Pub Date : 2023-09-04DOI: 10.1108/ara-03-2023-0070
Memoona Sajid, Hashmat Shabbir, Raheel Safdar
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the ownership concentration and cost of equity of firms in Pakistan context. Moreover, this study also investigates how the presence of disclosure quality and governance quality affects the relationship between ownership concentration and the cost of equity of firms.Design/methodology/approachData are collected from six non-financial sectors listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange during the period of 2015–2019. This study uses pooled ordinary least square (OLS) method to validate the proposed hypothesis in STATA.FindingsThe study found a positive and significant relationship between ownership concentration and cost of equity. The results also show that better disclosure and governance quality negatively moderates the relationship between ownership concentration and cost of equity.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study will help firm managers to implement a high level of disclosure and governance quality in firms to reduce agency problems which will further help a firm in reducing the firm's cost of equity. Furthermore, this study is valuable for practitioners regarding thinking about the process of designing ownership structures to protect minority shareholders' rights, especially in emerging markets.Originality/valueThe novelty of this study is having better disclosure quality and more board independence members helps firms with higher ownership concentration in reducing the cost of equity.
{"title":"Ownership concentration and cost of equity in Pakistan: the moderating role of disclosure and governance quality","authors":"Memoona Sajid, Hashmat Shabbir, Raheel Safdar","doi":"10.1108/ara-03-2023-0070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ara-03-2023-0070","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the ownership concentration and cost of equity of firms in Pakistan context. Moreover, this study also investigates how the presence of disclosure quality and governance quality affects the relationship between ownership concentration and the cost of equity of firms.Design/methodology/approachData are collected from six non-financial sectors listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange during the period of 2015–2019. This study uses pooled ordinary least square (OLS) method to validate the proposed hypothesis in STATA.FindingsThe study found a positive and significant relationship between ownership concentration and cost of equity. The results also show that better disclosure and governance quality negatively moderates the relationship between ownership concentration and cost of equity.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study will help firm managers to implement a high level of disclosure and governance quality in firms to reduce agency problems which will further help a firm in reducing the firm's cost of equity. Furthermore, this study is valuable for practitioners regarding thinking about the process of designing ownership structures to protect minority shareholders' rights, especially in emerging markets.Originality/valueThe novelty of this study is having better disclosure quality and more board independence members helps firms with higher ownership concentration in reducing the cost of equity.","PeriodicalId":8562,"journal":{"name":"Asian Review of Accounting","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42209939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-09DOI: 10.1108/ara-12-2022-0284
M. Safarzadeh, Mohammad Amin Mohammadian
PurposeThis study aims to examine the association between Iranian auditors' narcissism and the auditors' professional skepticism.Design/methodology/approachThe authors' sample is comprised of 355 professional auditors working in the private and public sectors in Iranian firms in 2022. The authors use cross-sectional multivariate regression as the main methodology, along with the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique.FindingsThe authors find that a higher level of narcissism leads to a greater level of professional skepticism among auditors, which ultimately can enhance the quality of the audit process. The results provided via the robustness tests also supported this finding.Originality/valueThe authors' findings further the understanding of the role of narcissistic personality traits in improving professional skepticism among auditors of an Islamic and emerging country. In addition, audit firms and audit partners can also consider the findings of this study and enhance the effectiveness of audit processes by assigning appropriate employees with certain personalities to specific tasks.
