企業之營運當中，其營運資金有部份需仰賴企業外部之投資者，大多數公司會以發債的方式進行籌措。債權人在投入資金前，其所能信賴的即企業對外之財務報表。但債權人對於管理階層所編製的財務報表可靠性會產生不信任感，此時便需要會計師的查核意見；然而在安隆案後，社會大眾對於會計師的獨立性信賴崩盤，Arthur Andersen為安隆公司提供簽證服務長達二十七年，此舉引發人們對於會計師任期長短所造成的獨立性疑慮；此外，安隆案的揭弊者Sherron Watkins，於2002年登上了時代雜誌的女性風雲人物，在一般認知中，女性的行事風格較男性保守也較有道德感，且女性較可能因為偏好道德上的判斷而勇於挑戰現實中的壓力。 / When it comes to managing an enterprise, most of the companies would rely on outside investors to supply them with operation funds. Companies would raise funds by issuing bonds. In order to win the trust from these investors, management team has to provide them with impressive financial statements. Financial statements represent the financial affairs and the state of management of enterprises in a period or the end of the year. Due to the distrust of the financial statement reliability may occurred by creditors, opinions from accountants become necessary. However, the scandal of Enron Corporation had inflicted the trust from the public. People started to concern about the independency of accountant because the engagement service that Arthur Anderson had provided for Enron was last for 27 years. Generally, people consider women are more conservative and full of moral sense than men. Women may prefer challenging the pressure of reality due to the judgement with moral sense. Moreover, Time Magazine named Sherron Watkins, the whistleblower of the Enron scandal, “Person of the Year” for 2002. Therefore, whether the gender difference may affect the final opinions that accountants provide, becomes another key point in my research. This study aims to examine the effect of debt cost with elements as follow: auditor’s gender and tenure. With a sample of ordinary corporate bonds published by listed and over-the-counter companies during 2000-2014. The results show that companies audited by female accountants has less debt cost and auditor’s tenure has a positive association with debt cost.

若盈餘資訊之時效性具有不對稱的特性 – 會計資訊認列壞消息的速度較認列好消息的速度更為及時，則會計實務將此稱之為具穩健原則特性之盈餘屬性。本研究檢視我國盈餘的穩健程度，以及就審計功能的角度而言，我國盈餘穩健程度的影響因素，主要發現如下：首先，我國早期的會計盈餘並不具備穩健原則的特性，但是近期的會計盈餘則已經具備穩健原則的特性。換言之，就穩健特性而言，我國的財務報告品質的確有明顯的進步。其次，就審計功能的角度而言，本研究未能發現會計師的品牌聲譽對盈餘穩健程度有具體增額影響的證據。第三，本研究發現產業專家對盈餘穩健程度有正面影響的證據，其中經由進一步的分析，本研究發現，同時為產業專家會計師事務所與產業專家合夥會計師簽證的客戶，其盈餘的穩健程度最高。但是，單獨僅為產業專家會計師事務所，或僅為產業專家合夥會計師所簽證的客戶，其盈餘數字的穩健程度，與一般既非產業專家會計師事務所且並非產業專家合夥會計師簽證客戶的盈餘穩健程度，其間的差異並不明顯。第四，若追蹤至會計師事務所，查核的最終年度，對會計盈餘具有增額的穩健影響。然而，在相同會計師事務所內的會計師更換而產生的最後一年任期，則對盈餘的增額穩健程度並無顯著的影響。最後，無論係早期或近期，若客戶重要性係追蹤至會計師事務所的層級，本研究完全未能發現客戶重要性對於盈餘的穩健程度有負面影響的證據。但是，若客戶重要性係追蹤至合夥會計師的層級，本研究發現，就早期而言，客戶重要性對於盈餘穩健程度的確有不利影響的證據；但是，若就國近期的資料而言，則客戶重要性對於盈餘穩健特性之影響，僅為方向上的負面影響，未能達傳統的顯著水準。

