审计师变更与审计质量——基于签字注册会计师未变更的经验证据

摘要/Abstract

摘要： 针对我国上市公司审计师变更的研究，大多数文献关注的是会计师事务所变更，而未关注会计师事务所变更时签字注册会计师是否也同时发生了变更。本文关注会计师事务所变更而签字注册会计师未发生变更对审计质量的影响①。本文将我国资本市场上实质性、自愿性会计师事务所变更行为中签字注册会计师未发生变更的行为称为"客户追随签字注册会计师"，对追随前后的审计质量进行纵向分析比较，并与其他变更公司进行横向比较。基于纵向和横向比较分别进行研究的结果均发现，追随原签字注册会计师的上市公司的审计质量显著提升。基于可操控性应计利润符号的研究结果发现，客户追随签字注册会计师时并不存在显著的盈余管理动机。不仅如此，小型会计师事务所审计的公司，审计师变更时追随前任注册会计师后审计质量更佳。这意味着，上市公司追随前任签字注册会计师，更可能是出于审计效率和审计质量的考虑，不是借机进行盈余管理，也不是与审计师"合谋"或者"串通"的动机。本文从一个独特的角度指出审计师任期延长有助于提高审计效果。

关键词: 审计师变更, 客户追随签字注册会计师, 审计质量

Abstract: Most of previous literatures about auditor change address the change of audit firms, but less concerns about the change of signatory CPAs. This study examines audit quality of listed companies having changed auditors but staying with the same signatory CPAs. Among all the substantial and voluntary rotations in China's capital market, those firms staying with the same signatory CPAs are referred to as "Clients Following Signatory CPAs, or ‘following’ for short". We examine audit quality difference before and after the "following" event, as well as the audit quality difference between these core samples and the remaining voluntary rotations. Both results from time series analysis and cross sectional analysis show that clients following signatory CPAs exhibit a better audit quality. Specific analysis based on the sign of abnormal accrual show that there is no statistical evidence that these "following" firms have earnings management incentive. Still, clients with small previous auditors see significant improvement in audit quality. All these results indicate that clients following previous signatory CPAs are more likely to be due to concerns of audit efficiency or audit quality, not due to earnings management incentive, nor "collusion" or "collaboration" with auditors. From a unique perspective, this study suggests that longer tenure may contribute to a better audit quality.

Key words: auditor change, clients following signatory CPAs, audit quality

陈武朝, 张海燕, 范语辰. 审计师变更与审计质量——基于签字注册会计师未变更的经验证据[J]. 管理评论, 2020, 32(12): 204-220.

Chen Wuzhao, Zhang Haiyan, Fan Yuchen. Auditor Change and Audit Quality: Empirical Evidence from the Perspective of Signatory CPAs Unchanged[J]. Management Review, 2020, 32(12): 204-220.

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