Audit Quality Research Articles

The Influence Of Audit Fee And Competency On Audit Quality Moderated By Professionalism At Kaps In Indonesia

This research aims to examine and analyze the influence of audit fee and competency on audit quality which is moderated by professionalism at KAP in Indonesia. The type of research applied in this research is a quantitative approach. The selected population was all auditors who worked at KAPs in Indonesia and were registered in the 2023 IAPI Directory. The sample was selected using convenience sampling techniques and obtained 97 respondents. This research uses WarpPLS 8.0 software as a data analysis tool. The research results show that audit fee and competency can influence audit quality at Indonesian KAP. Professionalism can also strengthen the influence of audit fee on audit quality, but cannot moderate the influence of competency on audit quality at KAPs in Indonesia.

Intelligent manufacturing, auditor selection and audit quality

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of intelligent manufacturing on audit quality and its underlying mechanism as well as the variation in this influence across different types of organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis research utilizes a difference-in-differences (DID) method to examine how enterprises that apply intelligent manufacturing choose auditors and impact their audit work. The study is based on 15,228 observations of Chinese-listed A-shares from 2011 to 2020.Findings(1) There is a strong correlation between intelligent manufacturing and audit quality. (2) This positive correlation is statistically significant only in state-owned enterprises (SOEs), those that have steady institutional investors and where the roles of the CEO and chairman are distinct. (3) Enterprises that have implemented intelligent manufacturing are more inclined to employ auditors who possess extensive industry expertise. The auditor's industry expertise plays a crucial role in ensuring audit quality. (4) The adoption of intelligent manufacturing also leads to higher audit fees and longer audit delay periods.Practical implicationsThis paper validates the beneficial impact of intelligent manufacturing on improving corporate governance. In addition, it is recommended that managers prioritize the involvement of skilled auditors with specialized knowledge in the industry to ensure the high audit quality and the transparency of information in intelligent manufacturing enterprises.Originality/valueThis study builds upon previous research that has shown the importance of artificial intelligence in enhancing audit procedures. It contributes to the existing body of knowledge by examining how enterprise intelligent manufacturing systems (IMS) enhance audit quality. Additionally, this study provides valuable information on how to improve audit quality in the field of intelligent manufacturing by strategically selecting auditors based on resource dependency theory.

Heterogeneous Impacts of Corporate Governance and Intellectual Capital on Audit Quality: Evidence from India Employing Quantile Regression Approach

Heterogeneous Impacts of Corporate Governance and Intellectual Capital on Audit Quality: Evidence from India Employing Quantile Regression Approach

An examination of Pacific nations ‘legislatures’ interactions with Supreme Audit Institutions and the impact on audit quality

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report a study of public accountability within the political and economic structures that characterise Pacific nations. The authors examine audit quality with respect to Pacific Island nations’ governmental reporting to investigate ways to improve accountability in a region that is economically and environmentally challenged. Design/methodology/approach The authors examine whether audit quality in Pacific Island nations is associated with the practical arrangements of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs), taking into account external factors. The “practical arrangements” include the independence of a SAI (regarding its staffing and funding) and also the requirement for it to report to the Executive. The financial setting in each jurisdiction has been seen to impact the quality of financial reporting and auditing. The authors examine mediating factors such as income, political stability and education that may also impact audit quality. This study uses publicly available databases as well as jurisdictional annual reports and the associated audit opinions and management letters (where available). Jurisdictional reports on public financial management were also analysed. Findings The authors find that public sector audit quality is low in many Pacific countries, concluding that public accountability is impaired. While the authors recommend changes to the practical arrangements that can improve audit quality, the mediating factors also impact audit quality. They argue that a renewed focus on financial capability could enhance public accountability in these nations, but there are limiting factors that are difficult to overcome. Practical implications There are problems in providing accountability for public sector activities in Pacific nations. The authors suggest that improvements to the appointment and funding of SAIs to enhance their independence will help to reduce these issues. Originality/value The authors present a framework for analysing SAIs’ practical arrangements and audit quality that includes variables that may mediate the effects of these practical arrangements. They apply the model to 20 Pacific jurisdictions, showing that the practical arrangements of a SAI directly impact audit quality. Nevertheless, there are instances where audit quality is poor despite good practical arrangements, implying that mediating factors also play a substantial role in determining audit quality of a SAI.