{"title":"Auditors' narcissism and their professional skepticism: evidence from Iran","authors":"M. Safarzadeh, Mohammad Amin Mohammadian","doi":"10.1108/ara-12-2022-0284","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ara-12-2022-0284","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThis study aims to examine the association between Iranian auditors' narcissism and the auditors' professional skepticism.Design/methodology/approachThe authors' sample is comprised of 355 professional auditors working in the private and public sectors in Iranian firms in 2022. The authors use cross-sectional multivariate regression as the main methodology, along with the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique.FindingsThe authors find that a higher level of narcissism leads to a greater level of professional skepticism among auditors, which ultimately can enhance the quality of the audit process. The results provided via the robustness tests also supported this finding.Originality/valueThe authors' findings further the understanding of the role of narcissistic personality traits in improving professional skepticism among auditors of an Islamic and emerging country. In addition, audit firms and audit partners can also consider the findings of this study and enhance the effectiveness of audit processes by assigning appropriate employees with certain personalities to specific tasks.","PeriodicalId":8562,"journal":{"name":"Asian Review of Accounting","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41428790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PurposeThe study intends to determine the environment, social and governance (ESG)'s impact on the firm's value. In addition, how ownership concentration (OC) and transparency and disclosures (TD) influence the impact of firm's ESG on its valuation (firm value).Design/methodology/approachThe relevant panel data with a sample of 78 Indian firms for five years (2016–2020) are gathered. Both linear and nonlinear connections of firm's ESG with its value are tested. In addition, TD and two components of OC (stakes of promoters and institutional investors) are empirically tested as moderators on the connectivity of the firm's ESG with its value.FindingsThe linear association of firm's ESG with its value is found insignificant. ESG is found to have a positive and nonlinear (U-shaped) impact on the value of the firms. TD does not moderate the connectivity of firm's ESG with its valuation (firm value). The higher stakes of promoters positively affect the association of firm's ESG with the valuation. However, the high stakes of institutional investors retard the ESG's influence on the firm value.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is on Indian firms for five years. A sample of more than one nation and a longer duration (10 years) could have helped better determine the associations among the variables. In turn, these limitations can be the present study's future scope. In addition, the authors find a lack of standardisation of the ESG scales, which is a problem in measuring it. Using standardisation scales of ESG for the analysis can also be future scope on the topic.Practical implicationsThe investors would be wary of the level of ESG to influence the firms' value positively. Managers also need to be careful to have sincere efforts for ESG to reap its rich dividends. Policymakers may take cognisance that despite having board seats (in a few cases), institutional investors negatively (instead of positively as expected) influences the ESG's association with the firm's value. They may bring some guidelines or legislative changes to fix responsibility on the part of the institutional investors.Originality/valueNo study reports the linear and nonlinear association of ESG on the firm's value to observe clearer connectivity between the two. Similarly, no study is observed to have promoters and institutional investors as moderators on the association of firm's ESG with the valuation (firm value). Hence, the present study considerably augments the extant literature on the topic and its contribution.
{"title":"Firm's value and ESG: the moderating role of ownership concentration and corporate disclosures","authors":"Shailesh Rastogi, Kuldeep Singh, Jagjeevan Kanoujiya","doi":"10.1108/ara-10-2022-0266","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ara-10-2022-0266","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe study intends to determine the environment, social and governance (ESG)'s impact on the firm's value. In addition, how ownership concentration (OC) and transparency and disclosures (TD) influence the impact of firm's ESG on its valuation (firm value).Design/methodology/approachThe relevant panel data with a sample of 78 Indian firms for five years (2016–2020) are gathered. Both linear and nonlinear connections of firm's ESG with its value are tested. In addition, TD and two components of OC (stakes of promoters and institutional investors) are empirically tested as moderators on the connectivity of the firm's ESG with its value.FindingsThe linear association of firm's ESG with its value is found insignificant. ESG is found to have a positive and nonlinear (U-shaped) impact on the value of the firms. TD does not moderate the connectivity of firm's ESG with its valuation (firm value). The higher stakes of promoters positively affect the association of firm's ESG with the valuation. However, the high stakes of institutional investors retard the ESG's influence on the firm value.