公司诉讼风险与关键审计事项文本相似度

Company Litigation Risk and Text Similarity of Key Audit Matters

采用文本分析方法,以我国2017—2020年A股非金融企业为研究样本考察公司诉讼风险对审计师披露的关键审计事项文本相似度的影响。研究发现,当上市公司的诉讼风险较高时,审计师会加强与治理层的信息沟通,降低关键审计事项文本相似度,以规避自身审计风险。进一步分析发现,在已决诉讼、内部控制质量较低、外部法律环境较好的公司,审计师更有可能降低关键审计事项文本相似度,而财务风险和经营风险是公司诉讼风险降低关键审计事项文本相似度的作用机制。此外,关键审计事项文本相似度的降低,提高了财务报告的信息质量,抑制了公司诉讼风险引致的未来股价崩盘风险。研究结论为审计决策提供了新的经验证据,也为上市公司管理层、投资者以及监管部门提供了决策依据。

Using the text analysis method,we take China s A-share non-financial listed companies from 2017 to 2020 as a research sample,to examine the impact of company litigation risk on the text similarity of key audit matters,which is disclosed by auditors.The study finds that when the litigation risk of listed companies is high,auditors will strengthen information communication with management to reduce the text similarity of key auditor matters,to avoid their own audit risks.Further analysis finds that in companies with settled litigation,lower quality of internal control,and better external legal environment,auditors are more likely to reduce the text similarity of key audit matters,while financial risk and operational risk are the mechanisms by which the company s litigation risk reduces the text similarity of key audit matters.In addition,the reduction in the text similarity of key audit matters improves the information quality of financial reports and suppresses the risk of future stock price collapse caused by the risk of corporate litigation.The research provides new empirical evidence for audit decision-making,and also provides decision-making basis for listed company management,investors and regulators.