scholarly journals How Many Simultaneous Audit Committee Memberships Are Too Many?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jimmy Carmenate ◽  
Cori O. Crews ◽  
Vineeta D. Sharma ◽  
John R. Sparger
Keyword(s):  
Audit Committee ◽  
Equity Capital ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Stock Exchanges ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Cost Of Equity Capital ◽  
Public Company ◽  
Nominating Committees ◽  
Full Time Employment

Recent research by Sharma, Sharma, Tanyi, and Cheng (2020) provides new insight into directors serving on multiple public company audit committees. Specifically, they investigate how an individual audit committee director serving on multiple audit committees is related to companies’ cost of equity capital. Their evidence suggests that serving on multiple audit committees is viewed positively by investors up to a certain point, but beyond that point investors become concerned. This turning point, on average, is 3.5 audit committees for retired directors and 1.5 audit committees for directors in full-time employment. These results have implications for numerous stakeholders including investors, proxy advisors, boards, nominating committees, stock exchanges, and policymakers. They also have implications for future research.

Should Audit Committee Directors Serve on Multiple Audit Committees? Evidence from Cost of Equity Capital

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-205
Author(s):  
Divesh S. Sharma ◽  
Vineeta D. Sharma ◽  
Paul N. Tanyi ◽  
Xiaoyan Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Audit Committee ◽  
Equity Capital ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Cost Of Equity Capital ◽  
Cost Of Equity ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Multiple Directorships ◽  
Nominating Committees

SUMMARY We find a significant negative association between cost of equity and audit committee directors' simultaneous service on multiple audit committees (ACNUM). However, this association is not linear, as we find that cost of equity begins to increase when ACNUM is 1.50 for non-retired directors compared to 3.50 for retired directors. Further analyses reveal the negative association is more pronounced when a firm's information environment is strong and widely used firm-level measures of multiple directorships are not related to cost of equity. The evidence we present is consistent with the notion that investors positively perceive audit committee directors' service on multiple audit committees, but only to the extent such service does not undermine directors' ability to effectively discharge their governance responsibilities. Our study informs policymakers, boards, and nominating committees and advances the literature on multiple directorships, audit committees, and cost of equity. JEL Classifications: G12; G14; M40; M41. Data Availability: All data are publicly available from sources identified in the text.

Audit Committee Member Support for Proposed Audit Adjustments: Pre-SOX versus Post-SOX Judgments

2008 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Todd DeZoort ◽  
Dana R. Hermanson ◽  
Richard W. Houston
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Committee Member ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Reporting Accuracy ◽  
Sarbanes Oxley ◽  
Public Company

This study examines differences in audit committee member judgments before the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (“pre-SOX”) versus after the act was passed (“post-SOX”) as well as audit committee member perceptions of the effects of SOX. Based on experimental materials administered to 372 public company audit committee members (131 pre-SOX from DeZoort et al. [2003a] and 241 post-SOX), we find that audit committee support for an auditor-proposed adjustment is significantly higher in the post-SOX period. Additional analyses reveal that the effect of SOX differs between audit committee members who are CPAs versus non-CPAs. Specifically, the greater audit committee member support for the proposed adjustment post-SOX is attributable to members who are CPAs. In general, audit committee members in the post-SOX period feel more responsible for resolving the accounting issue, perceive that audit committee members have greater expertise to evaluate the accounting issue, and also are more concerned with reporting accuracy and a need for conservative financial reporting than those in the pre-SOX period. We also find that post-SOX respondents who support the auditor's proposed adjustment have more favorable views of the benefits of SOX, and they believe more strongly that audit committees in the post-SOX period are more conservative and have more power than they did pre-SOX. We discuss implications and avenues for future research.

