Corporate Governance and Political Embeddedness: A Systematic Review of Royal Family Affiliation, Earnings Management, and Audit Quality

This systematic literature review examines the growing significance of royal family affiliation in shaping earnings management (EM) within emerging markets, particularly in contexts characterized by concentrated ownership and strong political influence. The study aims to synthesize existing literature, identify dominant methodological trends, and highlight directions for future research. The review addresses three key questions: (1) How does royal family affiliation influence earnings management in politically connected environments? (2) What methodological approaches are commonly employed to examine this relationship? and (3) What underexplored areas remain in the literature regarding governance mechanisms and audit fees?. The review synthesizes 40 studies published between 2010 and 2025, sourced from major academic databases including Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer to identify thematic patterns and research trends. The findings indicate a predominance of quantitative research approaches, with limited use of qualitative and mixed-method designs. The review emphasizes the need for further investigation into the moderating role of audit fees as indicators of external monitoring and audit quality, and their influence on the governance role of royal family board members. Additionally, the study identifies underexplored determinants, including board experience, ownership structure, and regulatory frameworks, particularly within emerging markets. The review advocates for a multidimensional approach to understanding earnings management and calls for more comprehensive empirical testing of governance mechanisms in politically embedded corporate environments.