Corporate executive’s gender and audit fees

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 527-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting-Chiao Huang ◽  
Hua-Wei Huang ◽  
Chih-Chen Lee
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Securities And Exchange Commission ◽  
Publicly Traded ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Ceos ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Nonfinancial Firms ◽  
Ceo Gender

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between a corporate executive’s gender and audit fees. Based on the findings of extant research that there are gender-based differences that may have implications for the financial reporting process, the authors posit an association between CEO gender and audit fees. Design/methodology/approach – The authors test their hypothesis by performing both univariate and multivariate regression analyses on a sample of 8,402 Compustat firm-year observations from US firms for 2003-2010. Findings – The authors' findings indicate that firms with female CEOs are associated with higher audit fees. Their results hold after controlling for self-selection bias and factors shown by prior studies to be associated with audit fees. Research limitations/implications – Although the authors control for factors that would increase audit fees, their study is limited by the degree to which higher audit fees reflect higher quality audits. Also, because their sample is from large publicly traded nonfinancial firms, their results may not be applicable to other types of firms. The authors study has implications for policy setting because their findings provide some evidence of a significant association between a CEO characteristic (gender) and financial reporting quality. Their findings, thus, provide some support for the Securities and Exchange Commission requirement that CEOs should certify their firm’s financial statements. Originality/value – The authors study contributes to the audit fees and corporate governance literature by providing empirical evidence of an association between audit fees and CEO gender. To their knowledge, no study, to date, has investigated this association.

The impact of demographic characteristics of CEOs and directors on audit fees and audit delay

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 963-997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maretno Agus Harjoto ◽  
Indrarini Laksmana ◽  
Robert Lee
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Top Executives ◽  
The Us ◽  
Female Ceos ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of gender and ethnicity of CEO and audit committee members (directors) on audit fees and audit delay in the US firms. Design/methodology/approach – Audit-related corporate governance literature has extensively examined the determinants of audit fees and audit delay by focusing on board characteristics, specifically board independence, diligence and expertise. The authors provide empirical evidence that gender and ethnicity diversity in corporate leadership and boardrooms influence a firm’s audit fees and audit delay. Findings – This study finds that firms with female and ethnic minority CEOs pay significantly higher audit fees than those with male Caucasian CEOs. The authors also find that firms with a higher percentage of ethnic minority directors on their audit committee pay significantly higher audit fees. Further, the authors find that firms with female CEOs have shorter audit delay than firms with male CEOs and firms with a higher percentage of female and ethnic minority directors on their audit committee are associated with shorter audit delay. Results indicate that female CEOs and both female and ethnic minority directors are sensitive to the market pressure to avoid audit delay. Research limitations/implications – The results suggest that gender and ethnic diversity could improve audit quality and the firms’ overall financial reporting quality. Practical implications – This study provides insights to regulators and policy-makers interested in increasing diversity within a firm’s board and top executives. Recently, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the European Commission have been pressing publicly traded companies to improve diversity among their directors. This study provides evidence and perspective on how diversity can enhance financial reporting quality measured by audit fees and audit delay. Originality/value – Previous studies have not given much attention on the impact of racial ethnicity in addition to gender characteristics of top executives and audit committee directors on audit fees and audit delay.

Family ownership and financial reporting quality: Iranian evidence

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Mousavi Shiri ◽  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Fatemeh Abbasi ◽  
Shayan Farhangdoust
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Accounting Information ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Family Ownership ◽  
Content Type

PurposeIn the process of reporting accounting information, the auditor’s objective is to detect possible misstatements and errors in accounting information. Audit evidence aids auditors in providing reasonable assurance about the quality of financial reporting. Studying the quality of family firms’ financial reporting is of higher importance relative to non-family firms due to lower risk of accounting manipulation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between family ownership structure and financial reporting quality from an auditing perspective.Design/methodology/approachTo analyze the research hypotheses, the authors use a sample data consisted of 221 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (including 52 family and 169 non-family firms) over a five-year span from 2011 to 2015.FindingsUsing multivariate regression analysis of panel data, our results indicate that audit risk in family firms is lower than their counterparts. Likewise, the findings are indicative of lower audit fees paid by family firms as compared to non-family ones. The authors also find that auditors put more effort in family firms and thus audit effort is more significant for these kinds of firms.Originality/valueThe study focuses on family ownership and financial reporting quality in a developing country like Iran and the results of the study may be beneficial to other developing nations, as Iran stock market possesses some unique features which are not normally prevailing in other equity markets, even in the Middle East.

