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The Effects of Key Audit Matters on the Auditor’s Report’s Communicative Value: Experimental Evidence from Investment Professionals and Non-professional Investors

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  • Annette Köhler
  • Nicole Ratzinger-Sakel
  • Jochen Theis

Abstract

We investigate the effect of key audit matters (KAM) in the auditor’s report as required by the new ISA 701. We consider investment professionals and non-professional investors in our experiments, in which we test the communicative value of a KAM section relating to goodwill impairment. Our main results show that in the condition in which the KAM section suggests that already small changes in the key assumptions could eventually lead to a goodwill impairment (KAM negative condition), investment professionals assess the economic situation of the company to be significantly better as compared to the condition in which the KAM section suggests that only large changes in the key assumptions could eventually lead to a goodwill impairment (KAM positive condition). In the additional analysis with non-professional investors, we find that a KAM section has no communicative value, implying that non-professional investors have difficulties with processing the information conveyed with KAM.

Suggested Citation

  • Annette Köhler & Nicole Ratzinger-Sakel & Jochen Theis, 2020. "The Effects of Key Audit Matters on the Auditor’s Report’s Communicative Value: Experimental Evidence from Investment Professionals and Non-professional Investors," Accounting in Europe, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(2), pages 105-128, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:acceur:v:17:y:2020:i:2:p:105-128
    DOI: 10.1080/17449480.2020.1726420
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    Cited by:

    1. Smith, Kecia Williams, 2023. "Tell Me More: A content analysis of expanded auditor reporting in the United Kingdom," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    2. Estibaliz Goicoechea & Fernando Gómez-Bezares & José Vicente Ugarte, 2021. "Improving Audit Reports: A Consensus between Auditors and Users," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-25, April.
    3. Hien Hoang & Robyn Moroney & Soon‐Yeow Phang & Xinning Xiao, 2023. "Investor reactions to key audit matters: Financial and non‐financial contexts," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(3), pages 3325-3349, September.
    4. Clive S. Lennox & Jaime J. Schmidt & Anne M. Thompson, 2023. "Why are expanded audit reports not informative to investors? Evidence from the United Kingdom," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 497-532, June.

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