The Impact of Earnings Management on Firm Performance: An Empirical Study of Indian Manufacturing Companies
Author(s): 1. Indu Saini 2. Dr. Mahesh Chand Garg
Authors Affiliations:
1Research Scholar, Haryana School of Business, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar-125001, Haryana, India
2Professor, Haryana School of Business, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar-125001, Haryana, India
DOIs:10.2017/IJRCS/202510005     |     Paper ID: IJRCS202510005Different methods have been created globally to identify companies that misrepresent or manipulate their financial statements. These methods of earnings management allow companies attain an advantage over their competitors and enhance their financial performance. This study's main objective is to investigate how earnings management affects the performance of companies that are listed on the National Stock Exchange. Our data collection comprises 217 manufacturing companies listed on the National Stock Exchange from 2022 to 2024. The study examined earnings management using discretionary accruals from the modified Jones model, whereas profitability measures Return on Equity (ROE) and Return on Assets (ROA) are commonly used to analyse firm performance. Regression analysis using panel data—more especially, the fixed effects and random effects models is used in the study. The results show that corporate performance is positively impacted by earnings management. Discretionary accruals are positively correlated with return on equity, return on assets, and liquidity, whereas they are negatively correlated with leverage, firm size, and tangibility. According to the study's findings, managers who focus on manipulating earnings will give a positive impression of the financial health of the organization at this point, but this strategy will have a negative impact on the performance of the firm in the future. The findings of this study may offer significant and valuable information for shareholders and regulators in assessing factors that effectively mitigate earnings management strategies.
Indu Saini, Dr. Mahesh Chand Garg (2025); The Impact of Earnings Management on Firm Performance: An Empirical Study of Indian Manufacturing Companies, International Journal of Research Culture Society, ISSN(O): 2456-6683, Volume – 9, Issue – 10, Pp.33-39. Available on – https://ijrcs.org/
- Hieu, P. D., & Anh, H. H. (2024). Capital structure and practices of accrual-based earnings management among non-financial Vietnamese listed firms. Investment Management and Financial Innovations, 20(4), 182-193. 2023.16
- Kinyanzii, J. M. (2023). Influence of financial management practices on the financial performance of public secondary schools in kathiani sub-county (Doctoral dissertation). South Eastern Kenya University Repository. 123456789/7335
- Healy, P. M., & Wahlen, J. M. (1999). A Review of the earnings management literature and its implications for standard setting. Accounting Horizons, 13(4), 365–383.
- Sawarni, K. S., Narayanasamy, S., & Padhan, P. C. (2023). Impact of earnings management on working capital management efficiency. Finance Research Letters, 54, 103778.
- Jena, S. K., Mishra, C. S., & Rajib, P. (2020). Do Indian companies manage earnings before share repurchase? Global Business Review, 21(6), 1427-1447.
- Baskaran, S., Nedunselian, N., Ng, C. H., Mahadi, N., & Abdul Rasid, S. Z. (2020). Earnings management: A strategic adaptation or deliberate manipulation? Journal of Financial Crime, 27(2), 369–386.
- Le, Q. L., & Nguyen, H. A. (2023). The impact of board characteristics and ownership structure on earnings management: Evidence from a frontier market. Cogent Business and Management, 10(1), 2159748.
- Scott, W. R. (2003). Financial Accounting Theory (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
- Malikov, K. T., & Zalata, A. M. (2024). Earnings management by acquiring firms in cash mergers. Accounting and Business Research, 55(1), 1-30.
- Das, R. C., Mishra, C. S., & Rajib, P. (2017). Real versus accrual-based earnings management: Do Indian firms prefer one over the other? Paradigm, 21(2), 156-174.
- Abernathy, J. L., Beyer, B., & Rapley, E. T. (2014). Earnings management constraints and classification shifting. Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, 41(5-6), 600-626.
- Tabassum, N., Kaleem, A., & Nazir, M. S. (2015). Real earnings management and future performance. Global Business Review, 16(1), 21-34.
- Zalata, A. M., Ntim, C. G., Alsohagy, M. H., &Malagila, J. (2022). gender diversity and earnings management: The case of female directors with financial background. Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, 58(1), 101–136.
- Shah, S. F., Rashid, A., & Malik, W. S. (2020). Potential Substitution Between Accrual Earnings Management and Real Earnings Management Among Pakistani Listed Firms. Global Business Review, 25(1), 180-197.
- Agrawal, K., & Chatterjee, C. (2015). Earnings management and financial distress: Evidence from India. Global Business Review, 16(5_suppl), 140S-154S.
- Gill, A., Biger, N., Mand, H. S., & Mathur, N. (2013). Earnings management, firm performance, and the value of Indian manufacturing firms. International Research Journal of Finance and Economics, 116(1), 121-131.
