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Journal of Accounting and Economics Vol. 7 No. 1-3 1985

The effect of bonus schemes on accounting decisions

Paul M. Healy

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Abstract

Studies examining managerial accounting decisions postulate that executives rewarded by earnings-based bonuses select accounting procedures that increase their compensation. The empirical results of these studies are conflicting. This paper analyzes the format of typical bonus contracts, providing a more complete characterization of their accounting incentive effects than earlier studies. The test results suggest that (1) accrual policies of managers are related to income-reporting incentives of their bonus contracts, and (2) changes in accounting procedures by managers are associated with adoption or modification of their bonus plan.

DOI
10.1016/0165-4101(85)90029-1
Volume
7
Issue
1-3
Pages
85-107
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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