Massey Research Online - Browsing by Author "Habib A"

Browsing by Author "Habib A"

Now showing 1 - 15 of 15

Business strategies and tournament incentives: Evidence from China
(Elsevier, 2021) Huang J; Sun L; Habib A
We investigate the association between business strategy and firm-level tournament incentives in China and find that business strategy is associated with tournament incentives positively. We further find that this positive relationship manifests itself in local, but not central, state-owned enterprises (SOEs). In addition, we also offer some evidence that foreign institutional investors play a moderating role on the positive association between business strategy and tournament incentives. Our study fills a gap in the existing tournament literature by incorporating business strategy as an important determinant of tournament incentives in China.
Business strategy and strategic deviation in accounting, finance, and corporate governance: A review of the empirical literature
(John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, 2024-03-21) Habib A; Ranasinghe D; Perera A
We review the empirical archival literature on the consequences of business strategy and strategic deviation on accounting, finance, and corporate governance outcomes. We use Miles and Snow's (Organizational strategy, structure, and process. McGraw-Hill, 1978; Organizational strategy, structure and process. Stanford University Press, 2003) strategy typology that has been quantified using financial statement data by Bentley et al. (Contemporary Accounting Research, 2013, 30, 780). Research has used this strategy score to investigate the consequences of firms following two distinct strategies namely, prospectors versus defenders, on various organisational outcomes. Our survey provides mixed evidence on the relationship between business strategy, financial reporting quality, finance outcomes, and corporate governance including corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. We offer some suggestions for future research.
Consequences of local social norms: A review of the literature in accounting, finance, and corporate governance
(John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, 2023-03-13) Habib A; D' Costa M; Al-Hadi AK
We synthesise the empirical archival research on the consequences of local social norms on accounting, finance, and corporate governance outcomes in an international setting. The literature reviewed is premised on the theory that corporations do not make decisions, but managers do, and managers are likely to be influenced by the socioeconomic environment of the region in which they operate and/or by the people with whom they interact. To provide a structure to our review, we identify social capital, religiosity, gambling norms, and corruption culture, as four constructs of local social norms and link these with financial reporting and external auditing, financial, investment, and dividend decisions, capital market consequences and finally, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility behaviour of firms. We highlight some limitations of the existing research and offer some suggestions for future research.
Corporate tax avoidance and trade credit
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2023-05-05) Hasan MM; Habib A
We examine the relationship between corporate tax avoidance and reliance on trade credit. Using a sample of US listed firms during the period 1987–2017, we show that tax-avoiding firms rely more on supplier-provided trade credit as a source of financing. We take advantage of the ‘check-the-box’ regulation introduced in 1997 as an exogenous shock to firms’ tax strategies. The findings from the difference-in-differences design suggest a causal interpretation of our results. We also observe that the relationship between tax avoidance and trade credit is more salient for a sub-sample of firms with: (i) more information asymmetry; and (ii) more financing constraints. These findings remain robust to a battery of sensitivity analyses and endogeneity concerns. In an additional analysis, we find that corporate tax avoidance increases firms’ reliance on trade credit by reducing access to bank loans. Overall, we provide evidence that tax avoidance has important implications for a valuable alternative source of financing: trade credit.
Cost stickiness and firm value
(Springer-Verlag GmbH, 2023-08-14) Costa MD; Habib A; Verbeeten F
In this paper we explore the association between cost stickiness and firm value. Using a large sample of U.S. data, we find a robust negative relationship between cost stickiness and firm value. We then explore whether the resource adjustment, managerial expectations, and agency theories of cost stickiness affect the negative relation and find support for the managerial expectation and agency theories. Furthermore, we find evidence that the detrimental impact of cost stickiness on firm value is mediated partially through the cost of equity and cash flow channels. Further investigation suggests that the adverse effects of cost stickiness on firm value is stronger in the presence of high information asymmetry. We enrich the cost management literature by integrating cost stickiness with corporate finance.
Financial constraints and asymmetric cost behavior
(Springer-Verlag GmbH, 2021-03-01) Costa MD; Habib A; Bhuiyan MBU
This study investigates the association between financial constraints and cost asymmetry. Using a large U.S. sample of firms from 1976 to 2016, we find that financially constrained firms exhibit less cost asymmetry. However, such low cost asymmetry is more pronounced for SG&A cost category compared to operating cost category. Our results remain generally consistent across various specifications of financial constraints measures and various asymmetric cost behavior measures. We explore three contextual settings that might affect the association differentially, namely, the future value-creating potential of SG&A expense setting, the investment opportunities setting, and the earnings management setting. In addition, we find evidence that financial constraint leads to lower cost asymmetry, even when managers have received optimistic signals about future sales. As resources drive the costs of a business, and financial constraints affect resource availability, studying the cost behavior of constrained firms makes a valuable contribution to the existing cost asymmetry literature.
Local creative culture and audit fees
(Elsevier Ltd on behalf of British Accounting Association, 2023-03-13) Costa MD; Habib A
This paper examines the association between local creative culture and audit fees. Using a large, unbalanced panel data of listed US firms between 2004 and 2018, we find evidence that firms headquartered in US counties with high creative culture tend to pay higher audit fees than firms headquartered in counties with low creative culture. We also find that such firms tend to have longer audit report lag and are subject to more shareholder litigation. Cross-sectional tests show that real earnings management, managerial risk-taking propensity, and external corporate governance environment moderate the positive association between creative culture and audit fees. The positive association between local creative culture and audit fees remains robust to controlling for endogeneity concerns. Our study contributes to the emerging literature on local creative culture by providing evidence that local creative culture encourages managers and employees to undertake risky initiatives, thereby increasing audit risks.
Local creative culture and firm value
