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The effect of political visibility on audit effort and audit pricing

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  • Nives Botica Redmayne
  • Michael E. Bradbury
  • Steven F. Cahan

Abstract

This study examines whether auditors adjust their effort and pricing decisions for political visibility. We argue, from the behavioural literature, that political visibility will create the need for more justification by auditors. Using data on actual audit fees, hours and billing rates for a sample of New Zealand public sector companies, we find that total audit fees are positively related to the number of press mentions (our proxy for political visibility). Consistent with our expectations we find that audit fees are monotonically related to audit fees. We also find that auditors increase the hours spent on the audit but not billing rates, which further suggests defensive bolstering by auditors.

Suggested Citation

  • Nives Botica Redmayne & Michael E. Bradbury & Steven F. Cahan, 2010. "The effect of political visibility on audit effort and audit pricing," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 50(4), pages 921-939, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:50:y:2010:i:4:p:921-939
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-629X.2010.00350.x
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    2. Yang Xu & Elizabeth Carson & Neil Fargher & Liwei Jiang, 2013. "Responses by Australian auditors to the global financial crisis," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 53(1), pages 301-338, March.
    3. Lenka Hudáková Stašová, 2019. "The Scope of Control of the Supreme Audit Office in the Slovak Republic and in the other Visegrad Four Countries," Society and Economy, Akadémiai Kiadó, Hungary, vol. 41(2), pages 245-262, June.
    4. Mercedes Mareque & Angel Barajas & Francisco Lopez-Corrales, 2018. "The Impact of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Financial Fair Play Regulation on Audit Fees: Evidence from Spanish Football," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-20, November.
    5. Panagiotis Dimitropoulos, 2016. "Audit Selection in the European Football Industry under Union of European Football Associations Financial Fair Play," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 6(3), pages 901-906.
    6. Sun, Xuan Sean & Habib, Ahsan & Bhuiyan, Md. Borhan Uddin, 2020. "Workforce environment and audit fees: International evidence," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(1).

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