FinancialStatementatoolstoevaluteBusinessPerformance
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Introduction
Financial statements are the performance indicators of a company that also helps to
measure financial performance. The income statement shows the earnings for a given period
as well as the company's expenses and profit or loss. This aids in evaluating the profitability
and operational effectiveness of the company. A organisation’s “assets, liabilities, and
shareholders' equity” are shown in a balance sheet, which gives an overview of the business's
financial situation and liquidity (Mosteanu & Faccia, 2020). Therefore, the cash flow statement
also aids in determining the capacity of the business to manage working capital, create cash,
and pay its debts.
It is possible to identify areas that may require improvement, such as expense control,
revenue development, or cash management, by analysing trends in these statements over time.
As illustrated by Ichsan et al. (2021), the analysis of financial statements is an essential
instrument for assessing the past and present performance of a company, facilitating decision-
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820 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: A TOOLS TO EVALUATE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
making, and serving as a foundation for projecting its future financial stability. A firm's long-
term viability and growth can be ensured by stakeholders making well-informed decisions
about lending, investment, and strategic planning based on an evaluation of the financial
statements of the organization. However, the possibility of data manipulation or
misrepresentation is a problem when examining financial accounts since it might mislead
stakeholders and skew the evaluation of a company's performance. As illustrated by Devi et al.
(2020), inaccurate performance evaluations brought about by manipulated financial data
influence investment choices. Therefore, independent audits, regulatory supervision, and more
openness through standardized reporting can all aid in ensuring the dependability and
correctness of financial statements to address this problem.
Figure 1: Business performance of Air India Limited from the year of 2016 to 2022
(Source: Statista, 2023)
Figure 1 illustrates the financial performance of Air India Limited from the year of 2016
to 2022. The “balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows” are examples of
financial statements that are crucial instruments for assessing overall financial performance
(Ratmono, Darsono & Cahyonowati, 2020). Quantifiable measurements known as financial
performance indicators are used to evaluate the success and well-being of a corporation.
Aim
The study's goal is to illustrate how financial statements can be used to evaluate a
company's success.
Research Objectives
RO1: To comprehend how financial statements affect the functioning of businesses
RO2: To analyse past financial data to spot performance patterns that allow for the forecasting
of future financial results
RQ3: To determine the components of financial statements that improves stability
Dr. Rajesh Deb Barman
Business, Management and Economics Engineering, 2023 Volume 21 Issue 2, ISSN: 2669-2481 / eISSN: 2669-249X 821
RO4: To ascertain financial ratios and measures to appraise profitability and liquidity to
appraise the financial well-being of the enterprise
Research Questions
RQ1: How do financial statements evaluate the performance of a company?
RQ2: How can performance trends that allow for the prediction of future financial outcomes
are found using historical financial data?
RQ3: What aspects of the financial statements have impacted the stability of the financial
system?
RQ4: How do financial ratios and metrics for assessing profitability relate to liquidity for
evaluating the financial health of the company?
Hypothesis
H(1): There is a correlation between Return on Equity and business performance.
H(2): There is a relationship between liquidity and the business performance of an
organization.
H(3): There is a general relation between net margin and organizational business performance.
H(4): There is a relationship between cash flow and the business performance of an
organization.
Literature Review
Role of financial statements in measuring business performance
Financial statements offer a thorough and organised summary of a company's financial
operations, which makes them essential tools for evaluating performance. As suggested by
Gartenberg, Prat & Serafeim (2019), financial statements such as the “cash flow statement,
income statement, and balance sheet” are essential instruments for evaluating the strength,
effectiveness, and general performance of an organization. An important source of information
about a company's profitability is the income statement. It shows the income received and the
costs incurred over a given time frame, eventually indicating whether the company is profitable
or losing money. Contrastingly, as argued by Kliestik et al. (2020), stakeholders also evaluate
the company's capacity to turn a profit from its main business, measure its cost control, and
spot long-term trends in profitability by examining financial statements. Therefore, a steadily
rising profit is an indication of a successful company, but falling or negative earnings point to
problems that need to be addressed, including better cost management, pricing, or operational
efficiency.