Audit committee effectiveness and financial reporting timeliness

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Atef Oussii ◽  
Neila Boulila Taktak
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Expertise ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether there is any relationship between the effectiveness of an audit committee and the financial reporting timeliness of Tunisian listed companies as proxied by external audit delay (AD). Analysis focuses on five audit committee characteristics: authority, financial expertise, independence, size and diligence. Design/methodology/approach Empirical tests address 162 firm-year observations drawn from Tunisian listed companies during 2011-2013. Findings Multivariate analyses indicate that audit committees with members who have financial expertise are significantly associated with shorter AD. Thus, the results suggest that audit committee financial expertise contributes to the improvement of financial statements’ timeliness. Research limitations/implications The audit committee attributes examined in this study were based on DeZoort et al. (2002) framework. There could be other aspects of audit committee effectiveness such as audit committee tenure and audit committee chair characteristics, which were not addressed in the present study. Thus, future research may consider and examine these other components of audit committee effectiveness. Practical implications Findings have managerial implications. Companies can re-look into how to further improve audit committee composition in order to enhance the timeliness of financial reporting. The issues of audit committee effectiveness and timely reporting also affect regulators and policy makers since they need to play a role in the establishment of effective audit committees and the improvement of financial reporting timeliness. Originality/value This study is one of few that have examined the impact of audit committee effectiveness on ADs in an emerging market country. Findings lend credence to the belief that audit committee members’ financial expertise enhances the quality of financial reporting by firms in a North African market criticized for the lack of maturity of its corporate governance system (Klibi, 2015; Fitch Ratings, 2009).

scholarly journals Gender Diversity of Audit Committees and Audit Fees: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Xiang ◽  
Meng Qin ◽  
Craig A Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Audit Committee ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Public Company ◽  
Chinese Listed Companies ◽  
State Enterprises ◽  
The Relationship

<p>This paper investigates whether women, who serve on the audit committee of the board, can have a significant impact in reducing audit fees paid by China's A-share listed companies during the period 2004 to 2007. We show that audit committees composed of both men and women pay significantly smaller audit fees. The relationship is significantly greater in non-state enterprises than that exhibited by state-owned enterprises and significantly greater in companies deemed to have weak management vis-à-vis strong management. Further analysis shows that the composition of the committee is irrelevant when management is strong, regardless of whether it provides guidance for a state-owned enterprise or a strictly public company. When management is deemed weak, however, gender diversity is associated with smaller fees.</p>

Auditor Communications with the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors: Policy Recommendations and Opportunities for Future Research

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Cohen ◽  
Lisa Milici Gaynor ◽  
Ganesh Krishnamoorthy ◽  
Arnold M. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Future Research

To contribute to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) project on auditor communications with audit committees and boards of directors, we present in this paper a review of relevant academic literature. We also identify promising future research opportunities for the academic community. We specifically focus on how the communication process may affect overall financial reporting quality, internal controls, control environments, and external auditors' performance, as well as matters that potentially impact financial reporting and should interest the PCAOB (e.g., in the area of management discussion and analysis). We specifically link the findings from academic research to the discussion questions posed by the PCAOB in its 2004 briefing paper. Several potential implications of the findings should also interest standard-setters and regulators addressing issues related to corporate governance and financial reporting quality.

Adoption of and compliance with IFRS in developing countries

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled Samaha ◽  
Hichem Khlif
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Equity Capital ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cost Of Equity Capital ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ifrs Adoption ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review a synthesis of theories and empirical studies dealing with the adoption of and compliance with IFRS in developing countries in an attempt to provide directions for future research. Design/methodology/approach – The review focusses on four main streams including: first, the motives for IFRS adoption; second, corporate characteristics and the degree of compliance with IFRS; third, the economic consequences of IFRS adoption and finally; fourth, the use of regulation as an enforcement mechanism to monitor compliance with IFRS. The authors review empirical studies specifically devoted to developing countries. Findings – Regarding the first stream relating to IFRS adoption, the macroeconomic decision of adopting IFRS in developing countries can be justified by two main theories which are: the economic theory of network (Katz and Shapiro, 1985) and isomorphism (DiMaggio and Powell, 1991), however, empirical evidence in developing countries to confirm these theories is limited. Regarding the second stream relating to corporate characteristics and the degree of compliance with IFRS, the authors find that the results are mixed. Regarding the third stream relating to the economic consequences of IFRS adoption, it seems that the evidence is still limited in developing countries especially with respect to the impact of IFRS adoption on foreign direct investment, cost of equity capital and earnings management. Regarding the fourth and final stream in relation to regulation, enforcement and compliance with IFRS, the authors find that research is very limited. It was evidenced in the very few research studies conducted, that global disclosure standards are optimal only if compliance is monitored and enforced by efficient institutions. Practical implications – The author’s study attempts to provide a foundational knowledge resource that will inform practitioners, researchers and regulators in developing countries about the relevance of the different theories that exist in the accounting literature to explain the adoption of and compliance with IFRS. Originality/value – Compared to developed countries, the four streams outlined remain under-researched in developing countries. Therefore, researchers should examine these topics in developing countries to inform practitioners, regulators and the capital market about the effects of adopting IFRS and their relevance to developing countries. In addition, researchers should embark on identifying new theories to explain the adoption of and compliance with IFRS in developing countries that take into consideration the socioeconomic culture of these settings.

