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Does Ethical Culture in Audit Firms Support Auditor Objectivity?

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  • Jan Svanberg
  • Peter Öhman

Abstract

The suggested cause of constrained auditor objectivity has been centred on auditors' financial incentives and long audit tenure. Recent research has challenged those assumptions and questioned the effectiveness of auditor rotation to counteract short-tenure threats to auditor objectivity. Audit firms and regulators need to adopt methods for enhancing auditor objectivity that are effective in various auditor--client relationships. This study examines whether audit firm ethical culture is positively related to auditor objectivity. Based on the responses of 281 practising auditors, the findings indicate that auditors are more likely to make objective judgments in ethical cultures characterized by the rewarding of ethical behaviour and punishment of unethical behaviour, prevalence of ethical norms, visible ethical leadership, and low emphasis on obedience to authority. In conclusion, evidence indicates that auditors in audit firms with a strong ethical culture are more likely to maintain auditor objectivity than are auditors in less supportive cultures. This suggests that audit firms should promote a strong ethical culture to reduce the risk of constrained auditor judgment.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan Svanberg & Peter Öhman, 2016. "Does Ethical Culture in Audit Firms Support Auditor Objectivity?," Accounting in Europe, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 65-79, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:acceur:v:13:y:2016:i:1:p:65-79
    DOI: 10.1080/17449480.2016.1164324
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Xiong, Hao & Hou, Fei & Li, Hanwen & Wang, Huabing, 2020. "Does rice farming shape audit quality: Evidence from signing auditors level analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 403-420.
    4. Xingqiang Du, 2019. "Does CEO-Auditor Dialect Sharing Impair Pre-IPO Audit Quality? Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(3), pages 699-735, May.
    5. Andreea Georgiana Pascaru & Camelia Daniela Hațegan, 2024. "Financial Reporting and Audit Quality. A Bibliometric Analysis," Journal of Financial Studies, Institute of Financial Studies, vol. 16(9), pages 205-217, May.
    6. Hou, Fei & Shen, Huayu & Wang, Ping & Xiong, Hao, 2023. "Signing auditors' cultural background and debt financing costs," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    7. Evangelia Pappa & John Filos, 2019. "Benchmarking the Ethics of Internal Auditors: A Comparative Analysis of Private and Public Sector," SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, University of Piraeus, vol. 69(1-2), pages 30-44, January-J.

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