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Corporate Governance and Audit Fees: Evidence of Countervailing Relations

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  • Griffin, Paul A.
  • Lont, David H.
  • Sun, Yuan

Abstract

This study documents that audit fees, and hence audit quality, and governance reflect two countervailing relations, namely, a fee increase because of exogenous changes in expected liability that require greater auditing and other mechanisms to attain better governance, and a fee reduction because auditors reduce the price of risk to reflect the benefits of better governance. The study period provides an interesting setting to test these relations because it covers the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation, which imposed a substantial cost on many companies to strengthen governance, including increased auditing and internal control spending. Yet, after controlling for such increased spending, our results also suggest that better governance reduces the cost of auditing.

Suggested Citation

  • Griffin, Paul A. & Lont, David H. & Sun, Yuan, 2008. "Corporate Governance and Audit Fees: Evidence of Countervailing Relations," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 18-49.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jocaae:v:4:y:2008:i:1:p:18-49
    DOI: 10.1016/S1815-5669(10)70028-X
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    Cited by:

    1. Umapathy Ananthanarayanan, 2018. "Do Corporate Governance Measures Impact Audit Pricing Of Smaller Firms? Evidence From The United States And New Zealand," The International Journal of Business and Finance Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 12(2), pages 77-94.
    2. Rainsbury, Elizabeth A. & Bradbury, Michael & Cahan, Steven F., 2009. "The impact of audit committee quality on financial reporting quality and audit fees," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 20-33.
    3. Kusharyanti Kusharyanti & Indra Wijaya Kusuma, 2020. "Overconfident Management and the Audit Fee Demand-Side Perspective," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 10(10), pages 1131-1146, October.
    4. Zunaidah Sulong & John C. Gardner & Amariah Hanum Hussin & Zuraidah Mohd Sanusi & Carl B. McGowan, Jr., 2013. "Managerial Ownership, Leverage And Audit Quality Impact On Firm Performance: Evidence From The Malaysian Ace Market," Accounting & Taxation, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 5(1), pages 59-70.
    5. Gurmeet S. Bhabra & Harjeet S. Bhabra & Ashrafee T. Hossain, 2021. "Sarbanes‐Oxley Act and the acquisition of private targets," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(S1), pages 1457-1487, April.
    6. Cao, June & Ee, Mong Shan & Hasan, Iftekhar & Huang, He, 2024. "Asymmetric reactions of abnormal audit fees jump to credit rating changes," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(2).
    7. Mihaela Ungureanu, 2012. "Challenges Of External Financial Audit Against The Managerial Fraud," Anale. Seria Stiinte Economice. Timisoara, Faculty of Economics, Tibiscus University in Timisoara, vol. 0, pages 25-31, November.
    8. Evans, Lawrance & Schwartz, Jeremy, 2014. "The effect of concentration and regulation on audit fees: An application of panel data techniques," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 130-144.
    9. Paul A. Griffin & David H. Lont & Yuan Sun, 2010. "Agency problems and audit fees: further tests of the free cash flow hypothesis," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 50(2), pages 321-350, June.
    10. Qinglu Jin & Yuchao Jin & Gary Gang Tian & Yang Xuan, 2021. "Does Internal Corporate Governance Complement or Substitute for External Auditing? Evidence from China's Anti‐corruption Campaign," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 57(1), pages 153-182, March.
    11. Rustam, Sehrish & Rashid, Kashif & Zaman, Khalid, 2013. "The relationship between audit committees, compensation incentives and corporate audit fees in Pakistan," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 697-716.
    12. 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).
    13. Neculai Tabără & Mihaela Ungureanu, 2012. "Internal Audit And Its Role In Improving Corporate Governance Systems," Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, Faculty of Sciences, "1 Decembrie 1918" University, Alba Iulia, vol. 1(14), pages 1-12.
    14. Baban Eulaiwi & Ahmed Al‐Hadi & Lien Duong & Keira Clark & Grantley Taylor & Brian Perrin, 2022. "Audit pricing and corporate whistleblower governance: evidence from Australian financial firms," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(2), pages 2339-2384, June.
    15. 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.
    16. Husam Aldamen & Janice Hollindale & Jennifer L. Ziegelmayer, 2018. "Female audit committee members and their influence on audit fees," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 58(1), pages 57-89, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    C30; G34; K22; M42; M48; auditing; audit fees; corporate governance; Sarbanes-Oxley;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C30 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - General
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • K22 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Business and Securities Law
    • M42 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Auditing
    • M48 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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