Business Commons^™

Audit Quality And Accrual Persistence: Evidence From The Pre- And Post-Sarbanes-Oxley Periods, Dennis Chambers, Jeff L. Payne

Faculty and Research Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is two-fold: first, to examine whether the quality of accruals, as measured by accrual persistence, improved in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) period, and second, to examine the degree to which SOX-related improvement in accrual persistence varies across companies depending on the degree of their auditor's independence.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper compares accrual persistence in the pre- and post-SOX periods to test the first question. Then, partitioning on relative client importance as a measure of auditor independence, the paper compares the SOX-based improvement for clients of low and high independence audit firms.

Findings – The …

Real-Time Corporate Tax Audits And Their Impact On Financial Reporting, M. Catherine Cleaveland, Kathryn K. Epps, Cassie F. Bradley

Faculty and Research Publications

The article focuses on the Compliance Assurance Process (CAP) program, a simultaneous auditing process that aims to potentially reduce audit procedures after the corporate tax filing date in the U.S. The process by which the program work is explained, which involves a corporation working an entire tax year with an account coordinator assigned by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Benefits of the CAP program include increased corporate tax compliance, while its disadvantages include resistance by a company to participate in a real-time audit program.

How Consulting Services Could Kill Private-Sector Auditing, Dana R. Hermanson

Faculty and Research Publications

The article presents a discussion of recommendations for improving sustainability of a public company auditing profession in the U.S., adapted from a submission by Dana R. Hermanson to the Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession of the Treasury Department.

Disaster Recovery Planning: What Section 404 Audits Reveal, Dana R. Hermanson, Daniel M. Ivancevich, Susan H. Ivancevich

Faculty and Research Publications

This article summarizes U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act section 404 internal control reports that reveal material weaknesses due to inadequate disaster recovery planning. According to the authors, Section 404 applies to public companies with over $75 million in public float. They advise that auditors evaluating internal control over financial reporting must consider key information technology-related risks and controls that affect financial reporting, including issues related to disaster recovery planning.

The Fraud Diamond: Considering The Four Elements Of Fraud, David T. Wolfe, Dana R. Hermanson

Faculty and Research Publications

Focuses on the use of the elements of the fraud diamond to prevent and detect accounting fraud. Essential traits for committing fraud; Steps in assessing fraud risk through the use of the fourth element of the diamond; Ways for auditors to prevent potential fraud.

Going Beyond Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance: Five Keys To Creating Value, Mark S. Beasley, Dana R. Hermanson

Faculty and Research Publications

Discusses the factors involved in implementing Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 for U.S. accounting firms. Appreciation of the goal behind the law; Comprehension of the accounting fraud; Aggressiveness in addressing ethical attitudes and rationalization.

Audit Committee Effectiveness: A Synthesis Of The Empirical Audit Committee Literature, F. Todd Dezoort, Dana R. Hermanson, Deborah S. Archambeault, Scott A. Reed

Faculty and Research Publications

The article describes the factors that contribute to audit committee effectiveness. An effective audit committee has qualified members with the authority and resources to protect stakeholder interests by ensuring reliable financial reporting, internal controls, and risk management through its diligent oversight efforts. The determinants of audit committee effectiveness includes the audit committee composition, authority, resources and diligence. The major U.S. stock exchanges require that audit committees be composed of at least three independent, financially literate directors. Team issues also are relevant when considering audit committee composition. The audit committee derives its authority from the full board of directors, federal law …

Uncertain Litigation Cost And Seller Behavior: Evidence From An Auditing Game, Ping Zhang, Bryan K. Church, Lucy Ackert

Faculty and Research Publications

Investigates difficulties that arise in estimating expected litigation costs in an auditing game in the United States. Effect of effort level on certain and uncertain costs of performing the engagement; Frequency of observed fee offers below the total expected cost of an engagement; Institutional arrangements and damage-sharing regimes; Theoretical and behavioral predictions.

Preventing Fraudulent Financial Reporting, Mark S. Beasley, Joseph V. Carcello, Dana R. Hermanson

Faculty and Research Publications

Provides information on a study conducted by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations regarding the detection and prevention of financial fraud. Discussion on the nature of financial frauds; Characteristics of unreliable financial reporting; Views on the role of auditing firms in the prevention of fraud.