Sung Kwon
School of Administrative Studies
Professor
Office: Atkinson College, 276
Phone: 416-736-2100 Ext: Ext: 66460
Email: sungkwon@yorku.ca
Dr. Kwon’s primary area of research examines characteristics of both accounting measures and the information environment to better understand the impact of accounting numbers on market participants.
The Introduction of Professor Kwon
He is the author/co-author of twenty-five academic journal research publications, many of which have appeared in leading and/or high quality academic journals of accounting including Contemporary Accounting Research, Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Advances in Accounting, the Journal of Business Research, and International Finance Review.
According to the 2019 ABDC (Australian Business Deans Council) Journal Quality List, Dr. Kwon currently has four A+ or A* level (top-tier), five A level, nine B level, four C level, and three extinct refereed journal publications that were made over the past 30 years. More specifically, his A+ or A* level journal publications are Kwon and Wild (1994, Contemporary Accounting Research), Wild and Kwon (1994, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting), Lobo, Kwon, and Ndubizu (1998, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting), and Heflin, Kwon, and Wild (2002, Journal of Business Finance Accounting). His A level journal publications are Ndubizu, Dunn, and Kwon (1993, Advances in Accounting), Kwon (1993, Journal of Business Research), Choi, Kwon, and Lobo (2000, Journal of Business Research), Kwon and Yin (2006, Journal of Accounting, Auditing &Finance), and International Finance Review (2012, Top International based on Cra2012). Finally, his B level journal publications are Kwon (2002, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting), Kwon, Yin, and Han (2006, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting), Kwon, Gaber, and Ng (2007, Corporate Ownership & Control), Kwon, Lai, and Gaber (2011, Corporate Ownership & Control), Kwon and Yin (2015, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting), Kwon, Wang, and Nasreen (2015, Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting), Kwon (2019, Corporate Ownership & Control), Kwon, Yin, and Ndubizu (2019, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting), and Kwon, Patrice, and Nelson (2022, Corporate Ownership & Control).
Also, Ballas and Theoharakis (Winter 2003, Contemporary Accounting Research that belongs to the fifty well-known Financial Times journals) and Hull and Wright (Mar. 1990, Accounting Horizons that belongs to American Accounting Association journals) have listed his following seven journal publications as top eleven-ranked journals in the field of financial accounting/capital markets (Dr. Kwon’s main area of research & teaching): Kwon and Wild (1994, Contemporary Accounting Research), Wild and Kwon (1994, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting), Lobo, Kwon, and Ndubizu (1998, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting), and Heflin, Kwon, and Wild (2002, Journal of Business Finance Accounting), Kwon (1993, Journal of Business Research), Choi, Kwon, and Lobo (2000, Journal of Business Research), and Kwon and Yin (2006, Journal of Accounting, Auditing &Finance).
His other publications include forty-three refereed proceedings and four electronic abstracts. Dr. Kwon served as an editorial board member for the Journal of Business and Management (Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting) from 2000 (2010) to 2004 (2013) and currently contributes to various academic journals as an ad hoc reviewer. Since 2007, he has also served as an editorial board member of the International Journal of Accounting and Finance . In addition, Dr. Kwon has been an associate editor for Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies since November 23, 2013. Dr. Kwon recently served as an unaffiliated board member (Audit committee Chair) from March 2015 (March 2016) to November 2021at Shinhan Bank Canada which is headquartered in Toronto,Canada.
Dr. Kwon is a Professor of Accounting at the School of Administrative Studies. He served as founding director of the Master of Financial Accountability (MFAc) program between February 1, 2009 and June 30, 2012. Dr. Kwon also served as coordinator for the advanced financial accounting area in both the 2005-2006 and 2012-2013 academic years. During the period from January 2015 to June 2015, Dr. Kwon was the coordinator for the then newly-established Financial Accounting, Law & Governance area which combined three previous, smaller areas. He received his Ph.D. in Accounting from Michigan State University in 1989, his Master of Science in Business degree with a double major in Accounting and Information Systems Analysis & Design from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1984, and his BS in Engineering from Seoul National University in 1975. Prior to joining York University in July 2004, Dr. Kwon had taught various courses in Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, and Accounting Information Systems at both undergraduate and graduate levels since the summer of 1984 at Rutgers University, Drexel University and Michigan State University.
Throughout his career, Dr. Kwon received awards for his teaching excellence and quality of research including Drexel University's 1993 University Research Scholar Award, Rutgers University’s School of Business 1998 Excellence-in-Teaching Award and 2002 Excellence-in-Research Award, and York University’s Atkinson College 2006 Dean’s Award for Outstanding Research, 2008 Atkinson Research Fellowship Award, School of Administrative Studies Teaching Excellence Award for the 2012-2013 and the 2016-2017 academic years, LA&PS 2015-2020 Research Release Awards, and 2016 SAS Recognition for Excellence in Research Award for 2015-16. Dr. Kwon taught or has taught Accounting Theory & Contemporary Issues (ADMS 4510) and Intermediate Accounting I&II (ADMS 3585&3595) courses for undergraduate students, and Research Methods (FACC 6180) and Advanced Theory for Financial Accountability (FACC 6200) courses for graduate students.
Degrees
PhD, Michigan State UniversityMSc, University of Wisconsin at Madison
BSc Engineering, Seoul National University
Professional Leadership
Associate Editor, Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022. Member, Editorial Board, Advances in Quantitative Analysis of Finance and Accounting, 2014, 2015. Member, Editorial Board, International Journal of Accounting and Finance, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022. Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Forensic & Investigative Accounting, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Business and Management, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004.
Community Contributions
Dr. Kwon recently served as an unaffiliated board member (Audit committee Chair) from March 2015 (March 2016) to November 2021at Shinhan Bank Canada which is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Director, Master of Financial Accountability (MFAc), School of Administrative Studies, February 2009 to June 2012. Interviewed by CBC 1 Radio News concerning the promotion of MFAc program, October 5, 2009.
Research Interests
Current Research Projects
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Summary:
Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) sets forth a clawback provision that enables a publicly traded company to recover bonuses and other performance-based compensation from the chief executive officers (CEOs) if their company is required to restate financial statements due to material noncomplicances, as a result of misconduct, with financial reporting requirements under the security laws. In this paper we examine the effect of regulatory changes on the sensitivity of CEO bonus to earnings in the cases of good news and bad news in the periods before and after SOX. We find that asymmetric sensitivity of bonus to earnings exists before SOX but disappears in the post-SOX period. This is consistent with the reduced impact of settling up problems due to the clawback provision. This finding shows that regulatory changes affect compensation contracts and has implications for regulators, managers, politicians, investors, and academics in their assessment of the equitable relationship between executive efforts and executive bonus compensation.
