Este estudio investiga si algunos atributos de la calidad de auditoría son capaces de restringir la manipulación de resultados en un país en desarrollo, Jordania, cuyo contexto cultural, económico e institucional es muy diferente del contexto de los países analizados anteriormente. Se usó la regresión de mínimos cuadrados generalizada (GLS) para estudiar la asociación entre dos atributos de la calidad de auditoría (tamaño del auditor y honorarios de auditoría) y los ajustes por devengos discrecionales, como proxy de la manipulación de resultados, para una muestra de empresas industriales que cotizan en la Bolsa de valores de Amman durante el período 2012 - 2016. Los resultados son consistentes con la expectativa de que en los países emergentes la auditoría externa puede funcionar de manera diferente a la de los países anglosajones y de Europa occidental con respecto a su papel en la restricción de la manipulación de resultados e indican que, dado el entorno institucional en Jordania, el tamaño del auditor y los honorarios de auditoría no tienen un efecto significativo en la manipulación de resultados. Este estudio proporciona a los lectores información sobre si y cómo el entorno institucional influye en la relación entre la calidad de la auditoría y la manipulación de resultados. Además, presenta nueva evidencia sobre el efecto moderador del nivel de los honorarios de auditoría en su relación con la manipulación de resultados. Los resultados de este estudio podrían proporcionar información valiosa a los reguladores, tanto en Jordania como en otros países con un entorno económico e institucional similar, para prevenir las prácticas de manipulación de resultados. This study investigates whether some audit quality attributes are capable to restrict earnings management in a developing country, Jordan, whose cultural, economic and institutional context is very different from most previously analyzed countries’ context. Generalized least square regression (GLS) was used to study the association between two audit quality attributes (auditor size and audit fees) and discretionary accruals, as a proxy of earnings management, for a sample of industrial firms listed on the Amman Stock Exchange during the period 2012 – 2016. The findings are consistent with the expectation that in emerging countries external audit can function differently from that in Anglo-Saxon and West-European countries with regard to its role in restricting earnings management and indicate that, given the institutional environment in Jordan, auditor size and audit fees have no significant effect on earnings management. This study provides readers with information about if and how the institutional setting influences the relationship between audit quality and earnings management. Furthermore, it presents new evidence regarding the moderating effect of the level of audit fees on their relation with earnings management. This study’s findings could provide valuable information to regulators and standards setters, both in Jordan and other countries with a similar economic and institutional environment, which can help in preventing earnings management practices.

Driven by the escalating interests on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, we investigate the impact of internal and external governance mechanisms, specifically board sustainability committee (SC) and external assurance (EA), on banks' ESG performance. This study utilized panel dataset of 643 bank‐year observations from 34 Islamic banks (IBs) and 77 conventional banks (CBs) across 12 emerging countries between 2013 and 2023. Sensitivity analyses and GMM regression are also conducted for robustness checks against the baseline model. This study reveals that firms with SC on their boards exhibit significantly higher ESG performance. Furthermore, the results show a positive relationship between EA and enhanced ESG performance. Interestingly, the effects of SC and EA on ESG performance is more pronounced in IBs than in CBs.

Purpose: This study examines the relationship between audit committees (ACs) and earnings management (EM) in the developing country context of Jordan. In particular, it investigates whether audit committee attributes, including their size, independence, expertise and meetings, are able to restrict discretionary accruals as a proxy for EM.Design/methodology/approach: The generalized least square (GLS) regression was used to study the association between audit committee attributes and discretionary accruals, as a proxy of EM, for a sample of industrial firms listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) during the period 2012–2020. Data were obtained from the firms' annual reports.Findings: The regression results indicate that audit committee independence is the only audit committee attribute that seems to improve the effectiveness of ACs, in that it is significantly associated with less EM, while other audit committee attributes that were tested do not show statistically significant associations.Research limitations/implications: In emerging markets, like Jordan, ACs may not be an efficient monitoring mechanism; therefore, it can be argued that the prediction made by the agency theory about the role of ACs in mitigating opportunistic EM activities does not necessarily apply to all contexts.Practical implications: A better understanding of audit committee effectiveness in developing countries could help regulators in these countries assess the impact of planned corporate governance (CG) reforms and to better monitor and enhance the performance of ACs.Social implications: In a setting characterized by closely held companies, high power distance and low demand for high-quality CG mechanisms, this study contributes to understanding how this business system operates, and how improving CG mechanisms could be successful in such cultures.Originality/value: This study investigates the under-researched relationship between audit committee characteristics and EM in developing countries. In so doing, it aims to provide new insights into this relationship within the developing context case of Jordan, including if and how the institutional setting influences this relationship.

As ESG reporting becomes more essential in banking, this study explores the association between “Earnings Management (EM)” and ESG scores, using EM as a proxy for “Corporate Governance (CG)” efficacy. It assumes improved audit quality moderates EM’s effect on ESG disclosures. “A balanced panel” of 16 Jordanian banks from 2010 to 2024 is used. We use a modified ESG disclosure index from earlier studies. Hypotheses are tested using “clustered OLS regressions with fixed effects, robustness tests, and dynamic panel GMM”. EM and ESG disclosure scores are positively correlated across environmental, social, and governance dimensions. EM’s impact on ESG disclosures is moderated by audit quality, therefore higher audit quality lessens EM’s influence on sustainability reporting. Regulators, policymakers, and stakeholders can apply the insights to improve audit oversight and CG frameworks for ESG transparency and manipulation prevention in emerging countries. New empirical evidence shows how audit quality affects the link between EM and ESG reporting in poor countries. It helps explain the complex relationship between governance processes and sustainability disclosure in emerging economies like Jordan.

Purpose: Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries are among the most affected regions globally, which are expected also to be influenced significantly for an extended period. This paper aims to consider an attempt for a real-time evaluation of the colossal impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on health, economic and social sectors in MENA nations. Design/methodology/approach: This paper draws from published academic studies. It is also based on the synthesis of news broadcasted and current media sources, government speeches and reports, as the novel COVID-19 situation is unfolding. The authors’ experiences investigating in this domain have also contributed to the research. Findings: This investigation captures events on the novel COVID-19, as they are unfolding now. The study predicts that the COVID-19 pandemic will probably affect the general patterns of MENA people’s lifestyles. In addition, the COVID-19 epidemic will have a substantial influence on healthcare systems and economic sectors in MENA countries. Research limitations/implications: This viewpoint paper offers some emerging outlooks, appearing with the contemporary novel COVID-19 outbreak. This study provides valuable insights to inform investors, policymakers and the public that natural disasters can inflict economic damage on an unprecedented scale. Originality/value: This is a “real-time” evaluation study. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that map and assess the potential impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on health-care systems, economic sectors and people’s lifestyle in MENA countries.