scholarly journals The Moderating Effect of Audit Quality on the Links Between Stock Market Segmentations, Surplus Free Cash Flow, and Income-increasing Discretionary Accruals

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 153-174
Author(s):  
Ahmad A. Toumeh ◽  
Sofri Yahya ◽  
Mohammed M. Yassin ◽  
Maha D. Ayoush
Keyword(s):  
Stock Market ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Discretionary Accruals ◽  
Free Cash Flow ◽  
Financial Firms ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Audit Firms

The objective of this paper is to examine the impacts of stock market segmentations (SMS) and surplus free cash flow (SFCF) on income-increasing discretionary accruals. The study also provides the initial evidence regarding the influence of audit quality (AQ) as a moderating variable on those relationships. A sample of non-financial firms was taken from the list of Amman Stock Exchange over the period 2013-2019. Using Huber-White’s sandwich estimator for pooled OLS regression, the current research presents empirical evidence harmonious with the prediction in all hypotheses. Further, the findings document that a Big 4 auditor weakens the SMS-DAC and SFCF-DAC associations, which suggests that the role of Big 4 audit firms is effective in mitigating management’s opportunistic behaviour. However, the reported results provide beneficial information to investors, regulators, external auditors, policymakers, shareholders, and other countries with similar institutional environment.

Audit Firms as Networks of Offices

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott E. Seavey ◽  
Michael J Imhof ◽  
Tiffany J. Westfall
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Network Effects ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Discretionary Accruals ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Audit Firms ◽  
Network Connectedness ◽  
Partner Knowledge ◽  
Office Level

SUMMARY Prior audit research suggests that most, if not all, audit quality can be explained at the office level. However, the question remains of whether office-level audit quality is contingent on how individual offices relate to the firm as a whole. Motivated by theories of knowledge management, organizational learning, and networks, we posit that individual offices are connected to their audit network through partner knowledge sharing and oversight, which impact office-level audit quality. We interview Big 4 audit partners and learn that knowledge sharing between partners in different offices is common and intended to aid in the provision of audit services. Using network connectedness to proxy for knowledge sharing and oversight between offices of the same firm, we document that more connected offices are associated with fewer client restatements and lower discretionary accruals. We additionally find that network effects are magnified when accounting treatments are more complex and require greater auditor judgement.

scholarly journals Free cash flow and earnings management: board of commissioner, board independence and audit quality

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 284-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulius Kurnia Susanto ◽  
Arya Pradipta ◽  
Indra Arifin Djashan
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Flow Problem ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Free Cash Flow ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Management Board

The purpose of the research is to provide empirical evidence about the effect of board of commissioner, board independence and audit quality on relationship between free cash flow and earnings management. This research used 290 data from manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange, selected using purposive sampling method, during 2012 until 2014. Earnings management calculated using Modified Jones (1991) Model include ROA from Kothari et al. (2005). Data for the research were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The results of the research showed that the effect of board of commissioner, board independence and audit quality on relationship between free cash flow and earnings management is negative and significant. Board of commissioners, board independence and audit quality can reduce earnings management problems arising from free cash flow. Board of commissioners, board independence and audit quality oversee the opportunistic behavior of managers that arises from free cash flow problem.

Small Audit Firm Membership in Associations, Networks, and Alliances: Implications for Audit Quality and Audit Fees

2015 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 767-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth L. Bills ◽  
Lauren M. Cunningham ◽  
Linda A. Myers
Keyword(s):  
Audit Quality ◽  
Matched Control ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Discretionary Accruals ◽  
Audit Firm ◽  
Association Member ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Audit Firms ◽  
Audit Fee ◽  
Control Samples

ABSTRACT In this study, we examine the benefits of membership in an accounting firm association, network, or alliance (collectively referred to as “an association”). Associations provide member accounting firms with numerous benefits, including access to the expertise of professionals from other independent member firms, joint conferences and technical trainings, assistance in dealing with staffing and geographic limitations, and the ability to use the association name in marketing materials. We expect these benefits to result in higher-quality audits and higher audit fees (or audit fee premiums). Using hand-collected data on association membership, we find that association member firms conduct higher-quality audits than nonmember firms, where audit quality is proxied for by fewer Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) inspection deficiencies and fewer financial statement misstatements, as well as less extreme absolute discretionary accruals and lower positive discretionary accruals. We also find that audit fees are higher for clients of member firms than for clients of nonmember firms, suggesting that clients are willing to pay an audit fee premium to engage association member audit firms. Finally, we find that member firm audits are of similar quality to a size-matched sample of Big 4 audits, but member firm clients pay lower fee premiums than do Big 4 clients. Our inferences are robust to the use of company size-matched control samples, audit firm size-matched control samples, propensity score matching, two-stage least squares regression, and to analyses that consider changes in association membership. Our findings should be of interest to regulators because they suggest that association membership assists small audit firms in overcoming barriers to auditing larger audit clients. In addition, our findings should be informative to audit committees when making auditor selection decisions, and to investors and accounting researchers interested in the relation between audit firm type and audit quality.

