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Book The Audit Committee  Performing Corporate Governance

Download or read book The Audit Committee Performing Corporate Governance written by Laura F. Spira and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-05-08 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do we need to understand audit committees? The Cadbury Committee recommended that UK companies should adopt them in response to financial scandals that have stemmed from dubious financial reporting practices. In other countries, similar commissions have made similar recommendations and audit committees are now a common institution. However, many practitioners doubt whether an audit committee really does much to ensure the integrity of a firm's financial statements because, as outsiders, members don't know enough to dig deeply beneath the numbers. The Audit Committee: Performing Corporate Governance argues that such criticism overlooks the ceremonial function of these committees. The audit committee is an arena where members can form and strengthen shifting and fragmentary networks with each other and with the external auditors. Within these networks, both consensus and independence are demonstrated, generating comfort, which legitimises the company and maintains its access to external sources of capital. The audit committee is a key part of the corporate governance structure within an organisation. Many in the UK have been patched together to meet regulatory requirements and their operation is poorly understood because few people other than their members have access to their deliberations. In this account of the world of audit committees the practitioner will find the ethnographical perspectives on ceremonial performance, consensus, independence, and comfort both familiar and different. It's like looking at a photograph of something commonplace from an unusual angle or through a strange-shaped lens.

Book The Influence of the Audit Committee on the Internal Audit Department in the System of Corporate Governance in Ghana

Download or read book The Influence of the Audit Committee on the Internal Audit Department in the System of Corporate Governance in Ghana written by Wiredu Richard and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2020-06-04 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Academic Paper from the year 2020 in the subject Business economics - Accounting and Taxes, grade: 1.00, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, language: English, abstract: The study seeks to ascertain the practices of the audit committee and internal audit improving corporate governance among companies in Ghana, with specific attention to analysing the audit committee's impact on improving internal audit operations, identifying the relationship between the internal audit unit and the audit committee members. Moreover, the author analyzes the impact of the internal audit department and audit committee members on the risk management strategy of companies. The author aims to exam the relationship that exists among the audit committee, internal audit, and its part in the corporate governance system. A critical analysis of the circumstances leading to the collapse of businesses shows that the majority of these corporate failures could be avoided if effective audit committees and internal audit departments are in place to check management activities, especially concerning financial reporting and other accounting practices. The study results were obtained by using data gathered from the internal auditors and audit committee members through the questionnaire survey method.

Book Auditing  Trust and Governance

Download or read book Auditing Trust and Governance written by Reiner Quick and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2007-10-17 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this important new book, the European Auditing Research Network gives a timely appraisal of the regulatory environment for financial accounting and auditing in the wake of a series of high profile scandals involving major corporations.

Book The Corporate Governance Effects of Audit Committees

Download or read book The Corporate Governance Effects of Audit Committees written by Mahbub Zaman and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Arguments associated with the promotion of audit committees in many countries are premised on their potential for alleviating weaknesses in corporate governance. This paper provides a synthesis and evaluation of empirical research on the governance effects associated with audit committees. Given recent policy recommendations in several countries aimed at strengthening these committees, it is important to establish what research evidence demonstrates about their existing governance contribution. A framework for analyzing the impact of audit committees is described, identifying potential perceived effects which may have led to their adoption and documented effects on aspects of the audit function, on financial reporting quality and on corporate performance. It is argued that there is only limited and mixed evidence of effects to support claims and perceptions about the value of audit committees for these elements of governance. It is also shown that most of the existing research has focused on factors associated with audit committee existence, characteristics and measures of activity and there is very little evidence on the processes associated with the operation of audit committees and the manner in which they influence organizational behaviour. It is clear that there is no automatic relationship between the adoption of audit committee structures or characteristics and the achievement of particular governance effects, and caution may be needed over expectations that greater codification around factors such as audit committee members' independence and expertise as the means of quot;correctingquot; past weaknesses in the arrangements for audit committees. The most fundamental question concerning what difference audit committees make in practice continues to be an important area for research development. For future research we suggest (i) greater consideration of the organizational and institutional contexts in which audit committees operate; (ii) explicit theorization of the processes associated with audit committee operation; (iii) complementing extant research methods with field studies; and (iv) investigation of unintended (behavioural) as well as expected consequences of audit committees.

