Section 301 of SOX implicitly assumes that audit committees can independently determine audit fees. Critics of Section 301 have questioned this assumption, in particular, and the efficacy of Section 301, more generally. In response, the SEC issued a concept release in 2015 calling for public...

Despite the importance of registration with the PCAOB, there is surprisingly little academic research on the registration process and its impact on audit outcomes (Abernathy, Barnes and Stefaniak 2013). The PCAOB allows registration of audit firms from non-US countries. However, China and a few...

In 2011, the largest banks were designated as Global Systemically Important Banks (GSIBs) by the Financial Stability Board. While these banks face closer supervision and additional constraints, they also benefit from an implicit guarantee from their governments. The changed environment for these...

Using data from the Chinese market where related party transactions (RPTs) are particularly prevalent, we examine how the independent auditor responds to the potentially heightened risk of RPTs and the efficacy of the auditor's response. First, we find that the auditor is more likely to issue a...

We examine whether the joint provision of corporate social responsibility (CSR) assurance services and financial audit by the same audit firm influences auditors' assessment of going concern risk. We predict that the provision of CSR assurance and financial audit by the same audit firm creates...