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The Impact Of Cultural Environment On Entry-Level Auditors’ Abilities To Perform Analytical Procedures, James F. Sander, Susan B. Hughes, Scott D. Higgs, Charles P. Cullinan

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

We focus on the impact of three of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and individualism, on the results of analytical procedures conducted by entry-level auditors in Mexico and the U.S. Analytical procedures are ideal for this research as they require auditors to use professional judgment and appropriate levels of professional skepticism, abilities related to all three cultural characteristics. We find no other study investigating the impact of culture on the application of auditing procedures similar across the studied cultures.

We find cultural characteristics do not affect the participants’ abilities to predict income statement balances, but they may influence …

Critical Accounting Policy And Estimate Disclosures: Company Response To The Evolving Sec Guidance, Susan B. Hughes, James F. Sander, Jillian K. Snyder

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

In late 2001, soon after numerous financial reporting failures including the much publicized demise of Enron, the SEC began a series of initiatives to improve critical accounting policy (CAP) and critical accounting estimate disclosures included within the MD&A section of Form 10-K. The first announcement, in the form of cautionary guidance, was issued in December 2001. This was followed by a Proposed Rule in 2002, and additional disclosure guidance near the end of 2003. Combined, the guidance required companies to provide information that would help investors understand the impact of estimates, accounting policies and external factors on financial results. Through …