Start Date:
- Month: May Year: 2015
Collaborator: Professors Jennifer Yin and Gordian Ndubizu
Collaborator Institution: University of Texas at San Antonio and Drexel University
Collaborator Role: co-authors
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Summary:
This paper examines systematic differences in earnings persistence between pre-SOX and post-SOX periods in the presence of economic- and/or accounting-driven factors. Prior research (Chen et al., Accounting Horizons, 2014; Lobo and Zhou, Journal of Accounting, Auditing, and Finance 2010; Kwon et al., Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, 2006) finds that (1) firms with more conservative accounting generate less persistent earnings than firms with less conservative accounting; (2) firms subject to SOX are more conservative in financial reporting in the post-SOX period; and (3) there exists a higher level of accounting conservatism in HT firms vis-à-vis low-tech firms. Consistent with these results, we document in this paper that firms that are subject to SOX show a lower level of earnings persistence in the post-SOX period even after economic and/or accounting factors identified in prior research are controlled. Further evidence shows that HT firms vis-à-vis NHT firms experience a more significant reduction of earnings persistence in the post-SOX period.
Start Date:
- Month: Oct Year: 2014
Collaborator: Myungsun Kim, PhD, Associate Professor of Accounting
Collaborator Institution: University at Buffalo - SUNY
Collaborator Role: Co-author
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Summary:
Firms with intensive R&D and intangible activities (high-tech) have incentives to choose real over accrual-based earnings management than those with less activity (low-tech). Real earnings management techniques have greater benefits than accrual methods because they receive less scrutiny and are less easily detected by regulators and investors. We find that high-tech firms exhibit more real and less accrual-based earnings management than do the low-tech firms. Using a 2SLS regression analysis, we find that R&D activities facilitate the choices of real over accrual methods for high-tech firms when compared to the matched low-tech firms. Our evidence is important, because it shows that the choices of real versus accrual-based earnings management depend perhaps on R&D and intangible activities. In further tests, we investigate whether the choices of earnings management techniques enhance comparability. We find that the choices appear to make accounting amounts (earnings and equity book value) comparable for high-tech and low-tech firms that report economic gains. Thus, our evidence suggests that R&D and intangible activities facilitate the choices of real versus accrual-based earnings management which in turn make accounting amounts comparable.
Start Date:
- Month: Jul Year: 2012
Collaborator: Gordian A. Ndubizu and Hai Q. Ta
Collaborator Institution: Drexel University and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Collaborator Role: Co-authors
Kwon, Sung S., Patrice Gelinas, Waweru Nelson. “Earnings Management and Asymmetric Sensitivity of Bonus Cpompensation to Earnings for High-Growth Firms.” Accepted for pubishing in Corporate Ownership and Control, ISSN – 17279232, Volume 20, Mar 22: 25-41.
Kwon, Sung S., Jennifer Yin, and Gordian A. Ndubizu. “Asymmetric Sensitivity of Executive Bonus Compensation to Earnings and the Effect of Regulatory Changes.” Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting (First Online: 31 October 2018), October 2019, Volume 53, Issue 3, pp. 845–869. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11156-018-0768-8
Kwon, Sung S. "The value-relevance of fundamental signals and the impact of financial regulations on security valuation and earnings management." Corporate Ownership & Control, 16(3), Spring 2019, pp. 73-88.
Kwon, Sung S., Haiping Wang, and Taslima Nasreen. “The Impact of Technology and Regulatory Changes on the Relationship between a firm’s External Governance Index and its Financial Performance and Earnings Management.” Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting, Vol. 7, Issue 2, July - December 2015, pp. 178-223.
Kwon, Sung S. and Jennifer Yin. “A Comparison of Earnings Persistence in High-Tech Firms and Non-High-Tech Firms.” Available Online at SpringerLink (DOI 10.1007/s11156-013-0421-5, December 2013), Volume 44, Number 4 (June 2015), Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, pp. 645-668.
Kwon, Sung S. “Symmetry in the Sensitivity of Executive Incentive Compensation to Earnings and Returns in High-technology Firms.” International Finance Review, Volume 13 (Transparency and Governance in a Global World; Fall 2012): pp. 127-172.
Kwon, Sung S, Liona Lai, and Brian Gaber. “Informedness and Consensus of Accounting Disclosures under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act: High-Tech Firms versus Low-Tech Firms.” Corporate Owenership & Control, Vol. 9, Issue 1, Fall 2011, pp. 329-365.
Kwon, Sung S., Sungsoo Kim, and Gaber, Brian G."Voluntary Asset Write-Downs of SFAS 121: Early Adopters vis-à-vis Late Adopters.” International Journal of Accounting and Finance, Vol. 1, No.1, 2008: pp. 83-105.
Kwon, Sung S., Brian G. Gaber, and Peggy Ng. “Value Relevance of Key Accounting Information and Earnings Management: High-Tech versus Low-Tech firms.” Corporate Ownership & Control, Vol. 4, Issue 4 (Summer 2007): pp. 285-299.
Kwon, Sung S., and Jennifer Yin. “Executive Compensation, Investment Opportunities and Earnings Management: High-Tech versus Low-Tech Firms.” Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance 21 (2) (Spring 2006): pp. 119-148.
Kwon, Sung S., Jennifer Yin, and Jongsoo Han. “The Effect of Differential Accounting Conservatism on the Over-Valuation of High-Tech Firms relative to Low-Tech Firms.” Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Vol. 27, No. 2 (2006), pp. 143-173.
Kwon, Sung S. "Value Relevance of Financial Information and Conservatism: High-Tech versus Low-Tech Stocks." Oil, Gas & Energy Quarterly, Vol. 53, No. 3 (March 2005), pp. 661-706.
Kwon, Sung S., Gerald J. Lobo, and Emeka T. Nwaeze. "Differential Earnings Response Coefficients for Positive and Negative Unexpected Earnings: Regulated versus Manufacturing Firms." Oil, Gas & Energy Quarterly, Vol. 53, No. 1 (September 2004), pp. 125-150.
Kwon, Sung S. (2002) . Accounting choices: Variation in managerial opportunism. Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, 29(7&8), 1047-1078 (with F. L. Heflin and J. J. Wild).
Kwon, Sung S. “Financial Analysts’ Forecast Accuracy and Dispersion: High-Tech versus Low-Tech Stocks.” Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Vol. 19, No. 1(2002), pp. 65-91.
Choi, Won W., Sung S. Kwon, and Gerald J. Lobo. "Market Valuation of Intangible Assets." Journal of Business Research, Vol. 49, No. 1 (July 2000), pp. 35-45.
Kwon, Sung S., Gordian A. Ndubizu, and Kathleen Dunn. "The Impact of Purchase and Pooling Methods on Financial Analysts' Forecasts and Price Informativeness." Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Fall 2000), pp. 7-29.
Kwon, Sung S. (1998) . The impact of SFAS No. 14 Segment information on price variability and earnings forecast accuracy. Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, 25(7&8), 969-985 (with G. J. Lobo and G. A. Ndubizu).
Kwon, Sung S., Gerald J. Lobo, and Gordian A. Ndubizu. "Informativeness of Segment Information: Evidence from Financial Analysts' Forecasts." Journal of Accounting & Business Research, Vol. 5 (1997), pp. 1-19.
Heflin, Frank L., Sung S. Kwon, and John J. Wild. "Bid-Ask Spreads Around Releases of Annual Reports by Firms in Financial Distress." Journal of Accounting & Business Research, Vol. 4 (1996), pp. 21-48.