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is on Indian firms for five years. A sample of more than one nation and a longer duration (10 years) could have helped better determine the associations among the variables. In turn, these limitations can be the present study's future scope. In addition, the authors find a lack of standardisation of the ESG scales, which is a problem in measuring it. Using standardisation scales of ESG for the analysis can also be future scope on the topic.Practical implicationsThe investors would be wary of the level of ESG to influence the firms' value positively. Managers also need to be careful to have sincere efforts for ESG to reap its rich dividends. Policymakers may take cognisance that despite having board seats (in a few cases), institutional investors negatively (instead of positively as expected) influences the ESG's association with the firm's value. They may bring some guidelines or legislative changes to fix responsibility on the part of the institutional investors.Originality/valueNo study reports the linear and nonlinear association of ESG on the firm's value to observe clearer connectivity between the two. Similarly, no study is observed to have promoters and institutional investors as moderators on the association of firm's ESG with the valuation (firm value). Hence, the present study considerably augments the extant literature on the topic and its contribution.","PeriodicalId":8562,"journal":{"name":"Asian Review of Accounting","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41889978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-18DOI: 10.1108/ara-01-2023-0002
Arash Arianpoor, Somaye Efazati
PurposeThe present study investigates the impact of accounting comparability on chief executive officer (CEO) incentive plans and the moderating role of board independence for companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE).Design/methodology/approachThe information about 177 companies in 2014–2021 was examined. In this study, equity-based compensation and cash-based compensation were used as the CEO incentive plans. The equity-based compensation was calculated through the ownership of the CEO shares.FindingsThe results suggest that the higher accounting comparability increases not only CEO equity-based compensation, but also cash-based compensation. Board independence also strengthens the relationship between accounting comparability and CEO compensation. Hypothesis testing based on robustness checks confirmed these results.Originality/valueThe paper is pioneering, to the authors' knowledge, in identifying how board independence moderates the impact of accounting comparability on CEO compensation. The findings provide insights into economic consequences to the firm related to accounting comparability and board monitoring. The results have important practical implications for international investors to evaluate accounting comparability, corporate governance mechanisms and CEO incentives.
{"title":"The impact of accounting comparability on CEO incentive plans in an emerging economy: the moderating role of board independence","authors":"Arash Arianpoor, Somaye Efazati","doi":"10.1108/ara-01-2023-0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ara-01-2023-0002","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe present study investigates the impact of accounting comparability on chief executive officer (CEO) incentive plans and the moderating role of board independence for companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE).Design/methodology/approachThe information about 177 companies in 2014–2021 was examined. In this study, equity-based compensation and cash-based compensation were used as the CEO incentive plans. The equity-based compensation was calculated through the ownership of the CEO shares.FindingsThe results suggest that the higher accounting comparability increases not only CEO equity-based compensation, but also cash-based compensation. Board independence also strengthens the relationship between accounting comparability and CEO compensation. Hypothesis testing based on robustness checks confirmed these results.Originality/valueThe paper is pioneering, to the authors' knowledge, in identifying how board independence moderates the impact of accounting comparability on CEO compensation. The findings provide insights into economic consequences to the firm related to accounting comparability and board monitoring. The results have important practical implications for international investors to evaluate accounting comparability, corporate governance mechanisms and CEO incentives.","PeriodicalId":8562,"journal":{"name":"Asian Review of Accounting","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43800550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-13DOI: 10.1108/ara-01-2023-0020
Mani Bansal
PurposeThe study examines the impact of a recent mandate (Section 149 of the Indian Companies Act, 2013, where firms of a certain size are mandated to appoint at least one woman director on the board) on the earnings quality of firms. The study also examines the role of financial expertise and the presence of a woman director in the audit committee on the association between mandate and earnings quality.Design/methodology/approachTaking leverage of a quasi-natural experiment in India, the authors employ the ‘Difference-in-Difference’ (DiD) technique. DiD enables the author to filter out the impact of concurrent exogenous shocks while examining the issue. The propensity score matching and entropy balancing techniques have been employed to overcome the problem of endogeneity and self-selection bias.FindingsBased on the sample of 538 Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) listed firms, the author finds that magnitude of discretionary accruals has decreased among test firms (firms mandated to comply with Section 149) relative to benchmark marks (firms not mandated to comply with Section 149) during the post-legislation period, indicating the improved earning quality after the mandate. This finding is consistent with the notion of social role theory that women are less likely to be engaged in risky activities such as earnings management. Further, the author find that the financial expertise of the woman and presence of the woman on the audit committee strengthen the positive impact of the mandate on earnings quality. These results are robust to alternative measurements of discretionary accruals.Originality/valueThe study is among the pioneering attempts to make use of a quasi-natural experiment and investigate the impact of a woman director on earnings quality. The study is also one of the few studies to focus on a developing country like India having a culture dominated by men.
