Do boards influence audit quality? A multidimensional analysis

Abstract

This study investigates how corporate boards of directors influence the quality of external audit in a sample of service firms listed on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). We contribute to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the efficacy of the corporate governance mechanisms through corporate boards to influence audit quality in an emerging country setting (i.e., Jordan). According to Chua (1986), this is mainstream “market-based” accounting research. We regress multiple dimensions that capture the quality of financial statements’ audit on a group of board of directors (BoD) characteristics for total observations of 225 firm-year obtained for 45 companies during the period (2014-2018). Specifically, the multidimensional analysis of the response variable, audit quality, includes audit firm’s internationalization, audit fees, auditor tenure, and the number of licensed practitioners at the audit firm. Using multiple linear (Panel Least Squares - PLS) and logistic regression models, we document empirical evidence that audit quality is positively affected by the independence and size of boards but negatively affected by CEOs duality, while no influence of the board’s expertise on any measures of the audit quality. The study provides implications for policymakers and investors regarding the signals that firms can send regarding the quality of financial statements audit when complying with the best practices of corporate governance.