Kwon, Sung S., and John J. Wild. "Trading Volume, Information Asymmetry, and Disclosure of Annual Reports for Distressed Firms." Accounting & Business Review, Vol. 3, No. 1 (January 1996), pp. 1-18.
Wild, John J., and Sung S. Kwon. "Earnings Expectations, Firm Size, and the Informativeness of Stock Prices.", Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, Vol. 21(7) (October 1994), pp. 975-996.
Kwon, Sung S., and John J. Wild. "Informativeness of Annual Reports for Firms in Financial Distress." Contemporary Accounting Research, Vol. 11, No.1-II (Fall 1994), pp. 331-351.
Ndubizu Gordian A., Kathleen Dunn, and Sung S. Kwon. "Accounting Attributes as Determinants of Shareholders' Gains in Corporate Acquisitions: Empirical Tests." Advances in Accounting, Vol. 11 (1993), pp. 47-63.
Kwon, Sung S. "The Informativeness of Price-Level Adjusted Accounting Disclosures." Journal of Business Research, Vol. 26, No. 2 (February 1993), pp. 171-187.
Kwon, Sung S., Patrice Gelinas, Waweru Nelson. "Earnings Management and Asymmetric Sensitivity of Bonus Compensation to Earnings for High-Growth Firms," International Online Conference on Corporate Governance Theory and Practice, May 26, 2022, PP. 30-33.
Kwon, Sung S., Jennifer Yin, and Gordian A. Ndubizu. “Asymmetric Sensitivity of Executive Bonus Compensation to Earnings and the Effect of Regulatory Changes,” Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conference on Pacific Finance, Economics, Accounting and Management (September 2018), p. 47.
Kwon Sung S. and Semih Yildrim. “The Role of Fundamentals in Security Valuation Around SOX and Dodd-Frank Regulations,” Proceedings of the Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Conference(June 1-3, 2017; Montreal), p. 120.
Kwon Sung S. and David T. Kwon. “Financial Regulations and the Role of Fundamentals in Security Valuation.” Proceedings of the 25th Annual Conference on Pacific Basin Finance, Economics, Accounting and Management (November 2017), p. 3.
Kwon Sung S. Jennifer Yin, and Gordian Ndubizu. “The Effect of the Clawback Provision on the Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Bonus to Earnings,” Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Conference on Pacific Finance, Economics, Accounting and Management (July 2015), p. 20.
Kwon Sung S. Jennifer Yin, and Gordian Ndubizu. “The Effect of the Clawback Provision on the Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Bonus to Earnings,” Proceedings of The Canadian Academic Accounting Association 2015 National Meeting (May 2015), p. 53.
Kwon, Sung S. Jennifer Yin, and Gordian Ndubizu. “Regulatory Changes and Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Bonus to Earnings.” Proceedings of the Certified General Accountants of Manitoba/University of Manitoba Accounting Research Conference, (May 2-3, 2014), p. 5.
Kwon, Sung S., Haiping Wang, and Taslima Nasreen. “The Impact of Technology and Regulatory Changes on the Relationship between a firm’s External Governance Index and its Financial Performance and Earnings Management.” Proceedings of the 21st Annual Conference on Pacific Finance, Economics, Accounting and Management, (July 2013), p. 10.
Kwon, Sung S., Haiping Wang, and Taslima Nasreen. “The Impact of Technology and Regulatory Changes on the Relationship between a firm’s External Governance Index and its Financial Performance and Earnings Management.” Proceedings of the 2013 American Accounting Association National Meeting, (August 2013), p. 101.
Kwon, Sung S. Jennifer Yin, and Gordian Ndubizu. “Regulatory Changes and Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Bonus to Earnings.” Proceedings of the 2012 Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Meeting, (June 2012), p. 43.
Kwon, Sung S. Jennifer Yin, and Gordian Ndubizu. “Regulatory Changes and Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Bonus to Earnings.” Proceedings of the 2012 American Accounting Association National Meeting, (August 2012), p. 73.
Kwon, Sung S. and Jennifer Yin. “A Comparison of Earnings Persistence in High-Tech Firms and Non-High-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the 2011 Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Meeting, (May 2011), p.60.
Kwon, Sung S and Jennifer Yin. “A Comparison of Earnings Persistence in High-Tech Firms and Non-High-Tech Firms.” Proceedings (CD) of the American Accounting Association National Meeting(August 2011).
Kwon, Sung S, Liona Lai, and Brian Gaber. “Informedness and Consensus of Accounting Disclosures under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act: High-Tech Firms versus Low-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the American Accounting Association National Meeting, (August 2010).
Kwon, Sung S. “Conservatism, Earnings Management, and Asymmetric Sensitivity of Executive Bonus Compensation to Earnings.” Proceedings of the American Accounting Association National Meeting, (August 2010).
Kwon, Sung S. “Sensitivity of Executive Compensation to Earnings and Market-Adjusted Returns for High Technology Firms.” Proceedings of the 2009 Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Meeting, (June 2009), p.123.
Kwon, Sung S. and Inho Suk. “Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Compensation to Earnings and Earnings Management,” Proceedings of the 2008 Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Meeting, (May 2008), p. 125.
Kwon, Sung S, Brian Gaber, and Liona Lai. “Informedness and Consensus of Accounting Information post Sarbanes-Oxley Act: High-Tech Firms versus Low-Tech Firms,” Proceedings of the American Accounting Association National Meeting, (August 2007), p. 323.
Kwon, Sung S, Brian Gaber, and Liona Lai. “Informedness and Consensus of Accounting Information post Sarbanes-Oxley Act: High-Tech Firms versus Low-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the 2007 Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Conference (June 2007), p. 149.
Kwon, Sung S, Jennifer Yin, and Jongsoo Han. “Predominace of Conservative Accounting in High-Tech Firms in Comparison to Low-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the 2005 Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Conference (June 2005), p. 107.
Kwon, Sung S, Jennifer Yin, and Jongsoo Han. “Predominace of Conservative Accounting in High-Tech Firms in Comparison to Low-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the Pacific Basin Finance, Economics, Accounting, and Business International Meeting (August 2004), p. 55.
Kwon, Sung S. and Jennifer Yin. “Executive Compensation, Investment Opportunities and Earnings Management: High-Tech versus Low-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the American Accounting Association National Meeting (August 2003), p.154.
Kwon, Sung S. “The Effect of Conservative Accounting on Value Relevance of Earnings and Sales: High-Tech versus Low-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the American Accounting Association National Meeting (August 2002), p.94.
Kim, Sungsoo, and Sung S. Kwon. "SFAS 121 Asset Write-Down: Early vs. Late Firms." Proceedings of the Decision Sciences Institute National Meeting (November 2000), p.64.
Choi, Won W., Sung S. Kwon, and Gerald J. Lobo. "Market Valuation of Intangible Assets." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (March 1999), p.23.
Choi, Won W., Sung S. Kwon, and Gerald J. Lobo. "Market Valuation of Intangible Assets." Proceedings of the Decision Sciences Institute National Meeting (November 1998), p.39.
Nwaeze, Emeka T., and Sung S. Kwon. "Price Response to Unexpected Earnings for Regulated and Manufacturing Firms." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (March 1998), p.70.
