The effects of auditor industry specialization on voluntary management earnings forecast

本研究主要探討產業專家會計師事務所對其受查企業管理當局自願性盈餘預測品質之影響，文中自願性盈餘預測之品質分別就盈餘預測之發布意願、揭露盈餘預測方式之精確性、盈餘預測之準確性、盈餘預測之穩健性四部分來探討。本研究係以2009年之S&P 500公司作為研究對象，樣本期間為2000年至2009年。實證結果顯示：產業專家會計師事務所之受查企業相較於非產業專家會計師事務所之受查企業，較有意願去發布管理當局自願性盈餘預測，也傾向於以較具體精確之方式去揭露盈餘預測，且其盈餘預測之準確性亦較高，但其與受查企業管理當局自願性盈餘預測之穩健性則無顯著關聯性。顯示產業專家會計師事務所與其受查企業管理當局自願性盈餘預測之間存在關聯性，產業專家會計師事務所能提升其受查企業管理當局自願性盈餘預測之品質。This paper examines the effects of auditor industry specialization on voluntary management earnings forecasts. This paper uses the incidence of issuing voluntary management earnings forecasts, forecast specificity, forecast accuracy, and forecast conservatism to measure the quality of voluntary management earnings forecast. Based on the sample of 2009 S&P 500 companies spanning from 2000 to 2009, the results indicate that firms audited by industry specialist are more likely to issue earnings forecasts, and their forecasts are more specific. In addition, these forecasts tend to be more accurate. Taken together, the empirical evidence is consistent with the prediction that the auditor industry specialization is associated with voluntary management earnings forecasts; that is, auditor industry specialization helps to enhance the quality of voluntary management forecasts