Article Type : Research Article
Authors : Wang S
Keywords : Financial accounting; Empirical research; AI; Nominal validity; Information entropy
The
application of empirical regression analysis in the field of accounting and
finance has become increasingly widespread. Today, empirical research has
already become one of the main academic research paradigms. However, among the
numerous empirical research studies in accounting and finance, the similarity
of research models, the arbitrariness in the logic of research questions, and
the looseness in the argumentation of research problems have affected the
scientific and rational nature of the empirical research results. This is an
academic issue that few have paid attention to, yet it exists abundantly in
current accounting and finance literature. This paper takes empirical
accounting articles published in *Accounting Research* in 2024 as samples,
collecting 1,140 data points. Using logistic regression analysis and
introducing the concept of nominal validity in empirical research, these
samples were subjected to quantitative analysis. The study found that about 30%
of the empirical research content is nominally valid, while approximately 70%
of empirical research is invalid. This academic state conceals significant
operational risks, which are highly probable to exist. One of the main reasons
for the publication of so many similar research articles lie in the imitation
of writing forms and the neglect of strict logical argumentation in research
questions, resulting in an academic ecosystem of superficially similar but
fundamentally flawed research articles, whose negative impact is difficult to
estimate. In the current accounting and finance research landscape, the
introduction of AI technology cannot change the ongoing prevalence of this
situation. Through variance analysis and the calculation of information
entropy, it is further verified from another perspective that the nominal
validity of empirical research is robustly around 30%.
Empirical regression analysis has become one
of the fundamental paradigms in contemporary financial accounting research. In
recent years, the vast majority of articles published in *Accounting Research*
have conducted empirical studies on data samples through the establishment of
econometric models, following this basic research model. With the expansion of
applications of artificial intelligence (AI), its use in modern financial
accounting empirical regression analysis is gradually increasing and is bound to
become a powerful research tool. The penetration and impact of AI technology in
financial decision-making, data analysis and forecasting, automated processing
and intelligent decision-making, intelligent decision support systems, and AI
accounting education have become a rapidly growing trend. It can thus be said
that the application of AI in financial accounting is an unavoidable and
significant subject. However, research analysis shows that the underlying logic
of AI technology applications in modern accounting empirical research follows
already widely adopted modeling methods and research paradigms and does not
exceed existing research norms. Based on this analysis, we conclude the
following logical finding: AI technology in modern financial accounting
empirical research follows the same underlying logic as that followed by
existing financial accounting research. Based on this judgment, the traditional
empirical research paradigm of financial accounting can be seamlessly applied
to the context of AI technology, with no essential distinction. The remainder
of this article is structured as follows: Section 2 provides a literature
review and research hypotheses; Section 3 presents the research design; Section
4 offers the empirical regression analysis; Section 5 discusses AI application
models; Section 6 covers results and discussion; and Section 7 concludes the
paper.
In the research literature published in
*Accounting Research*, it is rare to see articles that rely entirely on AI
technology; however, this does not hinder the smooth introduction of AI
technology. In financial accounting research, empirical analyses using
econometric models cover a wide and diverse range of topics, reflecting a
certain degree of depth and breadth in the research. This can be glimpsed from
the following eight research perspectives.
Regarding the digital transformation of
enterprises: the
digital transformation of enterprises improves the symmetry of information
within the company, reduces the risk of credit default and the cost of credit
financing [1], suppresses management from manipulating the tone of annual
reports [2], and can also reduce corporate debt financing costs through
financial shared services [3]. The resulting economic effects can be predicted
using an internal model to forecast internal control deficiencies based on recurrent
neural networks [4].
From the perspective of corporate management: The absence of a controlling shareholder can
influence the excess returns of management stock trading [5]. In fact, the
executive compensation claw back system can effectively curb corporate
misconduct [6]. Corporate executives, such as the chairman, due to emotional
ties like hometown sentiment and familial relationships, tend to be stricter in
corporate supervision, thereby reducing the occurrence of violations [7].