Book Auditors Consideration of Corporate Governance

Download or read book Auditors Consideration of Corporate Governance written by Masood Fooladi and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 7 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In modern business world, companies need to attract a large number of shareholders because of the large amount of required capital. In these companies, shareholders hire managers to direct the firm and make decisions on behalf of them because they cannot have a full control over the firm's activities. Therefore, managers have the competitive advantage of information within the firm rather than the shareholders which leads to asymmetry of information between managers and shareholders. In addition, agency theory assumes an opportunistic behavior that managers want to maximize their own expected interest disregard of shareholders right. In other words, managers may not necessarily make decisions in the best interests of shareholders because of conflict of interest and hence impose the agency costs on the firm. Agency theory suggests that corporate governance (CG) as an effective information system can monitor the management and align the interests of executives with those of shareholders to mitigate the agency costs. In addition, auditors must work with other factors in CG structure to ensure that stakeholders receive the highest quality of financial reports as well as help to protect the interests of stakeholders. Since CG and external audit services are complementary and the purpose of both is to protect stakeholders' interest this study aims to explore the perceptions of professional auditors on the consideration of CG in an audit engagement. Applying a semi-structured interview with two certified public accountants (CPA), this study obtains the opinion of experts how to consider CG in their efforts. Analyzing of interviewees' response suggests that auditors consider CG mechanism as a system of supervision to control the opportunistic behavior of individuals and monitor the financial reporting process. They use CG information in planning stage more than other stages to define the extent of efforts for audit process. Weaker CG mechanism increases the control risk and required auditors to make more efforts in their audits. Among different aspects of CG the board of directors is more considered by auditors. They believe that audit committee is an important mechanism in CG but board of directors affects it and hence board of directors has the most power to make decisions regarding financial reporting quality. Other characteristic of CG mechanism which can be considered by auditors is ownership structure and compensation committee.

Book The International Corporate Governance System

Download or read book The International Corporate Governance System written by F. Lessambo and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-01-26 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a comprehensive approach to Corporate Governance, Audit Process and Risk Management. Furthermore, it provides an analytical and comprehensive approach of the issues facing governance directors, internal and external auditors, risk managers, and public officials conducting assessments based upon the Report on Standards and Codes.

Book The Impact of Selected Corporate Governance Programmes to Auditor Independence

Download or read book The Impact of Selected Corporate Governance Programmes to Auditor Independence written by Zulkarnain Muhamad Sori and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Corporate governance is essential for establishing an attractive investment climate characterised by competitive companies and an efficient capital market. This paper examines the impact of four corporate governance programmes to perceived auditor independence from the perspective of Malaysian auditors, loan officers and senior managers of public listed companies. Questionnaire and interview surveys were employed to seek the respondent's perceptions on these issues. It is found that auditor independence would be safeguarded on the following issues: the compliance with the Financial Reporting Standards (FRS) of the Malaysian Accounting Standard Board (MASB) was legally mandated, the establishment of the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG), the establishment of the Minority Shareholders Watchdog Group (MSWG) and the implementation of mandatory director accreditation training programme (MDATP).

Book Corporate Governance and Audit Process

Download or read book Corporate Governance and Audit Process written by Masood Fooladi and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 6 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on agency theory, the importance of Corporate Governance (CG) is to reduce agency conflicts between those who control and those who own the residual claims in a firm. Auditors can be also considered as a part of CG structure because they monitor the quality of the financial reporting process to reduce the information asymmetry between managers and stakeholders. The interaction between CG and external audit services often suggest that they are complementary. In fact, auditors must work with other factors in the CG structure to ensure that stakeholders receive the highest quality financial reports and help to protect their interests. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore the perceptions of experts on the CG consideration in outlining and directing an audit engagement. A semi-structured interview is conducted with two certified public accountants (CPA) to obtain a consensus on the opinion of experts. Analyzing of interviewees' response suggests that auditors consider CG as a monitoring device in their audit engagement. Among different aspects of CG the board of directors is more considered by auditors. CG has more influence when auditors are planning an audit process.