Heflin, Frank L., Sung S. Kwon, and John J. Wild. "Accounting Choices: Variation in Managerial Opportunism." Proceedings of the Decision Sciences Institute National Meeting (November 1997), p.174.
Kwon, Sung S., Gerald J. Lobo, and Gordian A. Ndubizu. "Informativeness of SFAS No. 14 Segment Information: Evidence from Financial Analysts' Forecasts." Proceedings of the Seventeenth Annual International Symposium On Forecasting (June 1997), p.62.
Lobo, Gerald J., Sung S. Kwon, and Gordian A. Ndubizu. "The Impact of SFAS No. 14 Segment Information on Price Variability and Earnings Forecast Accuracy." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Northeast Regional Meeting (April 1997), p.24.
Kwon, Sung S., Gordian A. Ndubizu, and Kathleen Dunn. "The Impact of Purchase and Pooling Methods on Financial Analysts' Forecasts and Price Informativeness." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (April 1997), p.53.
Kwon, Sung S., and John J. Wild. "Trading Volume, Information Asymmetry, and Disclosure of Annual Reports for Distressed Firms." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (March 1996), p.44.
Heflin, Frank L., Sung S. Kwon, and John J. Wild. "Bid-Ask Spreads Around the Release of Annual Reports for Firms in Financial Distress." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (March 1995), p.115.
Kwon, Sung S., and John J.Wild. "Informativeness of Annual Reports for Firms in Financial Distress." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Northeast Regional Meeting (April 1994), p.46.
Ghani, Waqar I., Gordian A. Ndubizu, and Sung S. Kwon. "The Economic Impact of Accounting Information Aggregation and Disaggregation on Informedness and Consensus: The Case of Consolidated Nonhomogeneous Subsidiaries." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Northeast Regional Meeting (April 1994), p.41.
Kwon, Sung S., and Gordian A. Ndubizu "Additional Evidence on the Informativeness Alternative Foreign Currency Translation Accounting Methods." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (March 1994), p.119.
Ndubizu Gordian A., and Sung S. Kwon. "The Effect of FASB No. 14 Segment Data On Earnings Informativeness." Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual International Symposium On Forecasting (June 1993), p. 26.
Ndubizu Gordian A., and Sung S. Kwon. "The Effect of FASB No. 14 Segment Data On Earnings Informativeness." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (April 1993), p. 91.
Kwon, Sung S., and Gordian A. Ndubizu. "Informativeness of Alternative Foreign Currency Translation Accounting Methods." Proceedings of the National Meeting of the American Accounting Association (August 1992), p.128
Ndubizu Gordian A., Sung S. Kwon, and Kathleen Dunn. "The Impact of the Acquisition Accounting Methods on Informedness and Consensus." Proceedings of the National Meeting of the American Accounting Association (August 1992), p.118
Kwon, Sung S., and Gordian A. Ndubizu. "Earnings Volatility and Price Variability: The Impact of SFAS No. 52 on Informedness." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (April 1992), p.137
Kwon, Sung S. "Fineness of Inflation-Adjusted Accounting Disclosures and Stock Price Variability." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (April 1991), p.23.
Wild, John J. and Sung S. Kwon. "Earnings Expectations, Firm Size, and the Information Content of Security Prices." Proceedings of the Decision Sciences Institute Midwest Regional Meeting (April 1987), p.14.
Kwon, Sung S. Jennifer Yin, and Gordian Ndubizu. “ Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Bonus to Earnings.” Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. 2011. Abstract/Working Paper Series.
Heflin, Frank L., Sung S. Kwon, and John J. Wild. "Accounting Choices: Variation in Managerial Opportunism." Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. 2004. Abstract/Working Paper Series.
Kim, Sungsoo, and Sung S. Kwon. "SFAS 121 Asset Write-Down: Early vs. Late Adopters." Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. 2001. Abstract/Working Paper Series.
Kwon, Sung S. “Value Relevance of Financial Information and Conservatism: High-Tech versus Low-Tech Stocks.” Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. 2001. Abstract/Working Paper Series.
Approach to Teaching
Prior to joining York University in July 2004, Dr. Kwon had taught various courses in Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, and Accounting Information Systems at both undergraduate and graduate levels since the summer of 1984 at Rutgers University, Drexel University and Michigan State University. Throughout his career, Dr. Kwon received awards for his teaching excellence and quality of research including Drexel University's 1993 University Research Scholar Award, Rutgers University’s School of Business 1998 Excellence-in-Teaching Award and 2002 Excellence-in-Research Award, and York University’s Atkinson College 2006 Dean’s Award for Outstanding Research and 2008 Atkinson Research Fellowship Award. At York University, Dr. Kwon teaches Accounting Theory & Contemporary Issues (ADMS 4510) and Intermediate Accounting II (ADMS 3595) courses for undergraduate students, and Research Methods (FACC 6180) and Advanced Theory for Financial Accountability (FACC 6200)courses for graduate students. Professor Kwon's teaching philosophy emphasizes the identification and application of accounting measurement and reporting guidelines. Dr. Kwon's classroom is neither an environment conducive to the memorization of facts nor a place that promotes the accurate recitation of them on an exam. Rather, his teaching demands students to think for themselves, draw connections between different subjects, apply knowledge in unusual situations, and effectively present their conclusions in both verbal and written forms (e.g., research paper/case presentations and written analyses). Beyond a discussion of fundamental measurement and reporting rules, a typical class re-creates a difficult case, often drawn from the Harvard Business for Educators web site and the financial press (e.g., Wall Street Journal, Business Week, etc.), and then requires students to propose and discuss reasonable solutions to the case. All students are encouraged to challenge one another's solutions. Teams are normally assigned to help students discuss a pre-selected contemporary accounting topic in small groups. Teaching Experience: Courses Taught since Summer 1984 1. York University (July 2004 to Present) Accounting Theory and Contemporary Issues (ADMS 4510), Intermediate Accounting II (ADMS 3595)including the Internet section, and Intermediate Accounting I (ADMS 3585) for undergraduate students. Research Methods (FACC 6180) and Advanced Theory for Financial Accountability (FACC 6200) for graduate students. 2. Rutger University (the State University of New Jersey) (July 1996 to June 2004) Intermediate Accounting I & II (ACC 305&306) and Advanced Financial Accounting (ACC 401) for Undergraduate students, Accounting for Financial Analysis for MBA students (ACC 502), and Accounting Information Systems for both graduate and undergraduate students (ACC 532). 3. Drexel University (September 1989 to June 1996) Introductory Financial Accounting for undergraduate students (ACC321) and MBA students (ACCE111), Intermediate Accounting I (ACC620) & II (ACC 621) for graduate students, Financial Accounting Theory (ACC623) for graduate students, Accounting Theory (ACC990) and Financial Accounting Seminar (ACC920) for Ph.D. Students. 4. Michigan State University (June 1989 to August 1989)(June 1984 to August 1987) Introductory Financial (ACC201) & Managerial Accounting (ACC202) and A Survey of Basic Accounting (ACC230). 5. Baker College (September 1988 to March 1989) Managerial Accounting
Dr. Kwon’s primary area of research examines characteristics of both accounting measures and the information environment to better understand the impact of accounting numbers on market participants.
