Audit Reviewers' Judgments in Multiple Client Audit Environments

ABSTRACT: This study replicates Bhattacharjee, Maletta, and Moreno (2007), who find that audit preparers are susceptible to contrast effects in a multi-client environment. We demonstrate that auditors in the role of reviewers are also susceptible to contrast effects from a prior client. Audit reviewers' assessments of internal audit quality of a current client were significantly affected by the quality of the internal audit group of a client they previously reviewed. Specifically, when auditors first reviewed a client with a weak internal audit group they assessed the subsequent moderate internal audit group as being of higher quality than when they first reviewed a prior client with a strong internal audit group or did not review a prior client. Reviewers' documentation of evidence was also influenced by comparative information from the prior client. These results corroborate the key findings of Bhattacharjee et al. (2007) and confirm audit reviewers' susceptibility to contrast effects.