ESG评级分歧对审计费用的影响研究

Research on the Impacts of ESG Rating Divergence on Audit Fees

ESG评级分歧反映了不同机构对同一企业ESG表现的评级分歧,在此基础上,本研究采用2018年至2022年期间我国A股上市企业的微观面板数据作为样本,对ESG评级分歧与审计费用之间的关系及其内在作用机理进行了深度分析。结果显示,ESG评级的差异程度与审计费用的多少呈正相关,即差异越大,审计费用亦随之增加。机制研究表明,ESG评级分歧主要通过提高经营风险、声誉风险及信息风险三条路径提高审计费用。异质性分析显示,在审计师专业胜任能力强、内部控制程度高和分析师关注度高的样本组,ESG评级分歧对审计费用的影响效果更为明显。

ESG rating divergence reflects the differences in ESG performance ratings among various institutions for the same company.Based on this,this study uses micro-panel data of A-share listed companies in China from 2018 to 2022 as a sample to deeply analyze the relationship between ESG rating divergence and audit fees,as well as its internal mechanism.The results show that there is a positive correlation between the degree of ESG rating divergence and the amount of audit fees,that is,the greater the divergence,the higher the audit fees.Mechanism research indicates that ESG rating divergence mainly increases audit fees through three pathways:increasing operational risk,reputation risk,and information risk.Heterogeneity analysis shows that in sample groups with strong professional competence of auditors,high internal control,and high analyst attention,the impact of ESG rating divergence on audit fees is more pronounced.