• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
• /
• 제7권4호
• /
• pp.41-50
• /
• 2020

The paper aims to investigate auditors, auditing firms and other external factors that affect quality of information technology audit in Vietnam. We conducted 2 types of data collections including direct and on survey. For direct survey, we sent directly to auditors at the training classes organized by State Securities Exchanges Commission. An online survey was established and Google doc link was provided to the Big4 and non-Big4 auditors. We received 138 survey responses in that 90 auditors came from Big4 and 48 auditors from non-Big4 firms. The data are analyzed using a factor analysis and compare means approaches to illustrate the potential IT audit quality factors and identify differences between two groups of auditors. The results show that independence and accounting knowledge and audit skills are the most important factors. And since external auditors perform many assurance services, the independence is critical. The result also shows that the auditors need to have enough competent and professional skills when conducting an audit, especially within an IT environment that requires high quality. The findings suggest a similar pattern of two groups in the context of Vietnam and some factors of auditors and auditing firms appear to have a statistically significant impact on quality of IT audit.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
• /
• 제9권4호
• /
• pp.251-259
• /
• 2022

This study investigates the impact of ownership structures and audit quality on carbon emission disclosure. It also examines how audit quality affects the relationship between ownership structures and carbon emission disclosure. This research includes 106 standalone sustainability reports from non-financial companies that were listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) between 2015 and 2018. Our findings show that family and concentrated ownerships convey less information about carbon emissions. Our results fail to demonstrate that disclosure of carbon emissions could be a corporation's approach to respond to stakeholder pressure and public visibility and to provide legitimacy for its existence. We also find a positive and significant association between high-quality (Big4) auditors and carbon emission performance. Our further result suggests that Big4 auditors seem to compromise their high standard quality on auditing family and concentrated ownership firms. They fail to influence their family and concentrated ownership clients to be socially responsible. Policymakers should support the existence of Big4 auditors as a driver of carbon emission performance. Top management should be proactive to tackle carbon emission issues by adopting stakeholder-driven mechanisms and establishing legitimacy with society. Nevertheless, the involvement of family and highly concentrated shareholders in decision-making processes and information disclosure should not be encouraged.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
• /
• 제6권2호
• /
• pp.45-54
• /
• 2019

This study examines whether auditors restrain the analysts' opportunistic behavior as reviewing the companies' interim reports. Analysts' forecasts show a walkdown pattern in which their optimism has decreased as the earnings announcement date has approached. At the beginning of the year, there is a lack of high-quality benchmark information that enables information users to judge the accuracy of analyst's earnings forecasts. Thus, early in the year, analysts are highly inspired to disseminate optimistic forecasts in order to gain manager's favor. In this study, we examine adequate benchmarks prevent analysts from disclosing optimistically biased forecasts. We conjecture that auditors' efforts might mitigate analysts' walkdown pattern. To test this hypothesis, we use data from Korea, where it is mandatory to disclose auditor's review hours. We find that the analyst forecast's walkdown decreases with the ratio as well as the number of audit hours. It implies that an auditor's effort in reviewing interim financial information has a monitoring function that reduces analysts' opportunistic optimism at the beginning of the year. We conjecture that the tendency will be more pronounced when BIG4 auditors review the interim reports. Consistent with the prediction, BIG4 auditors' interim review effort is more effective in suppressing the analysts' walkdown.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
• /
• 제7권2호
• /
• pp.89-97
• /
• 2020

This study was conducted to examine how independent audit firms in Vietnam understand and use risk based audit approach (RBAA) in audit practice. To answer the research questions, the researchers used primary and secondary data collected from 2018 to 2019. The results from the interview survey showed that audit firms were aware of the advantages of adopting RBAA. However, RBAA is practiced to a moderate extent by audit firms in Vietnam. Big 4 audit firms use RBAA more popularly than Non-Big 4 audit firms. The causes of the difference are the disadvantages of adopting RBAA and client's characteristics such as relevant guideline, audit fees, auditors' knowledge and experience. Besides, the study investigated factors impacting on the RBAA adoption by distributing a questionnaire to 246 auditors of 126 audit firms in Vietnam. A set of statistical appropriate methods where used through SPSS software version 22.0. The results indicated that there were six factors influencing RBAA adoption including: Auditor's ability, Technological development, Audit fees, auditors' motivation, Audit time and client's risk. Of which, auditor's ability and technological development are factors that have the most significant and positive impacts on the adoption of RBAA. Additional implications were argued in the final section of this study.