In terms of corporate information disclosure: the comparability of accounting information
can not only improve analysts' accuracy in predicting stock market trends [8],
but may also reduce the likelihood of stock exchanges issuing annual report
inquiry letters [9]. This information, whether related to the company's
financial assets or the technical background of directors, in addition to
potentially enhancing corporate social responsibility [10], is greatly
beneficial for improving the firm's total factor productivity [11].
Regarding state-owned enterprises and
participation or control of state-owned equity: Participation of state-owned equity can
effectively reduce the financial risks of family businesses [12]. In fact,
compared to non-state shareholders, governance can not only increase the share
of employees' labor income in competitive industry state-owned enterprises
[13], but also optimize the strategic decisions of state-owned enterprises,
promote research and development innovation of products and services, and
enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of state-owned enterprise operations
[14].
Publicly Listed Companies and Their
Regulation: The
regulation of publicly listed companies involves market transparency and the
choice of corporate strategies. For example, relaxing short-selling regulations
exacerbates companies' behavior of short-term borrowing for long-term
investments [15]; encouraging listed companies to participate in targeted
poverty alleviation projects stimulates their expansion into businesses in
other regions and the establishment of new subsidiaries [16]; strengthening
regulatory measures prompts listed companies with implicit related-party
relationships to improve their real earnings management levels [17]. Even if
accounts receivable accounting policies are strengthened, the expected credit
loss model can still detect their earnings levels through the bad debt
provisions made by listed companies [18]. In practice, using different
evaluation methods results in varying assessments of the operational
performance of listed companies. For instance, achievement-oriented ESG ratings
cannot identify signs of stock price collapses, whereas risk-oriented ESG
evaluations can predict the risk of stock price crashes [19].
Audit supervision: Conducting audit supervision over listed
companies has a significant impact on the operational status of enterprises,
and vice versa. Companies are keen on mergers and acquisitions (M&A),
which, besides being closely related to normal business expansion and the
implementation of diversified development strategies, are sometimes used by
companies to cover up abnormal operational behaviors. Government audit
supervision can curb such M&A activities that are not necessary for
business development [20]. Regarding the operation of a company, it faces real
challenges concerning audit quality and audit fees [21]. If a company
implements a "fuzzy consolidation" strategy, it must face higher
audit fees [22]. If a company attempts to attract investment by promising
higher performance returns, it will face rigorous audits from major accounting
firms such as the Big Four [23]. Even if some accounting firms are willing to
provide audit cover for a company's operational behavior, this cooperation will
be greatly suppressed once the firm is subject to inspection [24]. In the
digital era, audit work is greatly impacted and also uncertain [25]. The
development of the internet can not only significantly improve audit correction
quality [26] but also, the CPA examination system can significantly enhance
audit quality [27].
Corporate supervision, management, and
operations: After
the rollout of the Golden Tax Phase III system, companies increasingly
manipulate core performance through profit and loss classification [28]. This
demand driven by 'risk transfer' and 'goal selection' makes distant acquirers
more willing to sign contracts and commit higher amounts [29]. However,
companies that secure government procurement contracts benefit from the
supervisory governance associated with such procurement [30]. Equity pledges
are also a financing activity in corporate operations. Exercising shareholder
center rights can effectively curb shareholders' equity pledge behavior and
prompt companies to increase cash dividend payments [31]. Greater stability in
cash dividends can increase a company's financial leverage [32].
Other related aspects: The operational efficiency of
government-backed foundations is high [33]; cross-industry diversification of
loans may increase systemic risks for banks [34]; and equity
internationalization helps enhance a company's value creation capability in
mergers and acquisitions [35]. Based on the in-depth analysis and review of the
above literature, it is found that a common characteristic of all empirical
studies on the topic is that they primarily focus on testing the statistical
significance of parameters, while paying little attention to the goodness of
fit. A fundamental reason for this situation is the pursuit of expanding sample
size, which, in a statistical sense, masks the validity of the model itself by
increasing the number of sample points, resulting in a nominally valid
conclusion. This method is highly misleading. Therefore, the hypotheses of this
paper are as follows:
H1: Are existing financial accounting
empirical studies nominally valid?
The way to answer this question is to
estimate the probability of empirical analysis being valid.
H2: Can AI improve the validity of such
empirical research?
This hypothesis mainly discusses whether AI
can autonomously transcend the existing paradigms of financial accounting
empirical research to make up for the shortcomings of current empirical
studies.