The Introduction of Professor Kwon
He is the author/co-author of twenty-five academic journal research publications, many of which have appeared in leading and/or high quality academic journals of accounting including Contemporary Accounting Research, Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Advances in Accounting, the Journal of Business Research, and International Finance Review.
According to the 2019 ABDC (Australian Business Deans Council) Journal Quality List, Dr. Kwon currently has four A+ or A* level (top-tier), five A level, nine B level, four C level, and three extinct refereed journal publications that were made over the past 30 years. More specifically, his A+ or A* level journal publications are Kwon and Wild (1994, Contemporary Accounting Research), Wild and Kwon (1994, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting), Lobo, Kwon, and Ndubizu (1998, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting), and Heflin, Kwon, and Wild (2002, Journal of Business Finance Accounting). His A level journal publications are Ndubizu, Dunn, and Kwon (1993, Advances in Accounting), Kwon (1993, Journal of Business Research), Choi, Kwon, and Lobo (2000, Journal of Business Research), Kwon and Yin (2006, Journal of Accounting, Auditing &Finance), and International Finance Review (2012, Top International based on Cra2012). Finally, his B level journal publications are Kwon (2002, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting), Kwon, Yin, and Han (2006, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting), Kwon, Gaber, and Ng (2007, Corporate Ownership & Control), Kwon, Lai, and Gaber (2011, Corporate Ownership & Control), Kwon and Yin (2015, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting), Kwon, Wang, and Nasreen (2015, Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting), Kwon (2019, Corporate Ownership & Control), Kwon, Yin, and Ndubizu (2019, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting), and Kwon, Patrice, and Nelson (2022, Corporate Ownership & Control).
Also, Ballas and Theoharakis (Winter 2003, Contemporary Accounting Research that belongs to the fifty well-known Financial Times journals) and Hull and Wright (Mar. 1990, Accounting Horizons that belongs to American Accounting Association journals) have listed his following seven journal publications as top eleven-ranked journals in the field of financial accounting/capital markets (Dr. Kwon’s main area of research & teaching): Kwon and Wild (1994, Contemporary Accounting Research), Wild and Kwon (1994, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting), Lobo, Kwon, and Ndubizu (1998, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting), and Heflin, Kwon, and Wild (2002, Journal of Business Finance Accounting), Kwon (1993, Journal of Business Research), Choi, Kwon, and Lobo (2000, Journal of Business Research), and Kwon and Yin (2006, Journal of Accounting, Auditing &Finance).
His other publications include forty-three refereed proceedings and four electronic abstracts. Dr. Kwon served as an editorial board member for the Journal of Business and Management (Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting) from 2000 (2010) to 2004 (2013) and currently contributes to various academic journals as an ad hoc reviewer. Since 2007, he has also served as an editorial board member of the International Journal of Accounting and Finance . In addition, Dr. Kwon has been an associate editor for Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies since November 23, 2013. Dr. Kwon recently served as an unaffiliated board member (Audit committee Chair) from March 2015 (March 2016) to November 2021at Shinhan Bank Canada which is headquartered in Toronto,Canada.
Dr. Kwon is a Professor of Accounting at the School of Administrative Studies. He served as founding director of the Master of Financial Accountability (MFAc) program between February 1, 2009 and June 30, 2012. Dr. Kwon also served as coordinator for the advanced financial accounting area in both the 2005-2006 and 2012-2013 academic years. During the period from January 2015 to June 2015, Dr. Kwon was the coordinator for the then newly-established Financial Accounting, Law & Governance area which combined three previous, smaller areas. He received his Ph.D. in Accounting from Michigan State University in 1989, his Master of Science in Business degree with a double major in Accounting and Information Systems Analysis & Design from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1984, and his BS in Engineering from Seoul National University in 1975. Prior to joining York University in July 2004, Dr. Kwon had taught various courses in Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, and Accounting Information Systems at both undergraduate and graduate levels since the summer of 1984 at Rutgers University, Drexel University and Michigan State University.
Throughout his career, Dr. Kwon received awards for his teaching excellence and quality of research including Drexel University's 1993 University Research Scholar Award, Rutgers University’s School of Business 1998 Excellence-in-Teaching Award and 2002 Excellence-in-Research Award, and York University’s Atkinson College 2006 Dean’s Award for Outstanding Research, 2008 Atkinson Research Fellowship Award, School of Administrative Studies Teaching Excellence Award for the 2012-2013 and the 2016-2017 academic years, LA&PS 2015-2020 Research Release Awards, and 2016 SAS Recognition for Excellence in Research Award for 2015-16. Dr. Kwon taught or has taught Accounting Theory & Contemporary Issues (ADMS 4510) and Intermediate Accounting I&II (ADMS 3585&3595) courses for undergraduate students, and Research Methods (FACC 6180) and Advanced Theory for Financial Accountability (FACC 6200) courses for graduate students.
Degrees
PhD, Michigan State UniversityMSc, University of Wisconsin at Madison
BSc Engineering, Seoul National University
Professional Leadership
Associate Editor, Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022. Member, Editorial Board, Advances in Quantitative Analysis of Finance and Accounting, 2014, 2015. Member, Editorial Board, International Journal of Accounting and Finance, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022. Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Forensic & Investigative Accounting, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Business and Management, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004.
Community Contributions
Dr. Kwon recently served as an unaffiliated board member (Audit committee Chair) from March 2015 (March 2016) to November 2021at Shinhan Bank Canada which is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Director, Master of Financial Accountability (MFAc), School of Administrative Studies, February 2009 to June 2012. Interviewed by CBC 1 Radio News concerning the promotion of MFAc program, October 5, 2009.
Research Interests
Current Research Projects
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Summary:
Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) sets forth a clawback provision that enables a publicly traded company to recover bonuses and other performance-based compensation from the chief executive officers (CEOs) if their company is required to restate financial statements due to material noncomplicances, as a result of misconduct, with financial reporting requirements under the security laws. In this paper we examine the effect of regulatory changes on the sensitivity of CEO bonus to earnings in the cases of good news and bad news in the periods before and after SOX. We find that asymmetric sensitivity of bonus to earnings exists before SOX but disappears in the post-SOX period. This is consistent with the reduced impact of settling up problems due to the clawback provision. This finding shows that regulatory changes affect compensation contracts and has implications for regulators, managers, politicians, investors, and academics in their assessment of the equitable relationship between executive efforts and executive bonus compensation.
Project Type: Self-FundedRole: Co-Author
Start Date:
- Month: May Year: 2015
Collaborator: Professors Jennifer Yin and Gordian Ndubizu
Collaborator Institution: University of Texas at San Antonio and Drexel University
Collaborator Role: co-authors
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Summary:
This paper examines systematic differences in earnings persistence between pre-SOX and post-SOX periods in the presence of economic- and/or accounting-driven factors. Prior research (Chen et al., Accounting Horizons, 2014; Lobo and Zhou, Journal of Accounting, Auditing, and Finance 2010; Kwon et al., Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, 2006) finds that (1) firms with more conservative accounting generate less persistent earnings than firms with less conservative accounting; (2) firms subject to SOX are more conservative in financial reporting in the post-SOX period; and (3) there exists a higher level of accounting conservatism in HT firms vis-à-vis low-tech firms. Consistent with these results, we document in this paper that firms that are subject to SOX show a lower level of earnings persistence in the post-SOX period even after economic and/or accounting factors identified in prior research are controlled. Further evidence shows that HT firms vis-à-vis NHT firms experience a more significant reduction of earnings persistence in the post-SOX period.
