Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of managerial ability on tax avoidance in Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) and OTC by classifying the income smoother and non-income smoother companies based on the theoretical approaches. Design/methodology/approach To measure the managerial ability the data envelopment analysis is applied based on the accounting data, company and industry characteristics. In this research, hypotheses are tested for the first time by three statistical methods, namely classical regression models, mixed effect multilevel models, and Bayesian multilevel models, which have never been addressed in Persian accounting research studies. The hypotheses are estimated during a 12-year period from 2004 to 2015 in TSE and OTC. In this research, according to Lucas’s critique, structural change test is used in order to control macroeconomic and political variables affecting the results of the study. Findings The results of hypothesis testing by employing three statistical methods suggest that only one hypothesis of this investigation is significant, which shows the significant association of type of market’s impact (exchange of OTC) on the relationship between managerial ability and tax avoidance. Originality/value Each company’s performance is affected by various factors. The study intends to mention that the performance of listed companies in the stock market depends heavily on its financial reports. And investors with perceived perception by the reports, can indirectly squeeze their stock indexes with their sudden sale of stocks, and question the company’s performance with losses to the company.

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of managerial ability on product market competition and corporate investment decisions, specifically, on risk-taking and investment efficiency. Design/methodology/approach The primary measure of managerial ability is Demerjian et al. model. In this study, Herfindahl–Hirschman Index is used to measure product market competition. Regression analysis is used to examine the association between corporate risk-taking and over-investment of free cash flow and product market competition and managerial ability. Findings Using firm-year observations from 2011 to 2015, the paper findings suggest that competition discourages managers to invest in risky investment. The study also found that managerial ability has no effect on the association between product market competition and investment decision. Originality/value The current study almost is the first study which is conducted on this subject; the results may give strength to further studies.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze the predictability of firm level data for determining macroeconomic indicators such as unemployment. Design/methodology/approach This study uses quarterly GDP and unemployment data manually collected from the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI). Accounting numbers are also collected from the Tehran Stock Exchange library for the 2004-2015 period. Dispersion of earnings growth provides related data about labour reallocation, unemployment change and finally aggregate output. To summarize, this study attempts to examine the effect of these variables using classical and Bayesian approaches. Findings At a firm level, our results suggest that sectoral shift in previous years is likely to increase labour reallocation in subsequent years. At the macro level, the results reveal that dispersion of earnings growth and labour reallocation has a negative and positive impact on unemployment changes, respectively. However, the study suggests no significant relationship between stock return and unemployment changes. Consequently, we determine that the real estimates of macroeconomic indicators have predictive power because nominal estimates are not statistically associated with firm-level details. Finally, the results obtained from classical and Bayesian approaches suggest similar findings, thus confirming the robustness of our conclusions. Note that, based on Bayesian approach, the nominal reallocation has predictive power in unemployment rate. Originality/value The study is the first conducted in a developing country and the results provide important insight into current line of accounting literature.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between tax avoidance, firm value and managerial ability in Tehran Stock Exchange and Over the Counter (OTC), according to the related theoretical foundations. Design/methodology/approach To calculate the managerial ability in this study, DEA is used based on the accounting data, company profile and industry and the hypotheses are estimated in a period of 12 years during 2004 to 2015 in TSE and OTC. Within the previous studies, to test the hypotheses, only the classical regression method is usually used and most of the times the effect of macroeconomic variables is not considered. In this study, in a new act for testing the hypotheses, three statistical methods are used, that is, classical regression models, mixed effects multilevel models and Bayesian multilevel models. Also in this study, the test of structural change is used to control the effects of macroeconomic variables, like inflation and other economic and political influence, on the results. Findings The results of these three methods show that the effect of income smoothing and earnings quality on the relationship between tax avoidance and firm value are significant. Originality/value Although several studies are conducted so far on the subject of the study, the current study is the first project which combined Bayesian econometrics. Therefore, the results are quite noble.