Does an Auditor＇s Within-Industry Market Share Still Capture Auditor Industry Expertise in a Mandatory Audit Partner Rotation Regime？

Prior studies commonly use an auditor＇s market share in an industry as a proxy for auditor industry expertise and find that audit quality is positively related to an audit partner＇s within-industry market share in a voluntary audit partner rotation regime where the length of the client-partner relationship is not limited. Mandatory audit partner rotation, however, limits the length of the client-partner relationship and can artificially increase or decrease the market shares of incoming and departing partners, thus making the audit partner＇s within-industry market share an unreliable proxy for auditor industry expertise. Using a sample of banks in Taiwan, we find that audit quality is positively related to an audit partner＇s within-industry market share in the voluntary audit partner rotation regime. However, such a positive relation disappears in the mandatory audit partner rotation regime. Thus, we conclude that mandatory audit partner rotation decouples the link between an audit partner＇s within-industry market share and auditor industry expertise and caution researchers against using an audit partner＇s within-industry market share as a proxy for auditor industry expertise in a mandatory audit partner rotation regime.

Effects of Mandatory Audit Firm Rotation Upon Quality of Audit： The Perception of Audit Firms Evidence From Bahrain

The objectives of this study are： （1） to explore current audit appointment practices by audit firms in Bahrain; （2） to look into the opinions of audit firms in Bahrain on potential effects provided by implementing mandatory audit firm rotation （audit quality）; and （3） to investigate audit firms＇ views in implementing mandatory audit firm rotation in Bahrain. To achieve these objectives, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to respondents that consist of all auditors working in audit firms in Bahrain. The findings indicated that there is a significant relationship between mandatory audit firm rotation and quality of audit. The study also indicated that longer partner tenure makes the auditor＇s performance lack the quality in the auditing process. The average mean for all questions of the hypothesis together is 2.73 with average standard deviation of 0.94 which is less than half of the mean. This means that there is no dispersion among respondents about the questions of the hypothesis. Also, the analysis shows that the t-value is 29.922, which is greater than the table critical value of t （1.66）, and the p-value obtained is 0.000 which is less than the value of significance at p 〈 0.05. These results confirm statistically that there is a significant relationship, so the null hypothesis is rejected and the alternative hypothesis is accepted.

The Empirical Research on Auditor Independence and Mandatory Auditor Rotation

Using, the method of correlation coefficient, this paper discusses the empirical relationship between audit tenure and audit opinion in annual reports in China A-share market and period of mandatory rotation of auditor. The research finds that the negative correlation between auditor tenure and non-standard unqualified audit opinion is statistically significant, and auditor tenure might impair his/her independence. To enhance auditor independence and improve audit quality, it is necessary to rotate mandatory auditor. The results also fred that consecutive auditing years should not exceed 5 years when the existing auditor has been the auditor of listed company, and mandatory rotation of auditor adapts to the rotation of CPA firms in charge of a client.

Audit Partner Rotation, Audit Quality, and Dynamic Industry Structure

Previous research on the relationship between audit partner tenure and audit quality assumed that auditors conducted auditing works in a stable external environment where the corporate and management behavior was highly predictable. This study uses the joint tenure between audit partners and management to explain audit quality, because corporate directors would consider an appropriate adjustment in the management to deal with a dramatic change in the external environment. First, we examined whether there is a significant association between audit partner tenure and audit quality after the implementation of mandatory audit partner rotation by using the auditor tenure only. We addressed this issue by using a sample of Taiwan Residents companies and found no significant association between audit partner tenure and the magnitude of discretionary accruals （DA）, a common proxy for audit quality. Second, we tested the relationship between audit partner tenure and audit quality under the consideration of industry structure stability. The result exhibits a negative relation between audit partner tenure and audit quality under the control of industry structural stability which is measured by a proxy variable, the joint tenure between audit partner and management. Third, we investigated whether the association does exist between joint tenure of auditors and management and audit quality. We also addressed this issue by using Taiwan Residents data and found a significant association between the joint tenure of auditor and management and the magnitude of DA. Our findings provide evidence that the use of a mandatory rotation rule is an ineffective way to improve audit quality.