{"title":"One-woman director mandate and earnings quality: role of financial expertise and woman presence on the audit committee","authors":"Mani Bansal","doi":"10.1108/ara-01-2023-0020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ara-01-2023-0020","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe study examines the impact of a recent mandate (Section 149 of the Indian Companies Act, 2013, where firms of a certain size are mandated to appoint at least one woman director on the board) on the earnings quality of firms. The study also examines the role of financial expertise and the presence of a woman director in the audit committee on the association between mandate and earnings quality.Design/methodology/approachTaking leverage of a quasi-natural experiment in India, the authors employ the ‘Difference-in-Difference’ (DiD) technique. DiD enables the author to filter out the impact of concurrent exogenous shocks while examining the issue. The propensity score matching and entropy balancing techniques have been employed to overcome the problem of endogeneity and self-selection bias.FindingsBased on the sample of 538 Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) listed firms, the author finds that magnitude of discretionary accruals has decreased among test firms (firms mandated to comply with Section 149) relative to benchmark marks (firms not mandated to comply with Section 149) during the post-legislation period, indicating the improved earning quality after the mandate. This finding is consistent with the notion of social role theory that women are less likely to be engaged in risky activities such as earnings management. Further, the author find that the financial expertise of the woman and presence of the woman on the audit committee strengthen the positive impact of the mandate on earnings quality. These results are robust to alternative measurements of discretionary accruals.Originality/valueThe study is among the pioneering attempts to make use of a quasi-natural experiment and investigate the impact of a woman director on earnings quality. The study is also one of the few studies to focus on a developing country like India having a culture dominated by men.","PeriodicalId":8562,"journal":{"name":"Asian Review of Accounting","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43426097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-05DOI: 10.1108/ara-04-2022-0096
Javad Rajabalizadeh
PurposeWhile existing research explores the impact of audit market competition on audit fees and audit quality, there is limited investigation into how competition in the audit market influences auditors' writing style. This study examines the relationship between audit market competition and the readability of audit reports in Iran, where competition is particularly intense, especially among private audit firms.Design/methodology/approachThe sample comprises 1,050 firm-year observations in Iran from 2012 to 2018. Readability measures, including the Fog index, Flesch-Reading-Ease (FRE) and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), are employed to assess the readability of auditors' reports. The Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) is utilized to measure audit market competition, with lower index values indicating higher auditor competition. The concentration measure is multiplied by −1 to obtain the competition measure (AudComp). Alternative readability measures, such as the Flesch–Kincaid (FK) and Automated Readability Index (ARI) are used in additional robustness tests. Data on textual features of audit reports, auditor characteristics and other control variables are manually collected from annual reports of firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE).FindingsThe regression analysis results indicate a significant and positive association between audit market competition and audit report readability. Furthermore, a stronger positive and significant association is observed among private audit firms, where competition is more intense compared to state audit firms. These findings remain robust when using alternative readability measures and other sensitivity checks. Additional analysis reveals that the positive effect of competition on audit report readability is more pronounced in situations where the auditor remains unchanged and the audit market size is small.Originality/valueThis paper expands the existing literature by examining the impact of audit market competition on audit report readability. It focuses on a unique audit market (Iran), where competition among audit firms is more intense than in developed countries due to the liberalization of the Iranian audit market in 2001 and the establishment of numerous private audit firms.
