An empirical analysis of the global audit market: International Financial Reporting Standards-related changes and differences within the Big 4 global networks

Ongoing debates within the professional and academic communities have raised a number of questions specific to the international audit market. This dissertation consists of three related essays that address such issues. First, I examine whether the propensity to switch between auditors of different sizes (i.e., Big 4 versus non-Big 4) changes as adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) becomes a more common phenomenon, arguing that smaller auditors have an opportunity to invest in necessary skills and training needed to enter this market. Findings suggest that clients are relatively less (more) likely to switch to (away from) a Big 4 auditor if the client's adoption of IFRS occurs in more recent years. ^ In the second essay, I draw on these inferences and test whether the change in audit fees in the year of IFRS adoption changes over time. As the market becomes less concentrated, larger auditors becomes less able to demand a premium for their services. Consistent with my arguments, results suggest that the change in audit service fees declines over time, although this effect seems concentrated among the Big 4. I also find that this effect is partially attributable to a differential effect of the auditors' experience in pricing audit services related to IFRS based on the period in which adoption occurs. The results of these two essays offer important implications to policy debates on the costs and benefits of IFRS adoption. ^ In the third essay, I differentiate Big 4 auditors into three classifications—Parent firms, Brand Name affiliates, and Local affiliates—and test for differences in audit fee premiums (relative to non-Big 4 auditors) and audit quality. Results suggest that there is significant heterogeneity between the three classifications based on both of these characteristics, which is an important consideration for future research. Overall, this dissertation provides additional insights into a variety of aspects of the global audit market.^

Executive Characteristics and Going Concern Opinions

Auditors have come under increased scrutiny over the past several years about the growing number of client failures without a warning in the form of a going-concern modified (GCM) audit opinion. Statement on Auditing Standards No. 59 requires auditors to evaluate whether substantial doubt exists on an audit client’s ability to continue as a going concern (AICPA 1988). My dissertation consists of three essays. For the three essays, I empirically investigate issues related to GCM audit opinions and executive characteristics. Specifically, I examine the impact of executive tenure and gender on the issuance of GCM audit opinions. In addition, my dissertation addresses two other unique issues. Given that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act represents an important watershed event in the history and regulation of the accounting profession, I provide evidence about auditors��� propensities to issue GCM audit opinions in the post-SOX period. Further, I also expand extant research in this area by using multiple outcomes and thus go beyond the traditional use of bankruptcy alone as a tool to evaluate auditors��� GCM opinion. The results indicate that, after controlling for other financial characteristics, GCM audit opinions are significantly more likely for firms that have CFOs with short tenure and/or for firms with a female CFO or CEO. However, when examining the association between executive characteristics and two types of reporting errors, the results vary with the type of reporting error. Overall, the results provide evidence that executive characteristics are associated with auditors' reporting decisions.

Os rumos do fundo público no capitalismo contemporâneo: uma análise sobre o financiamento da Política de saúde no estado do Rio Grande do Norte

This work analizes the financing of Health Policies on the state of Rio Grande Do Norte, starting at the presumption that SUS is “Bombarded” by fiscal ajustments, as a neoliberal strategy to face capital crises.The trafectory of the financing of SUS demands the comprehension of two principles which are, in essence, contradictory: the “principle of universatility”, which is caracterized by the uncompromising defence of the fundaments of the Sanitary Reform, and the “principle of containment of social costs”, articulating the macroeconomic policy that has being developed in Brazil since the 1990s and which substantiantes itself on the 2000s.This last defends the reduction of the social costs, the maintanance of primary surplus and the privatization of public social services. Considering these determinations, the objective of this research constitues in bringing a critical reflection sorrounding the financing of the Health Policies on the state of Rio Grande do Norte, on the period from 2004 to 2012.Starting from a bibliografic and documentary research, it sought out to analyze the budget planning forseen on the Budget Guideline Law (LDO) and on the Multiannual Plans (PPA), investigating the reports of the Court of Auditors of the State of RN and gathering information about expenses with health, available on the System of Information About Public Budgeting in Health (SIOPS).The Analises of the data obtained, in light of the theoretic referece chosen, reveals trends in the public budget setting for health on the State of Rio Grande do Norte, which are: a tiny share of investment expenditure on health, when compared to other expenses, the amount used in daily fees and advertising; the high expense in personnel expenses, especially for hiring medical cooperatives;the strong dependence of the state on revenue transferences from the Union; the aplication of resources in actions of other nature considered as health, in exemple of the expenditures undertaken by the budgeting unit Supplying Center S/A (CEASA) on the function of health and subfunction of prophylactic and therapeutic and on the Popular Pharmacy program. Since 2006, expenses refering to Regime Security Servers (RPPA) on the area of health also have being considered as public actions and services in health for constitutional limit ends, beyond the inconsistencies on the PPAs with the actions performed efectively.

