Essays on Auditor Choice and Audit Disclosures
(The thesis) ... highlights the need to strengthen the governance structures of firms operating in developing countries as these structures affect their commitment to credible financial reporting.
Gordon Mwintome
PhD Candidate
Gordon Mwintome of the School of Business and Law at the University of Agder has submitted his thesis entitled «Essays on Auditor Choice and Audit Disclosures» and will defend the thesis for the PhD-degree Monday 27 June 2022.
He has followed the PhD-programme at the School of Business and Law at the University of Agder.
Summary of the thesis by Gordon Mwintome:
Essays on Auditor Choice and Audit Disclosures
Recently, regulators worldwide have sought to improve transparency around the audit process by implementing significant changes to auditor reporting (e.g., key audit matters (KAMs) by the IAASB and critical audit matters (CAMs) by the PCAOB).
While the revisions are being implemented internationally, little is known about how audit disclosures are affected by auditor characteristics.
As auditors are the main actors in the audit process, audit results tend to be affected by the auditors’ characteristics.
Three studies
In this dissertation, I examined questions relating to auditor choice and how audit results are affected by auditor characteristics. The questions are examined in three studies summarized as follows:
The first study examines the relationship between ownership and choice of external auditors of firms in developing countries and the moderating effect of the strength of country-level institutions. The results show that firms with ownership structures with external stakeholders tend to appoint perceived high-quality auditors. These results are stronger in countries with improving country-level institutions.
The second study investigates how auditor industry specialization and audit committee independence are associated with the reporting of KAMs by auditors. The results show that industry specialized auditors disclose fewer KAMs in their reports while firms with more independent audit committees receive a greater number of KAMs.
The third study explores the influence of audit firm and partner changes on different KAMs attributes like their number, details, and readability. The results show that new audit firms were associated with a greater number of KAMs, but their readability and level of details did not change. New audit partners were associated with fewer KAMs which included more details and were more readable.
Implications
Overall, the research provides novel insights for corporate boards, practice, research, policy and regulation.
It highlights the need to strengthen the governance structures of firms operating in developing countries as these structures affect their commitment to credible financial reporting.
It also highlights that auditor changes that occur at the firm and partner level are not uniform and should be taken into consideration when standards requiring these changes are considered.
Disputation facts
The trial lecture and the public defence will take place in Auditorium I1 066 - Ketil Moes house, Campus Kristiansand and online, via the Zoom conferencing app - link below.
Dean Roger Normann, School of Business and Law at the University of Agder, will chair the disputation.
The trial lecture Monday 27 June at 10:00 hours
Public defence Monday 27 June at 11:15 hours
Given topic for trial lecture: «The role of auditors and auditing committees in developed versus developing economies»
Thesis Title: «Essays on Auditor Choice and Audit Disclosures»
Search for the thesis in AURA - Agder University Research Archive, a digital archive of scientific papers, theses and dissertations from the academic staff and students at the University of Agder.
The thesis is available here:
PhD Thesis Gordon Mwintome_Final Thesis
The Candidate: Gordon Mwintome (1989, Ghana ) Bachelor's and master’s degree from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi-Ghana.
Opponents:
First opponent: Professor Minna Martikainen, University of Vaasa, Finland
Second opponent: Associate Professor Carmen Olsen, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
Professor Emeritus Lars Oxelheim, University of Agder, is appointed as the administrator for the assessment committee.
Supervisor in the doctoral work were Professor Anna Alon, University of Agder.
Opponent ex auditorio:
The chair invites members of the public to pose questions ex auditorio in the introduction to the public defense. Deadline is during the break between the two opponents. The person asking questions should have read the thesis. For online audience the Contact Persons e-mail are available in the chat function during the Public Defense, and questions ex auditorio can be submitted to Gunvor Guttormsen on e-mail gunvor.guttormsen@uia.no