quality and accounting quality. We used proxies for internal control reporting quality: effectiveness statement of  internal control, internal control reporting score and internal control proportion. Simultaneously, we use discretionary accruals as a proxy of accounting quality. Our result showed a negative significant relationship between internal control reporting score and discretionary accruals but this relationship is quite weak and sensitive. It is broken with the presence of one more variable in regression, such as size variable. The result could not give any evidence for relationships between either effectiveness statements or extent of internal control reporting with discretionary accruals. Although, the relationship between internal control reporting score and discretionary accruals is not tight, it still encourage the  notion  that firms with good internal control report will improve their accounting quality. Our research contributes knowledge to wide-range of concerned parties. Moreover, it also suggests valuable ideas for further studies in the same area.

This study examines whether there is an association between the length of the client-auditor relationship and audit quality, using absolute unexpected accruals estimated by industry as a measure of audit quality based on a modified Jones model. The study is motivated by the proposal on mandatory audit firm rotation for publicly traded companies from the European Commission, which is based on the notion that longer auditor firm tenure creates a familiarity threat which reduces the audit quality. Both the relation between audit quality and auditor partner tenure and audit firm tenure is examined in this study, using multivariate regression controlling for auditor type (Big 4 versus non-Big 4), signing auditors (one versus two auditors), firm size, profitability, leverage and age. There is a significant negative relationship between audit quality and audit partner tenure when only companies employing Big 4 is tested, which indicate that auditors constrain managements extreme accounting measures with longer tenure. The results provide no significant evidence of an increase in the absolute unexpected accruals with audit firm tenure, when only Big 4 companies are tested. The results also overall suggest that the audit quality is lower for shorter tenure relative to longer tenure, which is consistent with previous studies. The results of this study therefore implies that under the current regime with no obligation of firm rotation, longer audit tenure is on average associated with auditors in greater extent constraining managements extreme accounting choices. The results therefore do not support the call for mandatory rotation. However, the majority of the regression results were not statistically significant, which limits the possibility to apply these results to a population outside the scope of this study. / Revisorers oberoende i förhållande till sina klienter har under de senaste åren med anledning av finanskrisen samt de omtalade revisionsskandalerna medfört diskussioner om huruvida den befintliga lagstiftningen som reglerar revisorers arbete är tillräcklig. Det har även diskuterats om det behöver vidtas ytterligare åtgärder för att säkerställa revisorernas oberoende. Som ett led att stärka revisorernas oberoende har Europeiska Kommissionen lagt på förslag att införa obligatorisk byrårotation för publika bolag. Det har redan införts obligatorisk revisorsrotation. Dock anser emellertid kommissionen att detta inte är tillräckligt, då långa revisionsbyråuppdrag kan vara skadliga för oberoendet på grund av att det med tiden kan skapas en vänskaplig relation mellan revisionsbyrån och klienten. Majoriteten av tidigare forskning på området har emellertid inte funnit stöd för att varken långa partneruppdrag eller byråuppdrag skulle vara skadliga för revisionskvaliteten som omfattar revisorers oberoende. I studien undersöks således huruvida det finns ett samband mellan längden på revisionsuppdraget och revisionskvaliteten. Studiens syfte är därmed att undersöka om längden på partneruppdraget och byråuppdraget påverkar revisionskvaliteten. Utifrån studiens resultat syftar studien även till att kommentera rimligheten i Europeiska Kommissionens förslag på införandet av obligatorisk byrårotation. Studien utgår ifrån ett intressentperspektiv, eftersom det i slutändan är intressenter såsom aktieägare, investerare, långivare, anställda, kunder och staten som drabbas av de negativa konsekvenserna av att revisorer inte är oberoende i sin granskning, då tillförlitligheten till årsredovisningarna minskar.    De teoretiska utgångspunkterna baseras på tidigare forskning inom revision och företagsekonomi. I studien tillämpas teorier och tidigare forskningsresultat som främst gäller revisionskvalitet, vinstmanipulering och längden på partner- samt byråuppdraget i syfte att beskriva den befintliga forskningen som vid tiden för studien behandlar ämnet. En kvantitativ metod med ett deduktivt angreppssätt efter den positivistiska synssättet har använts för att på bästa möjliga sätt undersöka studiens uppställda problem och syfte. Urvalet består av publika bolag börsnoterade på NASDAQ OMX Nordics Large, Mid och Small Cap listor. I linje med tidigare studier används oväntade periodiseringar beräknad utifrån branschtillhörighet som mått på revisionskvalitet.    Resultaten visar att partnerlängden är signifikant negativt associerad med de absoluta oväntade periodiseringarna när endast företag reviderade av Big 4 studeras, vilket indikerar att revisorer begränsar företagsledningens möjlighet att genomföra extrema redovisningsbeslut i takt med att längden på partneruppdraget ökar. Resultaten ger inget stöd för att långa byråuppdrag påverkar revisionskvaliteten negativt, detta då inga signifikanta samband observerades. Studiens resultat visar även att korta revisionsuppdrag överlag har högre oväntade periodiseringar i förhållande till längre uppdrag. Studien ger således inget stöd för införandet av obligatorisk byrårotation.