In empirical regression analysis of financial
accounting, the modeling methods used are basically consistent, namely
Dependent variable = Intercept + Explanatory
variables (group) + Control variables (group) + Random error term
The sample involves collecting relevant data
around these variables, and the sample size is expanded as much as possible,
following the principle that the larger, the better. Additionally, there is
work on modifying the raw data, that is, the original samples, if the
researcher considers it necessary. Then, a series of supplementary empirical
regression analyses are conducted on the basic regression results, such as
robustness tests, endogeneity tests, unit root tests, mechanism tests, and
fixed effects tests, among others, in order to demonstrate that the research
conducted is robust and reliable. The common characteristic of these studies is
that tests are conducted for the sake of testing; all possible tests are
carried out without arguing for the necessity or sufficiency of these tests.
These tests are mainly based on subjective assumptions. Naturally, such
research brings about an obvious problem: Are these studies valid? Is it
possible that a large number of invalid studies are being regarded as valid? Answering
these questions, circling back to the earlier research hypothesis, is the
purpose of this study. In order to study these fundamental issues, this paper
will conduct the corresponding research using logistic regression analysis. The
reason for choosing the logistic regression analysis method is that it meets
the requirements of the collected samples necessary for this study. The samples
collected in this paper all come from the empirical research content of 35
research papers published in Accounting Research, totaling 1,140 sample points.
These sample points are sufficient to support the needs of this study.
Considering the completeness of the article, the data obtained from each
empirical model in the article are regarded as independent samples, because
these data are independent. Although there is a certain subjective correlation
between these models in a certain sense, they are actually relatively
independent and lack a strictly logical necessary connection.
Why is it said that these data in the same
article are independent of each other?
The main reason is that, on the surface,
every empirical model exhibits a certain degree of correlation, and these
correlations are based on subjective speculation. For example, after conducting
a benchmark model test, if there is a subjective suspicion of possible
multicollinearity, a multicollinearity test is carried out; if there is a
subjective suspicion of autocorrelation, an autocorrelation test is then
conducted, and so on. From a research perspective, such work is considered to
be ineffective, or even a deliberate attempt to increase the length of the
paper, and some may engage in this type of research under the mindset of 'doing
more can't hurt.' However, as rigorous research, conducting unnecessary
excessive tests is a waste of resources. From the perspective of precise and
efficient strategy, any correlation between empirical models that is not
pre-justified by a sound logical relationship, but based merely on 'subjective
suspicion,' is regarded as having no necessary connection with each other within
an article, even if the article claims there may be some 'correlations' between
them. The sample collected in this study consists of the goodness-of-fit for
each empirical model. The 1,140 goodness-of-fit measures correspond to 1,140
empirical regression reports, and their random statistical distribution is
shown as follows:
The arrangement of the 1,140 sample points shown in Figure 1 is random, and the overall distribution appears to be stable. In order to conduct more precise scientific research on this sample, it is necessary to establish an appropriate econometric model and adopt suitable research methods.
Definition 1: For a certain positive number?????(0,1), define the dummy variable as follows:
1, ????2 ? ????
D = {0, ????2 < ?????
where ???? is the nominal measurement parameter, ????2 represents the goodness of fit.
According to econometric theory, for every
empirical regression model, there exists a corresponding goodness-of-fit, which
reflects how well the empirical model fits the sample data. A higher
goodness-of-fit indicates that the corresponding empirical model has stronger
explanatory power for the population; conversely, a lower goodness-of-fit
suggests weaker explanatory power for the population. For an empirical model,
its ability to explain the data exists at least on two levels. The first level
is the measurement of the model's explanatory power for the population, i.e.,
the goodness-of-fit. The second level is the explanatory power of the
independent variables for the dependent variable or the overall population. The
former serves as the foundation, providing a description of the overall
framework, while the latter mainly manifests in the specific functional
performance. Based on the literature referenced, numerous empirical studies
focus on the significance testing of the latter, while the attention to the
former is often consciously or unconsciously neglected. The general strategy is
basically to use it if it fits, discard it if it does not, leaving it in a
somewhat optional and awkward position. This situation mainly arises from
insufficient understanding of goodness-of-fit. The relationship between
goodness-of-fit and the independent variables is like the relationship of
"without the skin, how can the hair attach?" Here, the
"skin" corresponds to the goodness-of-fit, which measures the
effectiveness of the empirical model, and the "hair" corresponds to
the independent variables. The magnitude of the goodness-of-fit is naturally
positively correlated with the empirical model’s explanatory power for the
population. In this paper, the nominal effectiveness of an empirical regression
model in explaining the population is consistently measured by the value of its
goodness-of-fit. To this end, the established testing model is shown as
follows:
???????? = a + b????2 + ????????, ?1?
