The Impact of Earning Smoothing through Real Activities and its Components on Labor Force Investment Efficiency

Recent research confirms the view that companies need foreign capital to finance their labor payments and financing frictions can affect labor investment. Real earnings smoothing can affect labor investment efficiency through its effect on market frictions caused by information asymmetry between managers and suppliers of external capital sources. The purpose of the current research is to investigate the effect of real earnings smoothing and its components on labor investment efficiency.
Since the results of the research can be used in the decision-making process, the present study falls within the domain of applied research, and since the data were collected based on the real information of the past, it qualifies as an ex-post facto. Furthermore, this research adopts a descriptive-correlational approach, aiming to explore and analyze the relationships between variables under study. The Labor Investment Efficiency is measured according to the framework proposed by Pinnock and Lillis (2007), while the variable of earnings smoothing through real activities and its components is assessed based on the methodologies outlined in the research of Tucker and Zarowin (2006). Additionally, the approach employed by Dou, Hope, and Thomas (2013) to isolate the components of earnings smoothing has been utilized in this study. Given the conditions and constraints applied to the statistical population of the study, a sample comprising 106 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange was selected. This sample was then subjected to analysis using multivariate regression models.
 
The findings indicate that as the degree of real earnings smoothing rises, there is a corresponding increase in labor investment efficiency. This relationship holds for the informational component of real earnings smoothing as well, demonstrating a positive and significant association with labor investment efficiency. However, the influence of the garbling component on labor investment efficiency was not found to be significant.
According to the obtained results, it appears that managers employ real earnings smoothing as a means to communicate concealed information regarding the company's prospects. By smoothing earnings across consecutive periods, they aim to provide investors and creditors with a coherent and optimistic outlook on the company's future trajectory. Managers reduce information asymmetry by using signaling tools, which causes them to have the necessary financial resources for their investments in labor and make efficient decisions about that. In general, based on the private information signaling perspective, it can be concluded that real earnings smoothing serves as a mechanism for managers to convey their private insights into the company's future earnings. This practice helps mitigate information asymmetry between companies and foreign capital suppliers, consequently enhancing labor investment efficiency. Regarding the garbling component of real earnings smoothing and considering the rejection of the hypothesis of its effect on the efficiency of labor investment, it can be concluded that several potential factors could potentially neutralize this effect. These may include the ignorance or misdirection of certain market participants, the prevalence of irrational behaviors, a steadfast belief in stability, and an excessive emphasis on the informational component. Finally, in addition to highlighting the positive role of real earnings smoothing in increasing the efficiency of labor investment, considering the importance of this issue and also the lack of recognition of the management's intention of real earnings smoothing, this study suggests the need for further exploration in this field.