The Journal of Small Business Innovation (기업가정신과 벤처연구)

The Korean Association of Small Business studies (한국중소기업학회)
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Auditor Selection and Earnings Management of KOSDAQ IPO Firms

KOSDAQ 신규상장기업의 상장 후 감사인 선임 의사결정과 회계정보의 품질

  • Lee, Woo Jae (Chungnam National University, College of Economics and Management) ;
  • Choi, Seung Uk (Kyung Hee University, School of Management)
  • 이우재 (충남대학교 경상대학) ;
  • 최승욱 (경희대학교 경영대학 회계.세무학과)
  • Received : 2017.07.29
  • Accepted : 2017.09.10
  • Published : 2017.10.31
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Abstract

There is a serious information asymmetry between internal managers and outside investors in the process during IPOs. One mechanism that mitigates this information asymmetry is a high quality auditor. Since prior research document auditors' effect on newly listed firms at the IPO year, what has not yet been revealed in previous studies is the behavior of firms and auditors after listing. In this study, we investigate (i) the firms tendency of contracting with Big N auditors, and (ii) the effect of Big N auditors on accounting quality after the years of IPOs. Using a sample of 7,678 (1,892 firm-years of after IPOs, and 5,786 control firm-years) KOSDAQ observations between 2002 and 2012, we find that the likelihood of contracting with Big N auditor lasts only for two years after IPO compare to that of non-IPO control years. Secondly, we find that the effect of Big N auditors on clients' earnings management lasts for a very short period after IPO. These findings suggest that although prior literature argue that Big N auditors reduce earnings management of their clients, at least the period right after IPO, it is not consistent. Our study contributes to the existing literature in several ways. First, we provide new evidences of firms' auditor selection decisions by investigating years after the listing. In second, as an evidence of accruals reversal, we document decrease in discretionary accruals after IPOs. Third, we find that there is not always a positive relation between Big N auditor and accounting quality by showing the insignificant Big N auditor effect after IPOs. Our results also suggest several implications to IPO related stakeholders. First, to IPO firms, we provide evidences that decisions of hiring auditors affect firms earnings. Also, lead IPO underwriters may consider how these decisions influence future performance. Second, investors may want to use information not only in the preofferings but also after public offerings. Our study insists that auditor hiring decisions affects their own welfare. Finally, accounting standard setters may find these results useful for evaluating how much discretion they should allow corporate managers to hire auditors. In addition, our result casts doubt on auditor designation.

본 연구는 코스닥시장에 신규상장한 기업들의 상장 후 감사인 선임 의사결정과 회계정보의 품질을 살펴보았다. 선행연구는 신규 상장 시 기업들이 고품질 감사인을 선임하는 것은 유리한 조건으로 상장을 하는데 도움을 주며 시장 투자자들의 반응 역시 호의적임을 밝히고 있다. 본 연구는 이를 확장하여 상장한 이후 기업들이 지속적으로 Big N 감사인을 선임하는지를 조사하였다. 또한 Big N 감사인을 선임한 기업들이 상장 이후 회계정보의 품질이 더 높아지는지를 살펴보았다. 2006년 이후 상장예정기업들은 상장직전연도 혹은 상장연도에 증권선물위원회가 선정한 지정감사인을 선임하도록 의무화되어 있으나, 상장 이후에는 자유선임이 가능하다. 2002년에서 2012년 사이에 코스닥시장에 상장한 기업들을 대상으로 조사한 결과, 상장 후 2년까지는 Big N 김사인을 선임하는 경향이 있었으나, 3년 뒤부터는 이러한 경향이 감소하였다. 또한 Big N 감사인 선임으로 인해 회계정보 품질이 향상되는 기간 역시 상장 후 1년 정도까지였다. 추가분석의 결과, 상장연도에 지정감사인의 고객기업은 자유수임 감사인의 고객기업에 비해 오히려 재량적 발생액이 높았다. 그러나 상장 이후 Big N 감사인으로의 감사인 변경은 재량적 발생액을 줄이는 효과가 있었다. 마지막으로, 본 연구의 주요 분석 결과는 성향점수매칭 표본에서도 유사하였다. 본 연구의 결과는 다음과 같은 공헌점을 갖는다. 우선, IPO 관련 선행연구들이 상장시점 혹은 상장직전의 감사인과 회계정보 품질의 관계를 살펴본 것과 다르게 본 연구는 상장 직후 기간을 살펴봄으로써, 상장기업들이 고품질 감사인과 지속적으로 계약하려는 경향이 있는지를 조사하였다. 또한, 본 연구가 발견한 바와 같이 상장 이후 기업들이 고품질 감사인을 선임하려는 경향이 기간 경과에 따라 감소하고, Big N 감사인들의 감사품질 역시 감소하는 것은 상장사와 주간회사, 신규상장 관련 정책 입안자들 및 시장의 투자자들에게 여러 시사점을 제공하고 있다.

Keywords

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