Do corporate governance mechanisms affect cash dividends? An empirical investigation of UK firms

The study examines whether corporate governance mechanisms and the compliance with good governance practice are related to cash dividends. In particular, the study assesses the effect of institutional ownership and board structure on the decision to pay cash dividends. A study on UK firms is interesting because firms are expected to voluntarily structure governance mechanisms based on their own needs. We find that institutional owners positively affect cash dividend payments, suggesting that UK institutions are effective in forcing firms to disgorge cash. There is limited evidence that independent directors affect the cash dividends. The results also show that firm specifics affect the cash dividends, namely, business risk, firm size, and leverage ratio. The results are consistent across several robustness checks.     

Audit report information content and the provision of non-audit services: Evidence from Spanish lending decisions

This study examines whether auditor economic independence affects the information content of going concern audit reports in the European setting. We conduct an experiment where 80 experienced Spanish loan officers from the second largest European commercial bank review a loan request under two lending scenarios: (1) a potential borrower receiving an unqualified but modified going concern opinion, and (2) a potential borrower receiving a qualified going concern opinion. Auditor economic independence, measured by the provision of non-audit services (NAS), is manipulated (absence vs. presence of significant NAS). We find that a qualified going concern audit report is interpreted as a primary warning signal (death penalty). However, the provision of NAS acts as a second order mechanism that only activates loan officers’ professional skepticism in the case of an unqualified but modified going concern report scenario. Therefore, we find evidence suggesting that the potential negative impact of a perceived lack of auditor independence depends on the nature of the audit report. Our findings have important implications for the European regulator, which is currently considering establishing an auditor independence regulation framework similar to that in the United States of America.     

基于VAR模型的我国外汇储备、货币供应量与信贷规模关系研究

1994年外汇管理体制改革以来我国外汇储备持续增长,已成为世界上外汇储备最多的国家。巨额外汇储备使得货币供应量增加,银行信贷规模不断扩大。结合2006年至2013年季度数据,基于VAR模型运用协整方法探讨我国外汇储备、货币供应量及银行信贷规模的关系,并通过脉冲响应和方差分解予以进一步分析。结果表明,三变量之间存在长期稳定的均衡关系,外汇储备的增长促进货币供应量的增加,而货币供应量的增加又进一步推动了银行信贷规模的扩张。最后,基于以上分析提出相关对策建议。     

中国共产党领导下的早期审计制度（1921—1927年）：动因分析、路径选择与经验启示

中国共产党对审计制度的早期探索,在内因上是基于马克思主义政党本质属性驱动下的必然选择,具有丰富的理论基础和清晰的理论发展脉络;在外因上受到当时政治经济环境的深刻影响,特别是经济环境的差异直接推动了审计制度探索路径的多元化。这一时期,审计制度探索形成了一定的历史经验和规律性认识：在目标定位上,审计始终坚持党的集中统一领导,紧紧围绕党的中心任务开展经济监督;在运行机制上,较早形成了审计独立和审计公开理念,探索审计机构与财政机构分离设置,在一定范围内公开审计结果;在作用功能上,较早发挥了审计反腐功能,有意识地通过审计监督揭示重大贪腐案件;在方式方法上,以账目检查为主,并出现了事前预算审核、事后收支账目检查、集中清查彻查、定期报送检查等多种审计方法。     

转移支付优化审计策略研究——以事权和支出责任相适应改革为背景

中央与地方财权与事权的不对称使转移支付制度成为实现地方政府财力与事权匹配的基本手段,以弥补政府间纵向财政失衡和横向财政失衡。但目前我国财政转移支付因体制的诱致性变迁、设计理念缺陷、事权与支出责任分离等原因,存在效能不彰、运行效率漏损、结构不合理、规范性水平低、程序规制失范等问题。在全面深化财税体制改革下,国家审计机关可以发挥＆quot;免疫系统＆quot;功能和国家治理作用,对转移支付从审计内容、审计导向、资金流向等方面提升审计层次,把问效、问绩、问责贯穿转移支付审计过程始终,关注转移支付资金的安全性、效率性、经济性,实现政府支出责任随事权转移、各级政府财力与事权相匹配,优化转移支付,完善政府治理。     

政府绩效审计“阶梯型”评价模式的构建与应用——以BRT公共交通投资项目为例

构建一套政府公共交通投资项目绩效审计评价模式是提高政府公共交通投资项目绩效审计效率和审计质量的关键,然而目前业界尚未对此形成统一认识。论文基于平衡计分卡理论从资源配置、职能行使、潜力发挥和贡献效益四个维度,构建了“阶梯形”政府公共交通投资项目绩效审计评价模式,并通过模糊评价对某市BRT项目调研数据对该模式进行了验证。     

The association between audit committee effectiveness and audit risk

Audit committees (ACs) are expected to play a key role in improving financial statement integrity and as a consequence reduce audit risk. Companies reporting conformity with regulations can have an AC that appears effective but is not actually effective in substance. We surveyed audit partners and managers to identify their indicators of actual AC effectiveness (auditor‐chosen list). We hypothesize a negative association between AC effectiveness and audit risk, only when an auditor‐chosen list, rather than extent of conformity with regulations, is used to measure effectiveness. Results support our expectations.     

Audit committee performance: ownership vs.independence – Did SOX get it wrong?

This study documents a positive relationship between audit committee stock ownership and firm performance in large US firms from 1998 to 2008. This study also finds a positive relationship between changes in ownership and performance. These results persist throughout the sample period, do not weaken after Sarbanes–Oxley and are robust to controlling for endogeneity between ownership and performance. After testing shows that there is no relationship between audit committee independence and firm performance, these findings suggest that audit committee stock ownership is an important corporate governance mechanism and potentially a more relevant variable than audit committee independence from a policy perspective.     

Audit opinion and earnings management: Evidence from Greece

This study examines the relationship between audit opinions and earnings management, as measured by discretionary accruals, for listed firms on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE). We divide the qualified audit opinions into two categories: qualified for the going-concern uncertainty and qualified for other reasons. The results indicate that audit opinions are not related to earnings management. Client financial characteristics, such as profitability and size are determinants of the going-concern audit opinion decision. The decision of auditors to issue qualified opinions for other reasons is explained by the type of audit opinion issued in the previous year.     

The sales recovery audit: Learning to walk the talk

Little research attention has been devoted to the impact of salesperson failure and recovery management on customer relationship development. This paper develops a theoretically anchored and externally validated sales recovery audit for the purpose of assessing sales organization performance in these matters. Results based on a survey of 177 sales managers indicate that practice of sales recovery efforts lags behind their perceived importance as they relate to organizational success. The sales recovery audit presented here can be a useful tool to continuously evaluate and enhance sales recovery efforts for the purpose of building a stronger relationship selling organization.