{"title":"Readability of auditor reports: does audit market competition matter? Empirical evidence from Iran","authors":"Javad Rajabalizadeh","doi":"10.1108/ara-04-2022-0096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ara-04-2022-0096","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeWhile existing research explores the impact of audit market competition on audit fees and audit quality, there is limited investigation into how competition in the audit market influences auditors' writing style. This study examines the relationship between audit market competition and the readability of audit reports in Iran, where competition is particularly intense, especially among private audit firms.Design/methodology/approachThe sample comprises 1,050 firm-year observations in Iran from 2012 to 2018. Readability measures, including the Fog index, Flesch-Reading-Ease (FRE) and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), are employed to assess the readability of auditors' reports. The Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) is utilized to measure audit market competition, with lower index values indicating higher auditor competition. The concentration measure is multiplied by −1 to obtain the competition measure (AudComp). Alternative readability measures, such as the Flesch–Kincaid (FK) and Automated Readability Index (ARI) are used in additional robustness tests. Data on textual features of audit reports, auditor characteristics and other control variables are manually collected from annual reports of firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE).FindingsThe regression analysis results indicate a significant and positive association between audit market competition and audit report readability. Furthermore, a stronger positive and significant association is observed among private audit firms, where competition is more intense compared to state audit firms. These findings remain robust when using alternative readability measures and other sensitivity checks. Additional analysis reveals that the positive effect of competition on audit report readability is more pronounced in situations where the auditor remains unchanged and the audit market size is small.Originality/valueThis paper expands the existing literature by examining the impact of audit market competition on audit report readability. It focuses on a unique audit market (Iran), where competition among audit firms is more intense than in developed countries due to the liberalization of the Iranian audit market in 2001 and the establishment of numerous private audit firms.","PeriodicalId":8562,"journal":{"name":"Asian Review of Accounting","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48820260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-29DOI: 10.1108/ara-09-2022-0214
Yosra Mnif, Imen Cherif
PurposeEven though the gender literature has addressed the independent effects of female audit committee members and female audit partners on audit quality, this research primary analyses whether the association between the presence of a female audit partner and audit quality depends on (fe)male participation on the audit committee of the audited client-firm. It further examines whether the relationship between female participation on the company's audit committee and audit quality is contingent on having a (fe)male audit partner.Design/methodology/approachA large sample of firm-year observations from the Swedish Corporation has been analyzed for the period that covers the years 2010–2019. The research hypotheses have been analyzed using the year and the industry fixed effect estimations clustered at the firm level.FindingsIn accordance with “the similarity-attraction theory”, the research findings provide support for a positively (negatively) significant relationship between female audit committee female representation and both audit fees and the audit reporting lag (earnings management) in client-firms of female audit partners, albeit insignificant in client-firms of male audit partners. This underscores that the presence of a female audit partner leads the beneficial link between female audit committee directorship and audit quality. Regression results on whether the relationship between female audit committee directorship and audit fees is contingent on having a (fe)male audit partner indicate that female audit partners earn higher (lower) audit fees in companies with gender-diverse (all male) audit committees. This corroborates (in somewhat) the male-female disparities in compensation within the public-audit firms' leading ranks, regarded as a male-dominated workplace worldwide. In conjunction with the argument that (compared to their male rivals) female auditors face more difficulties to reach partnership positions in the public-audit firms and are, thereby, more cautious about the loss of these positions through (in almost cases) exerting more audit efforts, and preventing their audited client-firms from manipulating earnings, the authors reveal that female audit partners are associated with longer (lower) audit reporting lags (earnings management) in both companies with gender-diverse and companies with all-male audit committees. The authors therefore conjuncture that the beneficial female auditor effect on audit quality is not contingent (in somewhat) on (fe)male participation on the company's audit committee. Collectively, the baseline reported results seem sound as they dissipate for a host of alternative metrics for both the dependent and the independent variables. Collectively, the baseline reported results seem sound as they dissipate for a host of alternative metrics for both the dependent and the independent variables.Originality/valueThis study heeds the recent claim for examining the gender effect on the interpersonal interactio
