FAMILY FIRMS AND THE SEVERITY OF ACCOUNTING MISSTATEMENT

In this study, we examine the relationship between family firms and the severity of accounting restatement relative to non-family firms. Using a cross-national sample of firms listed in 23 IFRS-adopting countries, we document that family firms exhibit less severe financial restatements than non-family firms. Further investigation suggests that high familial involvement in ownership and management refrain family firms from committing more severe financial restatements. Our results are consistent with the socioemotional wealth argument that family members tend to avoid the negative reputational consequences that result from accounting restatement. Our study contributes to the extant literature on family firms by providing insight into the understudied research area regarding accounting failure.