This study examines whether the impact of non-audit fees on auditor independence is contingent on auditor tenure. The results, based on a sample of 4,720 U.S. firms for the years 2000 and 2001, show that there is a positive association between non-audit fees and positive discretionary current...

The unexpected fall of Arthur Andersen is an extraordinary event. Though Arthur Andersen was initially convicted in 2002, subsequently, the Supreme Court unanimously threw out the conviction. Was the Department of Justice hasty in shutting down Arthur Andersen? Could the managers and the new...

Have there been any changes in the properties of accounting information of former Andersen clients following the auditor change? This study provides empirical evidence on whether earnings conservatism has increased for a sample of former Arthur Andersen clients who were forced to switch auditors...

In the post-Enron world, the spot light is on the auditors who face a higher risk of litigation. This study provides evidence on one strategy employed by auditors to mitigate litigation risk and rebuild their reputation by enhancing earnings conservatism of their clients. I examine the earnings...

Usng the recent Y2K-compliance expenditures as an example, we examine whether disclosures relating to investments in information technology (IT) were relevant to investors in assessing the market value of equity. We use a sample of 190 firms that disclosed estimates of total Y2K-compliance costs...

Auditors' low-balling in initial engagements is a longstanding concern for regulators and others. We examine the determinants and consequences of low-balling using more recent data. We provide evidence that auditors are likely to low-ball if they are “Big N” auditors, expect future revenues...

What are the implications of major customer dependency, i.e., the degree of a supplier firm's dependency on its major customers, for external auditors? While the conventional view emphasizes the negatives of major customer dependency for client business risk, we find that suppliers with more...

We test whether credit rating analysts consider managerial ability as a credit risk factor and find that higher-ability managers obtain more favorable credit ratings. Controlling for past performance, these results suggest that managerial ability is itself a significant credit rating factor....

Canada adopted IFRS in 2011 and firms were required to provide reconciliation from Canadian GAAP (CGAAP) to IFRS for the fiscal year before the adoption. We run a “horse race” of earnings quality between CGAAP and IFRS. Further, by making use of a natural experiment and a single country...