(Elsevier Inc, 2024-01) D’ Costa M; Habib A
In this paper we investigate the association between local creative culture, and firm value. Using data of US listed firms, we find strong evidence that firms headquartered in US counties with highly creative cultures generate higher firm value. We also find evidence that the positive association between creative culture and firm value is mediated partially through both the innovation and cash holding channels. Our results hold after controlling for endogeneity concerns. Our study contributes to the emerging literature on local creative culture by documenting that such a culture influences managers to undertake risky but profitable projects, thereby, increasing firm value.
Oil Price Volatility, Organization Capital, and Firm Performance
(Pompea College of Business, University of New Haven, 2022-11) Kamal JB; Costa MD; Habib A
We examine the relationship between oil price volatility and firm performance, and the moderating role of organization capital on this relationship. Using U.S. firm-level data during the period of 1986-2017, our analysis reveals several key findings. Consistent with the real option theory, we find that oil price volatility negatively affects firm performance. However, this adverse effect of oil price volatility is reduced for firms with high levels of organization capital. Interestingly, this moderating effect of organization capital is more pronounced for firms with large cash holdings. Overall, our findings substantiate the idea that firms with high levels of organization capital can hedge oil price related volatilities effectively. Findings from several robustness tests support our key results.
Political connections, political uncertainty and audit fees: Evidence from Pakistan
(Emerald, 2/12/2021) Ahmad F; Bradbury M; Habib A
Purpose: This paper aims to examine the association between political connections, political uncertainty and audit fees. The authors use various measures of political connections and uncertainty: political connections (civil and military), political events (elections) and a general measure of political stability (i.e. a world bank index). Design/methodology/approach: The authors measure the association between political connections, political uncertainty and audit fees. Audit fees reflect auditors’ perceptions of risk. The authors examine auditors’ business risk, clients’ audit and business risk after controlling for the variables used in prior audit fee research. Findings: Results indicate that civil-connected firms pay significantly higher audit fees than non-connected firms owing to the instability of civil-political connections. Military-connected firms pay significantly lower audit fees than non-connected firms owing to the stable form of government. Furthermore, considering high leverage as a measure of clients’ high audit risk and high return-on-assets (ROA) as a measure of clients’ lower business risk, the authors interact leverage and ROA with civil and military connections. The results reveal that these risks moderate the relationship between political connection and audit fees. Election risk is independent of risk associated with political connections. General political stability reinforces the theme that a stable government results in lower risks. Originality/value: The authors combine cross-sectional measures of political uncertainty (civil or military connections) with time-dependent measures (general measures of political instability and elections).
Product market competition and operating leverage: International evidence
(Wiley Periodicals LLC, 2022-07-11) Babar M; Habib A
This study examines the association between product market competition (PMC) and operating leverage for a large sample of international firms from 46 countries spanning the period 1985–2019. Using the Herfindahl-Hirschman (HH) index and the Industry Adjusted Price Cost Margin (IPCM) as two proxies for PMC, we provide evidence that PMC is significantly and positively associated with the operating leverage of firms. Cross-sectional analyses reveal that investment intensity, firm life cycle and the country-level employment protection legislation moderate the relationship between PMC and operating leverage. This study contributes to the scarce literature on the determinants of operating leverage. We expect our findings to be informative for investors in understanding the role market competition plays in shaping cost structures.
Real earnings management: A review of the international literature
(John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand., 2022-12) Habib A; Ranasinghi D; Wu JY; Biswas PK; Ahmad F; Dai L
We provide a systematic literature review of the determinants and consequences of real earnings management (REM) in an international context. We provide a theoretical framework for REM, the development of REM measures, and review the determinants of REM, categorising these into financial reporting, auditing, governance and controls, capital market incentives, and regulatory determinants. We then review the empirical literature on the consequences of REM. We provide some suggestions for future research on measurement issues related to REM, and on filling gaps in the empirical research investigating its determinants and consequences.
Related party transactions and cost of debt: Evidence from China
(22/12/2020) Habib A; Huang HJ; Jia J
Sales Order Backlog and Credit Ratings
(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the European Accounting Association, 2024-05-05) Habib A; Ranasinghe D; Bhuiyan MBU
This study examines the association between sales order backlog and credit ratings. We posit that credit rating agencies consider order backlog as a positive signal about strong future demand and incorporate that into their rating decisions and provide higher ratings to firms with substantial order backlogs. However, being a non-GAAP, unaudited metric, order backlog could also reduce financial reporting quality and hence, credit ratings of firms. Using a sample of US firms from 1980 to 2017, we find a positive and significant association between order backlog and credit ratings, suggesting that order backlog serves as a valuable measure in credit rating assessment by providing positive signals about future earnings to rating agencies.
Strategic Deviation and Corporate Tax Avoidance: A Risk Management Perspective
(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-04-04) Habib A; Ranasinghe D; Perera A
We examine the association between strategic deviation—defined as the deviation of firms’ resource allocation from that of industry peers—and corporate tax avoidance. By combining the agency perspective with the risk aspect, we argue that managers of firms with high strategic deviation avoid tax compared with those of firms with low strategic deviation. High-strategic-deviant firms who avoid tax are likely to face the risk of compromising firm value. Based on a large sample of 40,168 US firm-year observations for the period 1987–2020, we find evidence supporting our hypothesis. A series of robustness tests validates our main finding. We further provide evidence to suggest that the positive association between strategic deviation and tax avoidance is stronger for deviant firms with high financial constraints, low institutional ownership, firms operating in more competitive markets, and procuring higher auditor provided tax services from incumbent auditors. Importantly, we show that the capital market penalises tax avoidance strategies undertaken by the deviant firms.

Browsing by Author "Habib A"

Results Per Page

Sort Options