Earnings Management: An Analysis of Opportunistic Behaviour, Monitoring Mechanism and Financial Distress

The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between opportunistic behaviors (free cash flow and profitability), monitoring mechanism (leverage) and pressure behaviors (financial distress) toward earnings management. There are indeed several factors that could motivate the managers to manage earnings. In this study, it is assumed that the management incline to manage earnings in order to avoid reporting losses or to avoid showing any decreases in the reported earnings. This empirical research with a sample of Malaysian public listed companies from year 2010 to 2012 shows that managers of the companies would engage in earnings management when the company is financially healthy and when the profit of the company is high. The result of this study would provide a valuable explanation on the relationship between variables, thus, would give relevant views to regulators in tightening the rules and regulation in order to promote public confidence in the reliability of financial reporting.