The main objective of this study is to determine the choice of earnings management approach among financially distressed firms in the period before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The manager may choose either Accrual Earnings Management (AEM) or Real Earnings Management (REM). This study uses the modified Jones, 1991, model for AEM. Whereby for REM is the Abnormal Cash Flow from Operation (AbCFO), Abnormal Production Cost (AbPROD), and Abnormal Discretionary Expenses (AbDISEXP) model by Roychowdhury, 2006. Using a final sample of 672 firms year observation consisting of Malaysian public listed companies for the period of 2018 to 2021, this study reveals that financially distressed firms do manipulate earnings using the REM approach both before and during the pandemic. Further analysis discovers that those firms specifically practice AbCFO and AbDISEXP in managing earnings. This study also finds a significant negative relationship between financial distress and the AEM approach. In addition, some other control variables such as leverage, firm size, ROA and liquidity also have a significant effect on EM. This study contributes to the earnings management literature, notably how managers choose to manipulate earnings at the different levels of financial health, which then can influence the accounting earnings quality.
The increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia forced the Ministry of Higher Education to postpone reopening the university in October 2020. To ensure continuity of learning, universities had no choice but to continue with online distance learning (ODL). Though ODL is not a new experience, the absence of first-time face-to-face meetings is challenging. Due to the importance of student satisfaction and perceived learning as outcomes of online learning, the factors affecting these variables should be considered extensively. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of online learning self-efficacy, learner-content interaction, learner-instructor interaction, and learner-learner interaction on student satisfaction and perceived learning. An online questionnaire survey method was used to collect data among diploma accounting students of University Teknologi Mara, Tapah. By deploying SPSS, 321 surveys were analyzed. The multiple regression results revealed that only self-efficacy, learner-content interaction, and learner-learner interaction were significantly predictive of student satisfaction and perceived learning. The results also found that learner-content interaction was the most contributed predictor of student satisfaction and perceived learning. However, learner-instructor interaction was not a significant predictor of both dependent variables. The findings of the study could be beneficial for educators in designing lesson content and planning for teaching methods and styles to improve the interaction with the students. This study also addressed how educators may practically prepare students for asynchronous online courses by teaching them to learn with a high level of self-efficacy and by encouraging student interaction.
Covid-19 is an unprecedented crisis that has affected almost all industry players including education. It has transformed our way of life and introduced a new normal to how things are done. As an effort to contain the outbreak of pandemic Covid-19, universities have shifted to online learning. In line with this, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) has decided to execute open and distance learning (ODL) for the current semester until 31 December 2020. ODL introduces a different learning environment as compared to the traditional classroom that requires students to be self-reliant in learning new things. Hence, the purpose of the study is to explore students’ experiences in the process of knowledge transfer through ODL specifically for accounting subjects. A questionnaire was distributed to students who were taking the subject of Introduction to Financial Accounting and Introduction to Cost Accounting in UiTM Pahang Kampus Raub and a total of 206 responses were received. The study found over half of the students enjoy learning through ODL but only one-third were looking forward to having ODL for the next semester. Poor internet connection is the main reason found in the study that makes ODL not preferred by the students. At the same time, few features were highlighted by the students about ODL such as the advantage of pre-recorded video to catch up the new material and flexibility for them to learn at their own pace.
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