超额商誉是否引起审计关注? ——基于关键审计事项披露的研究视角

近年来,超额商誉对公司价值及经营业绩的负面影响引起各界广泛关注,其中不乏学者对超额商誉的潜在风险进行研究,但是基于新审计准则视角的研究较少.对此,本文以2017—2019年沪深A股上市公司为研究样本,实证检验了超额商誉对关键审计事项披露的影响.研究发现:超额商誉会提高审计师对关键审计事项的披露数量和应对质量;经营风险和审计风险是超额商誉影响关键审计事项披露的重要渠道.进一步研究发现,关键审计事项的披露程度对公司管理层的盈余操纵具有一定的抑制作用.     

高管晋升激励、审计定价与审计延迟

职位晋升带来的利益差距在激励高管努力工作的同时,也可能诱发高管自利性动机,带来激励负效应。基于此,本文利用2010—2019年中国非金融类A股上市公司的数据,实证检验高管晋升激励对审计定价及审计延迟的影响。研究发现,高管晋升激励与审计定价、审计延迟均呈显著正相关关系,审计定价的提高源于审计投入的增加和风险溢价的收取。进一步研究发现,高管晋升激励与审计费用的相关性在CEO变更频繁时更为明显,此时审计师会进一步收取风险溢价以增加审计费用;产权细分为中央企业和地方国有企业时,高管薪酬激励与审计定价、审计延迟之间的关系差异显著;代理成本在高管晋升激励与审计定价之间发挥部分中介作用。上述结论不仅丰富了高管晋升激励与审计师定价行为的文献研究,而且有助于进一步了解高管晋升激励对审计定价的影响机理。     

高管审计背景、盈余管理与异常审计收费

利用2004~2012年中国A股上市公司财务数据,考察高管审计背景对公司盈余管理行为和审计定价决策的影响。研究中,将高管审计背景分为高管审计经历与事务所关联两个维度。研究发现,高管具有审计背景的公司为了实现较低风险水平下的私有收益最大化,有从应计盈余管理转向实施真实盈余管理的倾向,事务所可能采取的策略是增加额外的审计收费以弥补过高的审计风险,而"校友效应"却使事务所显著减少该类公司的审计收费。研究表明,高管审计背景可能会导致公司财务报告信息质量下降、审计风险上升,证实了其对公司财务报告信息质量及事务所审计质量的不利影响。本研究为加强对高管审计背景公司的监管及完善审计师跳槽的"冷却期"政策提供经验证据。     

超额商誉与信息披露违规北大核心CSSCI

近年来,并购交易引发的商誉泡沫现象已成为我国A股市场的重大风险要素之一,引起了各界的广泛关注。本文以2007—2020年沪深A股上市公司为样本,从公司信息披露违规的角度切入,探究超额商誉引发的负面效应。研究发现,超额商誉规模越大,上市公司的信息披露违规倾向和频率越高;机制检验表明,经营风险、代理成本和融资约束是超额商誉触发信息披露违规的传导路径;针对治理对策的进一步研究发现,在独立董事规模较小、非经四大会计师事务所审计的情形下,超额商誉触发信息披露违规的现象更明显;异质性分析发现,超额商誉触发信息披露违规的现象在民营企业以及市场化程度较高的地区更为明显。本文结论丰富了商誉以及企业违规领域的研究,对监管机构、投资者以及上市公司正确认识超额商誉的经济后果具有启示意义。     

高管超额薪酬能提升企业研发投入吗？

以2010-2021年沪深A股所有上市公司作为研究样本,检验企业高管超额薪酬与企业研发投入的关系,以及风险承担对二者间的中介作用。实证结果表明,我国上市公司高管超额薪酬与企业研发投入呈显著的正相关关系,符合高管薪酬的有效契约理论,并发现受到超额薪酬激励的管理者会弱化其风险规避行为,提升企业研发投入。进一步研究发现,风险承担在技术密集型企业和非国有企业中存在中介作用,在劳动密集型企业、资本密集型企业与国有企业中未发挥中介作用,甚至在部分行业出现遮掩效应。     

高管激励、风险与投资偏好

本文从信息不对称和代理问题出发来研究企业的投资偏好,高管对风险的偏好将影响投资行为,对高管激励组合不同将改变其风险偏好,进而改变其投资偏好以达到优化投资结构,降低代理成本,提高公司价值。     

