An Evolutionary Perspective on Audit Committee Effectiveness

Abstract

In the wake of the report of the Cadbury Committee on Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance, most major public companies in the UK now have an audit committee in place. However, commentators have noted that the establishment of an audit committee does not guarantee its effectiveness and it is pertinent to the continuing corporate governance debate to consider how such effectiveness may be assessed. This paper reports on a study which examines audit committee activities through interviews with audit committee chairs, finance directors and internal and external auditors. The study identifies influences on the development and activities of audit committees which have not previously been researched in any detail: these include the reasons for audit committee establishment, the timing and conduct of meetings, and communication between participants. The paper argues that audit committee effectiveness should be evaluated from a perspective which acknowledges these influences and recognises the continuing development of the audit committee role over time.