• 산경연구논집
• /
• 제12권8호
• /
• pp.7-19
• /
• 2021

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate (1) whether the interviewed auditors conduct higher quality audit than the non-interviewed auditors and (2) whether the frequency of audit engagement interviews has an impact on audit quality. Research design, data, and methodology: Using a sample of Chinese A-share listed firms between 2011 and 2019, this paper empirically tests the effect of audit engagement interviews on auditor's behavior. We collect the data of audit engagement interviews on the CICPA's website. We use OLS regression, fixed-effect model and random-effect model to examine the association between audit engagement interviews and audit quality. Results: Findings indicate that the audit quality of the interviewed auditors is significantly greater than that of the non-interviewed auditors. The frequency of the audit engagement interviews is positively associated with audit quality. The interviewed auditors spend significantly more time on the audit. Furthermore, the positive association between audit engagement interviews and audit quality only exists in non-Big 4 auditors. Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence for the effectiveness of audit regulation enforcement. The results suggest that in an emerging market with weak legal systems, preventive regulations such as audit interviews have a deterrent effect and are necessary in alleviating information asymmetry and improving information environment.

• 아태비즈니스연구
• /
• 제12권3호
• /
• pp.193-212
• /
• 2021

Purpose - This study investigates the effect of auditor change on client firm's accounting (financial statement) comparability. Design/methodology/approach - The comparability of accounting information is measured by the difference in accruals between the two firms. Additionally, the study uses earnings-stock return relationship as another proxy of accounting comparability. In particular, the paper examines whether there is a systematic difference between initial audit years and the other years with respect to the client firm's accounting comparability. Moreover, current study tests how changes in auditor size or industry expertise before and after the switch of auditors affect the accounting comparability. Findings - The results show that the level of accounting comparability is lower in the year of auditor change than in the other years. Furthermore, this lower level of comparability is derived by the observations that switch their auditors from non-Big4 to non-Big4 or from non-specialist to non-specialist. These results are consistent when accounting comparability is measured by different proxies. Research implications or Originality - The findings of this study provide important policy implications for the regulations related with auditor selection.

• 유통과학연구
• /
• 제15권8호
• /
• pp.47-54
• /
• 2017

Purpose - According to agency theory, managers have incentives to adjust firm revenues to meet earnings expectations or delay bad news disclosure because of performance-based compensation and their reputation in the market. When the bad news accumulates, stock prices fail to reflect all available information. Thus, market prices of stocks are higher than their intrinsic value. After all, bad news crosses the tipping point, it comes out all at once. That results in stock crashes. Auditors can decrease stock crash risk by reducing agency costs through their informational role. Especially, stock price crash risk is expected to be lower for firms adopting high-quality audits. We focus on distribution and service industry to examine the relation between audit quality and stock price crash risk. Industry specialization and auditor size are used as proxies for auditor quality. Research design, data and methodology - Our sample contains distribution and service industry firms listed in KOSPI and KOSDAQ during a period of 2004-2011. We use a logistic regression to test whether auditor quality influences crash risk. Auditor quality was measured by industry specialist auditor and Big4 / non-Big4 dichotomy. Following the approach in prior researches, we use firm-specific weekly returns to measure crash risk. Firms experiencing at least one stock price crash in a specific week during year are classified as the high risk group. Results - The result of analyzing 429 companies in distribution and service industry is summarized as follows: Above all, it is shown that higher audit quality has a significant negative(-) effect on the crash risk. Crash risk is alleviated for firms audited by industry specialist auditors and Big 4 audit firms. Therefore, our results show that hypotheses are supported. Conclusions - This study is very meaningful as the first study which investigated the effects of high audit quality on stock price crash risk. We provide evidence that high-quality auditors reduce stock price crash risk. Our finding implies that the risk of extreme losses can be reduced through screening of high-quality auditors. Therefore investors and regulators may utilize our findings in their investment and rule making decisions.