scholarly journals Corporate governance characteristics of firms reporting internal control deficiencies

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 363-390
Author(s):  
Kathleen Rupley
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Market Reactions ◽  
Sarbanes Oxley ◽  
Internal Control Deficiencies ◽  
Nominating Committees

From a sample of firms reporting internal control deficiencies (ICD), I compare corporate governance structures to industry, exchange, and size – matched firms. I examine market reactions to reports of ICDs in 8-K filings. Additionally, I examine shifts in corporate governance characteristics since the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). Results indicate that weaker boards, larger audit committees, less independent nominating committees, and high growth companies are associated with ICDs. Market reaction is negative to ICD disclosures when they are associated with controls over revenue. Firms have made changes post-SOX including reduced non-audit services, more frequent audit committee meetings, formation of nominating and governance committees, creation of internal audit functions, and implementation of corporate governance policies.

scholarly journals Audit committees in West Indian states

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-33
Author(s):  
Anthony R. Bowrin
Keyword(s):  
Audit Committee ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
West Indian ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Stock Exchanges ◽  
Financial Industry ◽  
Publicly Traded ◽  
Indian States ◽  
Publicly Traded Companies ◽  
Industry Affiliation

This study describes the regulatory framework governing audit committees (AC) of publicly traded companies in the West Indies and examines the extent to which the provisions of these AC regulations are similar to the International Federation of Accountants guidelines for AC. Also, it examines the actual AC policies of publicly traded West Indian firms and determines whether they vary systematically with industry affiliation or firm size. The sample comprised companies traded on Barbados, Jamaica Stock Exchange, and Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchanges in 2002. Larger companies and those in the financial industry provided better audit committee disclosures than their smaller counterparts and those in non-financial industries.

scholarly journals What Drives Auditor Selection?

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. A26-A42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Dreike Almer ◽  
Donna R. Philbrick ◽  
Kathleen Hertz Rupley
Keyword(s):  
Audit Committee ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
Public Company ◽  
Selection Decision ◽  
Auditor Selection ◽  
View Management

SUMMARY This study provides evidence on the factors that currently impact audit committee members' selection of external auditors. Using a two-stage approach, we survey and interview public company audit committee members (ACMs), and find evidence that management continues to provide input into the decision process even as SOX regulations require audit committees to take responsibility for the auditor selection decision. ACMs view management as an important information source when they assess the proposing audit partner's reputation for accessibility, timeliness, and ability to liaise with the firm's national technical office, as well as the proposing audit firm's technical and industry expertise. Results of this study can help firms be more competitive in the audit bidding process, inform policy makers when considering whether to impose further audit committee regulations, and aid academics in ensuring an up-to-date understanding of the audit committee's role in the auditor selection process.

Disclosures in Audit Committee Charters and Reports

2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph V. Carcello ◽  
Dana R. Hermanson ◽  
Terry L. Neal
Keyword(s):  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Depository Institutions ◽  
High Level ◽  
Independent Audit

In response to recent criticisms of audit committee performance, new SEC and stock exchange rules require companies to prepare an audit committee charter and to publish the charter in their proxy statement at least once every three years. Audit committees also must disclose how they discharged their responsibilities during the year. We study the disclosures in audit committee charters and reports by examining a random sample of 150 proxy statements filed in Spring 2001. The primary purposes of this analysis are to understand audit committee activities and to identify possible areas for further audit committee reform. We find that what audit committees say they are doing in their reports differs from what their charters say the committee should be doing. There is a generally high level of compliance with mandated audit committee disclosures, such as disclosures related to reviewing and discussing the financial statements with management. However, voluntary disclosure of audit committee activities was more common for depository institutions, larger companies, NYSE-listed companies, and companies with more independent audit committees. These results indicate either more active audit committees in such companies, or a greater commitment to audit committee disclosure in such companies. In addition, some of the disclosure levels suggest the need for additional reforms regarding audit committee oversight of interim reports, number of audit committee meetings, and audit committee oversight of internal audit. We also suggest directions for future research.

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