新准则实施后的会计师事务所声誉与审计质量差异——基于应计和真实盈余管理的双重分析视角

Audit Firm Reputation and Audit Quality Ex-post New Accounting Standards——Empirical Analysis Based on Accrual and Real Earnings Management

本文选取新《企业会计准则》正式实施后(2007-2010年)有特定动机进行正向盈余管理的上市公司为研究样本,从应计盈余管理和真实盈余管理双重分析视角实证检验了会计师事务所声誉与审计质量差异的问题。研究发现,在观察期内,以"十大"(Big10)为代表的具有较高声誉的大规模会计师事务所与其他事务所在抑制应计盈余管理方面虽并不存在显著的审计质量差异;但是,它们却能够显著地抑制通过构造交易的真实盈余管理行为。研究结论说明,高声誉会计师事务所能够区别各类型的盈余管理,其审计质量并不仅仅局限于识别应计盈余管理,而是更多地体现在对公司价值更具有破坏性的真实盈余管理的识别及控制力度上,大所的品牌和声誉能够维护较高的审计质量。

We select the listed companies with upward earnings management incentives during the periods 2007 -2010 after the implementation of new accounting standards as our samples. We examine the relation between audit firm reputation and audit quality based on accrual versus real activities earnings management. The results show that Big 10 audit firms on behalf of higher reputation auditors don＇t remarkably distinguish themselves with respect to controlling accrual earnings management. However, they are significantly associated with lower levels of real activities earnings management. Our paper indicates large-scale audit firms are able to identify different properties of earnings management. The higher audit quality is not limited to recognize accrual earnings management but reflected strongly in the constrains of the real earnings management which is even more destructive to firm value. Overall, the big audit firms with brand and reputation can maintain higher audit quality.