Auditor independence: a review of literature

Independence is one of the most important attributes of the accounting profession. The auditor independence is measured by how honest an auditor is in reporting the material misstatements found in the financial statements by managers. The auditor maintains his/her independence by not having any conflicts of interest with the client (managers). The auditor is encouraged to appear independent in the sight of investors, but only to the extent that the audit fees cover the cost of the actual audit. This research is expected to serve as a guide in understanding the importance of auditor independence and the challenges auditors face. The major purpose of this research is to survey the auditor independence related research literature published during the period from 1992 to 2010. This survey suggests that a wide range of topic areas has been discussed and this learning can be incorporated in revising auditor independence related curricula.