Blockchain and earnings management: Evidence from the supply chain

【Author】 Autore, Donald; Chen, Huimin (Amy); Clarke, Nicholas; Lin, Jingrong

【Source】BRITISH ACCOUNTING REVIEW

【影响因子】4.761

【Abstract】We investigate whether corporate adoption of blockchain technology is associated with a change in firms' financial reporting behavior. On one hand, the features of blockchain technology (immutability, decentralized consensus, and real-time data sharing) can enhance data integrity, suggesting corporate blockchain adoptions may reduce earnings management. However, despite fast growth in blockchain adoptions, it remains unclear whether improved financial reporting quality or reduced accounting manipulation is a motivating factor in firms' blockchain adoption as firms vary in how they implement this new technology. On the other hand, the hype and/or increased expectations associated with blockchain adoptions, as well as the market's misperception that blockchain adoption could increase data integrity, may incentivize and provide opportunity for firms to upwardly manage earnings. We conduct our tests in the setting of the supply chain, as prior work establishes that shocks to one firm can impact linked firms through customer-supplier relationships. Our empirical evidence supports the latter prediction, as we find robust evidence that supplier firms' earnings management increases after their customers adopt blockchain. This result holds with numerous robustness tests. We provide direct evidence consistent with hype/increased expectations and reduced monitoring of supplier firms. Our findings suggest unintended consequences of blockchain adoption on financial reporting.

【Keywords】Blockchain; Earnings management; Supply chain; Market expectation; Monitoring

【发表时间】2024 JUL

【收录时间】2024-08-14

【文献类型】实证数据

【主题类别】

区块链应用-实体经济-企业管理