The effect of political connections with the government on the relationship between ownership concentration with quality of financial reporting and the cost of equity capital

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of political connections with the government on the relationship between ownership concentration with quality of financial reporting and the cost of equity capital in companies that are the member of Tehran Stock Exchange. The result of research hypotheses test based on a statistical sample consist of 95 companies in period of 2001- 2011 showed that earnings quality in companies with concentrated ownership structure is high. On the other hand, in companies with extensive political connections and concentrated ownership structure, earnings quality is lower than other companies. Also, in companies with concentrated ownership structure, the cost of equity capital is low, but in companies with extensive political connections with government which has concentrated ownership structure, the cost of equity capital is higher.

Keywords

• cost of equity capital
• Multi-Criteria Decision Making
• ownership concentration
• Political connections
• quality of financial reporting