Board attributes and external audit firm choice of Nigerian Non-financial Firms

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanyaolu Wasiu Abiodun ◽  
Animasau Rasheed Olatunji
Keyword(s):  
Audit Quality ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Audit Firm ◽  
Financial Firms ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Audit Firms

The paper examined the influence of boards attributes and audit firm choice of Nigerian listed non-financial firms. In an attempt to achieve the objective of this study, data of 21 sampled manufacturing companies were obtained from 2012 to 2017 using purposive sampling technique. Data for the sampled companies were analysed using logit regression analysis.  The result of the study provides evidence for significant influence of board independence, gender diversity and board meetings on audit firm choice while it board size was found to exert positive but no significant effect on audit firm choice. Arising from this, the study recommends that the non-executive directors should be dominated by directors with adequate level of financial directors that will propel them towards appreciating audit quality while choosing audit firm so as to improve quality of audit work. Also, firm should also seek to know whether audit quality of big 4 audit firms always supersedes that of their non-big 4 counterparts.

scholarly journals The Impact of Surplus Free Cash Flow and Stock Market Segmentations on Earnings Management in Jordan: Agency - and Institutional - Theory Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad A. Toumeh ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Stock Market ◽  
Earnings Management ◽  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Free Cash Flow ◽  
Statistical Tool ◽  
The Impact

The current research aims at providing evidence concerning the influence of surplus free cash flow (SFCF) and stock market segmentations (SMS) on income-increasing earnings management practices in Jordan. The results, based on a sample of all non-financial companies that were listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) from 2013 to 2017, confirm the research hypotheses. The Huber-White’s sandwich standard errors for randomeffects regression was used as the primary statistical tool for this study. The findings revealed a significant and positive association between SFCF and income-boosting discretionary accruals (DAC). As well, the results found that SMS was significantly and positively associated with the positive DAC. This research adds value to scholarship by investigating the impact of SMS variable on earnings management. To the best available knowledge, this relationship has not been examined either in Jordan or elsewhere in the world. Further, this is the first empirical attempt to investigate the effect of SFCF on earnings management in Jordan, which provides meaningful information for companies seeking to understand and reduce agency problems within the Jordanian context. KEYWORDS: Earnings management; DAC; surplus free cash flow; SFCF; stock market segmentations; SMS; agency theory; institutional theory; Jordan.

scholarly journals The Role of Dividend Payout in the Determination of the Relationship Between Earnings Before Interest and Tax Cash Flow From Operations, Capital Expenditures and Firm Sustainable Cash Flows: A Case Of Non-Financial Firms

2018 ◽  
pp. 382-390
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Free Cash Flow ◽  
Capital Expenditures ◽  
Dividend Payout ◽  
Financial Firms ◽  
Free Cash Flows

The prime objective of the current study is to determine the predictive ability to earnings before interest and tax, cash flow from operations, dividend payout, and capital expenditures for free cash flows. In addition to the current study is also intended to highlight the moderating role of dividend payout predictive ability to earnings before interest and tax, cash flow from operations, and capital expenditures for free cash flows. To achieve the objective of the study the data of 100 listed non-financial firms are collected from the annual report of the firms listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange. The data is collected over a period of six years from 2012-2017. To achieve the first set of objective regarding the direct results we have chosen OLS as a final statistical test after undergoing basic diagnostic analysis. To achieve the second set of objectives regarding the indirect effect of dividend payout, we have used the hierarchical multiple regression models.The statistical software, STATA is used for the analysis purpose. The findings of the study have shown a great deal of agreement with hypothesized results and also provided support to the pecking order theory and theory of free cash flow. The findings of the study will be helpful for policymakers, investors, scholars, and students in understanding the key factors which affect the free cash flow decisions and determine its predictability.