Audit Quality in Kazakhstan： Does Big 4 Provide High-Quality Audits？

This paper provides empirical evidence on audit quality in Kazakhstan as measured by audit tenure and the frequency of issuing modified opinions. In addition, an overview of audit institutions of Kazakhstan and an analysis of the current audit market for public companies are offered. This paper also sheds light upon the potential independence problems resulting in low audit quality and current barriers to audit researches in Kazakhstan. Consistent with the findings of extant researches on audit quality and the general perceptions of investors, two hypotheses were developed, i.e., the audits performed by Big 4 audit firms in Kazakhstan also have higher quality than non-Big 4 audit firms in terms of audit tenure and the frequency of issuing modified opinions. The result confirms the hypothesis that Big 4 audit firms provide higher audit quality than smaller local firms in association with audit tenure instead of in relation to the frequency of issuing modified opinions. The result indicates that Big 4 audit firms may not be as independent as they will be in a highly litigious market. Therefore, an independent inspection should be regularly implemented according to the audit law, and the inspection report should be publicized by Chamber of Auditors （COA）1. If this is not practical due to the lack of qualified inspectors, a peer review may be an altemative to implement the quality control policy immediately. To the author＇s best knowledge, this is the first audit quality research in countries of the Commonwealth of Independence States （CIS）.

Quality of Financial Statements and Tenure of Statement-Related Personnel

This study investigates the association between quality of financial statements and tenure of statement-related personnel. First, we examined whether there is still a significant association between financial statement quality and the tenure of audit partners who are responsible for the quality assurance of financial statements after the implementation of mandatory audit partner rotation. We addressed this issue by using a sample of Taiwan Residents companies, with which no significant association between audit partner tenure and the magnitude of discretionary accruals （DA）, a common proxy for financial statement quality, was found. Second, we investigated whether an association exists between the financial statement quality and the tenure of management who is responsible for the preparation of financial statements. We also addressed this issue by using Taiwan Residents data and found a significant association between management tenure （MT） and the magnitude of DA. Our findings provide evidence that audit partner tenure would neither improve nor deteriorate the quality assurance of a financial statement, when there is a mandatory audit partner rotation after a fixed period of time. Whereas how MT affects financial statement quality after the enactment of the mandatory audit partner rotation is dependent on the management position. Increasing tenure of chief executive officer （CEO） and chief financial officer （CFO） will enhance and hinder financial statement quality respectively. In the end, we found a significant interaction of tenure between auditor and CFO. This result implies that the downward bias of CFO on the financial statement preparation can be mitigated by auditors with increasing tenure.

How does auditors' work stress affect audit quality?Empirical evidence from the Chinese stock market

With reference to the Job Demands-Control Model,we empirically examine the effect of auditors' work stress on audit quality using a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies and their signature auditors from 2009 to 2013.The results show that(1) there is generally no pervasive deterioration in audit quality resulting from auditors' work stress;(2) there is a significant negative association between work stress and audit quality in the initial audits of new clients;and(3) the perception of work stress depends on auditors' individual characteristics.Auditors from international audit firms and those in the role of partner respond more strongly to work stress than industry experts.Auditors tend to react more intensively when dealing with state-owned companies.We suggest that audit firms attach more importance to auditors' work stress and rationalize their allocation of audit resources to ensure high audit quality.