The efficiency of corporate boards and firms’ audit fees: the case of the FTSE financial institutions

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabih Nehme ◽  
Mohammad Jizi
Keyword(s):  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Reverse Causality ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The quality of financial reporting for the financial institutions is vital for the public, as the negative consequences of manipulated financial statements will not only affect shareholders but also the regulators’ reputation and the society at large. The purpose of this paper is to assess the association between different corporate governance mechanisms and their impact on audit and reporting quality. The gender factor is introduced from a diverse boards’ perspective to highlight any impact of female presence on the quality of financial statements. Design/methodology/approach The authors examine a sample of financial institutions listed on the FTSE-350 index for the years 2011 to 2015. The financial sector has its own and different regulations, and financial reporting framework and auditors are expected to behave into more scrutiny. Bloomberg database is used to obtain governance and financial data, while firms’ annual reports are used to collect audit fees and audit committee information. A panel data regression is used to test hypotheses. The authors also control for unobservable heterogeneity, reverse causality and endogeneity. Findings The results suggest that boards with larger size and higher independence pay higher audit fees to enhance the monitoring capacity and protect the wider group of stakeholders. The results also show that women on boards are likely to reduce the risk of manipulated financial statements, as women are more inclined toward truthfulness, cautiousness and conservatism. In addition, the reported results show that audit committees with more independent members are more inclined toward obtaining higher quality audit to enhance firm’s reporting quality. Originality/value Given the recent governments’ intervention to avoid financial institutions’ negative impact on the economy, this study is relevant and provide policymakers insights into the existing relationships between audit fees and financial institutions’ governance structure.

Regulatory changes and audit fees: the moderating effect of overlapping directorship and financial reporting quality

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salau Olarinoye Abdulmalik ◽  
Ayoib Che-Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Regulatory Reform ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regulatory Changes ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis study examines the contemporaneous changes in the reporting regime in Nigeria by investigating the effect of regulatory changes on audit fees as well as the moderating effect of overlapping directorship and financial reporting quality.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilises a longitudinal sample of 409 firm-year observations, from 2008 to 2013, of nonfinancial companies listed on the Nigerian stock exchange. The study uses the general method of moments (GMM) to control for endogeneity concerns.FindingsThe results reveal that, without the moderating effect of overlapping directorship and financial reporting quality, the relationship between regulatory changes and audit fees is positive but weak, which suggests that regulatory changes drive cost. Similarly, the interaction of overlapping directorship did not reverse the positive relationship, which suggests the perceived risk associated with overlapping directorship. However, the improvement in financial reporting quality reverses the relationship, as evidenced by the negative and significant coefficient on the interacted terms.Practical implicationsThis study provides useful insights about committee membership overlap to regulatory authorities concerning the weakness of the monitoring ability of such committees.Originality/valueThe results of this study contribute to the growing literature on regulatory reform, audit fees and corporate governance. Specifically, the study provides empirical evidence on the effect of committee overlap on audit fees, which, to the best of the researchers' knowledge, has received no empirical attention in the Nigerian context.

