Influence of Comparability on Earnings Management: A Study on Brazilian Electrification Cooperatives

This study examines the impact of financial statement comparability, under regulatory and corporate standards, on earnings management in Brazilian electrification cooperatives. The sample includes 36 cooperatives analyzed from 2014 to 2022 using panel and quantile regression. Results show that higher comparability reduces earnings management, especially under regulatory standards, with a stronger effect in cooperatives prone to manipulation. The study highlights comparability’s role in governance and reducing information asymmetry, benefiting cooperatives and creditors in financial resource allocation.