Determinants of voluntary audit and voluntary full accounts in micro- and non-micro small companies in the UK

This study investigates the link between the auditing and filing choices made by a sample of 592 small private companies, which includes 419 micro-companies. It examines decisions made in connection with the 2006 accounts following UK's adoption of the maximum EU size thresholds in 2004, and the impact of the proposed Directive on the annual accounts of micro-companies. The research extends the model of cost, management and agency factors associated with voluntary audit, and develops a complementary model for voluntary full accounts. The results show the benefits of placing full audited accounts on public record that outweigh the costs for a significant proportion of companies. In non-micro small companies, voluntary audit is determined by cost and agency factors, whereas in micro-companies it is driven by cost, management and agency factors. In both groups, the predictors of voluntary full accounts include management and agency factors, and choosing voluntary audit is one of the key factors. The study provides models that can be tested in other jurisdictions to provide evidence of the needs of micro-companies, and the discussion of the methodological challenges for small company researchers in the UK makes further contribution to the literature.     

The effect of large audit firm mergers on audit pricing in the UK

This paper examines the effects on UK audit market concentration and pricing of mergers between the large audit firms and the demise of Andersen. Based on data over the period 1985–2002, it appears that mergers contributed to a rise in concentration ratios to levels that suggest concern about the potential for monopoly pricing. The high concentration ratios have not improved the level of price competition in the UK audit market. Our pooled models suggest that concentration ratios are associated with higher audit fees. The evidence suggests that the effects of mergers between big firms on brand name fee premium and on price competition vary depending on the particular circumstances. The brand name premium is strongest for the largest quartile of companies prior to the mergers. After the Big Six mergers, the premium increases for average‐sized companies but falls for the smallest and largest companies. Following the PricewaterhouseCoopers merger, the premium increases for below median‐sized clients but decreases for above‐median sized clients. For the Deloitte‐Andersen transaction, the premium falls for the smallest and largest companies but increases for those in the second quartile. Our results provide evidence that auditees are likely to pay higher fees if their auditor merges with a larger counterpart. We attribute merger‐related fee hikes to product differentiation, rather than anti‐competitive pricing.     

Social trust and the demand for audit quality

Our study explores the association between social trust and the demand for audit quality. We argue that social trust reduces the demand for audit quality because it mitigates agency problems. By exploring Chinese listed firms, we find that firms in regions with higher social trust are less likely to choose big auditors, suggesting that higher social trust is associated with lower demand for audit quality. This finding arises because social trust disciplines managers by creating norms and relational networks to constrain opportunistic behaviors. Moreover, firms in high-trust regions have higher financial reporting quality, and the influence of social trust is more pronounced for firms with severer agency problems. Our results suggest that social trust allows firms to rely less on quality audits.     

On the demand for independent and active audit committees

We extend the literature on director independence and the role of the board by focusing on the importance of audit committees in the contracting process. We find that the demand for independent and active audit committees is positively related to the demand for accounting certification. In particular, we find that the likelihood of a firm having a completely independent and active audit committee is negatively related to firm growth opportunities and managerial ownership and positively related to firm size and leverage. Our results suggest that audit committees are an important organizational construct related to the demand for accounting certification.     

保险公司的信息系统审计

近年来，各保险公司对信息技术的投入越来越大，保险公司的信息化程度也越来越高。信息化的蓬勃发展，促进了保险公司经营管理水平的提高，特别是在提高保险公司集中管控能力、执行能力和市场反应能力等方面，信息技术的应用能够带来意想不到的效率和成果。但是，信息化进程中存在操作轨迹不可见、操作流程缺失、数据非法修改、生产系统故障、信息系统人为欺诈等各类风险。随着数据大集中的推进，信息系统的安全、可靠、稳定、有效、可信显得更加重要。     

The impact of audit committee expertise on audit quality: Evidence from UK audit fees

Governance regulators currently place great emphasis on ensuring the presence of financial expertise on audit committees (Sarbanes-Oxley, 2002; UK Corporate Governance Code 2010–2016). Underlying this is a belief that greater expertise enhances the effectiveness of audit committees and, by extension, the quality of the external audit. This study investigates the impact of audit committee expertise on one measure of audit quality - audit fees paid by FTSE350 companies. Our analysis finds that audit committees possessing greater levels of financial expertise are associated with higher audit fees. When we segregate financial expertise between accounting and non-accounting, we find that the positive impact identified is driven by non-accounting expertise. Furthermore, when we separate FTSE100 and FTSE250 firms we find the impact of financial expertise is confined to FTSE250 firms. Our findings are important as they highlight the usefulness of segregating financial expertise between specialists and non-specialists, something which regulators in the UK and in the USA currently do not do. Our findings also highlight the potential value of audit committee expertise in smaller as opposed to larger listed firms, suggesting that the value of expertise to audit quality depends on the specific financial reporting challenges firms face.     