How Much Does IFRS Cost? IFRS Adoption and Audit Fees

2012 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 429-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel T. De George ◽  
Colin B. Ferguson ◽  
Nasser A. Spear
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Securities And Exchange Commission ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Publicly Traded ◽  
Financial Reporting Standards ◽  
Response Data ◽  
Ifrs Adoption

ABSTRACT This study provides evidence of a directly observable and significant cost of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption, by examining the fees incurred by firms for the statutory audit of their financial statements at the time of transition. Using a comprehensive dataset of all publicly traded Australian companies, we quantify an economy-wide increase in the mean level of audit costs of 23 percent in the year of IFRS transition. We estimate an abnormal IFRS-related increase in audit costs in excess of 8 percent, beyond the normal yearly fee increases in the pre-IFRS period. Further analysis provides evidence that small firms incur disproportionately higher IFRS-related audit fees. We then survey auditors to construct a firm-specific measure of IFRS audit complexity. Empirical findings suggest that firms with greater exposure to audit complexity exhibit greater increases in compliance costs for the transition to IFRS. Given the renewed debate about whether the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) should mandate IFRS for U.S. firms, our results are of timely importance. Data Availability: Data are publicly available from the sources identified in the paper. Survey response data are available from the authors upon request.

Financial reporting quality, audit fees and risk committees

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Borhan Uddin Bhuiyan ◽  
Ummya Salma ◽  
Jamal Roudaki ◽  
Siata Tavite
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
Investment Decision ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Audit Pricing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Matching Techniques

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the association between the existence of a risk committee (RC) in a firm and financial reporting quality. We also investigate whether having an RC has an effect on audit pricing. We argue that the existence of an RC in a firm contributes to higher financial reporting quality and this, eventually, affects audit pricing.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses two different proxies for RC measures and investigates the impact on financial reporting quality and audit pricing. Multivariate regression analysis and propensity score matching techniques are both applied to data from the Australian Stock Exchange's listed companies for the years 2001–2013.FindingsThe results indicate that the existence of an RC reduces the discretionary accruals; this means the financial reporting quality improves when RCs are in operation. Our findings also indicate that the existence of an RC increases audit fees.Practical implicationsThe findings from this study will be beneficial to the regulatory authorities responsible for improving the compliance of corporate governance (CG). An RC can serve as a risk-mitigating tool in the investment decision-making process. Finally, the results are beneficial for the development of best practices in CG by promoting the existence of an RC.Originality/valueThis study goes beyond the traditional focus on CG as we use the existence of an RC as an indicator of better governance practices to mitigate financial and non-financial risk factors. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is among the first to investigate the consequences for firms operating with RCs. This issue has implications for investors, auditors, directors and regulators.

SEC enforcement targets: a Christian virtue ethics perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 1047-1059
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Demaline
Keyword(s):  
Virtue Ethics ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Securities And Exchange Commission ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Financial Fraud ◽  
Regulatory Oversight ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Target Firms ◽  
Financial Misconduct

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary and synthesis of US Securities and Exchange Commission accounting and auditing enforcement release (AAER)-based research on financial misreporting firms and the firms’ management. Christian virtue ethics (CVE) is used as a framework for this review. Suggestions for future research are presented. Design/methodology/approach This is a review of the academic literature covering AAERs. The findings are viewed through the lens of CVE. Findings Several financial misconduct studies use samples developed from AAER targets. These studies commonly focus on specific characteristics of AAER targets. This paper presents and analyzes characteristics of AAER targets and considers how CVE may mitigate fraudulent reporting. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of the research is that the literature review is confined to studies of financial fraud that use an AAER-based sample. Nevertheless, the sample is sufficient to provide insight into the common characteristics of AAER target firms and related entities. The benefits of CVE are considered. This study has relevant implications for investors, regulators and researchers concerned with financial reporting quality, fraud, regulatory oversight and business ethics. Originality/value This paper provides a set of AAER target features and considers how CVE may mitigate financial fraud. Financial regulators, accounting standards setters and researchers may be interested in the findings presented in this study.

