We provide evidence on the long standing concern on auditor conflicts of interest from providing non-audit services (NAS) to audit clients by using rarely explored NAS fee data from 1978-80 Using this earlier setting, we find cross-sectional evidence of improved earnings quality when auditors...

We examine the association between financial restatement and firm value, based on a sample of firms that restated financial statement in Chinese listed firms between January 2005 and December 2009. Using Tobin's Q as a proxy for firm value in the end of restatement year, we find firm value in...

Corporate-level fraudulent activity has instilled a state of concern and heightened awareness in investors, the media and employees alike as perceived sensitivity to illegal behavior continues to increase. With corporate giants such as Enron, Tyco and Health South being prime examples of this...

This paper summarizes the Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 106 – Audit Evidence. It extends the importance on why the financial statements should be fairly stated and in conformity, in all material respects, with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Also, extends why audit...

Recent trends in corporate board composition indicate an increase in the appointment of directors with legal expertise. Using two financial reporting quality measures, accruals quality and discretionary accruals, we find – for a sample of Russell 1000 firms in 2003 and 2005 – that the...

The recent financial crisis has led to a vigorous debate about the pros and cons of fair-value accounting (FVA). This debate presents a major challenge for FVA going forward and standard setters' push to extend FVA into other areas. In this article, we highlight four important issues as an...

Dozens of judicial opinions have held that shareholders own corporations, that directors are agents of shareholders, and even that directors are trustees of shareholders' property. Yet, until now, it has never been proven. These doctrines rest on unsubstantiated assumptions. In this book the...

This paper develops a model of the causes and consequences of misreporting of corporate performance. Misreporting in our model covers all actions, whether legal or illegal, that enable managers of firms with low value to make statements that mimic those made by firms with high value. We show...

Prior research has demonstrated an association between the magnitude of accrual anomaly-related trading returns and accrual reliability. This study first demonstrates an association between audit quality and accrual reliability. It then links this result and the prior literature to demonstrate...

This study examines three research questions. First, did accrual reliability improve in the post-SOX period? Second, do companies receiving higher-quality audits report accruals that are more reliable? Third, did the degree of SOX-related improvement in accrual reliability vary across companies...