Despite the importance of audit committee independence in ensuring the integrity of the financial reporting process, recent research suggests that even when audit committees meet regulatory independence requirements, certain factors, such as undue influence by the CEO over the selection of the...

We respond to calls for research into the effect of the decline in the number of Big N firms on market power and consequential impact on competition (U.S. Department of Treasury 2008; European Commission 2010; U.K. House of Lords 2011) by analyzing the change in Big N audit fee premium over the Big 6,...

This study provides insights on the effectiveness of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) in promoting high quality financial reporting and good corporate governance. We report the results of interviews conducted with 22 experienced directors from US firms. Our results indicate that SOX has had a...

Auditors and clients are often required to resolve difficult, complex accounting issues in which they have different views. Despite its importance we have little knowledge of the effect of contextual factors on auditors' negotiation behaviors. This experimental study involving 63 experienced...

Auditor-client negotiations are a common and critical part of the financial reporting process, yet we know little about contextual factors that influence negotiation judgments from the manager's perspective. Managers have incentives to act aggressively since outcomes often materially impact...

This study examines the effect of timing (gradual versus immediate) and direction (tax increase or decrease) of a tax change on taxpayer behavior. Specifically, we focus on capital gain tax changes and preferences for investment in riskier assets. We run an experiment with 117 participants who...

Recent research suggests inspections by auditing oversight bodies may lead to unintended consequences by incentivizing auditors to anticipate and manage inspection risk at the engagement level. Our study focuses on the account level, where detailed planning judgments are made, and provides...

After the global 2018 financial crisis, regulatory bodies proposed alternative auditor selection processes to enhance auditor independence such as mandatory audit firm rotation or mandatory tendering (i.e., rotation which allows for the current auditor to be reappointed). However, these...

In response to numerous recent cases involving materially misstated financial information arising from fraudulent financial reporting, companies, auditors, and academics have increased their focus on strengthening internal controls as a means of deterring such unethical behaviors. However, prior...

The commentaries in this forum on Big Data confront one of our profession's most pressing challenges. How should we respond to Big Data? Big Data and business analytics now permeate almost all aspects of major companies' decision making and business strategies. A large U.S. company, for example,...