签字注册会计师强制轮换制度提高了审计质量吗?——基于中国上市公司的实证研究

本文分析了我国签字注册会计师强制轮换制度对审计质量的影响,并检验了影响制度效果的主要因素。研究发现,强制轮换制度总体上没有显著提高审计质量,其原因一是强制轮换制度执行中存在规避行为,导致审计师变更频繁和过渡审计师的出现,其对应审计质量较低;二是强制轮换制度实施后,新任审计师的平均专业胜任能力下降,导致审计质量下降。而具有原客户审计经验的审计师在被强制轮换后重新审计该客户的审计质量较高,这能在一定程度上抑制上市公司审计质量的整体下滑。本文的发现对进一步完善签字注册会计师强制轮换制度有较好的参考意义。

学习效应、私人关系、审计任期与审计质量

在正常的聘任关系下,学习效应有助于审计技能的提高。因此,随着签字审计师任期的延长,审计质量会逐渐提高,但在异常聘任关系下,由于签字审计师与客户存在较为密切的私人关系,审计师的独立性可能因此受损,学习效应对审计质量的积极影响也会受到削弱,因此,随着签字审计师任期的延长,审计质量可能会变差。本文的经验证据发现,尽管总体上同美国审计市场一样,审计师任期的延长有助于审计质量的提高,但是在细分审计师与客户之间的关系后,本文的经验证据支持上述理论。

审计师-客户长期关系、强制轮换与审计质量

本文从审计师-客户长期关系的视角出发,对审计师强制轮换与审计质量之间的关系进行了探讨。研究发现:对于财务状况较差的公司,若审计师与客户之间不存在长期关系,则强制轮换后的审计质量显著提高,若审计师与客户之间存在长期关系,则强制轮换后审计质量的提高被弱化;而对于财务状况较好的公司,无论审计师与客户之间是否存在长期关系,强制轮换后的审计质量均未发生显著变化。本文研究对审计师强制轮换的监管具有借鉴意义。

审计任期、公司治理与盈余质量

通过利用修正的琼斯模型计算出的异常应计的绝对值作为盈余质量的替代变量,用选取的九个公司治理变量利用主成分分析方法构造的公司治理指数来度量公司治理总体水平,本文探讨了公司治理与审计任期对盈余质量的联合影响。研究结果表明,公司治理水平的提高有助于盈余质量的提高,在好的治理环境下审计任期的延长会提高盈余质量,在差的治理环境下审计任期的延长对盈余质量没有影响。

审计师轮换规制效果的比较研究

本文以2001至2007年间获得标准无保留审计意见的A股上市公司为样本,使用经过调整后的截面Jones模型估计出的公司操纵应计利润的绝对值作为审计质量的衡量指标,考察执行CPA轮换和事务所轮换对审计质量的影响及其差异。研究发现,CPA轮换由于规制缺乏惩戒性措施而整体上难以提高审计质量,但有促于抑制公司正向盈余管理;事务所轮换则为公司在不同年度之间进行盈余波动操纵提供了新空间,即轮换前采取保守会计政策低报收益,轮换后采取激进会计政策高报收益;CPA轮换与事务所轮换对审计质量的影响存在差异。

事务所任期、审计质量与事务所强制轮换

2001年下半年以来,世界范围内接连发生了一系列上市公司财务欺诈案件,事务所强制轮换作为一种可能提高审计质量的手段而被提出。本文以客户操控性应计利润绝对值的高低作为审计质量替代指标,以中国上市公司2004年数据为基础,研究了审计任期与审计质量之间的关系,得出如下结论:在审计任期较短时,上市公司的盈余管理程度较大,审计质量较低;但是没有发现在审计任期较长时审计质量下降的证据。

审计师变更与审计质量:一个理论分析

本文通过建立股东、管理层和审计师三方参与的两委托人-单代理人博弈模型,研究了固定审计费用下不同审计师变更方式对审计质量的影响。研究结果表明,审计师强制性单期变更与审计师强制性定期变更下,审计师与管理层之间的合谋将导致严重的财务舞弊;而在审计师自愿性变更下,股东可以利用解聘现任审计师这一威胁来阻止审计师和管理层之间的合谋,使得审计师和管理层的最优策略均为真实披露公司的盈余信息,并发表标准无保留审计意见。