Book Review of the National Audit Office s corporate governance

Download or read book Review of the National Audit Office s corporate governance written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Public Accounts Commission and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-02-11 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report presents John Tiner's "Review of the National Audit Office's corporate governance". The head of the National Audit Office, the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), is an Officer of the House of Commons appointed by the Queen, and is completely independent of Government and enjoys complete discretion over the discharge of his functions. The current C&AG has put in place a number of governance processes, but in their effectiveness these fall short of what is currently best practice. The NAO must remain independent, but work within systems of governance that are consistent with best practice, and follow relevant auditing and professional standards. The main proposals are: (1) the NAO should be formed as a body corporate with a governing board comprising a majority of independent non executive directors. Its main functions should be to set the strategy of the Office, support and oversee the work of the C&AG, ensure the Office conducts its business in an economic, efficient and effective way and satisfy itself that the systems of governance and internal controls operate effectively and to the highest standards. (2) The Chief Executive (the C&AG) should have complete personal discretion as to the audit judgements he reaches and the presentation of those judgements to the Public Accounts Committee and other committees of Parliament as may be necessary. (3) Both the Chairman and Chief Executive of the NAO Board would be appointed by the Queen on a motion from the House of Commons. The Chairman and the other non-executives should be appointed for a term of 3 years renewable once. The Chief Executive should be appointed for a fixed term of 8 years which cannot be renewed.

Book The Effect of Corporate Governance on Auditor Client Realignments

Download or read book The Effect of Corporate Governance on Auditor Client Realignments written by Cory A. Cassell and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Events leading up to the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) increased the public's focus on corporate governance and increased regulatory scrutiny of corporate governance mechanisms. These events also contributed to a massive restructuring in the audit market which resulted in the transfer of a large number of clients from Big N to non-Big N audit firms. We extend prior research examining the determinants of auditor-client realignments by investigating the effect of corporate governance on downward (i.e., from Big N to non-Big N auditors) switching activity. We develop a corporate governance index comprised of governance characteristics that we expect auditors to find more desirable in their clients (specifically, board and audit committee independence, diligence, and expertise). The results suggest that Big N auditors consider client corporate governance mechanisms when making client portfolio decisions. Specifically, downward auditor-client realignments are more likely for clients that score lower on our corporate governance index. However, the influence of audit committee-related corporate governance components on downward auditor-client realignments decreased post-SOX. The reduced effect of audit committee-related corporate governance components is consistent with what would be expected if the audit committee-related rules imposed by SOX reduced the variation in audit committee quality across clients.

Book Governance Reputation and the Market Reaction to the Auditor Switch and Retention Decision

Download or read book Governance Reputation and the Market Reaction to the Auditor Switch and Retention Decision written by Theodore Rodgers and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the informational role of audit client (i.e. firm) reputation in the auditor switching and retention decision. I perform an experimental examination of an analytical model, prescribing the optimal choices made by firms in the decision to retain or switch auditors without considering firm reputation. Using an experimental markets approach, I provide evidence of the market reaction to a firm's switch/retention decision under two alternative treatments. In the first (baseline) treatment, an explicit test of the analytical model, firms do not incur reputation effects when making the decision to switch or retain auditors. In the second treatment, firms consider market perceptions of opportunistic auditor switching and retention and the potential effects on the firm's reputation. The choice of auditor switching and retention is a significant component of the firm's corporate governance structure. I precisely measures reputation formation and its impact on this specific governance decision by the inclusion of prior period auditor switch/retention decisions made by firms in reputation treatment conditions. Prior archival research has demonstrated a link between auditor quality and earnings quality. These studies suggest that the retention of a high-quality auditor, or dismissal of a poor-quality auditor, can signal high quality earnings to the market. The converse is also suggested; retention of a poor-quality auditor, or dismissal of a high-quality auditor, can signal poor earnings quality. The decision to retain or switch auditors is made annually by firms who have superior information over their auditors and investors. In the short run, the decision to retain or switch auditors offers a temporary signal which the market may not clearly price. However, including the firm's track record of auditor switching and retention decisions among auditors of differing quality allows for the development of a positive or negative reputation on this portion of corporate governance. The results presented provide evidence of the model's descriptive validity for the firm's optimal choices and related market reaction to the auditor switching decision for a finite time horizon. Additionally, the study examines the market reaction to a firm's reputation on the auditor switching and retention decision.