Project Type: Self-FundedRole: Co-Author
Start Date:
- Month: Oct Year: 2014
Collaborator: Myungsun Kim, PhD, Associate Professor of Accounting
Collaborator Institution: University at Buffalo - SUNY
Collaborator Role: Co-author
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Summary:
Firms with intensive R&D and intangible activities (high-tech) have incentives to choose real over accrual-based earnings management than those with less activity (low-tech). Real earnings management techniques have greater benefits than accrual methods because they receive less scrutiny and are less easily detected by regulators and investors. We find that high-tech firms exhibit more real and less accrual-based earnings management than do the low-tech firms. Using a 2SLS regression analysis, we find that R&D activities facilitate the choices of real over accrual methods for high-tech firms when compared to the matched low-tech firms. Our evidence is important, because it shows that the choices of real versus accrual-based earnings management depend perhaps on R&D and intangible activities. In further tests, we investigate whether the choices of earnings management techniques enhance comparability. We find that the choices appear to make accounting amounts (earnings and equity book value) comparable for high-tech and low-tech firms that report economic gains. Thus, our evidence suggests that R&D and intangible activities facilitate the choices of real versus accrual-based earnings management which in turn make accounting amounts comparable.
Project Type: Self-FundedRole: Co-Author
Start Date:
- Month: Jul Year: 2012
Collaborator: Gordian A. Ndubizu and Hai Q. Ta
Collaborator Institution: Drexel University and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Collaborator Role: Co-authors
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Project Type:
Self-Funded
All Publications
Kwon, Sung S., Patrice Gelinas, Waweru Nelson. “Earnings Management and Asymmetric Sensitivity of Bonus Cpompensation to Earnings for High-Growth Firms.” Accepted for pubishing in Corporate Ownership and Control, ISSN – 17279232, Volume 20, Mar 22: 25-41.
Kwon, Sung S., Jennifer Yin, and Gordian A. Ndubizu. “Asymmetric Sensitivity of Executive Bonus Compensation to Earnings and the Effect of Regulatory Changes.” Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting (First Online: 31 October 2018), October 2019, Volume 53, Issue 3, pp. 845–869. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11156-018-0768-8
Kwon, Sung S. "The value-relevance of fundamental signals and the impact of financial regulations on security valuation and earnings management." Corporate Ownership & Control, 16(3), Spring 2019, pp. 73-88.
Kwon, Sung S., Haiping Wang, and Taslima Nasreen. “The Impact of Technology and Regulatory Changes on the Relationship between a firm’s External Governance Index and its Financial Performance and Earnings Management.” Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting, Vol. 7, Issue 2, July - December 2015, pp. 178-223.
Kwon, Sung S. and Jennifer Yin. “A Comparison of Earnings Persistence in High-Tech Firms and Non-High-Tech Firms.” Available Online at SpringerLink (DOI 10.1007/s11156-013-0421-5, December 2013), Volume 44, Number 4 (June 2015), Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, pp. 645-668.
Kwon, Sung S. “Symmetry in the Sensitivity of Executive Incentive Compensation to Earnings and Returns in High-technology Firms.” International Finance Review, Volume 13 (Transparency and Governance in a Global World; Fall 2012): pp. 127-172.
Kwon, Sung S, Liona Lai, and Brian Gaber. “Informedness and Consensus of Accounting Disclosures under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act: High-Tech Firms versus Low-Tech Firms.” Corporate Owenership & Control, Vol. 9, Issue 1, Fall 2011, pp. 329-365.
Kwon, Sung S., Sungsoo Kim, and Gaber, Brian G."Voluntary Asset Write-Downs of SFAS 121: Early Adopters vis-à-vis Late Adopters.” International Journal of Accounting and Finance, Vol. 1, No.1, 2008: pp. 83-105.
Kwon, Sung S., Brian G. Gaber, and Peggy Ng. “Value Relevance of Key Accounting Information and Earnings Management: High-Tech versus Low-Tech firms.” Corporate Ownership & Control, Vol. 4, Issue 4 (Summer 2007): pp. 285-299.
Kwon, Sung S., and Jennifer Yin. “Executive Compensation, Investment Opportunities and Earnings Management: High-Tech versus Low-Tech Firms.” Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance 21 (2) (Spring 2006): pp. 119-148.
Kwon, Sung S., Jennifer Yin, and Jongsoo Han. “The Effect of Differential Accounting Conservatism on the Over-Valuation of High-Tech Firms relative to Low-Tech Firms.” Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Vol. 27, No. 2 (2006), pp. 143-173.
Kwon, Sung S. "Value Relevance of Financial Information and Conservatism: High-Tech versus Low-Tech Stocks." Oil, Gas & Energy Quarterly, Vol. 53, No. 3 (March 2005), pp. 661-706.
Kwon, Sung S., Gerald J. Lobo, and Emeka T. Nwaeze. "Differential Earnings Response Coefficients for Positive and Negative Unexpected Earnings: Regulated versus Manufacturing Firms." Oil, Gas & Energy Quarterly, Vol. 53, No. 1 (September 2004), pp. 125-150.
Kwon, Sung S. (2002) . Accounting choices: Variation in managerial opportunism. Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, 29(7&8), 1047-1078 (with F. L. Heflin and J. J. Wild).
Kwon, Sung S. “Financial Analysts’ Forecast Accuracy and Dispersion: High-Tech versus Low-Tech Stocks.” Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Vol. 19, No. 1(2002), pp. 65-91.
Choi, Won W., Sung S. Kwon, and Gerald J. Lobo. "Market Valuation of Intangible Assets." Journal of Business Research, Vol. 49, No. 1 (July 2000), pp. 35-45.
Kwon, Sung S., Gordian A. Ndubizu, and Kathleen Dunn. "The Impact of Purchase and Pooling Methods on Financial Analysts' Forecasts and Price Informativeness." Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Fall 2000), pp. 7-29.
Kwon, Sung S. (1998) . The impact of SFAS No. 14 Segment information on price variability and earnings forecast accuracy. Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, 25(7&8), 969-985 (with G. J. Lobo and G. A. Ndubizu).
Kwon, Sung S., Gerald J. Lobo, and Gordian A. Ndubizu. "Informativeness of Segment Information: Evidence from Financial Analysts' Forecasts." Journal of Accounting & Business Research, Vol. 5 (1997), pp. 1-19.
Heflin, Frank L., Sung S. Kwon, and John J. Wild. "Bid-Ask Spreads Around Releases of Annual Reports by Firms in Financial Distress." Journal of Accounting & Business Research, Vol. 4 (1996), pp. 21-48.
Kwon, Sung S., and John J. Wild. "Trading Volume, Information Asymmetry, and Disclosure of Annual Reports for Distressed Firms." Accounting & Business Review, Vol. 3, No. 1 (January 1996), pp. 1-18.
