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Environmental Regulation Stringency and Voluntary Environmental Disclosure
Title
Environmental Regulation Stringency and Voluntary Environmental Disclosure.
Creator
Xing, Hanbing, Kohlbeck, Mark, Florida Atlantic University, School of Accounting, College of Business
Abstract/Description
I examine the relationship between environmental regulation stringency and the extent of voluntary environmental disclosures by firms. The study draws on theoretical frameworks including legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory, and information asymmetry, to explore how different mechanisms influence firm behavior in the context of environmental transparency. My empirical analysis shows a positive relationship between the stringency of environmental regulations and the level of voluntary...
Show moreI examine the relationship between environmental regulation stringency and the extent of voluntary environmental disclosures by firms. The study draws on theoretical frameworks including legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory, and information asymmetry, to explore how different mechanisms influence firm behavior in the context of environmental transparency. My empirical analysis shows a positive relationship between the stringency of environmental regulations and the level of voluntary environmental disclosures. This relationship is weakened by factors such as board independence and institutional ownership. I further confirm the positive effect of national level of environmental regulation stringency on the environmental voluntary disclosure. However, I fail to find supporting evidence on the positive moderating role of national level of environmental regulation stringency and corporate governance. In contrast, I find evidence that external institutional ownership and independent directors, who represent interests of external blockholders, have a preventive and monitoring effect on the main relationship to reduce the threat of misleading voluntary information and proprietary cost.
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Date Issued
2024
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014457
Subject Headings
Environmental reporting, Corporate governance, Accounting
Format
Document (PDF)
Big 4 global networks: degree of homogeneity of audit quality among affiliates and relevance of PCAOB inspections
Title
Big 4 global networks: degree of homogeneity of audit quality among affiliates and relevance of PCAOB inspections.
Creator
Kassawat, Paulina M., Higgs, Julia, Florida Atlantic University, College of Business, School of Accounting
Abstract/Description
The Big 4 global networks (Deloitte, Ernst & Young [E&Y], KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers [PwC]) market themselves as providers of worldwide seamless services and consistent audit quality through their members. Under the current environment in which these auditors operate, there are three types of global network members: inspected non-U.S. affiliates (inspected affiliates, hereafter), non-inspected non-U.S. affiliates (non-inspected affiliates, hereafter), and inspected U.S. offices (U.S....
Show moreThe Big 4 global networks (Deloitte, Ernst & Young [E&Y], KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers [PwC]) market themselves as providers of worldwide seamless services and consistent audit quality through their members. Under the current environment in which these auditors operate, there are three types of global network members: inspected non-U.S. affiliates (inspected affiliates, hereafter), non-inspected non-U.S. affiliates (non-inspected affiliates, hereafter), and inspected U.S. offices (U.S. offices, hereafter). The recent suspension of the China-based Big 4 affiliates from auditing U.S.-listed companies calls into question whether these global networks can deliver the same level of audit quality across all their members and whether those located in jurisdictions denying access to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB or Board, hereafter) to conduct inspections may benefit from such inspections. This study examines the effect of being an affiliate and the effect of PCAOB inspections on perceived audit quality. I use earnings response coefficients (ERCs) as a proxy for perceived audit quality.
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Date Issued
2015
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004385, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004385
Subject Headings
Auditing standards -- United States, Business enterprises -- Computer networks, Corporate governance, Disclosure in accounting -- United States, Financial services industry -- Management, Government accountability, Intternational standard on auditing, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
Format
Document (PDF)
Consequences of real earnings management and corporate governance
Title
Consequences of real earnings management and corporate governance: evidence from cash holdings.
Creator
Greiner, Adam J., College of Business, School of Accounting
Abstract/Description
I examine the impact of real earnings management (REM) and corporate governance on cash holdings. Extant research documents an increase in both cash holdings and REM activity in recent years and shows that agency conflicts influence both the levels and valuations of cash holdings. Motivated by agency problems of REM and Jensen's (1986) arguments concerning the free cash flow problem, I investigate whether opportunistic asset sales and reductions in discretionary expenditures are associated...
Show moreI examine the impact of real earnings management (REM) and corporate governance on cash holdings. Extant research documents an increase in both cash holdings and REM activity in recent years and shows that agency conflicts influence both the levels and valuations of cash holdings. Motivated by agency problems of REM and Jensen's (1986) arguments concerning the free cash flow problem, I investigate whether opportunistic asset sales and reductions in discretionary expenditures are associated with levels and valuations of cash holdings. Prior research also shows that strong corporate governance mitigates opportunistic earnings management behavior and enhances the valuation of cash holdings. Using empirical models from prior research, I document that REM is positively associated with cash holdings, investors discount cash holdings of high REM firms, and, among high REM firms, valuations of cash holdings of weak corporate governance firms are discounted significantly lower relative to those of strong corporate governance firms. My study unites two lines of research by incorporating agency problems concerning REM with levels and valuations of cash holdings.
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Date Issued
2013
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3360788
Subject Headings
Econometrics, Corporate governance, Corporations, Corrupt practices, Corporations, Finance, Accounting, Industrial management
Format
Document (PDF)
Can Priming a Firm’s Organizational Identity Overcome the Influences of National Culture on Auditor Judgment?
Title
Can Priming a Firm’s Organizational Identity Overcome the Influences of National Culture on Auditor Judgment?.
