Do Social Ties between CFOs and Engagement Audit Partners Affect Audit Quality?

本研究旨在探討我國 2006 至 2012 年上市上櫃公司財務長與簽證會計師的社會連結(Social tie)對審計品質的影響，並以教育背景為雙方的社會連結(School tie)，檢視財務長與會計師是否因為彼此相同的教育背景所產生的親切、熟悉及信任感，而有利於資訊的傳遞帶來正向效果，亦或者創造一個會計師與管理者共謀舞弊的機會，損及會計師的監督功能與獨立性。 實證結果顯示當審計品質以異常應計數絕對值衡量時，財務長與會計師之大學教育連結對審計品質有正向顯著關係；當審計品質以異常應計數標準差衡量時，碩士教育連結有負向顯著關係；當審計品質以異常應計數無絕對值衡量時，EMBA 教育連結有正向顯著關係，即其較可能以向上操縱盈餘的方式進行盈餘管理。綜上所述，本研究發現財務長與簽證會計師之社會連結並不必然導致較差之審計服務品質。This study aims to examine whether social tie (especially school tie) between the Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and engagement audit partners affects audit quality. Based on a sample of listed companies in Taiwan during 2006-2012, I find that a common university background between the CFOs and engagement audit partners is associated with higher absolute abnormal accruals and that a common postgraduate background is associated lower standard deviation of abnormal accruals. In addition, when the CFOs and engagement audit partners share a common EMBA background, there is a greater likelihood of income-increasing earnings management. Overall, the findings of this study imply that socially tied engagement audit partners do not necessarily provide lower quality audits