Wild, John J., and Sung S. Kwon. "Earnings Expectations, Firm Size, and the Informativeness of Stock Prices.", Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, Vol. 21(7) (October 1994), pp. 975-996.
Kwon, Sung S., and John J. Wild. "Informativeness of Annual Reports for Firms in Financial Distress." Contemporary Accounting Research, Vol. 11, No.1-II (Fall 1994), pp. 331-351.
Ndubizu Gordian A., Kathleen Dunn, and Sung S. Kwon. "Accounting Attributes as Determinants of Shareholders' Gains in Corporate Acquisitions: Empirical Tests." Advances in Accounting, Vol. 11 (1993), pp. 47-63.
Kwon, Sung S. "The Informativeness of Price-Level Adjusted Accounting Disclosures." Journal of Business Research, Vol. 26, No. 2 (February 1993), pp. 171-187.
Kwon, Sung S., Patrice Gelinas, Waweru Nelson. "Earnings Management and Asymmetric Sensitivity of Bonus Compensation to Earnings for High-Growth Firms," International Online Conference on Corporate Governance Theory and Practice, May 26, 2022, PP. 30-33.
Kwon, Sung S., Jennifer Yin, and Gordian A. Ndubizu. “Asymmetric Sensitivity of Executive Bonus Compensation to Earnings and the Effect of Regulatory Changes,” Proceedings of the 26th Annual Conference on Pacific Finance, Economics, Accounting and Management (September 2018), p. 47.
Kwon Sung S. and Semih Yildrim. “The Role of Fundamentals in Security Valuation Around SOX and Dodd-Frank Regulations,” Proceedings of the Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Conference(June 1-3, 2017; Montreal), p. 120.
Kwon Sung S. and David T. Kwon. “Financial Regulations and the Role of Fundamentals in Security Valuation.” Proceedings of the 25th Annual Conference on Pacific Basin Finance, Economics, Accounting and Management (November 2017), p. 3.
Kwon Sung S. Jennifer Yin, and Gordian Ndubizu. “The Effect of the Clawback Provision on the Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Bonus to Earnings,” Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Conference on Pacific Finance, Economics, Accounting and Management (July 2015), p. 20.
Kwon Sung S. Jennifer Yin, and Gordian Ndubizu. “The Effect of the Clawback Provision on the Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Bonus to Earnings,” Proceedings of The Canadian Academic Accounting Association 2015 National Meeting (May 2015), p. 53.
Kwon, Sung S. Jennifer Yin, and Gordian Ndubizu. “Regulatory Changes and Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Bonus to Earnings.” Proceedings of the Certified General Accountants of Manitoba/University of Manitoba Accounting Research Conference, (May 2-3, 2014), p. 5.
Kwon, Sung S., Haiping Wang, and Taslima Nasreen. “The Impact of Technology and Regulatory Changes on the Relationship between a firm’s External Governance Index and its Financial Performance and Earnings Management.” Proceedings of the 21st Annual Conference on Pacific Finance, Economics, Accounting and Management, (July 2013), p. 10.
Kwon, Sung S., Haiping Wang, and Taslima Nasreen. “The Impact of Technology and Regulatory Changes on the Relationship between a firm’s External Governance Index and its Financial Performance and Earnings Management.” Proceedings of the 2013 American Accounting Association National Meeting, (August 2013), p. 101.
Kwon, Sung S. Jennifer Yin, and Gordian Ndubizu. “Regulatory Changes and Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Bonus to Earnings.” Proceedings of the 2012 Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Meeting, (June 2012), p. 43.
Kwon, Sung S. Jennifer Yin, and Gordian Ndubizu. “Regulatory Changes and Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Bonus to Earnings.” Proceedings of the 2012 American Accounting Association National Meeting, (August 2012), p. 73.
Kwon, Sung S. and Jennifer Yin. “A Comparison of Earnings Persistence in High-Tech Firms and Non-High-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the 2011 Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Meeting, (May 2011), p.60.
Kwon, Sung S and Jennifer Yin. “A Comparison of Earnings Persistence in High-Tech Firms and Non-High-Tech Firms.” Proceedings (CD) of the American Accounting Association National Meeting(August 2011).
Kwon, Sung S, Liona Lai, and Brian Gaber. “Informedness and Consensus of Accounting Disclosures under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act: High-Tech Firms versus Low-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the American Accounting Association National Meeting, (August 2010).
Kwon, Sung S. “Conservatism, Earnings Management, and Asymmetric Sensitivity of Executive Bonus Compensation to Earnings.” Proceedings of the American Accounting Association National Meeting, (August 2010).
Kwon, Sung S. “Sensitivity of Executive Compensation to Earnings and Market-Adjusted Returns for High Technology Firms.” Proceedings of the 2009 Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Meeting, (June 2009), p.123.
Kwon, Sung S. and Inho Suk. “Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Compensation to Earnings and Earnings Management,” Proceedings of the 2008 Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Meeting, (May 2008), p. 125.
Kwon, Sung S, Brian Gaber, and Liona Lai. “Informedness and Consensus of Accounting Information post Sarbanes-Oxley Act: High-Tech Firms versus Low-Tech Firms,” Proceedings of the American Accounting Association National Meeting, (August 2007), p. 323.
Kwon, Sung S, Brian Gaber, and Liona Lai. “Informedness and Consensus of Accounting Information post Sarbanes-Oxley Act: High-Tech Firms versus Low-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the 2007 Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Conference (June 2007), p. 149.
Kwon, Sung S, Jennifer Yin, and Jongsoo Han. “Predominace of Conservative Accounting in High-Tech Firms in Comparison to Low-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the 2005 Canadian Academic Accounting Association Annual Conference (June 2005), p. 107.
Kwon, Sung S, Jennifer Yin, and Jongsoo Han. “Predominace of Conservative Accounting in High-Tech Firms in Comparison to Low-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the Pacific Basin Finance, Economics, Accounting, and Business International Meeting (August 2004), p. 55.
Kwon, Sung S. and Jennifer Yin. “Executive Compensation, Investment Opportunities and Earnings Management: High-Tech versus Low-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the American Accounting Association National Meeting (August 2003), p.154.
Kwon, Sung S. “The Effect of Conservative Accounting on Value Relevance of Earnings and Sales: High-Tech versus Low-Tech Firms.” Proceedings of the American Accounting Association National Meeting (August 2002), p.94.
Kim, Sungsoo, and Sung S. Kwon. "SFAS 121 Asset Write-Down: Early vs. Late Firms." Proceedings of the Decision Sciences Institute National Meeting (November 2000), p.64.
Choi, Won W., Sung S. Kwon, and Gerald J. Lobo. "Market Valuation of Intangible Assets." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (March 1999), p.23.
Choi, Won W., Sung S. Kwon, and Gerald J. Lobo. "Market Valuation of Intangible Assets." Proceedings of the Decision Sciences Institute National Meeting (November 1998), p.39.
Nwaeze, Emeka T., and Sung S. Kwon. "Price Response to Unexpected Earnings for Regulated and Manufacturing Firms." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (March 1998), p.70.