Creator
Killey, Michael, Higgs, Julia, Florida Atlantic University, College of Business, School of Accounting
Abstract/Description
A significant challenge faced by large auditing firms is offering consistent quality across the global network. Unfortunately, variation in judgments and decision-making, resulting from cultural differences, can undermine the provision of a uniform level of audit quality for these international firms. Previous research has determined that national culture influences an auditors’ professional judgments and decisions. Relying on Social Identity Theory, I explore whether inducing one’s...
Show moreA significant challenge faced by large auditing firms is offering consistent quality across the global network. Unfortunately, variation in judgments and decision-making, resulting from cultural differences, can undermine the provision of a uniform level of audit quality for these international firms. Previous research has determined that national culture influences an auditors’ professional judgments and decisions. Relying on Social Identity Theory, I explore whether inducing one’s organizational identification can both enhance auditor judgment and mitigate any deleterious impact that culture may have on the provision of a uniform level of audit quality. I also examine current cultural variations in auditor judgment in order to ensure that the results of earlier studies still typify the international auditing environment. National culture is assessed using two dimensions (individualism/collectivism, power distance) included in Hofstede’s 1980 cultural values framework. Participants from the United States are used to represent an individualistic/low power distance culture while individuals from India are used to represent a collectivistic/high power distance culture. Firms need mechanisms to elicit desired behaviors that may not be consistent with cultural tendencies in order to provide a uniform level of audit quality. Contrary to expectations, no significant differences are identified between the judgments of auditors from India and The United States. The results, however, do provide evidence that enhancing one’s organizational identification can impact certain professional judgments during the audit process. An association between national culture and auditor attitudes pertaining to client trust is also found. The implications of these findings for the professional auditing environment and future academic research are discussed.
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Date Issued
2016
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004736, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004736
Subject Headings
Corporate governance., Corporations--Auditing., Auditing--Quality control., Identity (Psychology), Accounting--Moral and ethical aspects., Accounting--Professional ethics., Social responsibility of business.
Format
Document (PDF)
Economic Consequences of Implementing the Engagement Partner Signature Requirement in the UK
Title
Economic Consequences of Implementing the Engagement Partner Signature Requirement in the UK.
Creator
Liu, Min, Kohlbeck, Mark, Florida Atlantic University, College of Business, School of Accounting
Abstract/Description
I investigate the effects of requiring the audit engagement partner (EP) signature and individual EP’s quality on information asymmetry, analysts’ forecast errors and forecast dispersion. I predict and find that, ceteris paribus, there is a significant decline in information asymmetry, analysts’ forecast errors and forecast dispersion from the pre- to post-EP signature period in the UK over both of short-term (e.g., 2008-2010) and long-term (e.g., 2004-2014). These findings hold when using a...
Show moreI investigate the effects of requiring the audit engagement partner (EP) signature and individual EP’s quality on information asymmetry, analysts’ forecast errors and forecast dispersion. I predict and find that, ceteris paribus, there is a significant decline in information asymmetry, analysts’ forecast errors and forecast dispersion from the pre- to post-EP signature period in the UK over both of short-term (e.g., 2008-2010) and long-term (e.g., 2004-2014). These findings hold when using a control sample approach and a different proxy for the information asymmetry, which indicate that my results are not likely due to the effect of concurrent events and correlated omitted variables. These findings provide timely and important empirical evidence to the ongoing debate about whether the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board should pass a similar requirement in the U.S.
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Date Issued
2016
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004651, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004651
Subject Headings
Auditing -- Standards -- United States, Corporate governance, Corporations -- Auditing -- Standards -- United States, Disclosure in accounting, Financial risk management -- Forecasting, Financial services industry -- Management, International standard on auditing, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
Format
Document (PDF)
Are the regulatory reforms working?
Title
Are the regulatory reforms working?: evidence from audit committee members' selection of auditors.
Creator
Looknanan-Brown, Veena., College of Business, School of Accounting
Abstract/Description
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act made audit committees directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, and supervision of companies' auditors. Limited research in the auditor selection process and PCAOB inspections suggest that managers, not audit committees, may still be selecting the auditors, and that inspection reports are not useful. This study addresses both of these areas. This paper considers two theories of governance, Agency Theory and Institution Theory, to analyze the audit...
Show moreThe Sarbanes-Oxley Act made audit committees directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, and supervision of companies' auditors. Limited research in the auditor selection process and PCAOB inspections suggest that managers, not audit committees, may still be selecting the auditors, and that inspection reports are not useful. This study addresses both of these areas. This paper considers two theories of governance, Agency Theory and Institution Theory, to analyze the audit committee members' auditor selection process. The study examines whether Audit Committee Members use two specific types of audit quality indicators, other than managers' recommendation, in evaluating auditors. In a setting where the manager recommends the auditor, the auditors' inspection results (favorable/unfavorable) and a prior manager/auditor affiliation (absent/present) are manipulated in a between-subject research design, using financially literate professionals as a proxy for audit committee members. The study finds that audit quality perception and auditor selection are jointly determined. Inspection results are positively associated with audit quality perception and auditor selection. The nature of a manager-auditor affiliation is directly associated with audit quality perception and inversely related to auditor selection. Further, controlling for perception, audit committee members are more likely to recommend auditors with unfavorable inspection results, if a prior affiliation with management is present than if an affiliation is absent. Overall, the results indicate that audit committee members are diligent in evaluating auditors, and PCAOB inspection results are useful. The results of this study contribute to the audit committee effectiveness and PCAOB literature.
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Date Issued
2011
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3318671
Subject Headings
Financial services industry, Management, Financial institutions, Law and legislation, Corporate governance, Law and legislation, Auditing, Standards, Corporations, Auditing, Standards
Format
Document (PDF)