Science Research Management

Science Research Management ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (9): 166-174.

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Internal control willingness, internal control level and earnings management methods——The measurement method based on text analysis and machine learning

Liu Bin1, Li Yanxi2, Chi Jianxin Daniel3   

  1. 1. School of Management, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, Hainan, China; 
    2. School of Economics and Management, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, Liaoning, China;
    3. Department of Finance, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 89154, Nevada, USA
  • Received:2020-10-19 Revised:2021-04-15 Online:2021-09-20 Published:2021-09-22
  • Contact: Li yanxi

Abstract:    High-quality internal-control level can suppress accrued earnings management, but its effectiveness in suppressing real earnings management is inconsistent. The neglect of subjective initiative factors may be the key point. We put forward the concept of Internal-control Willingness, which is a variable tool to measure the degree of subjective initiative of enterprise internal-control construction and execution activities. And using measurement methods by text analysis and machine learning based on Python, we examined the relationship between internal-control willingness, corporate internal-control level and the two types of earnings management. 
   The study found that: First, internal-control willingness has a significant positive impact on internal-control level. The specific performance are as follows: On the one hand, the company holds a positive internal-control willingness, the probability of its internal-control evaluation being effective is higher. On the other hand, the rate of obtaining a Standard Unqualified Opinion in the internal- control audit is greater.
   Second, internal-control willingness can constrain true earnings management behavior, but cannot significantly affect accrued earnings management activities. The mechanism are as follows: The enterprise holds the internal-control objective of Reasonably Ensuring the Legality and Compliance of Operation and Management and the Safety of Assets, and is willing to work in a positive manner, that it can indeed reduce the occurrence of real earnings management behavior, but it cannot reduce the Manipulative Accrued Profit activity space. Of course, the existence of Manipulative Accrued Profit activity space does not mean that companies must actually have accrued earnings management behaviors.
   Third, internal-control willingness exerts a moderating effect in the relationship between internal-control level and accrued earnings management, that is, enterprises with positive internal-control willingness to achieve high-quality internal-control level can significantly enhance the restraining effect of the Manipulative Accrued Profit activity space on which the accounting earnings management relies.
   Our study, on the one hand, introduces subjective initiative factors into the field of internal control, discovers the important role of subjective initiative factors in construction of corporate internal-control activities, enriches the empirical evidence and practical cognition in the field of internal control, and has theoretical significance of partial research blanks to fill the gaps in this field. On the other hand, our study verifies the relevance and mechanism of internal-control willingness and different types of earnings management behaviors of enterprises, and proposes behavioral decision-making basis and policy recommendations for the corporate body and supervisory departments to realize the practical value of internal-control willingness.
   The main contribution of our study lies in: Proposing and verifying the feasibility and application effect of internal-control willingness measurement method based on Python text analysis and machine learning methods. Empirical evidence shows that the internal-control willingness measurement method we designed can highlight the important role of internal-control subjective initiative in constraining earnings management behavior. We suggest that the board of directors and external supervisory departments pay attention to the cultivation of the internal-control willingness of enterprises, in order to improve the internal-control (overall) level of enterprises and restrain the earnings management activities of enterprises.

Key words:  internal control willingness, internal control level, accrued earnings management, true earnings management