Essays on the Spillover Effects of Whistleblowing on Peer Firms
Abstract
This dissertation examines the spillover effects of media reported corporate whistleblowing on industry peer firms in two essays. The first essay examines peer firm risk-taking and firm efficiency following a whistleblowing allegation. I find that peers significantly reduce their risk-taking following the allegation. They also increase their efficiency following the allegation and increase their market share at the expense of the whistleblowing firms, leading to increased profitability. My second essay examines peer firms’ earnings management choices following a whistleblowing allegation. I find that peer firms significantly reduce their manipulation of real activities and reduce their use of accruals-based earnings management following the allegation. However, firms that just meet or beat earnings targets increase their use of real earnings management to help them to do so. Thus, I show that whistleblowing has a significant impact on the operations of industry peer firms, even though they are not the direct targets of the allegations.
Subject Area
Finance
Recommended Citation
Sequeira, Emmanuel Joseph, "Essays on the Spillover Effects of Whistleblowing on Peer Firms" (2020). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI27963398.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI27963398