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Auditor independence judgments: A cognitive†developmental model and experimental evidence

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  • LAWRENCE A. PONEMON
  • DAVID R.L. GABHART

Abstract

. This paper describes a psychological framework that examines auditors' conceptions of independence in the context of ethical cognition. An experimental study of independence judgments of 119 partners and managers in two national public accounting firms is reported. Using a well†known measure of ethical cognition, this study examines auditors' implicit reasoning in the resolution of an independence paradigm. The most significant are that (1) a systematic relationship between auditors' measured ethical cognition and their resolution of an independence conflict exists, (2) the penalty attribute is a much stronger influence than the affiliation attribute on the auditors' ethical resolve, and (3) the cognitive measure used in this study can be used efficiently to explain priority rankings of a majority of independence attributes developed in earlier research. Résumé. Les auteurs décrivent ici une grille psychologique permettant d'analyser la façon dont les vérificateurs conçoivent l'impartialité dans le contexte de la conscience éthique. Ils font état des résultats d'une étude expérimentale des jugements d'impartialité de 119 associés et chefs de groupe attachés à deux cabinets d'experts†comptables nationaux. Utilisant une mesure bien connue de la conscience éthique, les auteurs ana†lysent le raisonnement implicite des vérificateurs dans la résolution d'un paradigme d'impartialité. Les principaux résultats de l'étude sont les suivants: 1) il existe une relation systématique entre la conscience éthique mesurée chez les vérificateurs et la façon dont ils résolvent un problème d'impartialité, 2) l'attribut « sanction » a sur la décision éthique des vérificateurs une influence beaucoup plus grande que l'attribut « affiliation » et 3) la mesure cognitive utilisée dans cette étude est efficace dans l'explication des classements de la plupart des attributs d'impartialité définis dans le travaux de recherche antérieurs.

Suggested Citation

  • Lawrence A. Ponemon & David R.L. Gabhart, 1990. "Auditor independence judgments: A cognitive†developmental model and experimental evidence," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 7(1), pages 227-251, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:coacre:v:7:y:1990:i:1:p:227-251
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1911-3846.1990.tb00812.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Antle, R, 1984. "Auditor Independence," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(1), pages 1-20.
    2. Joyce, Ej & Biddle, Gc, 1981. "Are Auditors Judgments Sufficiently Regressive," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(2), pages 323-349.
    3. Lavin, David, 1977. "Some effects of the perceived independence of the auditor," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 237-244, June.
    4. DeAngelo, Linda Elizabeth, 1981. "Auditor independence, `low balling', and disclosure regulation," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(2), pages 113-127, August.
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    1. Yves Mard & Christelle Chaplais & Sylvain Marsat, 2014. "De la possibilité d'accroître l'éthique de l'auditeur : Le cas d'une formation," Post-Print hal-01899102, HAL.
    2. Nurul Nazlia Jamil, 2020. "The Power of Political Connections: Review on the Impacts of Audit Committee and Corporate Governance," Journal of Public Administration and Governance, Macrothink Institute, vol. 10(1), pages 333347-3333, December.
    3. Muhammad Irdam Ferdiansah & Vincent K. Chong & Isabel Z. Wang & David R. Woodliff, 2023. "The Effect of Ethical Commitment Reminder and Reciprocity in the Workplace on Misreporting," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(2), pages 325-345, August.
    4. Lawrence A. Ponemon, 1992. "Auditor underreporting of time and moral reasoning: An experimental lab study," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 9(1), pages 171-189, September.
    5. Nguyen, Thi Tuyet Mai, 2017. "An examination of independent directors in Vietnam," OSF Preprints ay6dv, Center for Open Science.
    6. Christelle Chaplais & Yves Mard & Sylvain Marsat, 2016. "The auditor facing ethical dilemnas: the impact of an ethical training on the compliance with deontological code [L'auditeur face aux dilemmes éthiques : L'impact d'une formation à l'éthique sur la conformité au code de déontologie]," Post-Print hal-02156617, HAL.
    7. Jeffrey R. Cohen & Gregory M. Trompeter, 1998. "An Examination of Factors Affecting Audit Practice Development," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(4), pages 481-504, December.
    8. Hung-Chao Yu, 2011. "Legal systems and auditor independence," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 377-411, June.
    9. Lawrence A. Ponemon, 1992. "La sous†évaluation du temps de travail et le raisonnement moral chez les vérificateurs: laboratoire expérimental," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 9(1), pages 190-211, September.
    10. Tabea Franziska Hirth-Goebel & Barbara E. Weißenberger, 2019. "Management accountants and ethical dilemmas: How to promote ethical intention?," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 287-322, October.

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