Audit committee attributes and cosmetic accounting in Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-206
Author(s):  
Hussaini Bala ◽  
Noor Afza Amran ◽  
Hasnah Shaari
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Expertise

Purpose The literature on the influence of audit committees (ACs) and cosmetic accounting (CSA) is scarce. This paper aims to examine the influence of AC attributes on CSA and how this relationship is moderated by the audit price (AUPR). Design/methodology/approach The study used pooled logistic regressions to analyse 624 firm-year observations of listed companies in Nigeria from 2008 to 2016. Findings The results show that AC financial accounting expertise, AC legal expertise and female AC membership were negatively related to CSA. The negative relationship is highly pronounced when a firm incurs higher audit fees. Results for the robustness checks were similar, even with changes to the measurements of dependent and independent variables and alternative estimation. Practical implications This study can benefit policymakers and regulators, enabling them to better appreciate the importance of AC attributes and AUPR in curtailing artificial manipulation and enhancing financial reporting quality. Social implications This study can benefit policymakers and regulators, enabling them to better appreciate the importance of AC attributes and AUPR in curtailing artificial manipulation and enhancing financial reporting quality. Originality/value The findings provide an initial insight into the moderating effect of AUPR on the relationship between AC attributes and CSA.

The consequences of the auditor’s choice in group companies and expectations gap

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Arash Arianpoor
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Business Groups ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Expectations Gap ◽  
Expectation Gap

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the consequences of the auditor’s choice in group companies and the expectation gap of listed firms on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE). Design/methodology/approach In this study, 128 companies (768 observations) listed on the TSE during the period 2012 to 2017 have been investigated. To test the hypotheses, logistic regression has been used. Findings The results showed that companies that are members of business groups are more likely to choose their auditors from large audit firms. The research findings also showed no significant relationship between the business group firms that have used the large auditor and the financial reporting quality. The results showed a positive and meaningful relationship between the member firms that use the large auditor and the audit fees. The results showed a negative and significant relationship between membership in business groups and the audit expectations gap. Originality/value Despite the importance of the audit performance, defining auditors’ roles most acceptably has always been challenging to create a gap through the diverse understanding of auditors’ role, which is the distance of perception between users’ auditors. For this reason, over the past years, the audit expectation gap and how to reduce it have focused on academics, professional accounting firms and users of financial statements. As any unmet expectations from the community will reduce the audit firm’s credibility and ability to gain and be widely detrimental to stakeholders, the audit study’s expectation gap in performing audit study is critical. Although there are extensive studies on the gap in auditing expectations in developed economies, most conclusions cannot be attributed to developing countries such as Iran due to cultural and legal differences. Besides, the audit environment in Iran and existing laws can have different results. This research also helps to bridge this gap by providing additional guidance to regulators. Besides, as all recent studies on the expectation gap were qualitative, the present study measures the expectation gap through quantitative statistical methods.

Audit fees, perceived audit risk, and the financial crisis of 2008

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanmei Chen ◽  
Shaowen Hua ◽  
Zenghui Liu ◽  
Mei Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Alternative Hypothesis ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Crisis Of 2008 ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how audit fees change in responding to the financial crisis of 2008. It also examines auditors’ perceived risk and how they priced the risk in the financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 20,930 firm-year observations, this paper examines the change of audit fees before, during and after the financial crisis, as well as the relationship between audit fees and restatements. Furthermore, this study investigates whether this relationship between audit fees and restatements strengthened during the financial crisis. Findings The paper finds that audit fees increase as a result of the macro-systemic risks from the crisis. It also finds that there is a significantly positive relationship between audit fees and restatements, which is a proxy of risk factors related to poor financial reporting quality and poor audit quality. However, the results show that there is no significant change of the fees–restatements relationship in the financial crisis period. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this study is that no definite answer can be provided for the question that whether auditors believe that poor audit quality and audit failures are leading up to the financial crisis. The test rejects the alternative hypothesis. However, it does not necessarily prove the null hypothesis is true. Originality/value This paper contributes to the current literature by analyzing not only the impact of the financial crisis on audit fees, but also how the accounting profession views its own role in the financial crisis.

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