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Agency costs and product market competition: The case of audit pricing in Greece

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  • Leventis, Stergios
  • Weetman, Pauline
  • Caramanis, Constantinos

Abstract

Jensen and Meckling (1976) argue that agency costs are not dependent on product market competition. However, elsewhere in the economics literature, theoretical analysis and empirical research have indicated that product market competition reduces agency costs by reducing the marginal cost of eliciting effort from agents. We investigate the relationship between product market competition and audit fee, as an example of agency cost. Taking advantage of a proprietary data set for Greek audit firms, we find that the audit fee and audit hours are inversely associated with client firm product market competition. We conclude that audit effort, as an agency cost, is reduced where competitive forces reduce the need for shareholders to bear the costs of monitoring agents.

Suggested Citation

  • Leventis, Stergios & Weetman, Pauline & Caramanis, Constantinos, 2011. "Agency costs and product market competition: The case of audit pricing in Greece," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 112-119.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bracre:v:43:y:2011:i:2:p:112-119
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2011.02.005
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    Cited by:

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    4. Leventis, Stergios & Hasan, Iftekhar & Dedoulis, Emmanouil, 2013. "The cost of sin: The effect of social norms on audit pricing," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 152-165.
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    6. Shan, Yuan George & Troshani, Indrit & Richardson, Grant, 2015. "An empirical comparison of the effect of XBRL on audit fees in the US and Japan," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 89-103.
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    13. Tache Marta, 2020. "‘Big 4’ influence on audit market," Central European Economic Journal, Sciendo, vol. 7(54), pages 143-156, January.
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    16. Usman Sattar & Sohail Ahmad Javeed & Rashid Latief, 2020. "How Audit Quality Affects the Firm Performance with the Moderating Role of the Product Market Competition: Empirical Evidence from Pakistani Manufacturing Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-20, May.
    17. Shan, Yuan George & Troshani, Indrit & Tarca, Ann, 2019. "Managerial ownership, audit firm size, and audit fees: Australian evidence," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 18-36.
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    20. Alrashidi, Rasheed & Baboukardos, Diogenis & Arun, Thankom, 2021. "Audit fees, non-audit fees and access to finance: Evidence from India," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    21. Xiaolu Xu & Leo L. Yang & Joseph H. Zhang, 2022. "How do auditors respond to client firms’ technological peer pressure? Evidence from going‐concern opinions," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(9-10), pages 1553-1580, October.
    22. Tsipouridou, Maria & Spathis, Charalambos, 2012. "Earnings management and the role of auditors in an unusual IFRS context: The case of Greece," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 62-78.

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