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Assurance provided by auditors’ reports on prospective financial information: implications for the expectation gap

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  • Peter Schelluch
  • Grant Gay

Abstract

The results of this study indicate significant differences in beliefs between auditors, users and preparers of prospective financial information, concerning forecast reliability and the role and responsibilities of auditors and management. Contrary to the usual published studies on expectation gap, it was found that auditors believe that forecasts are more reliable than users or preparers. Auditors also believe that they have a higher level of responsibility and accountability than is attributed to them by users or preparers. Beliefs were affected by the type of report issued by the auditor and subjects were able to discriminate between the level of assurance provided by positive and negative assurance opinions. However, based on the responses of shareholders, it appears that the negative assurance opinion on assumptions for an audit might confuse users and might not meet the demands of the market.

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  • Peter Schelluch & Grant Gay, 2006. "Assurance provided by auditors’ reports on prospective financial information: implications for the expectation gap," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 46(4), pages 653-676, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:46:y:2006:i:4:p:653-676
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-629X.2006.00187.x
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    3. Taslima Akther & Xu Fengju & Md Ziaul Haque, 2019. "An Investigation ofAudit Expectation Gap in Bangladesh," Journal of Business, LAR Center Press, vol. 4(2), pages 1-11, February.
    4. Masoud, Najeb, 2017. "An empirical study of audit expectation-performance gap: The case of Libya," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 1-15.
    5. Archel, Pablo & Carrasco, Francisco & García-Benau, María Antonia & Larrinaga, Carlos, 2022. "Intellectual engagements of accounting academics: The ‘forecasted losses' intervention," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    6. Quick, Reiner & Gauch, Kevin, 2021. "Is assurance on risk management systems relevant for bankers’ decisions?," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    7. Pranil Prasad & Parmod Chand, 2017. "The Changing Face of the Auditor's Report: Implications for Suppliers and Users of Financial Statements," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 27(4), pages 348-367, December.
    8. Li Chen & David Hay & Jingyuan Zhuang, 2020. "Initial public offering prospectus forecast errors and mandatory explanations: evidence from New Zealand," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(3), pages 2167-2202, September.
    9. Taslima Akther & Fengju Xu, 2020. "Existence of the Audit Expectation Gap and Its Impact on Stakeholders’ Confidence: The Moderating Role of the Financial Reporting Council," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-25, January.
    10. Josh Wei-Jun Hsueh, 2018. "Governance Structure and the Credibility Gap: Experimental Evidence on Family Businesses’ Sustainability Reporting," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(2), pages 547-568, December.
    11. Hashem Valipour & Javad Moradi & Hajar Moazaminezhad, 2012. "Auditors’ Perceptions of Reasonable Assurance the Effectiveness of the Audit Risk Model. Case from Iran," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 2(3), pages 17-34, July.
    12. Klaus Ruhnke & Catharina Schmiele & Jochen Schwind, 2010. "Die Erwartungslücke als permanentes Phänomen der Abschlussprüfung — Definitionsansatz, empirische Untersuchung und Schlussfolgerungen," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 62(4), pages 394-421, June.
    13. Cuadrado-Ballesteros, Beatriz & Martínez-Ferrero, Jennifer & García-Sánchez, Isabel María, 2017. "Mitigating information asymmetry through sustainability assurance: The role of accountants and levels of assurance," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 1141-1156.
    14. Kristy Hodge & Nava Subramaniam & Jenny Stewart, 2009. "Assurance of Sustainability Reports: Impact on Report Users' Confidence and Perceptions of Information Credibility," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 19(3), pages 178-194, September.
    15. Tomasz Iwanowicz & Bartłomiej Iwanowicz, 2019. "ISA 701 and Materiality Disclosure as Methods to Minimize the Audit Expectation Gap," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-20, October.
    16. Xin Chang & André F. Gygax & Elaine Oon & Hong Feng Zhang, 2008. "Audit quality, auditor compensation and initial public offering underpricing," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 48(3), pages 391-416, September.
    17. Fengju Xu & Taslima Akther, 2019. "A Partial Least-Squares Structural Equation Modeling Approach to Investigate the Audit Expectation Gap and Its Impact on Investor Confidence: Perspectives from a Developing Country," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-21, October.
    18. Heliodoro, Paula Alexandra & Carreira, Francisco Alegria & Lopes, Manuel Mouta, 2016. "The change of auditor: The Portuguese case," Revista de Contabilidad - Spanish Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 181-186.

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