where a and b are parameters, ? serving as
random disturbance terms.i?1,2,?,n.
Definition 2: Suppose ????2 the goodness of fit of an empirical regression model?? ? (0,1)is a nominal measurement parameter. If ????2(????2 ? ????)
the empirical regression model is said to be nominally valid; otherwise, the
empirical regression model is said to be nominally invalid.
????2(????2 < ????) is
referred to as the nominal validity and nominal invalidity of the corresponding
empirical regression model.
The empirical regression model corresponding
to the goodness-of-fit of nominal invalidity is also nominally invalid. For the
convenience of study, whether it has nominal validity or nominal invalidity,
both are referred to as nominal validity. The distinction is expressed through
probability; for example, a nominal validity of 60% indicates that 60% of the
empirical models are nominally valid, while 40% of the empirical models are
nominally invalid.
Therefore, Model (1) is a basic model for
measuring the empirical validity of regression models, studied using Logistic
regression analysis, and characterized in the form of a probability
distribution to represent the nominal validity of empirical regression
analysis.
Proposition: With a given sample size, the nominal
validity of empirical regression analysis can be obtained through model (1).
The conclusion of the proposition can be
derived from the proof process of the theorem by Sheng Wang [36].
Based on the analysis of the actual
situation, the nominal measurement parameter can be assumed to be 0.5.
According to Definition 1, the 1,140 sample points are calculated one by one to
form the required sample set. Then, performing a Logistic regression analysis
on model (1) yields the following results: (Table 1).
According to the formula for calculating the
expected probability E(p) given by Sheng Wang, it is concluded that:
Where ????? = ?37.1069?????? = 75.06112?a total
of 1,140 probability estimates were calculated, and their distribution is shown
in (Figure 1,2).
For the probability distribution in Figure 2,
the expected probability estimate is obtained after calculation, that is
E(p) = 0.2913
This result indicates that in modern
empirical research on financial accounting, its nominal validity is less than
30%. The empirical conclusion drawn from the sample reveals a harsh reality: a
large number of empirical research articles on financial accounting published
in core journals are nominally unreliable, with 70% of their research
conclusions being dubious, even though each academic paper claims its results
are reliable, that is, the parameter t-tests are significant. This phenomenon
can tentatively be called the illusion of empirical research.
The way AI functions is achieved through
three domain approaches: the model domain, the data domain, and the algorithm
domain, as illustrated in the diagram below:
Figure 3 illustrates that the boundary where
AI technology exerts its function is defined by the common area jointly
determined by the three domains. This 'common area' is formed through the
integrated linking of AI, and AI can only play its application role within it.
Within the area where AI operates, the model domain plays a crucial role.
Considering the application of current AI in empirical regression analysis in
financial accounting, it is mainly reflected in the following five dimensions,
as shown in (Table 2):
The paths for improving the validity of empirical regression analysis with the help of AI technology, as described in Table 2, still follow the three-domain framework, as shown in Figure 3. Since the model domain followed by AI technology does not surpass the level and concept of modeling before the introduction of AI technology, it is determined that structurally, the errors or overlooked issues in empirical research in financial accounting that existed before the introduction of AI technology still persist afterward.