{"title":"The simultaneously representation of women at the audit demand and supply sides and audit quality","authors":"Yosra Mnif, Imen Cherif","doi":"10.1108/ara-09-2022-0214","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ara-09-2022-0214","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeEven though the gender literature has addressed the independent effects of female audit committee members and female audit partners on audit quality, this research primary analyses whether the association between the presence of a female audit partner and audit quality depends on (fe)male participation on the audit committee of the audited client-firm. It further examines whether the relationship between female participation on the company's audit committee and audit quality is contingent on having a (fe)male audit partner.Design/methodology/approachA large sample of firm-year observations from the Swedish Corporation has been analyzed for the period that covers the years 2010–2019. The research hypotheses have been analyzed using the year and the industry fixed effect estimations clustered at the firm level.FindingsIn accordance with “the similarity-attraction theory”, the research findings provide support for a positively (negatively) significant relationship between female audit committee female representation and both audit fees and the audit reporting lag (earnings management) in client-firms of female audit partners, albeit insignificant in client-firms of male audit partners. This underscores that the presence of a female audit partner leads the beneficial link between female audit committee directorship and audit quality. Regression results on whether the relationship between female audit committee directorship and audit fees is contingent on having a (fe)male audit partner indicate that female audit partners earn higher (lower) audit fees in companies with gender-diverse (all male) audit committees. This corroborates (in somewhat) the male-female disparities in compensation within the public-audit firms' leading ranks, regarded as a male-dominated workplace worldwide. In conjunction with the argument that (compared to their male rivals) female auditors face more difficulties to reach partnership positions in the public-audit firms and are, thereby, more cautious about the loss of these positions through (in almost cases) exerting more audit efforts, and preventing their audited client-firms from manipulating earnings, the authors reveal that female audit partners are associated with longer (lower) audit reporting lags (earnings management) in both companies with gender-diverse and companies with all-male audit committees. The authors therefore conjuncture that the beneficial female auditor effect on audit quality is not contingent (in somewhat) on (fe)male participation on the company's audit committee. Collectively, the baseline reported results seem sound as they dissipate for a host of alternative metrics for both the dependent and the independent variables. Collectively, the baseline reported results seem sound as they dissipate for a host of alternative metrics for both the dependent and the independent variables.Originality/valueThis study heeds the recent claim for examining the gender effect on the interpersonal interactio","PeriodicalId":8562,"journal":{"name":"Asian Review of Accounting","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49435341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-28DOI: 10.1108/ara-12-2022-0290
Firdaus Kurniawan, Hilma Tsani Amanati, A. H. L. Nugroho, Nandya Octanti Pusparini
PurposeThis study investigates the impact of government and economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on companies' business operations, especially risk-taking tendencies and corporate financial reporting quality (FRQ).Design/methodology/approachThe study employs the generalised least squares regression model. The final sample comprised 27,376 company-year observations from eight countries in the Asia-Pacific region.FindingsEPU has a negative and significant effect on investment activity and FRQ. Higher EPU leads to a decline in investment and FRQ.Research limitations/implicationsThere are several limitations in this study. First, the authors used abnormal investments to measure investments, without considering the degree of irreversibility investment objectives. Second, although control variables are included at the company and country levels, they may only partially control for companies' mitigation effects. Third, the sample is limited to developing countries with unique characteristics in Asia-Pacific; therefore, the findings cannot be generalised.Practical implicationsThe findings can help investors, analysts and regulators evaluate EPU's impact on companies' business activities by offering an overview regarding the decline in investment efficiency and FRQ. The results can also be used as input for regulators in formulating policies that encourage companies to regulate investment levels without harming other stakeholders and maintain FRQ during periods of uncertainty.Originality/valueThis research provides intriguing insights into EPU's effects on companies' investment activity and FRQ in developing countries, which are sensitive to changes in macroeconomic conditions.