无实际控制人与超额商誉研究

近年来,无实际控制人企业呈爆发式增长,商誉“爆雷”事件也层出不穷,而无实际控制人的股权特征是否是形成超额商誉的原因之一尚无定论。基于此,本文以2008-2021年沪深A股上市公司为样本,实证检验了无实际控制人与超额商誉之间的关系及其作用机制。研究结果表明：无实际控制人与超额商誉显著正相关。异质性检验发现,在股权制衡度较低、管理层风险偏好程度较高、处于较低的法治水平的企业中,无实际控制人对超额商誉的影响更显著。进一步研究发现,无实际控制人通过强化并购动机、提供寻租机会和操纵并购权力产生更多的超额商誉。     

审计费用的事前确定、异常审计费用与审计质量

实务中,我国部分上市公司年报审计费用采取事前确定方式,也就是在审计工作开展之前的董事会上确定。事前确定审计费用的动机何在,会产生什么样的审计后果?已有国内外文献尚缺乏这方面的研究。本文以2008～2017年全部A股上市公司为样本,通过实证考察审计费用事前确定方式对异常审计费用以及审计质量的影响发现:基于低价揽客或折价维持客户的经济动因,事前确定的审计费用显著偏低。进一步研究表明,在事前确定审计费用方式下,客户的审计质量更低。本文研究丰富和拓展了审计费用及审计质量决定因素的相关文献,同时也为监管机构规范审计费用确定方式提供了经验证据。     

Auditor's Engagement Risk and Audit Fees: The Role of Audit Firm Alumni

Abstract:  This study explores the effect of the association of audit firm alumni with their alma mater on audit prices. The tests indicate that there is a moderate reduction of up to 21% in the level of audit fee when alumni (i.e., former employees) of the incumbent audit firm sit on the client board of directors which is consistent with the engagement risk theory. This suggests that there is an 'alumni effect' in the market for audit services. The findings hold only in the large company segment of the market. The results are robust to different model specifications and alternative samples. The sample comprises all executive and non-executive directors who run the UK quoted companies and are simultaneously ICAEW qualified chartered accountants. The study's implications for the accounting profession and the regulators are also discussed.     

On the Relationship between Audit Tenure and Fees Paid to the Audit Firm and Audit Quality

Abstract

We investigate the impact of audit firm tenure, partner tenure, audit fees, fees for non-audit services and total fees on audit quality, as measured by discretionary accruals. Our sample consists of Spanish non-financial public companies for the years between 2006 and 2013. Results indicate that audit quality increases with audit firm tenure but decreases with partner tenure. Moreover, the level of fees paid to the audit firm seems to have a negative impact on audit quality, which is mainly driven by fees for audit services. In this regard, we do not observe any significant relationship between fees for non-audit services and audit quality. Our results also show that the negative relationship between either long partner tenures or high fees and audit quality does not occur when the tenure with the audit firm is long. Therefore, long audit firm tenures do not only seem to involve higher audit quality ‘per se’, but also moderate the negative effects of partner tenure and audit fees on audit quality. The results of this study, which are robust to several sensitivity checks, may be relevant for the current debate on auditor rotation and the joint provision of audit and non-audit services.     

Auditor–Provided Consultancy Services and their Associations with Audit Fees and Audit Opinions

This study examines the relationships between non–audit services fees (consultancy fees) paid to auditors and (1) audit fees, and (2) the occurrence of qualified audit opinions. The positive association between consultancy fees and audit fees is shown to be due to certain company specific events that generate a demand for consultancy services as well as requiring additional audit effort. Identified company specific events are mergers and acquisitions, new share issues, new accounting and information systems, new CEOs, and corporate restructurings. When these events are absent, there is no statistically significant relationship between audit fees and consultancy fees after controlling for company size. Companies that have relatively high consultancy fees are more likely to receive a clean audit opinion. This may be due to the non–audit work clearing up problem areas at the client company or it may be due to high consultancy fees impairing auditor independence. With the available data it is not possible to distinguish between these two reasons.     

