I examine the influence of ownership structure on labor decisions by comparing how public and private banks manage their labor costs. I find that, compared to private banks, public banks grow their labor force by more when activity increases. However, due to capital market pressure, managers of public banks reduce labor costs to avoid reporting earnings declines while private banks increase labor costs around the same benchmark. In particular, I find that managers of public banks reduce labor costs to avoid reporting an earnings decline when they have diversified lines of business or when they do not make use of alternative methods of earnings management. Furthermore, public banks that reduce labor costs and report a small earnings increase experience improved subsequent performance. Overall these findings suggest that financial reporting pressure in public firms can constrain empire building by incentivizing managers to make strategic cost cuts.

This dissertation examines the cost behavior model implicit in analysts' and investors' decisions. Even though a cost behavior model that recognizes fixed and variable costs and cost stickiness can provide more accurate earnings forecasts, analysts and investors cannot fully capture sticky cost information. Since analysts are not fully aware of the correct cost behavior model, earnings surprises can be largely explained by a cost model that recognizes sticky stickiness. Similarly, investors' under-reaction to sticky cost information relates to post-earnings announcement drifts. As a result, positive abnormal returns can be earned by a trading strategy that takes advantage of investors' lower awareness of sticky cost information. / Business Administration/Accounting

This dissertation examines how managers make cost decisions under significant economic events. The economic events of interests are the economic crisis from 2008 to 2010 and corporate loan financing. The economic crisis caused many firms to experience sales declines and created tremendous pessimism about prospects of sales rebounding in the future. I find that not all firms were affected equally. Sales-down firms exhibit anti-sticky cost behavior during this period; that is, costs are cut back more steeply as sales fall than they increase as sales rise. Such a behavior during the economic crisis is exactly the opposite of the average sticky cost behavior during normal economic periods documented in prior accounting research. This, in turn, implies that net income and cash flows from operations (as percentage of sales) may increase, rather than decrease for sales-down firms during an economic downturn. In the second study, I use a difference-in-difference research design to examine whether and how managers engage in cost management before and after loan financing. I find that managers significantly cut back operating expenses prior to loan financing. However, cost reduction is asymmetric with respect to the direction of sales changes. Compared with firms experiencing sales increases, firms experiencing sales declines reduce costs to a greater extent prior to financing and also exhibit a reversion in the cost level after financing. The reversion in cost level is negatively related to the percentage of financial covenants that are based on earnings. I do not find consistent evidence supporting that managers engage in accrual management, overproduction or asset sales. / Business Administration/Interdisciplinary

I examine the implications of changes in operating profit margins during a sales decline for future earnings and abnormal stock returns. When sales decrease, managers decide whether to cut slack resources. Managers who are optimistic about their future operations often retain slack resources in anticipation of resurging sales, thereby decreasing concurrent profitability. Conversely, managers who are pessimistic about their future operations typically reduce slack resources to gain efficiency, thereby increasing concurrent profitability. I find that analysts and investors persistently underestimate the future profitability of firms that exhibit a large decrease in current profitability. I also find that subsequent quarterly earnings announcements gradually reveal future profitability, resulting in concentrated positive abnormal returns in short pre-announcement windows for about a year after a sales decline. These results suggest that analysts and investors have difficulties evaluating managers’ resource adjustment decisions when a large decrease in concurrent profitability can indicate managers’ optimistic expectations. / Business Administration/Accounting