Board attributes and external audit firm choice of Nigerian Non-financial Firms

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanyaolu Wasiu Abiodun ◽  
Animasau Rasheed Olatunji
Keyword(s):  
Audit Quality ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Audit Firm ◽  
Financial Firms ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Audit Firms

The paper examined the influence of boards attributes and audit firm choice of Nigerian listed non-financial firms. In an attempt to achieve the objective of this study, data of 21 sampled manufacturing companies were obtained from 2012 to 2017 using purposive sampling technique. Data for the sampled companies were analysed using logit regression analysis.  The result of the study provides evidence for significant influence of board independence, gender diversity and board meetings on audit firm choice while it board size was found to exert positive but no significant effect on audit firm choice. Arising from this, the study recommends that the non-executive directors should be dominated by directors with adequate level of financial directors that will propel them towards appreciating audit quality while choosing audit firm so as to improve quality of audit work. Also, firm should also seek to know whether audit quality of big 4 audit firms always supersedes that of their non-big 4 counterparts.

scholarly journals ANALISA PENGARUH FREE CASH FLOW, AUDIT INTERNAL, LIKUIDITAS, LEVERAGE DENGAN DISCREATIONARY ACCRUAL Pada PT. ALSY

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-53
Author(s):  
Andi Martias
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
Discretionary Accruals ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Free Cash Flow ◽  
Audit Process ◽  
Leverage Ratio

Abstract - Discreationary accruals as a representative in earnings management calculation parameters. The theory in which calculated by excluding total accruals with non-discreationary accruals. This model uses Total Accrual (TA) which is classified into discreationary accrual (DA) and non discreationary accrual (NDA). This research process aims to determine the process of managing management responsibilities for financial reporting for shareholders there is no miss information. The earnings management method is part of the accounting method used in financial reporting for investors.The analysis used in this study is to see the extent of the influence of free cash flow, internal audit, liquidity ratios, leverage ratio to discreationary accrualrs as representatives of earnings management. Measurement with the ratio approach and the results of the company's internal audit process. The research sample service companies in the field of loss insurance which are listed on the Indonesia stock exchange quarter 1 to quarter 4 during the period 2015 - 2018. Regression panel data is used to test hypotheses. Hypothesis results found no significant correlation between free cash flow, liquidity and leverage with discreationary accruals. Internal audit and free cash flow affect discretionary accruals with a confidence level of 90%, meaning a standard error of 10%. Whereas leverage and liquidity do not have impact with discretionary accruals. This means thus the performance of both there is no correlation to earnings management in the practice of the company under study.  Keywords: free cash flow, liquidity ratio, leverage ratio, internal audit, discreationary accruals

scholarly journals Association of Discretionary Accruals and Big 4 Client Firms: Evidence from India

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Mendiratta ◽  
Mudit Mendiratta
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Discretionary Accruals ◽  
Empirical Results ◽  
Discretionary Accrual ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
The Absolute

This paper examines whether discretionary accruals of the company are related with the auditing done by Big 4 auditors of the company. This paper analysed empirically all the listed companies in Bombay Stock Exchange available under the database CMIE- Prowess during the year 2001- 2015. It consists of 8,724 firm- year observations, amongst 950 are Big 4 Client Firms and the rest, 7774 are Non-Big 4 Client Firms. The empirical results reveal that the absolute Discretionary accrual is higher in Non- Big 4 client firms as compared to Big 4 client firms. Further, the Discretionary accrual and Absolute discretionary accrual is found to be significantly associated with Big 4 client firms. Going forward, the significant absolute discretionary accrual in univariate analysis turned insignificant in multivariate analysis when other factors were added. The factors, for instance profitability, cash flow from operations and size are found to be higher in Big 4 client firms as compared to Non- Big 4 firms.

scholarly journals Audit Firm Size, Audit Fee, Audit Reputation and Audit Quality: The Case of Listed Companies in Vietnam

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ngoc Kim Pham ◽  
Hung Nguyen Duong ◽  
Tin Quang Pham ◽  
Nga Thi Thuy Ho
Keyword(s):  
Firm Size ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Audit Firm ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Audit Firms

Audit quality is considered as an essential factor affecting the reliability of financial information. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of audit firm characteristics, including audit reputation, audit fees and audit firm size, on audit quality. A sample of 192 companies listed on Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange for the period of 2006-2014 was selected. Multiple regression was used to analyze the data. The findings show that Big 4 auditors in Vietnam provide high audit quality than non-Big 4 auditors. Interestingly, in Vietnam context, except for the audit firms in the Big 4 group, the findings suggest that smaller audit firms provide better audit quality. Additionally, the results reveal that the more audit fees the auditors receive, the lower audit quality they provide. The critical role of audit quality has attracted significantly scholarly attention, however, prior studies have mainly focused on firms in developed countries. Little is known about audit quality in an emerging economy context such as Vietnam. This study adds to the limited number of studies on audit quality of listed companies in emerging economies. 

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