客户相对规模、非诉讼成本与审计意见决策

通过对2004年沪深两市上市公司的研究,我们发现,相对较小的客户(相对于其审计师事务所的其他客户)被出具非标准审计意见的概率较高。审计师事务所对小客户出具非标准审计意见的倾向性,可能与诉讼成本和非诉讼成本的权衡有关。给定会计准则的偏离事项,审计师对大客户出具审计意见,预期的非诉讼成本(如果出具非标准审计意见)可能高于预期的诉讼成本(如果出具标准无保留意见),因此理性的审计师倾向于出具标准无保留意见;审计师对小客户出具审计意见,预期的非诉讼成本(如果出具非标准审计意见)可能低于预期的诉讼成本(如果出具标准无保留意见),因此理性的审计师倾向于出具非标准审计意见。诉讼成本和非诉讼成本的权衡,导致相对较小的客户更容易招致审计师的不利审计意见。

Client Relative Size,Non-lawsuit Cost and Auditing Opinion Decision

Through studying Chinese listed firms in 2004,we find that relatively small (large)clients are more(less)likely to be given non-satisfactory auditing opinions.Our em- pirical findings indicate the trade-off between lawsuit and non-lawsuit cost.Given the devia- tion from accounting principle,the expected non-lawsuit cost(for a nowsatisfactory auditing opinion)is more likely to fall below(exceed)the expected lawsuit cost(for a satisfactory au- diting opinion)when an auditor decides which opinion is to be given to a small(large)client.