The Influence Of Financial Performance, Audit Quality, Earnings Management On Tax Avoidance With Capital Intensity As A Moderating Variable

This study aims to analyze and provide empirical evidence on the influence of profitability on tax avoidance; the influence of leverage on tax avoidance; the influence of audit quality and earnings management on tax avoidance; the moderation effect of capital intensity on the relationship between profitability and tax avoidance; the moderation effect of capital intensity on the relationship between leverage and tax avoidance; and the moderation effect of capital intensity on the relationship between audit quality and earnings management with tax avoidance. The research methodology employed is quantitative. Secondary data sources consist of financial reports from companies in the infrastructure sector listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during the period 2020-2022. The population comprises companies in the infrastructure sector, with a sample size of 111 selected using purposive sampling based on specified criteria. The research employs panel data regression analysis, with data processed using Eviews version 12. Partially, the study finds that ROA, leverage, and audit quality significantly influence tax avoidance, while earnings management does not significantly affect tax avoidance. Capital intensity strengthens the influence of ROA and earnings management on tax avoidance, while weakening the influence of leverage and audit quality on tax avoidance.

Common auditor, knowledge transfer and audit quality: international evidence

Purpose Using an international sample of firms affiliated with a business group, this paper aims to investigate the audit quality of common auditors, i.e. auditors shared by multiple firms affiliated with the same business group. Design/methodology/approach This paper utilizes a large sample of group-affiliated firms from 35 regions. Following the frameworks of DeFond and Zhang (2014) and Fung et al. (2017), this paper measures audit quality using the absolute value of abnormal accruals and modified audit opinions. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression is used to address the research question. Findings The findings demonstrate that audit quality improves for firms that share the same auditor with other group members. Importantly, cross-country analyses reveal that this relationship is stronger when auditors operate in countries with stricter local auditor inspection programs and an overall opaque information environment. Additionally, the impact of common auditors on audit quality is more pronounced for group affiliates that have a more opaque firm-level information environment and are monitored by heightened institutional ownership. Practical implications While affiliates are more likely to select the same audit firms as common auditors, the evidence regarding the effects of common auditors is mixed. The results of this study provide further insights into auditor choices for group-affiliated firms and offer a potential avenue for better protecting shareholders' interests. Originality/value The results of this study add to the ongoing debates regarding the costs and benefits of common auditor choice for group affiliates. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that the effects of common auditors may vary in different external environments.

Artificial Intelligence's Impact on the Quality of External Auditor Reports in Saudi Domestic and International Audit Companies

This study investigates how external auditors perceive using artificial intelligence (AI) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It examines how external auditors perceive the impact of artificial intelligence on audit quality. It also seeks to determine whether local and foreign external auditors have different perspectives on AI's application and how it affects audit quality. Data were gathered using a questionnaire distributed to 44 regional and 20 international companies to accomplish research goals. The auditing manager, audit partners, senior auditors, and other staff members with possible accounting and auditing experience were among the participants. SPSS was used to analyze the data; in our analysis, we used descriptive analysis, validity and reliability testing, and data analysis to test our hypotheses. This investigation reveals that the perceived impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on audit quality does not vary significantly between domestic and foreign audit firms. Regarding audit quality, the perceived contributions of all audit firms—local and foreign—are equal. It also adds to the importance of using AI and how it will enhance the quality of firms and reduce any act of fraud. Lastly, it recommends that firms contribute to training employees on using AI to face and compete with the changes and challenges happening around the world.