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822 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: A TOOLS TO EVALUATE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
Income
Equity
statements
Methodology
The researchers in this study adopt the primary quantitative approach for data
collecting, which focuses on obtaining numerical information to create a solid and impartial
basis for the investigation. This study is a good fit for the primary quantitative technique since
it seeks to reduce subjectivity and bias in the data collection. Here, positivism is the research
approach used, emphasising the gathering of current, trustworthy data. As suggested by Flick
(2020), positivism philosophy is helpful for quantitative research to prove the hypothesis.
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824 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: A TOOLS TO EVALUATE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
Additionally, with this method, the researchers collected data on the study in real-time, which
is very useful when it comes to financial statements that are used to evaluate business
performance.
The research has been performed by following a descriptive research design. As
illustrated by Kothari (2017), descriptive research design is useful to explain a whole
population. The study also followed a deductive research approach to filter the data. A sample
of 55 participants has been selected for the survey. The researchers developed a questionnaire
with ten survey questions to gather data. These questions, which include three questions about
demographics and seven questions about specific subjects, make it possible to get information
from a wide range of respondents. In addition to being valuable, the data gathered using the
primary quantitative approach also meets the study needs by being dependable, standardizable,
and generalizable (Kumar, 2018). Therefore, it helps to guarantee that the data collected is
correct and useful for deriving insights into financial statements' impacts in assessing financial
performance, maintaining authenticity is essential.
Several statistical tests have been used in the study to gather and examine data. As per
the view of Mazhar et al. (2021), the statistical analysis is performed using the “Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software”, which helps the researchers interpret the
data they have gathered. Numerous statistical tests, such as tests relevant to variables and
demographics, were employed in this research. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of the data
was made possible by these tests, which include descriptive statistics, linear analysis, ANOVA
testing, coefficient tests, and correlation tests.
Hypothesis testing is important to this study to better understand how financial
statements can assess business performance. As illustrated by Saunders & Bezzina (2015), to
inform data-driven conclusions and scientific discoveries, hypothesis testing is essential to
research since it impartially assesses the significance of links or effects. The researchers also
determined the usefulness and relevance of these financial statements in the context of business
performance measurement by formulating hypotheses and putting them to the test with real-
time data. Moreover, the research study employs a rigorous technique for data collecting and
analysis, integrating statistical tests, hypothesis testing, and quantitative data collection to
investigate the financial statements aspects in the context of financial performance evaluation
of organizations.
Figure 4: Gender
(Source: SPSS)
The gender-specific response rates are shown in Figure 4. The data collection revealed
that 50.9% of men and 43.6% of women took part, with men having the greatest response rate.
With 5.5% of responses, the "preferred not to say" group had the lowest response rate. The data
reveals that respondents who choose not to identify their gender were less likely to participate
and that male respondents predominate.
Age
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826 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: A TOOLS TO EVALUATE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
Figure 5: Age
(Source: SPSS)
Age-group-specific response rates are shown in Figure 5. The group aged 22 to 25
exhibits the highest response rate of 41.8%, indicating that they are the most responsive
participants. The next group, aged 26 to 30, had a response rate of 36.4. A significant 12.7%
of respondents are between the ages of 31 and 35, while participants between the ages of more
than 35 years have a response rate of 9.1%. This data demonstrates how different age groups
have varying degrees of engagement.
Dr. Rajesh Deb Barman
Business, Management and Economics Engineering, 2023 Volume 21 Issue 2, ISSN: 2669-2481 / eISSN: 2669-249X 827
Education
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828 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: A TOOLS TO EVALUATE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
variance in the dependent variable that is explained by the independent variable is shown by
the R square value (0.043)”. A significant link between the variables is indicated by the
ANOVA table's F value of 2.398, which is less than 0.05 and has a significance value of 0.001.
