Klein (2002) investigates whether both the audit committee mechanism and board
members are associated with earnings manipulation, using the magnitude of abnormal
accruals of 692 companies traded in the S&P 500 during 1992-1993. This study illustrates
that there is a negative relationship between abnormal accruals and the independence of
the audit committee as well as the percentage of outside members on the board. Similarly,
the findings show that accurate financial reporting is positively associated with a board
that is more independent of the company’s CEO. Klein’s (2002) study is more persuasive
than prior studies. The main direction provided here is that future studies on earnings
management should focus on the indicators related to abnormal accruals.