This study was conducted to design and validate a conceptual model for the adoption of blockchain technology in accounting, with a focus on reducing earnings management and enhancing the quality of accounting and auditing information.The research employed an exploratory mixed-methods (qualitative–quantitative) approach. In the qualitative phase, the research indicators were identified and prioritized using the Fuzzy Delphi method with the participation of 11 experts in accounting and information technology. In the quantitative phase, data obtained from 328 completed questionnaires completed by accountants and auditors familiar with blockchain technology were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 3 software.
The findings showed that the application of blockchain has a direct and significant effect on reducing earnings management (β = 0.880, R² = 0.774). The reduction of earnings management leads to an improvement in the quality of accounting information (β = 0.859, R² = 0.738), and the quality of accounting information enhances the quality of auditing information (β = 0.887, R² = 0.787).
This study is among the few domestic investigations that have examined the chain of influence of blockchain on earnings management and the quality of accounting and auditing information within an integrated and localized conceptual model by combining the Fuzzy Delphi method and PLS-SEM. The findings, while contributing to the literature on emerging technologies in accounting, provide empirical evidence elucidating the role of blockchain in curbing earnings management and improving the quality of accounting and auditing information. Moreover, they can serve as a basis for decision-making by policymakers, standard-setters, regulatory bodies, and organizations in the digital transformation journey of the financial reporting system.