Auditor Skill Demands and Audit Quality: Evidence from Job Postings

This study empirically examines the relation between audit quality and auditors’ cognitive and social skills. Using a novel data set of online job postings by accounting firms, we document substantial variation in the stated demand for auditors’ cognitive and social skills, suggesting that audit offices are not homogeneous in their preferences for such skills. We find a positive relation between audit quality and the prevalence of cognitive and social skills within an audit office’s job postings. This association is stronger for audit engagements that are more complex or require greater coordination, suggesting that cognitive and social skills are particularly important in engagements where effective communication and knowledge transfer, as well as sound professional judgment and skepticism, are needed. The association is also stronger for audit offices with greater investments in new technology, consistent with the complementary relation between cognitive and social skills and the use of technology. Overall, our study offers empirical evidence linking specific auditor skills to audit quality. This paper was accepted by Suraj Srinivasan, accounting. Funding: C. Ham acknowledges financial support from the Blanche “Peg” Philpott Faculty Fellowship. R. N. Hann acknowledges financial support from KPMG. W. Wang acknowledges the financial support from the Hong Kong Research Grant Council [Grant 11503720]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.01640 .

Auditors’ Trust in Audit Committees and Audit Quality

ABSTRACTIn light of global advancements in corporate governance, it is imperative for external auditors and audit committees to engage in communication and interactions to ensure that external audits are conducted to a high standard and quality. While many studies report that audit committee expertise, diligence, and independence are associated with monitoring, often they do not provide explanation of the mechanisms through which these happen. There is limited research on how external auditors’ trust in audit committees affects their interactions and therefore audit quality. This paper examines external auditors’ trust and their interactions with audit committees. We find that external auditors’ perceptions of audit committee members’ competence, goodwill, and integrity shape their trust in audit committees. Overall, our findings suggest that auditors’ trust in audit committees enhances their perception of the quality of their interactions, affects information sharing and the conduct of the audit, and thus helps to improve the quality of auditing.

The Role of Financial Performance, Audit Quality, and Corporate Social Responsibility on Firm Value Through Cost of Capital as Mediation

This study analyzes and determines the impact of financial performance, audit quality, corporate social responsibility (CSR) on firm value through cost of capital as mediation. This type of quantitative research uses an explanatory approach and causality of as many as 565 samples for 5 years in the ASEAN banking industry. The results of this study show that financial performance, audit quality, and CSR affect the company value . Banks with good financial performance, quality audits, and good CSR distribution will be able to improve the company’s image. For this reason, banking companies must improve financial performance, audit quality, and properly carry out responsibilities. Cost of capital becomes a mediating variable that strengthens the relationship of financial performance, audit quality, and CSR to company value. For banks when their financial performance is good, checks are carried out with good audit quality, channeling social responsibility well will be a trigger for increasing company value and will indirectly reduce capital costs that must be incurred by the company. Keywords: financial performance, audit quality, CSR, firm value, cost of capital

The impact of industry technology complexity on audit quality

With the continuous upgrading of Chinese industries, industry technology complexity has increased dramatically, to which audited units and audit subjects have adaptive responses, affecting audit quality. However, relevant studies have not been conducted. This paper takes A-share listed companies from 2007 to 2021 as a sample to investigate the impact of industrial technology complexity on audit quality and its mechanism. It is found that industry technology complexity can significantly enhance audit quality; in enterprises at the front-end of industrial technology, industry technology complexity has a more significant role in promoting audit quality. Adopting the demonstration zone for the transfer and transformation of scientific and technological achievements as an exogenous impact policy, the study finds that the impact of industry technology complexity on audit quality still holds. Further research finds that the adaptation of audited units and audit subjects to industry technology complexity has a positive incentive effect on audit quality. The findings extend the audit consequences of industrial technology complexity and provide empirical evidence for the role of industrial technology complexity in enhancing audit quality.

The Effect of Firm Size and Auditor Rotation on the Quality of Audits

This study aimed to ascertain the effect of firm size and auditor rotation on the audit quality of technology sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) from 2018 to 2022. This research employed a sample of 10 organizations observed across five periods, meeting the requirements for sample selection. This yields 50 data points. The study utilized purposive sampling, and logistic regression analysis the analytical instrument to examine the hypothesis. This study's findings indicated that the firm's size and the auditors' rotation did not affect the quality of auditors. This implies that the competence of an auditor was not determined by external variables, such as the firm's size or the rotation of auditors.

