For our empirical analyses, we consider earnings overstatement through accruals and discretionary expenses (R&D, advertising, and SG&A). Thus, hypothesis H1 leads to the following empirical predictions.
First, discretionary accruals are greater in the early years of CEOs' service than in the later years of CEOs' service. Second, abnormal discretionary expenses are smaller in the early years of CEOs' service than in the later years of CEOs' service assets that his/her predecessor established and was unwilling to sell.