本研究以我國1994年至2003年由四大會計師事務所查核簽證之上市上櫃公司為研究對象，探討會計師之產業專精與任期及其交互作用對於查核品質之影響，其中以裁決性應計數作為查核品質之代理變數，並同時採用會計師事務所及合夥會計師在特定產業之市場佔有率，作為產業專家之衡量指標。實證結果發現，產業專家可以限制受查客戶透過裁決性應計數從事盈餘管理，而以合夥會計師為基礎所計算之市場佔有率較會計師事務所為基礎所計算之市場佔有率，更能解釋審計品質的差異。在任期方面，研究結果顯示，會計師任期愈長愈能限制盈餘管理，而任期對於裁決性應計數絕對値之影響係反映於任期較長會計師之查核年資。但進一步檢測會計師對管理當局操弄盈餘向上或向下的態度是否隨著任期之增長而有所不同時，本研究發現，當管理當局操弄盈餘使其降低時，會計師任期增長愈能抑制管理當局向下操弄盈餘以預留未來盈餘空間；而在管理當局操弄盈餘使其增加時，會計師任期增長則沒有理由支持具查核品質。此外，在產業專家與任期之交互作用對查核品質影響方面，實證結果發現，產業專家會計師抑制盈餘管理的能力較非產業專家好，所以較不須要透過任期的增加來提升其偵測盈餘管理的能力。 / This study uses the sample comprised of listed and OTC firms in Taiwan during 1994-2003 and examines the effects of auditor industry specialization, auditor tenure and the interaction on audit quality. I use discretionary accruals as proxies for audit quality and industry specialization is measured in terms of both audit firm market share in an industry and auditor market share in an industry. My empirical results provide evidence that industry specialist auditors can restrict accruals-based earnings management and explain the differentiation of audit quality more than industry specialist audit firms. About auditor tenure, I find that absolute discretionary accruals decline with auditor tenure and tenure traced at the longer auditor tenure is superior to shorter auditor tenure. The results show that longer auditor tenure enhances audit quality. In addition, a further analysis shows that the clients have motivations on income-decreasing earnings management, auditors can limit management’s ability to create reserve to manage future earnings. But the clients have motivations on income-increasing earnings management, the study did not provide sufficient evidences to explain that audit quality is improved with tenure. Besides, the result of empirical analysis support my estimation about the interaction between auditor industry specialization and auditor tenure. The industry specialist auditors mitigate earnings management more than nonspecialist auditors and don’t enhance audit quality through extending auditor tenure.

本研究主要探討準強制性會計師輪調機制與客戶公司審計品質(以盈餘反應係數為代理變數)的關聯性，並藉由檢視在此機制下有進行會計師輪調之公司與未進行會計師輪調之公司的盈餘反應係數、會計師輪調後後續年度的盈餘反應係數以及採行所間/所內會計師輪調的盈餘反應係數來檢視準強制性會計師輪調機制對審計品質的潛在影響力，進而瞭解該機制的實施成效。 本研究發現，雖然迴歸結果顯示有進行會計師輪調樣本之盈餘反應係數大於未進行會計師輪調樣本的盈餘反應係數，投資大眾認為有進行會計師輪調之公司其審計品質優於未進行會計師輪調之公司，與本研究之預期方向相符；但由於結果並未達顯著水準，表示在投資人心中，準強制性會計師輪調機制並未對公司審計品質造成太大的影響。就輪調之後續年度審計品質變化而言，在輪調後第一年及第二年的盈餘反應係數較輪調當年度為低；雖然結果不顯著，卻顯示市場認知的審計品質在會計師輪調後初期有下降的現象，可能是投資人認為繼任會計師在查核初期對受查者事業的不熟悉，將導致審計品質下降所致。 就事務所間輪調與事務所內輪調之效果而言，本研究的實證結果指出投資人認為在應輪調年度採行會計師所間輪調較所內輪調更能提昇審計品質，但結果亦不顯著。至於在所間輪調下，事務所規模是否會影響審計品質之問題探討，根據所間輪調樣本的營運狀況與財務比率，本研究發現選擇將查核會計師由非四大會計師事務所更換至四大會計師事務所的公司擁有較佳的營運狀況與財務體質，與大眾直覺及預期相符。 / This study is mainly discussing the association between quasi-mandatory auditor rotation system in Taiwan and the audit quality (use earnings response coefficient, ERC, as proxy) of company by examining the ERC of companies that do not rotate their audit-partner versus companies that rotate their audit-partner under this system, analyzing the change of ERC in the follow-up years after audit-partner rotation, and comparing the difference of ERC between audit-firm rotation and audit-partner rotation. The empirical results indicate that, although insignificant, investors perceive the audit quality of companies which rotate their audit-partner is better than the audit quality of the companies that do not rotate. This means, in investors’ thought, the quasi-mandatory auditor rotation system doesn’t work in audit quality promotion. For the change of the audit quality in the years after audit-partner rotation, this study finds out the audit quality the market perceived will go down in the first and the second year after audit-partner rotation due to the successors’ unfamiliarity with their clients. Furthermore, the result insignificantly points out that the public think audit-firm rotation is more useful in audit quality improving than audit-partner rotation. As to the question that whether the scale of audit firm influence audit quality, the evidence from the operation data and financial ratio of audit-firm rotated sample in this study suggests that the companies which rotate their audit-partner from non-Big4 to Big4 have superior operational performance and sounder financial condition than companies rotate their audit-partner in other ways. This result is consistent with the intuition of the public and the expectation of this study.