{"title":"Effects of policy and economic uncertainty on investment activities and corporate financial reporting: a study of developing countries in Asia-Pacific","authors":"Firdaus Kurniawan, Hilma Tsani Amanati, A. H. L. Nugroho, Nandya Octanti Pusparini","doi":"10.1108/ara-12-2022-0290","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ara-12-2022-0290","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThis study investigates the impact of government and economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on companies' business operations, especially risk-taking tendencies and corporate financial reporting quality (FRQ).Design/methodology/approachThe study employs the generalised least squares regression model. The final sample comprised 27,376 company-year observations from eight countries in the Asia-Pacific region.FindingsEPU has a negative and significant effect on investment activity and FRQ. Higher EPU leads to a decline in investment and FRQ.Research limitations/implicationsThere are several limitations in this study. First, the authors used abnormal investments to measure investments, without considering the degree of irreversibility investment objectives. Second, although control variables are included at the company and country levels, they may only partially control for companies' mitigation effects. Third, the sample is limited to developing countries with unique characteristics in Asia-Pacific; therefore, the findings cannot be generalised.Practical implicationsThe findings can help investors, analysts and regulators evaluate EPU's impact on companies' business activities by offering an overview regarding the decline in investment efficiency and FRQ. The results can also be used as input for regulators in formulating policies that encourage companies to regulate investment levels without harming other stakeholders and maintain FRQ during periods of uncertainty.Originality/valueThis research provides intriguing insights into EPU's effects on companies' investment activity and FRQ in developing countries, which are sensitive to changes in macroeconomic conditions.","PeriodicalId":8562,"journal":{"name":"Asian Review of Accounting","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45802033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-15DOI: 10.1108/ara-11-2022-0269
Jomjai Sampet, Naruanard Sarapaivanich, Erboon Ekasingh, P. Patterson
PurposeThis study examines how three psychological factors (i.e. perceived experience quality, perceived similarity and client participation) that impact client evaluations of their recent audit experiences influence client satisfaction and trustworthiness, which, in turn, affect advocacy in an small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) context. Furthermore, the study investigates whether the influence of the three psychological factors on client satisfaction and trustworthiness is contingent on client expertise.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consisted of 744 SME executives from the following four regions: central, northern, eastern and southern Thailand. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to ensure the reliability and validity of the scale before structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the data.FindingsThe results showed significant positive effects of the three psychological factors (perceived experience quality, perceived similarity and client participation) on client satisfaction and perceived trustworthiness. The moderating role of client expertise on the relationships is also found. More specifically, client expertise positively moderated the connections between experience quality and satisfaction, experience quality and trustworthiness and client participation and trustworthiness. Conversely, client expertise negatively moderated the similarity–satisfaction and similarity–trustworthiness relationships.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the audit literature by examining the role of psychological factor that impacts client satisfaction and perceived trustworthiness in the SME context. Moreover, the moderating role of client expertise is examined for the first time, providing new insights into the boundary condition of the relationship.