The Influence of Auditor Quality, Professional Ethics and Internal Auditor Independence on Fraud Detection with Information Technology as a Moderating Variable

The Influence of Auditor Quality, Professional Ethics and Internal Auditor Independence on Fraud Detection with Information Technology as a Moderating Variable

Implementation of Legal Quality Audit on Electronic Civil Trial Procedures (E-Court)

Currently, electronic court (e-court) systems are being implemented in several countries. The Supreme Court in Indonesia has also been adopted e-court for legal administration tasks, such as determining judicial panel compositions. A qualitative approach is proposed to explore the implementation itself. The concept and characteristics of the Special Legal Quality Audit System for electronic justice arrangements (E-court) encourage the realization of an effective and fair Civil Justice System. The concept in this context is a philosophical aspect that serves as the source of the Legal Quality Assurance Paradigm, including: defect-free (deficiency), customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement without end. This concept is elaborated in parameters that are measured or evaluated to determine the quality level and make improvements to increase the level of quality. The quality parameters used by the researcherinclude: product reliability, minimal cost, accessibility, security, service friendliness, systematicity, and keeping pace with global developments.

Study on Audit Risk Model Based on Data Mining Algorithm

With the widespread application of modern information technologies such as big data, enterprises have generated a large amount of data in their daily operations. The traditional audit methods have drawbacks such as high cost and high consumption, and can no longer meet the needs of audit work in the digital era. Therefore, it is urgent to adopt audit methods suitable for the digital era to improve audit quality and reduce enterprise Audit risk. For professional auditors in enterprises, it is very important to utilize emerging technologies such as data mining algorithms. The audited enterprise may tamper with its financial statements, and identifying high-quality audit data from massive amounts of data is a huge challenge. Compared to traditional audit methods, data mining algorithms can significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of audit work. For example, the BP neural network, with its powerful nonlinear mapping ability, can capture complex relationships in data; Support vector machines classify data by finding the optimal hyperplane in high-dimensional space and have good generalization ability; random forest reduces overfitting and improves prediction accuracy by integrating multiple decision trees; Association rule algorithms can discover interesting relationships between data items, helping auditors identify potential fraudulent behavior or abnormal transactions. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to accurately evaluate and reduce the audit risk of enterprises, and to build an audit risk model using computer data mining algorithms. This provides necessary reference and guidance for auditors to conduct data analysis and mine valuable data during the audit process of enterprises, thereby improving audit efficiency.

The Influence of Audit Tenure, Audit Rotation, Public Accounting Firm Size, and Audit Opinion on Audit Quality (Study of Large Trading Companies Listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange)

The purpose of this study was to examine the Influence of audit tenure, audit rotation, size of the public accounting firm (KAP), and audit opinion on audit quality. This research data analysis method uses quantitative analysis techniques and purposive sampling, namely determining the research sample using 20 out of 47 samples of large trading companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) in the period 2020 to 2022. The method used is logistic regression. Data analysis to test the hypothesis was done by using multiple regression tests. The results of the logistic regression test show that (1) audit tenure has no significant influence on audit quality. (2) audit rotation has no significant influence on audit quality, (3) the size of the public accounting firm has no significant influence on audit quality. (4) audit opinion positively and significantly influences audit quality.

Behind closed doors: unveiling earnings management in private subsidiaries of public firms