This thesis investigates whether IFRS adoption has led to an increase in the relevance of accounting information for investment decisions. Furthermore, the effects of IFRS are implicitly compared across accounting traditions. As such,  the effects of IFRS on the “quality” of financial reporting are measured based on the cases of listed firms in Germany and listed firms in the UK. This study approaches the effects of IFRS on the quality of financial reporting from two angles. First a review of the academic literature is done to determine whether there has been a general consensus about the effects of IFRS adoption on financial reporting of listed firms in Germany and the UK. As a result of this literature study, a number of propositions are deduced about the effects of IFRS. Subsequently, the investigation of the effects of IFRS takes a statistical perspective. Financial and accounting data are obtained for two samples, one of German listed firms and another of UK listed firms. A number of empirical models are used to determine the quality of financial reporting, including the earnings-returns association (Lev ,1989; Lev &amp; Zarowin, 1999), asymmetric sensitivity of earnings and asymmetric persistence of earnings (Basu, 1997), and the market-to-book ratios (Roychowdhury &amp; Watts, 2003). Additionally, a new tool is introduced for a joint interpretation of the econometric test results, leading potentially to a new method of financial report analysis under dynamic regulatory conditions. Significant statistical evidence is found suggesting a drastic reduction (to the point of complete elimination) in income smoothing in Germany corresponding to the transition from the German national GAAP to IFRS. Additionally, with the introduction of IFRS, the information content of accounting earnings in German firms appears to have increased substantially, while market-to-book ratios have converged towards “1”. On the other hand, the introduction of IFRS in the UK corresponds to statistical evidence consistent with a shift from asymmetric timeliness of earnings under UK GAAP to a significant downward bias in earnings under IFRS. The study also shows significant inter-industry differences in the effects of IFRS that suggest that the inconsistencies in the results of previous studies may have been due to the significant noise created by diverse samples, or due to biased industry representations in the data.

從1990年起，美國財政部發佈之消息顯示，公司之財稅差異不斷擴大，每年預估之財稅收入不斷向下修正，公司是否透過財務會計準則與稅法間不同規定所產生之差異進行避稅行為，引發政府機關與學者之關切。另一方面，盈餘管理為近年來熱門的探討主題之一，因此，財稅差異是否為其中一種手法，為本研究探討之主題。 過去學者透過稅前財務所得之變動及組成來判斷盈餘管理之存在，本研究則透過財稅差異之變動幅度與稅前財務所得之連動關係，及過去文獻用以衡量盈餘管理之變數來測試財稅差異是否與盈餘管理有關。另一方面，管理階層獎酬為產生盈餘管理行為的重要誘因之一，故分析管理階層之誘因是否會影響財稅差異之幅度，也納入本研究探討之主題。最後，本研究從公司治理機制中財務報表之角度，分析公司治理機制是否對於財稅差異幅度有同樣之影響，加強本研究之結果。 本研究之實證結果顯示：（1）財稅差異之幅度可能為盈餘管理操弄手法之一；（2）管理階層獎酬誘因越大，透過財稅差異操弄盈餘之幅度越大，尤其以管理階層所獲取之現金紅利具有最高關聯性，且有持續三年影響效果；（3）公司治理機制之良莠，影響財稅差異幅度；（4）當財務所得大於課稅所得或是大於零時，管理階層透過財稅差異操弄盈餘之情形更加顯著。 / According to the report published by Internal Revenue Service in 1990s, corporate tax-book differences trends increasingly and consequently brings about the government and researchers’ concerns about whether managers’ incentives influence the way they manipulate the earnings by different regulation among financial income and taxable income. In this study, I will first develop the model to measure the relation between earnings management and tax-book differences. On the other hand, compensation incentives are the major factors in earnings management. Therefore, the more the incentives, such as higher bonus, stockholding and bonus rates, the more possibilities earnings management. In addition, to enhance the result of the analysis; variables of corporate governance which have been testified as having connection with earnings management are added as robust test. The result demonstrates that corporate tax-book difference is related to earning management, and that compensation incentives are the motives of managers to manipulate financial income for extra return. Moreover, corporate governance is also another factor which affects the degree of earnings management. Besides, this situation becomes more obvious when financial income is larger than taxable income or when it appears to be zero. This study may help explaining why large tax- book gaps trend increasingly.

為了使公司帳面價值符合穩健原則，我國財務會計準則委員會於民國九十三年七月一日公布財務會計準則公報第三十五號 -- 「資產減損之會計處理」。此公報規定當資產之帳面價值高於可回收金額，對於超過的部分即須認列減損損失。本文之目的即在於藉由探討資產減損認列之決定因素，係經濟因素或報導誘因，以瞭解第三十五號公報之實施是否真能達到當初制定之目的，而使公司財報更為透明，更能反映公司的經營績效與價值，而非淪為管理階層盈餘管理之工具。此外，本文亦探討公司資產減損之認列與其股價之關係，以瞭解投資人對資產減損資訊之反應，以及第三十五號公報對市場之影響。 本研究之主要發現如下：（1）國內上市公司認列資產減損之決定因素主要係經濟因素，但亦有藉以平穩其盈餘之現象；以及（2）整體而言，資產減損對股價不具有顯著之影響力，顯示市場對於資產減損並無顯著之反應。但市場對於未提前適用之公司所認列之資產減損，則有顯著之負向反應。 / In July 2004, Financial Accounting Standards Board in Taiwan issued SFAS No. 35: Accounting for Impairment of Assets, to enhance the conservatism in corporate financial statements. SFAS No. 35 requires that when an asset’s book value is lower than its recoverable amount, a company should recognize the difference as an impairment loss. The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants (economic factors and reporting incentives) of reported impairment losses to evaluate whether SFAS No. 35 achieves its purpose. In addition, this study examines the relationship between reported impairment losses and stock prices to determine the impact of SFAS No. 35 on the capital market investors. Our empirical results show that economic factors are the main determinants of reported impairment losses of the listed firms in Taiwan. There is also a high association between reported impairment losses and corporate “income smoothing” behavior. Overall, reported impairment losses do not have significant impact on stock prices. However, after excluding the early adopting firms, the capital market reacts negatively to reported impairment losses.