Pengaruh Manajemen Laba Riil Melalui Arus Kas Operasi terhadap Kualitas Laba pada Perusahaan yang Terdaftar di BEI Sub-sektor Migas Periode 2022-2024

Abstract

This study aims to test the influence of real earnings management (REM) on the quality of profits in oil and gas companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. REM is measured through abnormal operating cash flow as an indicator of manipulation of operational activities, while profit quality is proxied by profit persistence. Using 57 data observations and simple linear regression analysis, the results showed that REM had a negative and significant effect on profit quality, with a coefficient of –0.6945 (p = 0.0003). These findings indicate that the more intensely the company manipulates real activities, the lower the profitability to reflect actual economic conditions. The results of the classical assumption test show that the regression model is under adequate conditions: residual data is normally distributed, there is no multicollinearity, there are no symptoms of heteroscedasticity, and no autocorrelation is found. Thus, the negative relationship between REM and profit quality can be believed to reflect empirical conditions, rather than just technical artifacts. Theoretically, agency theory asserts that managers' opportunistic behavior through real activities can undermine the quality of profit information. In the context of Indonesia's oil and gas industry facing production pressures and price volatility, the tendency to conduct REM becomes stronger and significantly reduces the quality of reported profits.