Recent research also indicates that the existence of stronger shareholders may
improve internal control, and thus may be an effective monitoring device for improving
financial reporting quality. To the extent that an appropriate power-sharing
relationship between shareholders and managers reduces the moral hazard problems
that lower overall firm value and allows shareholders to effectively monitor the
financial reporting practice, we predict a positive association between shareholder
rights and the quality of earnings. Hence:
H3. Firms with stronger shareholder rights have less abnormal accruals and more
informative earnings.