- Dyreng, S. D., Hanlon, M., &Maydew, E. L. (2012). Where do firms manage earnings?
- Githaiga, P. N. (2024). Sustainability reporting, board gender diversity and earnings management: Evidence from east Africa community. Journal of Business and Socio- Economic Development, 4(2), 142-160.
- Kumar, M., Vij, M., & Goswami, R. (2021). Effect of real earnings management on firm performance: Evidence from India. Vision, 27(3), 386-396.
- Sun, L., & Rath, S. (2009). An empirical analysis of earnings management in Australia. International Journal of Human and Social Sciences, 4(14), 1069-1085.
- Bawuah, I. (2024). Audit committee effectiveness, audit quality, and earnings management: evidence from Ghana. Cogent Business and Management, 11(1), 2315318.
- Bhojraj, S., & Sengupta, P. (2003). Effect of corporate governance on bond ratings and yields: The role of institutional investors and outside directors. Journal of Business, 76(3), 455–475.
- Di Miceli da Silveira, A. (2013). The Enron scandal a decade later: Lessons learned?
- Oreshile, S. A. (2025). Does Enterprise Risk Management Quality Constrain Real Earnings Management Practices? Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa. Global Business Review, 0(0).
- Kanagaretnam, K., Lobo, G. J., & Whalen, D. J. (2007). Does good corporate governance reduce information asymmetry around quarterly earnings announcements? Journal of Accounting and Public policy, 26(4), 497-522.
- Li, B., Qizi, Z., Shahab, Y., Wu, X., & Ntim, C. G. (2024). High-speed rail network and earnings management techniques usage trade-off: The moderating effects of governance and religion. Managerial Auditing Journal, 39(1), 26–49.
- Rahman, M. M., Moniruzzaman, M., & Sharif, M. J. (2013). Techniques, motives and controls of earnings management. International Journal of Information Technology and Business Management, 11(1), 22-34.
- Nia, M. S., Huang, C. C., & Abidin, Z. Z. (2015). A review of motives and techniques and their consequences in earnings management. Malaysian Accounting Review, 14(2).
- Wokukwu, K. (2015). Creative accounting: Unethical accounting and financial practices designed to boost earnings and to meet financial market expectations. Journal of Business and Economic Policy, 2(1), 39-48.
- Anjum, N., Saif, M. I., Malik, Q. A., & Hassan, S. (2012). Earnings management and firms’ profitability evidence from Pakistan. European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences, 47, 13-18.
- Graham, J.R., Harvey, C.R., Rajgopal, S. (2005), The economic implications of corporate financial reporting. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 40(1-3), 3-73.
- Bansal, M., & Ali, A. (2021). Differential impact of earnings management on the accrual anomaly. Journal of Asset Management, 22(7), 559-572.
- Bansal, M. (2024). Earnings management: a three-decade analysis and future prospects. Journal of Accounting Literature, 46(4), 630-670.
- Aqabna, S. M., Aga, M., & Jabari, H. N. (2023). Firm performance, corporate social responsibility and the impact of earnings management during covid-19: Evidence from MENA region. Sustainability, 15(2), 1485.
- Sulistiani, N. T., Ramadhanti, W., & Setyorini, C. T. (2024). The influence of financial performance and CSR on company value with earnings management as a mediating variable. Ratio: Reviu Akuntansi Kontemporer Indonesia, 5(1), 1-15.
- Sireesha, B., & Lakshmi, C. (2017). Earnings management and firm performance: Evidence from selected Indian companies. International Journal of Economic Research, 14(9), 155–167.
- Goel, S., & Narula, S. (2020). Earnings management and firm performance: Evidence from Indian firms. International Journal of Emerging Markets, 15(6), 1105–1120.
- Cooper, M, H. Gulen, and M. Schill, 2008. “Asset growth and the cross-section of stock returns,” Journal of Finance, 63(4), pp. 1609-1651.
- Fama, E.F. and K.R. French, 2006. “Profitability, investment and average returns,” Journal of Financial Economics, 82(3), pp. 491-518.
- Chu, J. (2012). Accruals, growth, and future firm performance. Accruals, growth and future firm performance. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England.
- Das, R. C., Mishra, C. S., & Rajib, P. (2018). Firm-Specific Parameters and Earnings Management: A Study in the Indian Context. Global Business Review, 19(5), 1240 1260.
- Jiang, W., & Anandarajan, A. (2009). Shareholder Rights, Corporate Governance and Earnings Quality. Managerial Auditing Journal, 24(8), 767-791.
- Chang, J. C. (2008). Earnings Informativeness, Earnings Management and Corporate Governance under The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Morgan State University.
- Kothari, S. P., Leone, A. J., & Wasley, C. E. (2005). Performance matched discretionary accrual measures. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 39(1), 163–197.