Derivatives usage in UK non-financial listed companies

In this paper, the authors present the results of a 1997 survey of derivative used by some 231 UK non-financial companies. The questionnaire instrument used in this research is based upon the postal survey methodology of Bodnar et al. (1995). A glossary was attached to the questionnaire survey to enable consistency in defining terminology used. A direct comparison between US and UK findings was undertaken together with an analysis of results from other published surveys conducted in the last four years. We find broadly similar trends in the use of derivatives. The results of our research show that derivatives usage to hedge financial price risk is well established amongst larger UK companies. Our findings support the size effect phenomena reported in other empirical studies. The primary objective cited in using derivatives was to manage fluctuations in accounting earnings, a focus that is inconsistent with the theoretical view of paying attention to cash flow benefits of hedging. The predominant issues of concern to UK inancial directors are the lack of evaluation of risk of proposed derivative transactions and the level of transaction costs incurred. This contrasts with the greater concerns of credit risk and market risk raised by their US counterparts in Bodnar's study. A possible explanation for these concerns could be the impact of the currency crisis happening in Asia especially for firms that are exposed to the affected currencies. It also suggests a lower level of sophistication and liquidity in UK derivatives market. The value of developing a basis for benchmarking good management practice in the use of derivatives to manage financial price risk represents an important area of research. Such a framework is of relevance to the demand and supply side of the derivatives market and to Government policy makers.     

The effect of strategic and operating turnaround initiatives on audit reporting for distressed companies

Empirical research on the effect of turnaround initiatives on audit reporting is scant. This paper addresses this gap by examining audit reporting for distressed companies and its association with a broad array of strategic and operating turnaround initiatives. In particular, we study the association between business risk information and going-concern decisions for distressed clients. Using a sample of distressed firms in the US manufacturing industry, we find that both short-term cash flow potential as well as strategic growth and hence long-term cash flow potential are necessary for strategic turnaround initiatives to have a mitigating impact on the auditor’s going-concern decision. Strategic turnaround initiatives for which only one of these two conditions holds and operating turnaround initiatives appear to function as going-concern risk factors as they are associated with a higher likelihood that a going-concern opinion will be issued. We also find that specialist and non-specialist auditors assess the mitigating potential of some but not all turnaround initiatives differently. Overall, our results suggest that auditors’ strategic risk assessment (typically done in a business risk auditing context) is associated with the outcome of the audit process (the opinion).     

上市公司审计中常见的风险信号与风险领域

最近,我国证券市场连续发生了几起诸如"银广夏"之类的恶性事件,把证券市场搅得沸沸扬扬,为这些公司出具审计报告的会计师事务所和注册会计师自然也难脱干系.     

英美上市公司内控信息披露制度对我国的启示

本文分析并指出我国上市公司内控信息披露现行规定存在的不足,分析英美两国关于上述问题各自不同做法的背景和原因,借鉴其各自合理的理念和做法,针对"狭义内部控制"和"广义内部控制"信息披露目的的不同,本文建议通过建立一套相互衔接的内控信息披露制度体系分别对前者进行强制要求,对后者则借鉴英国"遵循或解释"的做法予以引导。为统一认识,不同口径内部控制的确切含义应在即将制定的内控框架中予以明确界定。     

IT infusion within the audit process: Spreadsheet use in small audit firms

This study examines spreadsheet use during different phases of the audit process using a series of case studies on independent, local non-Big 4, audit firms in Thailand. Our study adopted the concept of infusion, i.e., the use of IT to its fullest potential within work processes. We used multiple data collection methods, including face-to-face interviews and the examination of commonly used spreadsheets. The study defined a way of measuring spreadsheet infusion in the audit process based on extended, integrative and emergent use. The data provides new insights into how spreadsheets are used by audit firms. Spreadsheet infusion varied considerably across the firms, which indicates significant opportunities for increased sophistication in spreadsheet use for some small audit firms. The study also identifies many enablers of spreadsheet infusion, including IT competence, IT champion, size and complexity of clients, external support, relative advantage and observability. In contrast, staff turnover, lack of partner support, and clients' willingness to provide soft copy data were noted as infusion inhibitors. By successfully extending infusion literature into the audit arena, this study provides a basis for studying the post-adoption behaviors associated with other applications of IT in auditing.     

The impact of voluntary audit and governance characteristics on accounting errors in private companies

This paper examines the extent to which the audit and corporate governance characteristics of UK private companies are associated with defective accounting information. Despite the economic importance of private firms, relatively little is known about their financial reporting and governance characteristics. Using a large sample of UK private companies, we examine the effects of voluntary audit, board gender balance and financial expertise on the likelihood of errors occurring in published annual accounts. Our results indicate that audited accounts are approximately half as likely as unaudited accounts to contain errors. In addition to contributing to recent academic research in this field, our findings are likely to be of interest to policy makers, who are considering exempting more firms from mandatory audit. We also find that gender diversity among board members is positively associated with the accuracy of accounting information, though our primary measure of directors’ financial expertise has no significant effect.     