Audit Fees, Non-Audit Fees and Auditor Going-Concern Reporting Decisions in the United Kingdom

The accounting profession has come under increased scrutiny over recent years about the growing number of non-audit fees received from audit clients and the possible negative impact of such fees on auditor independence. The argument advanced is that providing substantial amounts of non-audit services to clients may make it more likely that auditors concede to the wishes of the client management when difficult judgments are made. Such concerns are particularly salient in the case of reporting decisions related to going-concern uncertainties for financially stressed clients.
 This study empirically examines audit reports provided to financially stressed companies in the United Kingdom and the magnitude of audit and non-audit service fees paid to the company's auditors. We find that the magnitude of both audit fees and non-audit fees are significantly associated with the issuance of a going-concern modified audit opinion. In particular, financially stressed companies with high audit fees are more likely to receive a going-concern modified audit opinion, whereas companies with high non-audit fees are less likely to receive a going-concern modified audit opinion. Additional analyses indicate that the results are generally robust across alternative model and variable specifications. Overall, evidence supports the contention that high non-audit fees have a detrimental effect on going-concern reporting judgments for financially stressed U.K. companies.     

数字化转型对审计费用的影响研究——基于企业商誉的中介效应

依据2010—2022年中国A股创业板上市公司数据,运用多元线性回归模型探究数字化转型对审计费用的影响。结果显示,企业数字化转型进程与审计费用的增加呈正相关关系,这一关系在重污染行业尤为显著。进一步分析表明,商誉在企业数字化转型对审计费用的提升过程中具有中介效应。鉴于此,企业应加强精细化审计成本预见性与规划性,全面考虑数字化投资与审计成本之间的平衡,适时调整审计策略与资源配置,监管层需适时调整审计行业规则应对数字化转型。     

The Effect of Corporate Status on External Audit Fees: Evidence From the UK

Abstract:  This paper simultaneously examines, for the first time, the determinants of external audit fees of UK companies drawn from the quoted sector (Main Market, the Alternative Investment Market and Ofex), and the unquoted sector (public and private limited companies). The paper also provides new evidence on the effects of corporate failure and the persistence of the big four and mid-tier auditor premiums across the public and private corporate sectors. After controlling for firm size, audit risk and complexity, we find that quoted and unquoted public limited companies have significantly higher audit fees than their private limited counterparts. Our estimates imply that relative premiums for market/corporate form are as follows: Main Market over AIM, 6.8%; AIM over Ofex, 19.5%; Ofex over unquoted plc, 15.5%; and unquoted plc over private, 16.7%. However, despite indications in prior US research to the contrary, we find no evidence that insolvent firms that failed were charged higher audit fees in the year preceding failure. A positive relationship is also found between audit and consultancy fees – a result that persists using an instrumental variables approach to control for endogeneity.     

The Provision of Non-audit Services and the Pricing of Audit Fees

There have been a number of studies examining audit fees and this research has covered various nations. Recent legislation in Norway requires a company to disclose information on the audit fee and the fees for non-audit services paid to its auditor. Using this data, models of audit fee structure are developed. As with other studies, the size of the company is a major determinant of the audit fee. Payments for non-audit services are positively and significantly associated with audit fees; this relationship is difficult to explain although it parallels some research in the United States. Overall, the models explain about 75 per cent of the variability in audit fees.     

对外直接投资、控制风险与上市公司审计费用

本文在国家实施"走出去"战略的背景下,研究企业对外直接投资对审计费用的影响。研究以2007~2018年我国A股上市公司为样本,发现进行对外直接投资的企业,审计费用显著高于没有对外直接投资的企业,说明审计师能够识别因企业对外直接投资导致的审计风险的上升和审计成本的增加,并通过增加审计费用的方式予以补偿;且此差异不因产权性质和企业所在地市场化水平而异;采用改变样本量、PSM及多时点DID等进行稳健性检验后,研究结论保持不变。进一步分析发现,如果企业内部控制质量较高,控制风险水平较低,则对外直接投资与审计费用之间的关系会弱化,表明控制风险在对外直接投资与审计费用之间起到调节作用,且此作用仅在非国有控股及市场化水平较高地区的企业中显著。     

国际金融危机、审计费用溢价与审计质量

以2003-2017年我国A股上市公司为样本,考量当企业受到金融危机冲击时,审计费用与审计质量之间关系的变化。研究结果表明,金融危机期间存在审计费用溢价现象,然而更多的收费却伴随着审计质量的下降。研究结论对于在市场危机环境下进行审计风险管控和审计市场的规范具有一定的借鉴意义。