Book Influence of Corporate Governance Components on Internal Audit Effectiveness

Download or read book Influence of Corporate Governance Components on Internal Audit Effectiveness written by Rita Hanna Mansour and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the end of the nineteenth century, a loss of confidence in financial statements was observed in response to the corporate frauds that took place in many recognized corporations worldwide as Parmalat, Enron, and Worldcom. Corporate governance and internal auditor independence had become two concepts of major concern. The importance of the role of corporate governance in the guarantee of the quality of financial reporting is recognized. Audit committee, external auditors and management ownership are essential components in the corporate governance mosaic that are given high importance in this study and their influence on the effectiveness on internal audit function is deeply illustrated. In order to go beyond the theoretical link between corporate governance and internal auditor effectiveness, this study will illustrate through a survey using a quantitative methodology, the real impact of corporate governance components on internal audit effectiveness in the Lebanese firms. Primary data is collected through a questionnaire filled by auditors, members of audit committees and managers from a sample of selected Lebanese firms. The questionnaire was sent to 50 persons from whom 41 responded. The results originated from our study provide a response to the research question and confirm the hypotheses based on the previous literature. We have concluded that, in Lebanon, qualifications, effectiveness of audit committee and interaction with internal auditors have a positive influence on internal audit effectiveness. In addition to that, we can confirm that communication between internal and external auditors enhance internal audit effectiveness. However, managers holding a high percentage of shares may impair internal auditor independence which constitutes a component of internal audit effectiveness.

Book Auditor Reputation and Auditor Independence

Download or read book Auditor Reputation and Auditor Independence written by Zulkarnain Muhamad Sori and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The paper examines the impact of auditor reputation (i.e. size of audit firm) on auditor independence. Questionnaires and interview survey were used to seek the perceptions of senior managers of Malaysian audit firms, banks and public listed companies. Consistent with the documented evidence, the Big Four firms were perceived to be superior compared to the non-Big Four firms in all aspects relating to independence from their clients. Respondents indicated that Big Four auditors are better able to resist management pressure in conflict situations, are more effective at detecting activities that will affect clients' company continuity, are more risk averse and thus more disinclined to be associated with public scandals and/or audit failures, are more risk averse with regard to litigation arising from fraud/misstatement/irregularities and are more independent than non-Big Four auditors. It may be that the Big Four auditors are more exposed and subject to close scrutiny by the public and regulators, especially when negative behaviour is perceived. The findings suggest that the Big Four auditors are perceived to be more independently than the non-Big Four auditors.

Book The Impact of Guanxi on Auditor Independence

Download or read book The Impact of Guanxi on Auditor Independence written by Philip Law and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Auditor independence has long been referred to as the cornerstone of the auditing profession. Guanxi refers to the networks of informal relationships and exchanges of favors that dominate all business and social activities that occur throughout China. This research will analyse the impact of guanxi and client size on the perceived independence of auditors in the setting of Hong Kong.Survey data is obtained from 524 questionnaire responses from Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), Big 4 and Non-Big 4 auditors. Two within-subjects independent variables: “guanxi” and the “client size”, and one between-subject independent variable: auditors versus CFOs, are employed.Results indicate guanxi is a significant factor influencing perceived auditor independence in Chinese society, which has largely been neglected in the accounting literature. Independence is severely impaired when the duration of guanxi with clients reaches five years or more. Large client size has a negative influence on the perceived independence of auditors and this result contradicts an earlier U.S. study. The results indicate that the longer the guanxi when the auditor is associated a with large audit client, the greater the decrease in their perceived independence and this has implications for audit legislation.CFOs generate the lowest mean scores (greatest threat to auditor independence) for the perceived effects of all levels (durations) of guanxi among the three groups. This result supports the stewardship theory that asserts stewards (CFOs) motives are aligned with the objectives of their principals. CFOs consider the increasing levels of guanxi associated with the auditors are not in the best interests of their principals, and hence affect the reliability of the audited accounts.Though this study is conducted in the Asia Pacific region, western counterparts will find the results useful. Multinational corporations which have subsidiaries or headquarters established globally, should be aware that guanxi has implications for their Asian operations and their consolidated audited accounts. In view of the critical importance of the guanxi factor on the perceived auditor independence, standard setters in this region should consider devising ethical guidelines requiring mandatory rotation of public accounting firms.