• Journal of East Asia Management
• /
• 제4권1호
• /
• pp.23-51
• /
• 2023

We investigate whether the association between management overconfident tone and the level of audit effort measured by audit fees and hours differs depending on the level of earnings management. Prior studies suggest that firms led by overconfident managers are likely to initiate risky investments, report low quality financial statements, and have material weaknesses in internal control system. These characteristics, combined together, result in higher audit risk. At the same time, auditors assess audit risk based on the quality of financial reporting, measured by level of earnings management. As a result, the assess audit risk is likely to reflect the combined effect of management overconfidence and the level of earnings management. In this paper, we investigate whether auditors differentiate the effects of real earnings management (REM) and accrual-based earnings management (AEM) when they assess the audit risk related management overconfident. Using the CEO's letter published in 2018, we measure the CEO's tone representing the degree of overconfidence (i.e., activity). Based on this measure, we find that the positive association between managerial overconfident tone and audit effort is more pronounced as the level of REM is higher. However, we find that the baseline association does not vary depending on the level of AEM. These results suggest that auditors consider the managerial overconfident severer when such characteristic accompany the higher level of REM, which can be outcome of aggressive business decisions possibly leading to the higher audit risks. We further find that these results are stronger for Big 4 auditors and continuing auditors. This paper contributes to the literature and practice as follows. First, we provide contextual evidence on how auditors reflect managerial characteristics in the audit process by documenting that auditors actively increase their audit efforts only when overconfident managerial characteristics are highly likely to lead to audit risk. This result suggests that auditors conduct external auditing considering both the efficiency and effectiveness of the audit process. Second, we suggest that auditors use information obtained from a wide range of sources to identify audit risks. Our results provide evidence of how the auditing standards, which do not provide detailed guidelines for audit risk assessment, are being applied in practice. Finally, our results also enhance the understanding of how audit fees are determined. Combined with the studies related to audit pricing, we provide the important reference for discussion between the auditor and the auditee about the audit fee that has created acute tension after the enforcement of the new External Audit Act.

• 한국융합학회논문지
• /
• 제10권6호
• /
• pp.203-218
• /
• 2019

본 연구는 2011년 6월말 현재 금융감독원의 감독대상이 되는 104개의 상호저축은행을 표본으로 하여, 상호저축은행의 구조조정이 본격화된 2011년 전 후의 BIS자기자본비율 비교를 통하여 상호저축은행이 인위적으로 BIS자기자본비율을 유지 조정하기 위하여 어떤 수단을 사용하여 왔는지를 검증하였다. 실증분석 결과, 상호저축은행은 BIS자기자본비율 조정을 위해 주로 대손충당금을 사용하여 왔음을 확인할 수 있었다. 또한, 대손충당금을 이용한 상호저축은행의 BIS자기자본비율 조정은 특히 2011년 6월말 현재 영업정지 중인 상호저축은행에서 좀 더 유의적으로 이루어졌음을 발견하였다. 마지막으로 외부감사인의 역할과 관련하여 예상과는 달리 Non-Big 4 감사인 뿐만 아니라 Big 4 감사인도 상호저축은행의 인위적인 BIS자기자본비율 조정을 효과적으로 감시하지 못하였음을 발견하였다.

• 산업융합연구
• /
• 제21권4호
• /
• pp.65-72
• /
• 2023

본 연구는 최근에 시행된 주기적 감사인지정제의 주기적으로 지정된 감사인이 감사품질에 어떠한 영향을 미치는 지 검증하고자 한다. 본 연구에선 선행연구를 검토하여 가설을 설정하고, 코스피상장기업을 대상으로 2019년과 2020년의 980개의 표본을 선정하였다. 종속변수로는 Dechow & Dichev(2002)의 발생액의 질을 사용하였으며, 주기적 감사인 지정 기업 여부와 Big4 감사인 여부에 따른 영향을 실증분석한다. 분석결과, 상관관계분석결과에서 종속변수 발생액의 질과 독립변수지정 감사인 여부(PA)는 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 확인되었다. 그러나 회귀분석모형 1의 분석결과, 지정 감사인 여부는 유의하지 않은 것으로 나타났지만 통제변수들에서는 유의한 차이가 있는 것으로 확인되었다. 그리고 추가적인 분석에서 Big 4 감사인에 따른 감사품질의 차이를 확인할 수 있었다. 본 연구는 실증자료를 사용하여 2019년과 2020년의 도입된 시점 이후의 주기적 지정 감사인 기업의 선정과 감사품질의 영향을 연구한 연구라는 데 그 의의가 있다. 정부의 지정기업 비공개로 인하여 본 연구자의 공시된 선정기준에 의한 선정과는 차이가 있을 수도 있다는 한계가 있다.