Corporate governance and auditor quality – Malaysian evidence

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to conduct an investigation into the relationship between a firm’s corporate governance mechanisms (audit committee composition and operation, block shareholder, CEO duality, financial state, ownership dominance, political connection, share price, and family control) and auditor quality selection in Malaysia, for periods before and after the introduction of Malaysian Code of Corporate Governance in 2007 (MCCG 2007). Design/methodology/approach 300 companies listed on the Malaysian Stock Exchange from 2006 to 2008 were selected. A Binary regression method was used to analyse the data collected from both annual reports and financial databases. Findings The study has found that in general, MCCG 2007 influenced auditor selection through restructuring of corporate governance tools, such as audit committees and internal audit functions. Research limitations/implications Results have provided evidence that the restructuring of corporate governance may contribute and drive company to enhance the quality of the audit performed by selecting better quality auditor and/or improvising the audit related functions within the company such as formalising internal audit function. This study, however, employed an archival method of study and only used three years (2006, 2007 and 2008) of data analysis. Future research should analyse data from a longer period and utilize a field survey to understand reasons for auditor selection from the company perspective. Originality/value Building on previous studies, this study contributes to the current body of knowledge as it also considers the objective from the perspective of the revised MCCG 2007. It examines whether the introduction of new or revised corporate governance guidelines may immediately impact company auditor selection. Therefore, it compares the auditor quality of the company from pre-MCCG 2007 (2006) and post-MCCG 2007 (2008).