In the linear regression model, these statistics aid in determining the “significance and strength
of the link between the independent and dependent variables”.
Hypothesis 2
Hypothesis 3
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830 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: A TOOLS TO EVALUATE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
Correlation analysis
Discussion
Examining financial statements is an essential part of assessing the performance of a
company. As suggested by Roychowdhury, Shroff & Verdi (2019), a financial statement helps
stakeholders make decisions by providing insights into various financial parameters.
Additionally, analysing the profitability of a company is one of the main methods used to
evaluate its performance using financial statements. As illustrated by Thottoli (2023), the
income statement shows the company's potential to turn a profit by giving a quick overview of
its revenues and costs. Therefore, growing earnings over time indicate a sound, profitable
company, while diminishing profits may indicate other problems that need to be looked at
further, such as pricing, demand in the market, or cost control.
Financial statements also aid in evaluating the liquidity and financial status of an
organization. As per the view of Cho, Chung & Young (2019), the balance sheet shows the
assets, liabilities, and shareholders' equity of the business, providing insight into its entire
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832 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: A TOOLS TO EVALUATE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
financial situation. Stability in finances is demonstrated by a robust balance sheet with plenty
of assets and reasonable debt. On the other hand, a high debt-to-equity ratio or insufficient
liquidity may be signs of financial risk. They may make it more difficult for a company to
weather downturns in the economy or take advantage of expansion possibilities.
A fundamental component of analysing financial statements comprehends the cash flow
of a business. The cash inflow and outflow from financing, investing, and operating operations
are shown on the cash flow statement (Putra, 2019). A company's ability to generate cash from
its primary business activities is shown by positive cash flows from operations. This is essential
for funding growth and fulfilling immediate responsibilities. Negative operating cash flows
could be a sign of deeper problems in the company, such as low sales or inefficient operations.
Ratios are an effective tool for analysing financial statements (Tsalis et al. 2020). They offer a
means of evaluating a company's performance on historical data or industry standards.
Common ratios that provide useful information about a company's financial structure, short-
term liquidity, and profitability are the debt-to-equity ratio, current ratio, and return on equity.
Therefore, a high debt-to-equity ratio could be a sign of financial risk, and a sliding return on
equity might be a sign of declining profitability and call for additional research.
Moreover, trend analysis is critical to evaluating the success of a firm. As demonstrated
by Safari Gerayli (2020), finding patterns and trends in financial statements across several
periods is made possible by this comparison. For instance, sustained revenue growth over
several years points to a successful company, but gradually dropping profit margins could be a
sign of cost-cutting measures or competitive challenges. Moreover, recognizing these trends
helps stakeholders anticipate potential issues or opportunities and make proactive decisions.
One of the core components of evaluating the operation of a corporation is financial statement
analysis (Gomez & Bernet, 2019). However, when paired with ratio and trend analysis, these
statements' insightful data on profitability, financial health, cash flow, and other areas provide
a complete picture of the company's financial situation. Therefore, understanding the
information offered by these financial reports can help stakeholders identify development
potential, reduce risks, and make well-informed decisions.
Conclusion
From the above study, it has been concluded that analysing financial accounts is a
crucial part of assessing the performance of a company. These financial statements provide a
thorough diagram of the profitability, cash flow, and overall situation of a company's finances.
Stakeholders can obtain deeper insights and make wise decisions about lending, investments,
and strategic planning by utilising ratios and trend analysis. On the other hand, it is critical to
be mindful of any possible problems relating to data falsification or manipulation. Ensuring the
truth of financial statements and addressing these risks require independent audits, regulatory
monitoring, and transparency. Therefore, the capacity to evaluate a company's performance
using financial records is essential for seeing possibilities, flaws, and strengths. It also
facilitates efficient decision-making and helps the organization succeed in the long run.
Dr. Rajesh Deb Barman
Business, Management and Economics Engineering, 2023 Volume 21 Issue 2, ISSN: 2669-2481 / eISSN: 2669-249X 833
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