Table 1: Logistic Regression Analysis of Model (1).
|
Variable |
Coefficient |
Standard Error |
Z-statistic |
Probability |
|
intercept |
-37.1069 |
5.31208 |
-6.98538 |
0 |
|
????2 |
75.06112 |
10.62619 |
7.063785 |
0 |
|
Note:
The probability of 0 in Table 1 means that the corresponding probability is
very small, rather than an actual probability of 0. |
||||
Table 2: The Pathways Through Which AI Enhances the Validity of Empirical Research in Financial Accounting.
|
Data processing and analysis |
Big Data Analysis |
|
Automated data cleaning |
|
|
Predictive Modeling |
Predictive Model |
|
Risk Management |
|
|
Automated Report Generation |
Automatically generate report |
|
Visualization tool |
|
|
Intelligent Decision Support |
Intelligent Decision-Making System |
|
Automated data cleaning |
|
|
Natural Language Processing |
High-quality translation |
|
Text Analysis |
|
|
Source: Public network |
|
Table 3: List of Methods Suggested by AI to Improve Model Significance.
|
Check whether the variable calculation is correct |
Optimize data quality |
Variable transformation calculation method |
Convert Data |
Adjust regression model |
|
Improve the model |
Consider other factors |
Optimize control variables |
Check for multicollinearity |
Try other statistical methods |
|
Using a
nonlinear regression model |
Check model
assumptions |
Remove abnormal data |
Switch to another data source |
Select samples under specific conditions |
|
Increase the number of samples |
|
Select specific salient samples |
|
|
These problems are not resolved and, with the
widespread application of AI technology, there is a real possibility that these
issues could be further amplified, enlarging the self-reinforcing loop of
errors and causing enduring negative impacts.
The work that AI technology can currently accomplish is mainly improving work efficiency, but it cannot guarantee the effectiveness of the work. The main reason for this situation is that AI is still unable to establish adaptive models for specific problems or consciously select the appropriate models from the model domain to handle these related issues, forming optimized solutions. These are technical gaps that AI cannot autonomously overcome at present, and they represent the "bottleneck" problems faced by the development of AI technology.
Figure 1: Probability distribution diagram of the sample space.
Figure
2: Probability Distribution of the Validity of
Accounting Empirical Analysis.
Figure
3: Areas Where AI Plays a Role.
Note. AD: Algorithm domain,MD: model domain, DD: data domain.
Figure 4: Probability Distribution of the Validity of Empirical Regression Analysis in Financial Accounting.
Figure 5: Information probability distribution used to calculate information entropy.
According to the analysis above, even if AI
technology were fully applied to the study of related issues, the validity of
empirical regression analysis would not be better than the current research
situation. AI technology is parasitic on the foundation of human civilization,
and in the foreseeable future, it cannot develop independently or surpass the
level of human civilization without this foundation. Therefore, AI cannot
fundamentally improve the validity of modern financial accounting empirical research,
but it is still a useful auxiliary tool for promoting the enhancement of
research in modern financial accounting. (Table 3) below illustrates this
situation.
From the content presented in Table 3, it is
clear that the framework for the role of AI still follows the scope shown in
Figure 3, and its deductive path is also constrained by the framework displayed
in Figure 3. Any extraordinary expectations regarding the role of AI technology
in empirical research in financial accounting will fall into a myth of AI
technology, with little benefit to be expected!
The above research analysis indicates that H1
is likely to be rejected with a probability of about 70%, and the conclusion of
H2 is similar to that of H1. The current development trend of AI technology
falls within the framework standardized in (Figure 3). Even if AI technology
exhibits surprising performance in certain aspects, it merely represents a
moderate expansion of the overlapping areas of the three domains. Its outer
boundaries are extremely solid, and in the foreseeable future, it will be difficult
for AI technology to break through this formidable barrier. Although AI cannot
currently significantly enhance the validity of empirical research in financial
accounting, the previous conventional analysis also suggests that the nominal
validity of current empirical research in accounting is approximately 30%. This
conclusion can be corroborated as reasonable from the perspective of variance
distribution. Based on a measurement parameter of 0.5, through variance
analysis, the probability distribution of validity from the following empirical
regression analysis is obtained:
The expected probability estimate of the
validity of the empirical regression analysis derived from this is 0.3248. This
estimate demonstrates that the validity of the empirical regression analysis
obtained through Logistic regression analysis is reliable, as the difference in
expected probabilities between them is 0.0335, with an error of less than 5%.