"Biggest Scandal in Canadian History": HRDC Audit Starts Probity War (Working Paper 23)

The article describes the nearly year-long political and media uproar that followed on the release in January, 2000 of a qualitative or soft “audit” of management control in the federal government department, Human Resources Development Canada, and analyses the contributing factors. The article argues that the auditors��� examination of project files for programs delivered by grants and contributions was so abstract and poorly executed that nothing whatever can be concluded from the work. Factors that favoured the “scandal” interpretation include across-government New Public Management reforms where accountability has not been re-theorized for Canada’s Westminster system of government; Canada’s electoral volatility that starves the country of experienced politicians and spurs the tradition of political compensation for electoral support; and the political role of the Office of the Auditor General. This paper has been accepted for publication by the journal Critical Perspectives on Accounting, which holds copyright.

Avskaffandet av revisionsplikten : Ränteeffekter på företag inom fastighetsbranschen efter avskaffandet av revisionsplikten

Bakgrund: År 2010 avskaffades revisionsplikten för mindre aktiebolag i Sverige. Anledningen till avskaffandet var att minska kostnaderna för mindre företag. Tidigare forskning har kommit fram till att företag som valt bort revisor får en högre kreditkostnad när de till exempel tar lån. Den tidigare forskningen menar att detta kan bero på att banker och andra kreditinstitut anser att oreviderade finansiella rapporter har en sämre kvalitet än reviderade rapporter vilket leder till en högre risk för kreditgivarna. Denna uppsats kommer att undersöka om det finns någon skillnad på låneräntan mellan företag som valt att ha kvar revisor och företag som valt bort revisor. Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka, jämföra samt analysera låneräntan hos mindre aktiebolag inom fastighetsbranschen som inte är revisionspliktiga. Metod: Kvantitativ metod, multipel regressionsanalys. Resultat: Resultaten i denna studie visar på att företag med revisor har en lägre ränta i genomsnitt jämfört med företag utan revisor. Vi har även fått fram att revision har en negativ påverkan på företags ränta, men detta resultat är inte signifikant. Därför kan vi inte uttala oss om att revision har en negativ påverkan på företags ränta, trots att tidigare forskning har visat det. Slutsats: Företags val av revisor eller ej är inte det viktigaste för kreditgivare när det kommer till vilken ränta företagen skall få på sina lån. Det finns andra faktorer som har en större påverkan på räntan. I denna studie är det företags storlek samt andelen materiella tillgångar i förhållande till totala tillgångar som har den största negativa påverkan på företags ränta. Detta indikerar att banker och andra kreditinstitut ser dessa företag som en lägre risk.

Faktorer som kan påverka företags val mellan K2 och K3 : En jämförelsestudie mellan två branscher

