a Model for Ranking of Earnings Quality Measures in Iran

Because of the importance and position of earnings in financial reporting information, this study is an attempt to present a model for ranking earnings quality drawing an expert's view. The present study aims to provide a model for earnings quality in Iran. After reviewing the theoretical literature and sources of earnings quality, a conceptual model and research questionnaire were developed. Based on the conceptual model developed, three aspects of accounting, market and management were selected as dimensions of the model. Each of these dimensions is of the following measures (8 measures for accounting, 5 measures for market, and 3 measures for management). The research questionnaire was submitted to 21 experts in the field of accounting and financial management with sufficient experience and academic background in the field in question. Using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), the results were analyzed and the final model of the research was extracted. In this model, drawing on the scientific method for the analysis of the results, the weight of each dimension and measurement was determined. The results show that the accounting, market, and management dimensions have coefficients of 0/581, 0/295, and 0/124 respectively, affecting the earnings quality model. Also, the consistency ratio in the analytic hierarchy process for all dimensions is less than 10%, hence acceptable. Moreover, the results indicate that earnings in formativeness as a subset of market dimension is the most influential measure in the final model of earnings quality.