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How Do Audit Offices Respond to Audit Fee Pressure? Evidence of Increased Focus on Nonaudit Services and their Impact on Audit Quality

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  • Erik L. Beardsley
  • Dennis R. Lassila
  • Thomas C. Omer

Abstract

We investigate whether audit offices respond to audit fee pressure by increasing their focus on nonaudit services (NAS), as well as the combined effect of audit fee pressure and an increased focus on NAS on audit quality. We find a positive association between audit fee pressure and changes in NAS at the audit office level. We also find increased rates of client misstatement among audit offices that increase focus on NAS in the presence of audit fee pressure compared to audit offices that do not, suggesting a joint effect on audit quality. We find that the reduction in audit quality occurs in large audit offices. Overall, we provide evidence that audit offices’ provision of additional NAS in the presence of fee pressure is an important dimension to consider when examining the effects of declining audit fees on audit quality. Comment les bureaux d'audit réagissent‐ils à la pression sur les honoraires d'audit ? Données relatives à l'importance accrue accordée aux services autres que l'audit et à son incidence sur la qualité de l'audit Les auteurs se demandent si les bureaux d'audit réagissent à la pression sur les honoraires d'audit en accentuant l'importance qu'ils accordent aux services autres que l'audit et se penchent également sur l'incidence conjuguée de la pression sur les honoraires d'audit et de l'importance accrue accordée aux services autres que l'audit sur la qualité de l'audit. Ils notent l'existence d'un lien positif entre la pression sur les honoraires d'audit et les changements au chapitre des services autres que l'audit à l’échelon du bureau d'audit. Les auteurs observent également des proportions plus élevées d'anomalies chez les clients des bureaux d'audit qui accentuent l'importance accordée aux services autres que l'audit, en présence de pression sur les honoraires d'audit, par rapport aux bureaux d'audit qui ne le font pas, ce qui semble indiquer une incidence conjuguée sur la qualité de l'audit. L'analyse révèle qu'une réduction de la qualité de l'audit est observable dans les grands bureaux d'audit. Globalement, les auteurs montrent, preuves à l'appui, que l'offre par les bureaux d'audit de services additionnels non liés à l'audit en présence de pression sur les honoraires d'audit est un aspect du contexte à prendre en considération dans l’étude des répercussions du fléchissement des honoraires d'audit sur la qualité de l'audit.

Suggested Citation

  • Erik L. Beardsley & Dennis R. Lassila & Thomas C. Omer, 2019. "How Do Audit Offices Respond to Audit Fee Pressure? Evidence of Increased Focus on Nonaudit Services and their Impact on Audit Quality," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 36(2), pages 999-1027, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:coacre:v:36:y:2019:i:2:p:999-1027
    DOI: 10.1111/1911-3846.12440
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrew B. Jackson, 2022. "Residuals from two‐step research designs," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(4), pages 4345-4358, December.
    2. Ho, Nam, 2023. "Local competition and auditors' provision of non-audit services," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    3. Xinming Liu & Gerald J. Lobo & Hung‐Chao Yu, 2021. "Is Audit Committee Equity Compensation Related to Audit Fees?," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(1), pages 740-769, March.
    4. Beardsley, Erik L. & Imdieke, Andrew J. & Omer, Thomas C., 2021. "The distraction effect of non-audit services on audit quality," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(2).
    5. Patrick Velte, 2023. "The impact of external auditors on firms’ financial restatements: a review of archival studies and implications for future research," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 73(3), pages 959-985, September.
    6. Donelson, Dain C. & Ege, Matthew & Imdieke, Andrew J. & Maksymov, Eldar, 2020. "The revival of large consulting practices at the Big 4 and audit quality," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    7. Kristina Peštović & Nikola Milicevic & Nenad Djokic & Ines Djokic, 2021. "Audit Service Quality Perceived by Customers: Formative Modelling Measurement Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-16, October.

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