Auditor mergers,audit quality and audit fees: Evidence from the PricewaterhouseCoopers merger in the UK

Focusing on the merger of Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand in 1998, we document increased audit quality (measured by earnings quality of the clients) for the merged firm and other big-X auditors (The big-X auditors are Ernst & Young, Deloitte, KPMG and Arthur Anderson.) during the post-merger period because: (1) controlling for economic conditions, clients of big-X auditors have lower levels of absolute discretionary accruals and (2) the value relevance of earnings has significantly increased. Furthermore, we find evidence that in the post-merger period, there is a significant increase in audit fees for PricewaterhouseCoopers and other big-X client firms, which suggests that the effect of collectively enhanced market power of big-X auditors (which tends to increase audit fees) dominates the effect of cost savings from the merger (which tends to lower audit fees). The results have implications for regulators and policy makers.     

Non-audit services provided to audit clients,independence of mind and independence in appearance: latest evidence from large UK listed companies

This paper investigates whether the provision of non-audit services (NAS) to audit clients impairs auditor independence of mind and independence in appearance. The main contributions of this paper are in terms of its timeliness with respect to regulatory changes, the simultaneous examination of both forms of auditor independence and the methodological innovation whereby it uses a variable derived from the level of abnormal audit fees as a moderating variable in order to capture the direct impact of the NAS fee level on auditor independence as well as how its influence is moderated by the level of unexpected audit fees. Our results indicate that auditor independence of mind is compromised by the size of NAS fees, particularly for clients who pay below the level of expected audit fee. The stock market perceives that auditor independence is compromised by NAS fees but, at the same time, additional tests indicate that there are benefits that accrue from NAS and, in particular, the relation between return and non-discretionary net income is increasing in NAS fees. The balance of evidence suggests that the European Union is correct in undertaking some reform of the auditing market.     

The influence of the CEO's value perception towards auditing on audit demand in private firms

Audit demand is generally considered to be a direct reflection of the level of agency conflicts. This study examines the CEO's value perception towards auditing as additional driver for both auditor reputation demand (appointing a Big 4 auditor or not) and audit effort demand in private firms. Examining the CEO's value perception in a multidimensional way, the regression results indicate that the CEO's functional value perception towards auditing positively affects the demand for audit effort, while the CEO's social value perception towards auditing negatively affects the demand for audit effort but positively affects the demand for auditor reputation.     

Response to discussants'' comments: The demand for auditor reputation across international markets for audit services

Previous research has documented a positive relation between variation in audit fees across countries and specific macroeconomic factors such as a country's level of litigiousness and the level of required disclosure. Such studies have focused on the supply of auditor services using single-equation models. This study examines not only the supply of but also the demand for large-firm auditors across 20 different countries using the simultaneous-equations approach. This approach is used to account for the endogeneity between choice of auditor and audit fees. The results indicate an association between greater disclosure requirements and the choice of a large-firm auditor. They also indicate that increased litigation and regulation are associated with higher audit fees.     

Determinants of the voluntary adoption of digital reporting by small private companies to Companies House: Evidence from the UK

This study examines the factors that influence the voluntary adoption of the digital reporting of the statutory accounts and returns to the company registry (Companies House) by small private companies in the UK. We analyse survey data from 343 members of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants working in small companies or in practices with small company clients in the UK. The data is examined using statistical methods, mainly PLS-SEM. Our results show the following factors positively influence the voluntary adoption of digital reporting by small private companies: the relative advantage from standardisation benefits, the company's technology competence and support from top management. We also provide evidence that the complexity of the company's accounting system and technology costs inversely influence this voluntary adoption. The study contributes to the emerging literature by expanding our understanding of how the standardisation of financial information flows benefits small private companies. The results should be of interest to small companies and their accountants, regulators in the UK and other jurisdictions planning digital reporting initiatives or seeking to reduce administrative burdens on smaller entities.     

上市公司内部控制、公司治理和内部审计的互动关系

一、内部控制、公司治理和内部审计的内涵(一)内部控制内部控制是现代企业必不可少的一种有效管理手段。作为企业的一种自律行为,内部控制制度是为防范风险、完成各项既定工作目标,对企业内部各职能部门及人员的业务活动进行风险控制、制度管理、相互制约     

基于审计服务需求传递机制视角的上市公司审计委托权定位再思考

本文基于审计服务需求传递机制的视角,提出了对上市公司审计委托权进行科学校正的新思路.本文首先引入审计服务的需求传递机制,分析了影响其有效性的主要因素,并以此为主线对现行审计委托模式存在的问题进行分析,指出审计服务委托权的定位问题实质上就是如何进行恰当的制度安排,使得审计需求传递机制有效运行的问题.在此基础之上,提出一种新的代理需求者--外部审计委员会,通过恰当的制度安排,使得由它作为审计委托方具备了科学性和可行性.