Titel: Faktorer som kan påverka företags val mellan K2 och K3 Författare: Angelica Höglund och Julia Wiman Handledare: Klas Sundberg Bakgrund och problem: Det nya K-regelverket som infördes 1 januari 2014 innebär att mindre onoterade företag idag har valmöjligheten att välja mellan regelverken K2 och K3. För dessa mindre företag är valet av regelverk viktigt då det kommer att påverka företagets räkenskaper. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att studera fördelningen av K2 och K3 för mindre onoterade företag inom två olika branscher, dessa är byggbranschen och juridik,- ekonomi- och konsultbranschen, samt vilka faktorer som kan påverka valet av regelverk. Teori: Studien bygger på två teorier, dessa är positive accounting theory och institutionell teori. Metod: I studien används en kvantitativ forskningsmetod där årsredovisningar har granskats och sammanställts, samt en kvalitativ metod som bygger på fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer där de identifierade faktorerna analyserats utifrån en analysmodell. Resultat och slutsats: Utifrån det empiriska materialet identifierades sju faktorer, dessa var leasing, företagets storlek, rättvisande bild, revisorns påverkan, komponentavskrivning, kostnad/nytta och koncernredovisning. Ovanstående faktorer har kategoriserats och analyserats utifrån PAT och institutionell teori. Förslag till vidare forskning: Ett förslag vore att forska vidare på de identifierade faktorerna för att undersöka i hur stor utsträckning de påverkar företagens beslut. En intressant studie hade även varit att genomföra en fallstudie som utgår från att upprätta en årsredovisning utifrån både K2 och K3 för att studera de skillnader som kan uppkomma.

Essays on Corruption and Enforcement

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08

Metodología para la mitigación de los errores en los procesos de construcción de proyectos de edificaciones

En nuestro país una de las actividades de mayor actividad económica, generadora de empleo directo e indirecto y de alta dinámica e inversión en la industria de la construcción, se hace necesario la implementación de un control durante cada una de las etapas del proyecto, donde las personas que integran el equipo de trabajo (Administración-Construcción-Interventoría) tengan definidos sus alcances y responsabilidades durante la ejecución de los proyectos y en sus diferentes etapas. Es un estudio para 20 edificaciones en diferentes sectores del Valle de Aburrá, con el fin de implementar una metodología que ayude a minimizar los errores en cualquier etapa del proyecto, en otras palabras se basa en detectar de manera inmediata o a corto plazo cualquier error o anomalía que se presente y como consecuencia pueda generar resultados nefastos en pérdidas humanas y económicas. Finalmente se concluye que la aplicación e implementación de esta metodología deja abierta las puertas para continuar con estos estudios y lograr en un futuro la optimización para minimizar y mitigar al máximo los diferentes errores constructivos.

Portfolios, departments and agencies : tinkering with the machinery-of-government map

A função da auditoria interna na Guarda Nacional Republicana: estudo de caso

Mestrado em Auditoria

Auditoria e risco no setor bancário - Caso Banco Espírito Santo

Mestrado em Auditoria

A sustenabilidade nas organizações: o papel e a importância da auditoria "verde" aos relatórios - Para uma auditoria integrada em linha com o relatório único

Mestrado em Auditoria

A Influência da Auditoria Externa na Qualidade da Informação Financeira nos Municípios Portugueses

Mestrado em Auditoria

Riscos de quebra de continuidade e o papel do auditor

Mestrado em Auditoria

O sistema de controlo interno e a qualidade da auditoria

A qualidade da auditoria é uma preocupação crescente no sentido de credibilizar as demonstrações financeiras, pelo que muitos estudos têm sido desenvolvido nos últimos tempos com vista a avaliar quais serão os fatores que maior influência poderão ter na qualidade de uma auditoria. Sendo o Sistema de Controlo Interno (SCI) um elemento fundamental no aumento da fiabilidade da informação importa analisar o contributo do SCI para a qualidade da auditoria. Com base em questionários e entrevistas a Revisores Oficiais de Contas (ROC) procuramos perceber o que é um bom SCI numa entidade e quais os fatores de que depende, bem como o seu contributo para a qualidade da auditoria. Os nossos resultados mostram que os ROC dão grande importância ao SCI ao longo de todo o processo de auditoria, e em particular para a avaliação do risco de distorções relevantes e avaliação do risco de fraude. Mostram ainda que consideram o SCI entre os três fatores mais determinantes da qualidade da auditoria, considerando que o ambiente de controlo e a monitorização dos controlos são os componentes do SCI que mais contribuem para esse facto. Assim, os resultados obtidos evidenciam um contributo positivo do SCI para a qualidade da auditoria.