Heflin, Frank L., Sung S. Kwon, and John J. Wild. "Accounting Choices: Variation in Managerial Opportunism." Proceedings of the Decision Sciences Institute National Meeting (November 1997), p.174.
Kwon, Sung S., Gerald J. Lobo, and Gordian A. Ndubizu. "Informativeness of SFAS No. 14 Segment Information: Evidence from Financial Analysts' Forecasts." Proceedings of the Seventeenth Annual International Symposium On Forecasting (June 1997), p.62.
Lobo, Gerald J., Sung S. Kwon, and Gordian A. Ndubizu. "The Impact of SFAS No. 14 Segment Information on Price Variability and Earnings Forecast Accuracy." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Northeast Regional Meeting (April 1997), p.24.
Kwon, Sung S., Gordian A. Ndubizu, and Kathleen Dunn. "The Impact of Purchase and Pooling Methods on Financial Analysts' Forecasts and Price Informativeness." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (April 1997), p.53.
Kwon, Sung S., and John J. Wild. "Trading Volume, Information Asymmetry, and Disclosure of Annual Reports for Distressed Firms." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (March 1996), p.44.
Heflin, Frank L., Sung S. Kwon, and John J. Wild. "Bid-Ask Spreads Around the Release of Annual Reports for Firms in Financial Distress." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (March 1995), p.115.
Kwon, Sung S., and John J.Wild. "Informativeness of Annual Reports for Firms in Financial Distress." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Northeast Regional Meeting (April 1994), p.46.
Ghani, Waqar I., Gordian A. Ndubizu, and Sung S. Kwon. "The Economic Impact of Accounting Information Aggregation and Disaggregation on Informedness and Consensus: The Case of Consolidated Nonhomogeneous Subsidiaries." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Northeast Regional Meeting (April 1994), p.41.
Kwon, Sung S., and Gordian A. Ndubizu "Additional Evidence on the Informativeness Alternative Foreign Currency Translation Accounting Methods." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (March 1994), p.119.
Ndubizu Gordian A., and Sung S. Kwon. "The Effect of FASB No. 14 Segment Data On Earnings Informativeness." Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual International Symposium On Forecasting (June 1993), p. 26.
Ndubizu Gordian A., and Sung S. Kwon. "The Effect of FASB No. 14 Segment Data On Earnings Informativeness." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (April 1993), p. 91.
Kwon, Sung S., and Gordian A. Ndubizu. "Informativeness of Alternative Foreign Currency Translation Accounting Methods." Proceedings of the National Meeting of the American Accounting Association (August 1992), p.128
Ndubizu Gordian A., Sung S. Kwon, and Kathleen Dunn. "The Impact of the Acquisition Accounting Methods on Informedness and Consensus." Proceedings of the National Meeting of the American Accounting Association (August 1992), p.118
Kwon, Sung S., and Gordian A. Ndubizu. "Earnings Volatility and Price Variability: The Impact of SFAS No. 52 on Informedness." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (April 1992), p.137
Kwon, Sung S. "Fineness of Inflation-Adjusted Accounting Disclosures and Stock Price Variability." Proceedings of the American Accounting Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting (April 1991), p.23.
Wild, John J. and Sung S. Kwon. "Earnings Expectations, Firm Size, and the Information Content of Security Prices." Proceedings of the Decision Sciences Institute Midwest Regional Meeting (April 1987), p.14.
Kwon, Sung S. Jennifer Yin, and Gordian Ndubizu. “ Asymmetric Sensitivity of CEO Bonus to Earnings.” Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. 2011. Abstract/Working Paper Series.
Heflin, Frank L., Sung S. Kwon, and John J. Wild. "Accounting Choices: Variation in Managerial Opportunism." Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. 2004. Abstract/Working Paper Series.
Kim, Sungsoo, and Sung S. Kwon. "SFAS 121 Asset Write-Down: Early vs. Late Adopters." Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. 2001. Abstract/Working Paper Series.
Kwon, Sung S. “Value Relevance of Financial Information and Conservatism: High-Tech versus Low-Tech Stocks.” Social Science Electronic Publishing, Inc. 2001. Abstract/Working Paper Series.
Approach to Teaching
Prior to joining York University in July 2004, Dr. Kwon had taught various courses in Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, and Accounting Information Systems at both undergraduate and graduate levels since the summer of 1984 at Rutgers University, Drexel University and Michigan State University. Throughout his career, Dr. Kwon received awards for his teaching excellence and quality of research including Drexel University's 1993 University Research Scholar Award, Rutgers University’s School of Business 1998 Excellence-in-Teaching Award and 2002 Excellence-in-Research Award, and York University’s Atkinson College 2006 Dean’s Award for Outstanding Research and 2008 Atkinson Research Fellowship Award. At York University, Dr. Kwon teaches Accounting Theory & Contemporary Issues (ADMS 4510) and Intermediate Accounting II (ADMS 3595) courses for undergraduate students, and Research Methods (FACC 6180) and Advanced Theory for Financial Accountability (FACC 6200)courses for graduate students. Professor Kwon's teaching philosophy emphasizes the identification and application of accounting measurement and reporting guidelines. Dr. Kwon's classroom is neither an environment conducive to the memorization of facts nor a place that promotes the accurate recitation of them on an exam. Rather, his teaching demands students to think for themselves, draw connections between different subjects, apply knowledge in unusual situations, and effectively present their conclusions in both verbal and written forms (e.g., research paper/case presentations and written analyses). Beyond a discussion of fundamental measurement and reporting rules, a typical class re-creates a difficult case, often drawn from the Harvard Business for Educators web site and the financial press (e.g., Wall Street Journal, Business Week, etc.), and then requires students to propose and discuss reasonable solutions to the case. All students are encouraged to challenge one another's solutions. Teams are normally assigned to help students discuss a pre-selected contemporary accounting topic in small groups. Teaching Experience: Courses Taught since Summer 1984 1. York University (July 2004 to Present) Accounting Theory and Contemporary Issues (ADMS 4510), Intermediate Accounting II (ADMS 3595)including the Internet section, and Intermediate Accounting I (ADMS 3585) for undergraduate students. Research Methods (FACC 6180) and Advanced Theory for Financial Accountability (FACC 6200) for graduate students. 2. Rutger University (the State University of New Jersey) (July 1996 to June 2004) Intermediate Accounting I & II (ACC 305&306) and Advanced Financial Accounting (ACC 401) for Undergraduate students, Accounting for Financial Analysis for MBA students (ACC 502), and Accounting Information Systems for both graduate and undergraduate students (ACC 532). 3. Drexel University (September 1989 to June 1996) Introductory Financial Accounting for undergraduate students (ACC321) and MBA students (ACCE111), Intermediate Accounting I (ACC620) & II (ACC 621) for graduate students, Financial Accounting Theory (ACC623) for graduate students, Accounting Theory (ACC990) and Financial Accounting Seminar (ACC920) for Ph.D. Students. 4. Michigan State University (June 1989 to August 1989)(June 1984 to August 1987) Introductory Financial (ACC201) & Managerial Accounting (ACC202) and A Survey of Basic Accounting (ACC230). 5. Baker College (September 1988 to March 1989) Managerial Accounting