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Ownership structure and audit quality: An empirical analysis considering ownership types in Jordan

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  • Alhababsah, Salem

Abstract

This study provides up-to-date evidence concerning the different corporate ownership types and their effect on audit quality in Jordan, and by extension to other developing countries with similar institutional environments. Different types of shareholders have different investment policies and targets, which affects how they exercise their monitoring role over the investee firms. However, the literature suffers from a tight focus on overall ownership concentration, with less attention to identities of the shareholders. This focus motivates the study to go further and test whether the demand for audit quality varies across different ownership identities. This study sheds light on this relationship in one of the developing countries where investor protection is relatively weak and overall regulations remain underdeveloped. To obtain robust results, the study employs different estimation methods and scales audit fees according to firm size in order to reduce spurious correlations and heterogeneity of variance due to firm size. The results show the importance of family, banks, and government ownership in ensuring high audit quality. Conversely, ownership by non-financial institutions and foreigners does not affect audit quality. Beyond its contribution to the literature, this study offers useful feedback for regulatory bodies to consider ownership types during their deliberations, assists investors in making better-informed decisions, and benefits other interested parties in gaining a better understanding of the role played by ownership structure in audit quality. This feedback can also apply to other countries with ownership structures and regulatory frameworks similar to those in Jordan.

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  • Alhababsah, Salem, 2019. "Ownership structure and audit quality: An empirical analysis considering ownership types in Jordan," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 71-84.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jiaata:v:35:y:2019:i:c:p:71-84
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intaccaudtax.2019.05.006
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    2. Alhababsah, Salem & Alhaj-Ismail, Alaa, 2023. "Does shared tenure between audit committee chair and engagement partner affect audit outcomes? Evidence from the UK," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(2).
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    4. Peng, Cong & Chau, Ka Yin, 2023. "Independent audit quality and corporate cash holdings," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PB).
    5. 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).
    6. Jebreel Mohammad Al-Al-Msiedeen & Fawzi A. Al Sawalqa, 2021. "Ownership Structure and CEO Compensation: Evidence from Jordan," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 11(5), pages 365-383, May.
    7. Esraa Esam Alharasis & Hossam Haddad & Maha Shehadeh & Ahmad Saleem Tarawneh, 2022. "Abnormal Monitoring Costs Charged for Auditing Fair Value Model: Evidence from Jordanian Finance Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-21, March.
    8. Esraa Esam Alharasis & Ahmad Saleem Tarawneh & Maha Shehadeh & Hossam Haddad & Ahmad Marei & Elina F. Hasan, 2022. "Reimbursement Costs of Auditing Financial Assets Measured by Fair Value Model in Jordanian Financial Firms’ Annual Reports," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-21, August.
    9. Alhababsah, Salem & Yekini, Sina, 2021. "Audit committee and audit quality: An empirical analysis considering industry expertise, legal expertise and gender diversity," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).
    10. Khaled Aburisheh, 2023. "Factors Affecting Audit Quality: Evidence from Jordan ," GATR Journals afr227, Global Academy of Training and Research (GATR) Enterprise.

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