從美國的安隆(Enron)、世界通訊(WorldCom)、全錄公司(Xerox)，義大利的帕瑪列(Parmalat)，相關專業機構包括安達信(Arthur Andersen)、美林證券(Merrill Lynch)、花旗銀行(Citibank)；到臺灣的太電、博達、訊碟….等，一連串上市公司及專業機構爆發財務弊案，投資大眾人心惶惶。會計師受託查核公司財務報表並對報表表示意見，在健全資本市場的任務中擔任極為重要的角色，社會大眾對會計師之職責賦予相當大的期待，但弊案連續爆發卻使會計師的專業遭受嚴重質疑。因此，一般而言，弊案爆發或會計師受主管機關懲處後，會計師姓名就會與「審計品質不佳」劃上等號，因此先前由被懲處之會計師所簽證之其他受查公司，不論有無類似弊病，都會被人以放大鏡來觀察。然而，究竟懲戒制度實施結果是否合乎立法初衷而提升會計師之審計品質？被懲戒之會計師是否真代表其審計品質較低？則無法得知，此即為本研究欲探討的議題。 本研究以裁決性應計數報導幅度大小將會計師之審計品質予以量化，並參考Nagy(2005)的研究模式，將樣本分為會計師更換前後期，並對獨立及配對樣本作分析，以探討因懲戒而更換會計師對審計品質之影響。研究結果發現，在更換會計師的前提下，即便懲戒更換會計師並未能顯著抑制公司對於正向裁決性應計數之報導幅度，卻能避免一般情況下更換會計師對審計品質所造成的負面情形。另外，研究結果顯示，會計師長任期(6年以上)審計品質較高；會計師短任期(2年以下)且更動過於頻繁的情況下審計品質較低。在懲戒程度與審計品質之關係方面，研究結果顯示，會計師懲戒輕重程度未與會計師審計品質高低一致；而受警告及申誡懲戒但未被客戶更換之會計師在懲戒後次期，傾向調低公司盈餘，查核工作態度變保守，但審計品質並未提升。再者，本研究發現，受懲戒而更換會計師之效果大致而言並不受客戶談判籌碼的影響。最後，就單一時點(PC=0)的會計師審計品質而言，會計師被懲戒與否其審計品質並未有顯著不同；然將樣本群組進行分析後，發現有三位至四位被懲戒會計師其審計品質顯著不佳，而被懲戒之會計師中，即使差異未達顯著，卻是幾乎每2人就有1人審計品質較一般會計師低，因此懲戒制度基本上具適當性。基於以上發現，本研究肯定會計師懲戒制度對審計品質提升之效用。 總而言之，懲戒制度在於避免專業人士怠忽其職、違規行事而侵害大眾利益，不僅處分已違法之會計師，對於其他會計師亦有警惕之意味，因此實有其存在之必要。然其制度設立之適當性，可由懲戒制度實施案例之相關研究略知一二，主管機關應參考學者研究，找出目前會計師懲戒制度效用不彰的癥結點，進行改善，以增進大眾利益，符合社會期待。 / rom USA to Taiwan, lots of frauds upset investors in recent years. Accountants are asked to express their opinions toward the financial reports, and have played an important role in the capital market. Investors rely on what accountants assure to make decisions. However, with so many frauds broke up, accountants’ professionalism and assurance quality are being questioned. Sanctions may be due to the profession’s self-regulation system or based on judgment of the regulators’ administrative power. Nevertheless, does the sanction system actually protect or enhance accountants’ audit quality as it is originally set up for？Do the punished accountants really provide lower quality on the audit they perform? The answers to these questions are unknown, and they are the subject of this study. The study quantifies accountants’ audit quality by the amount of discretionary accruals of the financial statements of their audit clients. Referring to the research model of Nagy(2005), we classify samples into two periods, i.e., before and after changing accountants. Moreover, the study matches each observation sample with a paired sample and analyzes whether the sanction has affected the audit quality. The study concludes that the sanction system is appropriate basically. The results approve that the accountant sanction system in Taiwan is somewhat effective on improving audit quality. In short, the purpose of CPA sanction is to enforce professional conduct on all members of the profession. It not only punishes the accountants that break laws, but also alerts others. Therefore, the sanction system is necessary. The regulators should refer to these findings and solve the problems that diminish the effect of the sanction system. After all, the sanction system may be able to offer investors a more matured investment environment and achieve their expectations.

本文旨在探討關鍵查核事項與會計師事務所特性之關聯性。其中，會計師事務所特性係指其獨立性與專業能力，並分別以任期與產業專家衡量之。 　　本文實證研究結果如下：其一，主查會計師之任期對關鍵查核事項幾無影響。其二，產業專家會計師事務所與關鍵查核事項之數量及品質僅有部分試驗呈正相關。其三，產業專家主查會計師其對關鍵查核事項之數量及品質均有正面影響。 　　在增額測試的部分，結果如下：其一，對產業專家主查會計師而言，任期對關鍵查核事項有正面效果。其二，會計師事務所與主查會計師俱為產業專家的會計師對關鍵查核事項之正面影響力大於僅有會計師事務所為產業專家的會計師。最後，會計師的專業能力使其更有能力以簡明扼要的文字呈現關鍵查核事項。 / The objective of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between key audit matters (KAMs) and audit firm characteristics. In this study, audit firm characteristics are focused on their independence and ability, and are measured by tenure and industry expertise, respectively. The empirical results can be summarized as follows. Firstly, lead partners tenure has little effect on KAMs. Secondly, partial evidence is found on the association between firm-level industry specialist auditors and KAMs. Thirdly, partner-level industry specialist auditors have positive effects on both the quantity and quality of KAMs. In further examinations, the results are as follows. Firstly, tenure has positive effects on KAMs when the auditors are partner-level industry specialist. Secondly, industry experts at both firm- and partner-levels have stronger positive effects on KAMs then industry experts at firm-level alone. Lastly, auditors’ capacity allows them to present KAMs more concisely.