Theory from organizations and economics research posits that in an inter-organizational relationship, both parties invest in relationship-specific knowledge, which in turn facilitates the effectiveness of the relationship while strengthening the attachment between the parties. In complex...

We examine the relationship between aggressive income-increasing real earnings management (REM) and current and future audit fees. Managers pursue REM activities to influence reported earnings and, as a consequence, alter cash flows and sacrifice firm value. We posit that the implications of REM...

This paper examines whether African banks audited by a Big 4 auditor use loan loss provisions for earnings management purposes before, during and after the global financial crisis. It focuses on income smoothing as a type of earnings management. Using bank data from 21 African countries from...

In recent decades, there has been a global upsurge in the number of corporate collapses and litigation claims by third parties, which have partly been explained by the economic recession occurring in the late 1980's. However, auditing professions in both Australia and around the world have...

In this paper we provide evidence for the effects of social norms on audit pricing by studying companies belonging to the alcohol, firearms, gambling, military, nuclear power, and tobacco industries, which are often described as “sin” companies. We hypothesize that the disparities between...

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...

Are “full audits” cost-effective in improving financial reporting quality compared to “reviews,” which are based primarily on analytical procedures and inquiries? The answer is important because independent verification cost-effectiveness is being challenged globally and recent advances...

We examine the relation between auditor reputation and earnings management in banks using a sample of banks from 29 countries. In particular, we examine the implications of two aspects of auditor reputation, auditor type and auditor industry specialization, for earnings management in banks. We...

During the most recent financial crisis, the economic difficulties, along with potentially high uncertainties associated with fair value estimates, increased the audit risks for bank auditors. We analyze a sample of U.S. public banks during the crisis (2008-2009) and after the crisis...

The originate-to-distribute (OTD) model, in which the originators of mortgages sell or securitize the mortgages to third parties, likely contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. Auditors were blamed for permitting clients to understate the risks of the model in their financial reports,...