Investigating the Effect of Auditor's Prior Commitment and Risk on Evaluation of Subsequent Events

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Accounting, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Accounting, Vali -e- Asr University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Iran

3 Academic Member, Department of Accounting, Baft Higher Education Center, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

10.22051/jera.2024.47113.3239

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to investigate the effect of prior commitment and control environment risk on auditors’ proposed adjustments regarding subsequent events. To this end, a between-groups 2x2 factorial design was used. The statistical sample of this research includes 130 supervisors, senior supervisors, managers and partners who were employed in auditing organizations certified by Tehran Securities & Exchange Organization in 2023. To test the research hypotheses, independent multifactor analysis of variance was used. The findings revealed that auditors make smaller (larger) audit adjustments of subsequent events when these events are identified after (before) communicating their initial viewpoint regarding the fair presentation of financial statements to the management.  Moreover, the findings indicate that control environment risk moderates the effect of prior commitment on auditors’ assessment of subsequent events and, compared to a high-risk control environment, auditors’ prior commitment to the management regarding the fair presentation of financial statements leads to a greater reduction in the proposed audit adjustments under a low-risk control environment.  With regard to these findings, we can say that considering supervisory mechanisms for reducing the bias stemming from auditors’ prior commitment can improve the quality of their judgment about the evaluation of subsequent events.

Keywords

Main Subjects


منابع
فروغی، داریوش؛ رجبی، روح الله و بهزادیان، فتاح.(1393). بررسی نحوه استنباط حسابرسان از عوامل موثر بر فرآیند جستجو، کشف و ارزیابی شواهد مربوط به رویدادهای بعد از تاریخ ترازنامه و ارائه یک مدل کاربردی. دانش حسابرسی، 14(55): 71-94.
یوسف‌زاده، نسرین؛ پورحیدری، امید و خدامی‌پور، احمد. (1400).بررسی تاثیر ساختار سوالات پرس‌و‌جو و رابطه بین حسابرس و صاحبکار بر گزارشگری تقلب. پژوهش‌های تجربی حسابداری، 11(3): 215-236.
References
Bauer, T. D. (2015). The effects of client identity strength and professional identity salience on auditor judgments. The Accounting Review 90 (1): 95–114.
Church, B. K. (1991). An examination of the effect that commitment to a hypothesis has on auditors’ evaluations of confirming and disconfirming evidence. Contemporary Accounting Research, 7 (2): 513–534.
Chung, J. O. Y; C. P. Cullinan, M. Frank, J. H. Long, J. Mueller-Phillips, &D. M. O’Reilly. (2013). the auditor’s approach to subsequent events: Insights from the academic literature. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory 32 (Supplement 1): 167–207.
Foroghi, D; RajabiT R; & Behzadiyan, F. (2014).Investigating how auditors deduce factors affecting the process of searching, discovering and evaluating evidence related to events after the balance sheet date and providing a practical model. Audit knowledge, 14(55): 71-94. (In Persian).
He, X; & V. Mittal. (2007). the effect of decision risk and project stage on escalation of commitment. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 103 (2): 225–237.
Herda, D. N; & J. J. Lavelle. (2014). auditing subsequent events: Perspectives from the field. Current Issues in Auditing 8 (2): A10–A24.
Hatfield, R. C; S. B. Jackson, & S. D. Vandervelde. (2011). the effects of prior auditor involvement and client pressure on proposed audit adjustments. Behavioral Research in Accounting 23 (2): 117–130.
 Janvrin, D. J; & C. G. Jeffrey. (2007). an investigation of auditor perceptions about subsequent events and factors that influence this audit task. Accounting Horizons, 21 (3): 295–312.
Jeffrey, C. (1992). The relation of judgment, personal involvement, and experience in the audit of bank loans. The Accounting Review, 67 (4): 802–819.
Messier, W. F; Jr; L. A. Quick, & S. D. Vandervelde. (2014). the influence of process accountability and accounting standard type on auditor usage of a status quo heuristic. Accounting, Organizations and Society 39 (1): 59–74.
Phang, S. Y; & Fargher, N. L. (2019). Auditors' evaluation of subsequent events: The effects of prior commitment and type of accountability. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, 38(3):167-182.
Phang, S. Y. (2020). Impacts of the timing of the discovery of a subsequent event on the auditors’ approach to subsequent events. Accounting & Finance, 60(4): 4121-4146.
Quadackers, L; T. Groot, & A. Wright. (2014). Auditors’ professional skepticism: Neutrality versus presumptive doubt. Contemporary Accounting Research 31 (3): 639–657.
Rashwan, R; & El, A. (2023). The Impact of theCovid-19 pandemic on the Auditing of Subsequent Events of financial lists in Accordance with the International Auditing Standard No. (560). An-Najah University Journal for Research, B: Humanities, 37(4).
Ruhnke, K; & M. Schmidt, (2014), Misstatements in financial statements: the relationship between inherent and control risk factors and audit adjustments, Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory, 33(4), 247–269.
Snyder, M; & S. Gangestad. (1986). on the nature of self-monitoring: Matters of assessment, matters of validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 51 (1): 125–139.
Yousefzadeh, N; Pourheidari, O; & Khodamipour, A.(2021).The Impact of the Structure of Inquiry Questions and Rapport between the Auditor and Client on Fraud Reporting. Empirical Research in Accounting, 11(3), 215-236. (In Persian).