{"title":"Client importance and unconditional conservatism in complex accounting estimates","authors":"Kenneth W. Shaw , James D. Whitworth","doi":"10.1016/j.adiac.2022.100615","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this paper, we examine the relation between client importance to Big 4 audit firm local offices and unconditional conservatism in complex accounting estimates; specifically, stock option volatility, pension expected asset rates of return, and pension discount rates. Changes in these estimates, which can appear small, can have material financial statement effects, have been used in earnings management schemes, and pose greater audit risk. We find that more important audit clients are associated with the use of more unconditionally conservative accounting estimates. These results are consistent with auditor reputation protection rather than important client economic dependence, and suggest client importance does not impair auditor independence with respect to complex accounting estimates.</p><p>Data are available from the public sources cited in the text.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":1,"journal":{"name":"Accounts of Chemical Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":16.4000,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Accounts of Chemical Research","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0882611022000347","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
In this paper, we examine the relation between client importance to Big 4 audit firm local offices and unconditional conservatism in complex accounting estimates; specifically, stock option volatility, pension expected asset rates of return, and pension discount rates. Changes in these estimates, which can appear small, can have material financial statement effects, have been used in earnings management schemes, and pose greater audit risk. We find that more important audit clients are associated with the use of more unconditionally conservative accounting estimates. These results are consistent with auditor reputation protection rather than important client economic dependence, and suggest client importance does not impair auditor independence with respect to complex accounting estimates.
Data are available from the public sources cited in the text.
期刊介绍:
Accounts of Chemical Research presents short, concise and critical articles offering easy-to-read overviews of basic research and applications in all areas of chemistry and biochemistry. These short reviews focus on research from the author’s own laboratory and are designed to teach the reader about a research project. In addition, Accounts of Chemical Research publishes commentaries that give an informed opinion on a current research problem. Special Issues online are devoted to a single topic of unusual activity and significance.
Accounts of Chemical Research replaces the traditional article abstract with an article "Conspectus." These entries synopsize the research affording the reader a closer look at the content and significance of an article. Through this provision of a more detailed description of the article contents, the Conspectus enhances the article's discoverability by search engines and the exposure for the research.