签字注册会计师任期、行业专长与审计质量

对审计任期与审计质量的关系,以往研究并未得出统一结论。理论上,专业胜任能力和独立性共同影响着审计任期与审计质量的关系,行业专长能够弥补专业胜任能力不足对审计质量产生的不利影响。从行业专长的视角对签字注册会计师任期和审计质量之间的关系进行回归分析发现,签字注册会计师任期与审计质量呈非线性的正U型关系(拐点≈3年)。进一步分析发现,在签字注册会计师任期较短(≤3年)时,行业专长有助于提高审计质量;但在签字注册会计师任期较长(>3年)时,行业专长对审计质量没有显著影响。研究结果表明,在签字注册会计师任期与审计质量的关系中,专业胜任能力发挥着比独立性威胁更重要的作用。

财务风险、会计师事务所变更与低价揽客——来自上市公司的经验证据

以2001～2010年沪深两市上市公司数据为样本,检验了公司财务风险与会计师事务所变更的相关性以及变更导致的会计师事务所在审计市场的行为。实证研究表明:(1)财务风险与会计师事务所变更显著正相关,上市公司财务风险越高,会计师事务所发生变更的概率越大;(2)在会计师事务所发生变更后,会计师事务所的审计费用明显降低,表明会计师事务所普遍采取了低价揽客的方式争取客户,同时研究也发现会计师事务所对审计费用的收取并没有明显地考虑财务风险因素;(3)在新的会计师事务所接受客户的聘任后,其审计质量并没有因为审计费用的降低而降低,变更后的会计师事务所审计质量具有明显的提高。

双重领导管理体制下影响地方政府审计质量的因素分析

基于双重领导管理体制,构建了地方审计长收益模型,论证审计人员的专业胜任能力、被审计单位对于各项规章制度的遵从度、审计人员的相对工资待遇以及审计人员对其审计业绩考核成绩的重视程度等四个方面对审计质量的影响,运用2003—2011年间中国31个省市的面板数据进行了实证检验。

事务所的任期、会计师轮换与审计独立性——来自中国A股市场的证据

近年来审计任期与审计独立性的问题日益受到人们的关注。我国也出台了有关签字会计师轮换的相关规定。本文以来自中国A股证券市场的数据,检验了事务所任期和签字会计师轮换与审计独立性之间的关系。我们发现,审计独立性将随着事务所审计任期的延长而下降,但是,轮换签字会计师并不能够有效地改变这种趋势。该项政策实施的有效性值得进一步研究。

签字会计师个人执业经验如何影响审计质量?——来自中国证券市场的经验证据

执业经验作为注册会计师专业胜任能力的重要形成途径,是审计质量的决定因素。采用2010—2013年我国上市公司为样本,实证研究签字会计师个人执业经验如何影响审计质量。结果显示:(1)整体而言,签字会计师个人执业经验有助于提高审计质量,但这一"执业经验效应"主要依赖与被审计客户相关的"行业经验",而不是"非行业经验"。(2)签字会计师个人"执业经验效应"与"审计任期效应"之间存在替代型交互作用。(3)进一步地,在"非大所"审计或新承接客户审计中,"执业经验效应"的发挥效率更高;此外,签字会计师通过事务所内部沟通获取的"间接经验"亦能弥补新客户初次审计中的经验不足,保障审计质量。

审计任期、异常审计费用和审计意见——来自A股上市公司的经验证据

以会计师出具非标审计意见的可能性来衡量审计质量,研究会计师事务所审计任期和异常审计费用对审计质量的影响。实证结果显示:审计任期的延长导致审计质量下降。在审计任期的初期,异常审计费用与审计质量正相关;此正相关关系随审计任期的延长而减弱。研究结论说明:在审计任期的初期,由于会计师低价揽客,未能取得超额利润,因此异常审计费用反映会计师在工作中所付出的努力。随着审计任期的延长,会计师逐渐熟悉客户的经营状况,具备竞争优势,能够借机取得更高利润。此时,异常审计费用反映会计师对客户的经济依赖,其对审计质量的正面影响也相应降低。