From a statistical perspective, this conclusion is significant, meaning that
this difference is acceptable.
According to the analysis of the samples
collected in this study, only about 30% of the empirical regression models are
nominally valid. One of the main reasons for this outcome is that the
establishment of the empirical regression models is largely disconnected from
the relationship between the models and the samples, preventing them from
forming effective explanatory power. This has led to the phenomenon of 'model
illusion,' where the selection of empirical regression models lacks logical
theoretical relationships or empirical real-world associations; instead, there
is a tendency to simply expand the sample size as much as possible or
artificially manipulate existing sample data. Some methods, as shown in (Table
2), are aimed at achieving the statistical significance of parameter estimates
for explanatory variables. Such research concepts and methods weaken or
disregard the objectivity of the data, which in turn affects the objectivity of
the conclusions and results in a loss of their explanatory power, assuming such
power exists at all.
Unfortunately, a large number of empirical
analyses that appear to be seemingly significant, reliable, and robust are
actually invalid, or their effects are far smaller than expected. Such
empirical regression illusions are rampant in academic journals and other
scholarly publications. The practical significance of these research results is
merely the pretense of science, while the operational risks are concealed
within. These academic risks have evolved into systemic risks, and only time
will be their ultimate judge.
The contents listed in Tables 2 and 3
basically reflect the fundamental approaches and handling models of empirical
research on AI technology in financial accounting, and do not exceed the norms
of the current model domain, data domain, and algorithm domain; they are simply
confined to the norms shown in (Figure 3). This reality indicates that using AI
technology to overcome the current dilemma in empirical financial accounting
research—in which only about 30% of nominal validity is achieved—is an impossible
task. This empirical conclusion is reliable, which can be argued from the
perspective of information entropy.
According to Shannon's definition of
information entropy [37], the calculated information entropy is 0.022133. This
result indicates that the validity of empirical research in financial
accounting is reliable at about 30%. The information probability distribution
used to calculate the information entropy is shown in (Figure 4,5) below:
The probability distribution shown in Figure
5 indicates that the validity of current empirical accounting research is
around 30%, objectively reflecting that the state of academic research in
empirical studies is not very optimistic. If practical departments formulate
corresponding work plans or policies based on these research recommendations,
the operational risks they face are likely to be significant.
The main conclusions of this study are
summarized as follows:
First, it provides, for the first time, a definition of the validity of
empirical regression analysis and expresses it in terms of probability.
Second, through the logistic regression analysis method and with
the help of Sheng Wang's calculation formula, the expected probability of the
validity of the empirical study is calculated.
Third, the validity of current empirical research in accounting is not ideal.
Many empirical research results are actually the opposite of what their
respective literature claims. There are at least two main reasons for this. The
first reason is that the relationship between the model setup and the data is
logically disconnected. The second reason is that researchers focus solely on
the t-test significance of parameters, while intentionally or unintentionally
ignoring the statistical explanatory power of the model itself. This second
reason is actually the direct driving force behind various operational
practices in modern empirical research, such as data omission, data cleaning,
sample size expansion, and the addition or removal of variables, among many
other expediencies. Yet these practices are often regarded as successful
experiences and widely disseminated, seemingly gradually evolving into a
mainstream model of empirical research, forming an academic ecological
phenomenon that can tentatively be called the 'illusion of empirical research'.
Fourth, AI technology is constrained by its structural
limitations and cannot surpass the current modeling concepts and methods of
traditional research, resulting in AI technology not fundamentally resolving
many of the academic issues faced by current empirical accounting research.
Fifth is the research conclusion of this paper, which, through variance
analysis and the calculation of information entropy, corroborates the
scientificity and rationality of the conclusions obtained in this paper from
another perspective.
Six, the specialized application of AI technology in engineering is
commendable, and the realization of certain functions can even be impressive or
'surprising!' However, in theoretical research, the risk of declining academic
quality is difficult to suppress or effectively avoid. Nevertheless, the
conclusions of this study can still be applied to the academic evaluation of
empirical research.
This paper was supported by the Sanya
University Talent Introduction Project, "Empirical Analysis of the
Effectiveness of Economic and Financial (Accounting)
Research," Project Number: USYRC25-05.