Do external auditors perform a corporate governance role in emerging markets? Evidence from East Asia / Joseph P. H. Fan and T.J. Wong

In emerging markets, the concentration of corporate ownership has created agency conflicts between controlling owners and minority shareholders, which are difficult to mitigate through conventional corporate control mechanisms such as boards of directors and takeovers. This study examines whether ex...

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Main Authors: Fan, Joseph P. H., Wong, T.J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Faculty of Accountancy & Accounting Research Institute (ARI) 2003
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/13684/
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author Fan, Joseph P. H.
Wong, T.J.
author_facet Fan, Joseph P. H.
Wong, T.J.
author_sort Fan, Joseph P. H.
building UiTM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description In emerging markets, the concentration of corporate ownership has created agency conflicts between controlling owners and minority shareholders, which are difficult to mitigate through conventional corporate control mechanisms such as boards of directors and takeovers. This study examines whether external independent auditors could be employed as monitors and as bonding mechanisms to alleviate these agency conflicts. Using a broad sample of firms from eight East Asian economies, we document that firms are more likely to employ Big Five auditors when they are subject to the agency problem imbedded in their ownership structure. In addition, among East Asian auditees subject to the agency problem, Big Five auditors charge a higher fee and set a lower audit modification threshold while non-Big Five auditors do not. Taken together, this evidence suggests that Big Five auditors in emerging markets do have a corporate governance role.
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spelling uitm-136842016-07-21T07:47:01Z https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/13684/ Do external auditors perform a corporate governance role in emerging markets? Evidence from East Asia / Joseph P. H. Fan and T.J. Wong mar Fan, Joseph P. H. Wong, T.J. Malaysia Accountants Managerial accounting In emerging markets, the concentration of corporate ownership has created agency conflicts between controlling owners and minority shareholders, which are difficult to mitigate through conventional corporate control mechanisms such as boards of directors and takeovers. This study examines whether external independent auditors could be employed as monitors and as bonding mechanisms to alleviate these agency conflicts. Using a broad sample of firms from eight East Asian economies, we document that firms are more likely to employ Big Five auditors when they are subject to the agency problem imbedded in their ownership structure. In addition, among East Asian auditees subject to the agency problem, Big Five auditors charge a higher fee and set a lower audit modification threshold while non-Big Five auditors do not. Taken together, this evidence suggests that Big Five auditors in emerging markets do have a corporate governance role. Faculty of Accountancy & Accounting Research Institute (ARI) 2003 Article PeerReviewed text en https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/13684/1/AJ_JOSEPH%20P.%20H.%20FAN%20MAR%2003.pdf Fan, Joseph P. H. and Wong, T.J. (2003) Do external auditors perform a corporate governance role in emerging markets? Evidence from East Asia / Joseph P. H. Fan and T.J. Wong. (2003) Malaysian Accounting Review <https://ir.uitm.edu.my/view/publication/Malaysian_Accounting_Review.html>, 2 (1). pp. 13-45. ISSN 1675-4077 https://mar.uitm.edu.my/
spellingShingle Malaysia
Accountants
Managerial accounting
Fan, Joseph P. H.
Wong, T.J.
Do external auditors perform a corporate governance role in emerging markets? Evidence from East Asia / Joseph P. H. Fan and T.J. Wong
title Do external auditors perform a corporate governance role in emerging markets? Evidence from East Asia / Joseph P. H. Fan and T.J. Wong
title_full Do external auditors perform a corporate governance role in emerging markets? Evidence from East Asia / Joseph P. H. Fan and T.J. Wong
title_fullStr Do external auditors perform a corporate governance role in emerging markets? Evidence from East Asia / Joseph P. H. Fan and T.J. Wong
title_full_unstemmed Do external auditors perform a corporate governance role in emerging markets? Evidence from East Asia / Joseph P. H. Fan and T.J. Wong
title_short Do external auditors perform a corporate governance role in emerging markets? Evidence from East Asia / Joseph P. H. Fan and T.J. Wong
title_sort do external auditors perform a corporate governance role in emerging markets? evidence from east asia / joseph p. h. fan and t.j. wong
topic Malaysia
Accountants
Managerial accounting
url https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/13684/
https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/13684/