{"title":"Client assessments of their audit experiences: the role of experience quality, similarity and client participation","authors":"Jomjai Sampet, Naruanard Sarapaivanich, Erboon Ekasingh, P. Patterson","doi":"10.1108/ara-11-2022-0269","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ara-11-2022-0269","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThis study examines how three psychological factors (i.e. perceived experience quality, perceived similarity and client participation) that impact client evaluations of their recent audit experiences influence client satisfaction and trustworthiness, which, in turn, affect advocacy in an small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) context. Furthermore, the study investigates whether the influence of the three psychological factors on client satisfaction and trustworthiness is contingent on client expertise.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consisted of 744 SME executives from the following four regions: central, northern, eastern and southern Thailand. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to ensure the reliability and validity of the scale before structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the data.FindingsThe results showed significant positive effects of the three psychological factors (perceived experience quality, perceived similarity and client participation) on client satisfaction and perceived trustworthiness. The moderating role of client expertise on the relationships is also found. More specifically, client expertise positively moderated the connections between experience quality and satisfaction, experience quality and trustworthiness and client participation and trustworthiness. Conversely, client expertise negatively moderated the similarity–satisfaction and similarity–trustworthiness relationships.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the audit literature by examining the role of psychological factor that impacts client satisfaction and perceived trustworthiness in the SME context. Moreover, the moderating role of client expertise is examined for the first time, providing new insights into the boundary condition of the relationship.","PeriodicalId":8562,"journal":{"name":"Asian Review of Accounting","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45512418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-14DOI: 10.1108/ara-12-2022-0298
O. Farooque, Rayed Obaid Hammoud AlObaid, A. Khan
PurposeThis study explores, first, the performance effect (accounting- and market-based performance) of intellectual capital (IC), measured using the value-added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) and its modified version (MVAIC), on Islamic and conventional listed banks in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and, second, whether Islamic banks outperform conventional banks in utilising IC.Design/methodology/approachUsing resource-based view theory and literature reviews, regression analyses are conducted on data for the period 2012–2019 on 26 Islamic and 42 conventional banks. For hypothesis testing, the generalised method of moments panel data regression analysis is applied after addressing endogeneity issues.FindingsResults, after controlling for corporate governance, indicate that the performance effects of IC (VAIC and MVAIC) on both bank types largely converge and Islamic banks do not outperform conventional banks in IC use. IC has a stronger effect on accounting performance measures for conventional banks than for Islamic banks, but IC has some effect on market performance measures for Islamic banks alone. Corporate governance variables do not play a significant role in the presence of VAIC and MVAIC although there are differences in corporate governance between the two bank types.Originality/valueThis study bridges the gap in GCC banking sector literature on the association between IC efficiency and performance measures of Islamic and conventional banks, from a comparative perspective. It enhances understanding, about the IC–financial performance nexus, of policymakers, regulators, bank managers and other stakeholders interested in the influence of different business models, financing/investment methods and governance structure on the performance of both bank types.
{"title":"Does intellectual capital in Islamic banks outperform conventional banks? Evidence from GCC countries","authors":"O. Farooque, Rayed Obaid Hammoud AlObaid, A. Khan","doi":"10.1108/ara-12-2022-0298","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ara-12-2022-0298","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThis study explores, first, the performance effect (accounting- and market-based performance) of intellectual capital (IC), measured using the value-added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) and its modified version (MVAIC), on Islamic and conventional listed banks in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and, second, whether Islamic banks outperform conventional banks in utilising IC.Design/methodology/approachUsing resource-based view theory and literature reviews, regression analyses are conducted on data for the period 2012–2019 on 26 Islamic and 42 conventional banks. For hypothesis testing, the generalised method of moments panel data regression analysis is applied after addressing endogeneity issues.FindingsResults, after controlling for corporate governance, indicate that the performance effects of IC (VAIC and MVAIC) on both bank types largely converge and Islamic banks do not outperform conventional banks in IC use. IC has a stronger effect on accounting performance measures for conventional banks than for Islamic banks, but IC has some effect on market performance measures for Islamic banks alone. Corporate governance variables do not play a significant role in the presence of VAIC and MVAIC although there are differences in corporate governance between the two bank types.Originality/valueThis study bridges the gap in GCC banking sector literature on the association between IC efficiency and performance measures of Islamic and conventional banks, from a comparative perspective. It enhances understanding, about the IC–financial performance nexus, of policymakers, regulators, bank managers and other stakeholders interested in the influence of different business models, financing/investment methods and governance structure on the performance of both bank types.","PeriodicalId":8562,"journal":{"name":"Asian Review of Accounting","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44639425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}