The relationship between the companies’ political connections and audit fees

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 1123-1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the political connections of companies are correlated with auditor selection, audit fees and abnormal audit fees. Design/methodology/approach The research data contains 756 observations of companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange during 2011-2019. In this study, the relationship between companies with political relationships and the selection of a qualified auditor, audit fees and abnormal audit fees are reviewed. The regression used for test the hypotheses. Findings The results of hypotheses testing indicate that there is a positive and significant correlation between the political relationships of companies and certified auditor selection, auditing fees and abnormal audit fees. In addition, the political relationships of companies have a significant and inverse effect on the relationship between institutional ownership and auditing fee and abnormal audit fees. It was also found that there is a positive and significant correlation between companies and political relationships and abnormal audit fees. Originality/value So far several studies conducted on audit fees, however, no study conducted on the relationship of political relationship of the companies with audit fees and the results of the current study may bridge the gap in the current field.

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Fariba Jahanbin ◽  
Mohammad Sadegh Adibian

Purpose The expectation gap between auditors and users has recently been the topic of many controversies. This paper aims to evaluate the relationship between auditor’s characteristics and audit expectation gap among information users in listed companies on the Tehran stock exchange market. In other words, the study attempts to find whether there is a significant relationship between audit components and the audit expectation gap or not. Design/methodology/approach The multiple regression model is used to test the hypotheses. Research hypotheses are tested using a sample of 78 listed companies on the Tehran stock exchange during 2012-2016, by using integrated data technique of the multiple regression model. Findings The findings show that standard audit fees are not significantly associated with the audit expectation gap. Furthermore, audit fees are negatively associated with the audit expectation gap, which provides that allocated audit price in financial statements gives useful information for external and internal individuals. Predictably, it is recommended that audit opinion significantly determines the level of the audit expectation gap. The authors also find that the independence of the director boards and audit committee members fulfill the expectation gap of individual users. Moreover, finding the negative impact of audit firms ranking on the expectation gap, supports the idea of higher ranked audit firms provide high quality services, and consequently, more reliable information. Finally, the results show that the audit record is positively associated with the audit expectation gap. Originality/value As all recent studies on the expectation gap were qualitative, the present study is the first paper, which measures the expectation gap quantitatively through the statistical method.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Effiezal Aswadi Abdul Wahab ◽  
Mazlina Mat Zain ◽  
Rashidah Abdul Rahman

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether political connections further impair auditor independence by investigating the relationship between non-audit fees and audit fees and as to whether political connections moderate such relationship. Design/methodology/approach – This study employs panel regression analysis. The panel data set consists of 379 firm-year observations for three years from year 2001 to 2003. Findings – Based on 379 firm-year observations for the period of 2001-2003, grounded on two proxies of political connections namely politically connected firms and the proportion of Bumiputras directors, the authors find a positive and significant relationship between non-audit fees and audit fees, and the relationship becomes weaker, only for Bumiputra-dominated firms connected firms. Originality/value – This study contributes to the extant literature by examining the role of political connections in the context of auditor independence. In addition, this study is conducted in Malaysia, which provides a unique institutional environment with the existence of political connections that is built on ethnic grounds.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iman Harymawan ◽  
Mohammad Nasih ◽  
Muhammad Madyan ◽  
Diarany Sucahyati

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship of firms with family ownership and their performance in Indonesia and further examine on how political connections affect this relationship. This study used 933 samples from 413 companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in the period between 2014 and 2016. Using ordinary least square (OLS) regression, the results shows that firms without family ownership (non-family firms) have better performance than firms with family ownership (family firms) in Indonesia. Furthermore, the findings also show that the performance of family firms significantly improve when the firms are affiliated with political connections. Our findings imply that establishing political connections in family firms will increase the performance of the firms.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Hossein Tarighi ◽  
Tahereh Alidoust Shahri

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between auditor characteristics and the level of tax avoidance in an emerging market. Design/methodology/approach In this regard, the effect of various factors such as auditor tenure, auditor industry specialization, audit reports and audit fees on tax avoidance was examined. The study sample includes listed companies in the Tehran Stock Exchange. The time period of study is six years from 2011 to 2016. Also in this study, firm size, leverage, firm age and auditor size were controlled. Findings The results of this research were determined in four hypotheses. First and second hypotheses that explore the relationship between auditor tenure and auditor industry specialization with tax avoidance were not confirmed. But the results showed a significant relationship between the type of audit opinions and audit fees with tax avoidance. Originality/value The current study investigates the auditor characteristics on tax avoidance in a developing nation of Iran and the results may helpful the developing countries.


Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Mahmoud Mousavi Shiri ◽  
Seyedeh Zahra Hossini

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the relationship between managerial ability, earnings management, internal control quality and audit fees to establish whether or not there is a significant relationship between the variables of managerial ability, earnings management, internal control quality and the audit fees. Design/methodology/approach The study sample includes 190 listed companies on the Tehran Stock Exchange during 2009–2016. Research hypotheses were tested using the statistical methods of multivariable linear regression and data envelopment analysis pattern. Findings The obtained results indicate that there is a significant and direct relationship between managerial ability and internal control quality as well as real earnings management and internal control quality. Based on the results obtained from the second hypothesis, the authors could claim that there is an inverse and significant relationship managerial ability and audit fees. The third hypothesis also revealed that in companies with lower audit fees, there is a stronger relationship between managerial ability and internal control quality. The results of related tests show no significant relationship between accrual-based earnings management and internal control quality. Originality/value This paper is the first study in Iran whose main focus is on the relationship between managerial ability, earnings management, internal control quality and audit fees.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Arif Widodo, Zaenal Fanani

This research is try to determine the effect of military background and political connections on earning quality with audit quality as a mediator. This research uses a quantitative approach using a sample of mining sector company that listing in Indonesia Stock Exchange in the 2017-2018 periods. The conclusion of this research points out that military background has positive effect on audit quality and political connections negatively affect earning quality. While earning quality not effected by the military background, political connections do not effect audit quality, and earnings quality not effected by audit quality. Likewise, for the hypothesis, mediation of the audit quality has no effect on the relationship of military background and political connections to earnings quality.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-175
Author(s):  
Wahab Effiezal Aswadi Abdul ◽  
Wan Zurina Nik Abdul Majid ◽  
Iman Harymawan ◽  
Dian Agustia

Purpose The purchase of non-audit services from incumbent auditors has generated considerable attention. This study aims to examine the relationship between characteristics of non-audit services, namely, the recurrence and types of services, and accruals quality in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzed hand-collected audit and non-audit fees of 1,117 observations from Malaysian firms from 2009 to 2011. This study used descriptive analysis, univariate tests and multivariate regression to investigate the potential effect of non-audit services on accruals quality. Findings Non-audit services are associated with lower accruals quality. Recurring and non-recurring non-audit service fees are detrimental to the quality of accruals, as are all types of recurring non-audit services. Only non-recurring audit-related services decrease accruals quality. The results demonstrate that provisions of non-audit services create economic bonding, and thus a threat to auditor independence. Results remain robust with the inclusion of corporate governance and institutional variables. Research limitations/implications The sample period might represent a limitation as it only covers three years of data. This limitation is mainly because of the nature of data collection of the non-audit services fees. Practical implications The findings could suggest a refinement on the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) by-laws focusing on auditor independence, and it could assist other regulative bodies such as the Securities Commission, the stock exchange (Bursa Malaysia) in ensuring better governance on the provision of non-audit services. Originality/value This study is the first that provides evidence on the relationship between non-audit services, types, and recurring and non-recurring non-audit services and accruals quality in Malaysia.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jalil Khaksar ◽  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Mahmoud Lari DashtBayaz

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the relationship between the following auditor's characteristics with detecting frauds in the listed companies on the Tehran Stock Exchange. Design/methodology/approach A multiple regression model is used to test the research hypothesis. The hypothesis was further tested with a sample of 187 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (1,309 observations) from 2012 to 2018 and by using multiple regression models based on panel data and the random-effects model. Findings The results suggest a positive and significant relationship between audit firms' size, auditor rotation, specialization in the industry, the audit market's focus, auditor's independence, audit report lag and renewal of financial statements with fraud detection. The results revealed a significant relationship between the period of auditor tenure, auditor's narcissism, audit fees and the type of auditors' opinion (un-qualified opinion) with fraud detection. Originality/value As the present study is a pioneer in examining this issue in the emerging markets, it provides users, analysts and legal entities with useful information about auditor characteristics that significantly affect the fraud detection of financial statements. The results mitigate the literature gap and improve knowledge in this area.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Mohammadi ◽  
Behzad Kardan ◽  
Mahdi Salehi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between cash holdings, investment opportunities and financial constraint with audit fees in Iran. Design/methodology/approach In order to collect data, all manufacturing companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange are used to test the hypotheses during 2008–2015. Panel data and combined data regression model were used for data analysis. Tests were performed using R statistical software. Findings The results obtained from the statistical analysis of research hypotheses indicated that there is a significant relationship between cash holdings and audit fees. Furthermore, the relationship between cash holdings, financial constraints and audit fees was significant. In addition, there was no significant relationship between cash holdings, investment opportunities and audit fees. Originality/value The current study employed a unique topic in terms of a developing country, and the results may give strength to other developing nations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 835-853
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Mahdi Saravani ◽  
Safoura Rouhi

Purpose This study aims to study the relationship between audit components and collusion in the audit market. Design/methodology/approach The statistical population of the study includes 130 listed firms on the Tehran Stock Exchange from 2012-2017. The data tested using multivariate regression. Findings The findings of the study indicate that there is a positive and significant relationship between Rank A audit firms, competition and audit fees and audit market adaptability. The relationship standard fees and audit market adaptability, however, is negative and significant. Moreover, the results of the study show that there is no significant relationship between opinion shopping, type of audit report, audit market concentration, and agency costs with audit market adaptability. Originality/value The current study fills the gap in this area, and the results of the study may give direction to researchers and policy makers.


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