PurposeThis study examines the earnings quality of private-subsidiary firms using a large sample data from India.Design/methodology/approachThe impact of parent–subsidiary relationship on earnings quality is examined using two common proxies. Findings are robust to alternative research designs, including different earnings quality proxies, endogeneity and matching techniques.FindingsThe study finds that private firms that are subsidiaries of listed firms tend to have lesser (greater) earnings quality (manipulation). Further, the study reports that this relationship is more pronounced when the parent firm is relatively larger than the subsidiaries. The study finds no evidence that Big 4 affiliation of the parent company improves earnings quality among private subsidiaries; instead, it exacerbates earnings manipulation in some cases. Finally, the authors document that subsidiary firms use tax management, as proxied by book tax differences, to engage in income-increasing earnings manipulation.Research limitations/implicationsThis study examines how affiliation with a listed entity as a subsidiary impacts the earnings quality of private companies. Future research could investigate the financial reporting practices of both private subsidiary firms and standalone private firms, comparing them in similar or differing regulatory environments across various countries.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study will help investors, bankers, creditors and regulators to understand the financial reporting of private firms. The study calls for enhanced audit quality at the subsidiary level by making the auditor of the parent firm responsible for auditing a subsidiary, a practice that is currently absent in India.Originality/valueThe results contribute to the existing debate on how firms manage earnings using data of private firms in a large emerging market setting. Previous research has not paid enough attention to the earnings quality of private subsidiaries. The study also emphasizes the necessity for a more robust system of governance and supervision for private firms, particularly in India and generally in other countries.

Government accounting supervision and risk of stock price crashes of listed companies: Evidence from the ministry of finance in China

The impact of accounting supervision by China's Ministry of Finance on the capital markets has grown significantly in recent years. Using data from China's Ministry of Finance random inspections from 1999 to 2022, this study examines the effects of government accounting supervision on corporate stock price crash risk. Employing a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) approach, the findings indicate that government accounting supervision significantly reduces the risk of corporate stock price crashes in supervised firms. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the correlation between government accounting supervision and stock price crash risk is stronger when a company has a low marketization level, high equity concentration, low political affiliation, low audit quality, and low media attention. Findings contribute to the literature on determinants of crash risk and provide empirical support for the effectiveness of government accounting supervision in mitigating financial risks. This study offers valuable insights for policymakers while suggesting that strengthening accounting supervision can enhance market stability and investor protection when considering regional economic development and corporate ownership structures.

The Impact of Client Bankruptcies on Auditors’ Judgment and Future Audit Engagements

We examine whether and how engagements with bankrupt clients (i.e., bankruptcy experiences) affect auditors’ behavior in future engagements. Using a large sample of Swedish auditors-in-charge (AICs), we find that AICs’ bankruptcy experiences are positively related to the issuance of going-concern opinions to financially distressed clients, audit fees, and clients’ earnings quality. Our evidence implies that such experiences increase AICs’ conservatism and professional skepticism and contribute to higher audit quality. We also show that AICs’ bankruptcy experiences are associated with more conservative client management strategies – the lower (higher) likelihood of accepting (resigning from) financially distressed clients. Furthermore, we find that the impact of bankruptcy experiences on AICs’ decision-making is stronger when those experiences are more salient and recent, as well as when they are followed by a sanction. Overall, our findings indicate that AICs who have experienced client bankruptcies deliver higher audit quality and exhibit a greater level of conservatism in client selection, providing novel evidence on how individual auditors’ auditing styles are shaped by their professional experiences.

The Impact of Ethic and Competence on Audit Quality (Accountability as Moderating Variable)

Purpose: This study used accountability as a moderating variable to examine the impact of ethics and competence on audit quality. Methodology: The data used in this study were derived from a questionnaire survey distributed to respondents from October to December 2023. The respondents for this study were Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan (BPK) head office auditors at State Financial Auditor III. The respondents were selected using purposive sampling criteria. The final sample comprised 69 respondents. This study used the structural equation Modelling (SEM) approach with Smart Partial Least Square (PLS) software to analyze the data. Results: The findings show that ethics and competence positively affect audit quality. Accountability as a moderating variable strengthens the impact of ethics on audit quality. However, accountability does not influence the effect of competence on audit quality. Limitations: This research used a method of distributing questionnaires to several respondents online so that the questions from respondents regarding the questionnaires could not be confirmed directly. In addition, this study uses only two audit attributes as determinants of audit quality. Contribution: This research will provide an understanding of BPK stakeholders regarding the importance of ethics and competence for BPK auditors. Additionally, it is expected that they will not attempt to influence BPK auditors to commit ethical violations. Furthermore, this research is meritorious for BPK to investigate the factors that can encourage the accountability of auditors’ attitudes to improve audit quality.