The results of this study have implications for regulatory agencies and standard-setting bodies. As regulators contemplate whether to mandate IFRS and standard setters determine the level of implementation guidance for new standards, the litigation consequences of standard precision are an important consideration. Further, these results highlight the importance of regulators developing ways for jurors to evaluate audit judgments under imprecise standards, especially in industries and areas without precise industry reporting norms. Prior discussion on this issue has focused on how professional judgment frameworks are necessary to protect auditors and their clients from second guessing. This study suggests that judgments frameworks, if effective, may help protect auditors who make conservative judgments and also help hold auditors accountable for overly aggressive judgments.
Kadous, K., and M. Mercer. 2016. Are Juries More Likely to Second-Guess Auditors Under Imprecise Accounting Standards? Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory 35 (2): 101-117.
The consequences of mandatory rotation appear to be (1) higher audit fees, and (2) lower-quality audited earnings following rotation (which is consistent with the evidence in non-mandatory settings). The authors conclude with some conjectures on how the negative effects of mandatory rotation observed in Italy might be even greater in countries with larger audit markets and larger clients, such as the United States and other European Union countries, which should give regulators pause. Another unintended consequence of mandatory rotation in the United States would be to reduce an audit firm’s industry expertise. A rotation rule in the United States and other large economies could disrupt the market and fundamentally change the way accounting firms are organized for the delivery of audits.
Cameran, M., Francis, J. R., Marra, A., & Pettinicchio, A. 2015. Are There Adverse Consequences of Mandatory Auditor Rotation? Evidence from the Italian Experience. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory 34 (1): 1-24.
There are numerous factors that go into a firm’s decision to cross-list on foreign stock exchanges. One factor firms should consider regarding entrance into the U.S. stock exchange is an increase in audit fees. The evidence from this study indicates this increase can be traced back to costs from the legal environment and increased audit effort.
Bronson, Scott N., A. Ghosh, and C. E. Hogan. 2017. “Audit Fee Differential, Audit Effort, and Litigation risk: An Examination of ADR Firms”. Contemporary Accounting Research 34.1 (2017): 83.
http://commons.aaahq.org/groups/e5075f0eec/summary
This study provides the first evidence using U.S. data on the relationships between audit planning and pricing and audit partner tenure. Importantly, the results speak to the requirement in SOX Section 203 that audit partners on public clients rotate every five years. The second set of results concerns changes in auditor risk responsiveness during the period 2002 to 2003. Because there are very few longitudinal studies of engagement effort that feature a consistent sample of clients over time, this study contributes to understanding of changes in audit firms’ risk responsiveness.
Bedard, J. C., and K. M. Johnstone. 2010. Audit Partner Tenure and Audit Planning and Pricing. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory 29 (2): 45-70.
The results of this study are limited to the debate concerning individual audit partner rotation and do not support the argument for, or negate the prior studies that examine, audit firm rotation. Combining the results of this study with the prior studies suggests that audit firms develop, over time, client and industry-specific knowledge that increases their ability to provide quality audits, and if quality control procedures within the firm are adequate (such as might be expected at a Big 6 firm), then rotating audit partners periodically helps maintain the auditor’s independence and objectivity while minimizing the loss of client-specific knowledge and rtise.
Carey, P. and R. Simnett 2006. Audit Partner Tenure and Audit Quality. The Accounting Review 81 (3): 653-676.
There are two points of this essay. First, the auditing community can benefit from a more expansive view of auditing without borders, one that considers the commonalities of financial statement audits with other certification practices. Auditors and academics can both learn from and potentially contribute to other research literatures. At the same time, context is also important. That is, the community also needs to examine closely the specific contexts in which auditing and other certification practices take place. In particular the author conjectures that a major cause of the variation in audit quality (and perhaps the quality of other 3rd party certifications as well) is the specific institutional and cultural setting of a particular certification practice, and the effects that these have on the incentives and behavior of certification experts. Very little is known about these contextual effects, even for financial statement audits.
Francis, J. R. 2011. Auditing Without Borders. Accounting, Organizations & Society 36 (4/5): 318-323.
The authors’ results may be of interest to policy makers for two important reasons. First, regulatory discussions on mandatory audit firm rotation could have implications for the cost and quality of auditing if a client is forced to switch from a compatible auditor to one that is less compatible. Second, proposals to expand the auditor’s reporting responsibilities might mitigate the loss of audit quality when similarity arises in unaudited disclosures.
Brown, S. V. and W. R. Knechel. 2016. Auditor-Client Compatibility and Audit Firm Selection. Journal of Accounting Research 54 (3): 725-775.
The study provides helpful insight on auditing and financial reporting public policy issues and initiatives. The report focuses on the roles of the SEC and PCAOB in the setting of standards, convergence of standards, and the formation of a new public oversight regulating body. The author provides her personal perspective on the complications and thought processes behind many of the tasks taken on by the SEC from 2006 - 2008.
For more information on this study, please contact Zoe-Vonna Palmrose (zv.palmrose@marshall.usc.edu).
Palmrose, Z.-V. 2010. 2010. Balancing the Costs and Benefits of Auditing and Financial Reporting Regulation Post-SOX, Part II: Perspectives from the Nexus at the SEC. Accounting Horizons 24 (3):487-507.
The results of this study are important to understanding the potential benefits of joint engagement partner audits compared to single-partner audits. The results of this study identify an association between the type of partner audit (joint vs. single) and audit quality and audit fees. As regulators consider the association between joint audits and audit quality, the results of this study suggest there are benefits to joint-partner audits, particularly when the partners are located in the same office. Compared to single-partner audits, joint-partner audits are associated with higher audit quality. Compared to joint audit firms, joint-partner audits appear to provide the same benefits without the increased cost.
Ittonen, K., and P. C. Trønnes. 2015. Benefits and costs of appointing joint audit engagement partners. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory 34 (3): 23-46.
The results of this study are important for audit firms to prepare for the adoption of IFRS and/or less precise standards under U.S. GAAP. The results indicate that a move to less precise standards will not necessarily result in more verdicts against auditors. There is only one condition in which an imprecise standard leads juries to return more verdicts against the auditor: when the client’s reporting complies with the precise standard and is inconsistent with the industry reporting norm. The results suggest that auditors can reduce this liability by ensuring that their client’s reporting is consistent with industry reporting norm.
For more information on this study, please contact Kathryn Kadous.
Kadous, K., and M. Mercer. 2012. Can Reporting Norms Create a Safe Harbor? Jury Verdicts against Auditors under Precise and Imprecise Accounting Standards. The Accounting Review 87 (2):565-587.