This study aims to identify the cost behavior related to debt and liquidity ratios of companies in the consumer staples sector and footwear subsector which are listed on the BM & FBovespa. The survey collected and analyzed multiple linear regression models for debt and liquidity ratios, and dependent variables such as: cost of production, selling expenses, administrative expenses, financial expenses and net income. Data was collected from Economática (March, 2009-December, 2013). Before regressions, statistical tests were performed to guarantee the validity of the models. Results showed that cost of production is explained by 75% of variations in debt and liquidity ratios. Selling expenses reached an explanatory power of 56%, administrative expenses got 58% compared to the model; and financial expensesshowed 69%. The net income analysis showed an explanatory power of 81% of variations. / El estudio muestra el comportamiento de los costos en relación a los índices de endeudamiento y liquidez en empresas de consumo masivo y del subsector de calzados, listadas en la BM&FBovespa, La investigación fue realizada por medio de recolección de datos y análisis de modelos de regresión lineal múltiple sobre indicadores de endeudamiento y liquidez, y variables dependientes: costo de producción, gastos de ventas, gastos administrativos, gastos financieros e ingresos netos. Los datos fueron tomados del Economática, entre marzo 2009 y diciembre 2013. Antes de realizar las regresiones, se realizaron pruebas estadísticas para garantizar la validez de los modelos. Los resultados evidencian que los costos deproducción pueden ser explicados por 75% de las variaciones ocurridas en los indicadores de endeudamiento y liquidez. Los gastos por ventas alcanzan un poder explicativo del 56%, los gastos administrativos presentaron el 58% en comparación con el modelo, y los gastos financieros presentaron el 69%. El análisis del ingreso neto mostró un poder explicativo del 81% de las variaciones. / O estudo identifica o comportamento dos custos em relação aos índices de endividamento e liquidez das empresas listadas na BM&FBovespa, setor de consumo cíclico, subsetor de calçados. A pesquisa é realizada por meio de levantamento e análise de regressão linear múltipla entre indicadores de endividamento e liquidez e as variáveis dependentes: custo de produção, despesas com vendas, despesas administrativas, despesas financeiras e lucro líquido. Os dados são coletados no Economática, entre 03/2009 e 12/2013. Antes de efetuar as regressões realizaram-se testes estatísticos que asseguraram a validade dos modelos. Os resultados evidenciam que os custos de produção podem ser explicados por 75% das variações ocorridas nos indicadores de endividamento e liquidez. As despesas com vendas atingem um poder de explicação de 56%, as despesas administrativas apresentaram 58% de relação com o modelo, e as despesas financeiras apresentaram 69%. A análise do lucro líquido demonstra poder explicativo de 81% das variações ocorridas.

The metal-mechanic pole of the northwest region of the Rio Grande do Sul state is a model in the industrial sector, manufacturing parts, agricultural machinery and implements for multinational companies such as AGCO and John Deere. The city of Santa Rosa, more specifically the company under study, has approximately 120 companies in the metal industry, which is the main source of employment and income of the city. In this competitive environment, where are the companies in the metal industry, the need arises of metallurgical Alpha analyze the behavior of costs it generates in order to manage its production capacity to compete and grow in the market, avoiding risks and waste. Because of the behavior analysis of the costs of factors of production, the study will be defined in examining the behavior of direct and indirect production costs. This is a quantitative, qualitative and descriptive research, to investigate the behavior of costs and is characterized as a case study. The aim of this study demonstrates relevant data demonstrating the reality of the organization, in order to assist and provide relevant information to managers decision makers. / O polo metalmecânico da região noroeste do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul é modelo no segmento industrial, fabricando peças, máquinas e implementos agrícolas para empresas multinacionais como AGCO e JOHN DEERE. Nesse contexto competitivo, onde se situam as empresas do ramo metalúrgico, surge a necessidade da indústria metalúrgica Alpha analisar o comportamento dos custos que gera, de forma a gerenciar sua capacidade produtiva para concorrer e crescer no mercado, evitando riscos e desperdícios. O estudo foi delimitado no exame da composição do preço de venda baseada no comportamento dos custos diretos e indiretos de produção. Trata-se de uma pesquisa quantitativa, qualitativa e descritiva, para investigação do comportamento dos custos e está caracterizado como estudo de caso. Para o estudo foram selecionados alguns produtos que a empresa fabrica na linha de serralheria, analisados nos anos de 2005 a 2013. Após identificar o processo produtivo e a relação de matéria-prima utilizada na fabricação de cada produto, foi realizada a coleta nos arquivos da empresa das informações relativas aos custos diretos e indiretos envolvidos. Foi possível perceber que existe desperdício normal de matéria-prima, alguns produtos não foram possíveis analisar, os preços de custo das matérias-primas não seguem uma tendência crescente de mercado, alguns produtos fabricados apresentam oportunidade de crescimento, e o preço de venda praticado, comparado com a formação de preço de venda apresentado, de forma geral apresentou-se de forma semelhante.

Strategic cost management is in its infancy. Researches and studies are still in an early exploratory stage and have not yet developed a consistent theory for strategic cost management. The thesis presents a comprehensive framework for strategic cost management. In particular the study attempts to contribute to filling the gap in the literature of strategic cost management. The suggested framework covers the concept, the objectives, the principles, the analysis fields & activities, the objects, the instruments and the key supports factors of strategic cost management to meet different challenges that the companies encounter from time to time and at different stages of development.

Strategic cost management is in its infancy. Researches and studies are still in an early exploratory stage and have not yet developed a consistent theory for strategic cost management. The thesis presents a comprehensive framework for strategic cost management. In particular the study attempts to contribute to filling the gap in the literature of strategic cost management. The suggested framework covers the concept, the objectives, the principles, the analysis fields & activities, the objects, the instruments and the key supports factors of strategic cost management to meet different challenges that the companies encounter from time to time and at different stages of development.