Prepare a Research Paper on : To investigate the interplay between earnings management and the process of PE exits

Research Paper on Earnings Management & Private Equity Exits I am looking for an experienced academic researcher to develop a high-quality empirical research paper in corporate finance / accounting on the following topic: To investigate the interplay between earnings management and the process of Private Equity (PE) exits. Specifically, the paper should address: 1: Whether firms approaching PE exits engage in accrual-based vs real activity manipulation 2: How prior funding history influences such behavior 3: How fund-level incentives (e.g., fundraising pressure, reputation concerns) shape reporting choices Scope of Work 1. Literature Review Comprehensive review of foundational + recent (last 5–7 years) studies Coverage of earnings management (accrual & real), PE-backed firms, and exit dynamics Clear identification of research gap and contribution 2. Hypothesis Development Well-structured, theory-driven hypotheses Linked to: Exit type (IPO, M&A, secondary buyouts) Funding history (early vs late-stage rounds) Fund incentives (reputation, fundraising cycles) 3. Empirical Analysis Strong econometric framework (panel data preferred) Use of established measures: Accrual EM (Modified Jones Model) Real EM (Roychowdhury approach) Handling of endogeneity (IV / PSM / DiD where appropriate) 4. Data Use authentic datasets only (Compustat, CRSP, PitchBook, Preqin, etc.) Clear documentation of: Sample construction Variable definitions Data methodology 5. Results & Interpretation Clear regression outputs Economic + statistical interpretation Robustness checks 6. Deliverables Complete research paper (Word + PDF) Dataset description & variable construction Code (preferred but optional) 7. Strict Requirements 100% original work (no plagiarism) AI-generated content must be minimal (<10% detection) Proper academic citations (APA/Harvard) Writing quality suitable for top-tier journal submission 8. Ideal Candidate Background in Finance / Accounting / Economics (PhD preferred) Experience in empirical research papers Familiarity with PE/VC datasets and econometric tools (Stata / R / Python) Additional Note This is a serious academic project with potential for journal submission. Please bid only if you can deliver high rigor, genuine data work, and original writing.

Project ID: 40306476