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This thesis presents three essays on audit quality tied up by a common thread: the implication of closeness in auditor-client relationship on audit quality and beyond. In Chapter II, I investigate the implications of close auditor-client relationships arising as time passes on clients’ operating decisions. I find long auditor tenure constrains clients’ discretion in accrual reporting, which in turn prompts firms to resort to real activity management if they are under pressure to achieve earnings targets. For a given length of auditor tenure, the presence of auditor industry expertise does not affect the association between tenure and clients’ engagement in real activity management. These findings highlight an unintended consequence of long auditor tenure and therefore contribute to the on-going debate concerning the merits and shortcomings of mandatory audit firm rotation. In Chapter III and IV, we examine the implications of close auditor-client relationships arising from economic bonding on audit quality reflected from clients’ accrual reporting and auditors’ going-concern decisions. In Chapter III, we find a significantly positive association between fee dependence and abnormal accruals prior to the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (hereafter SOX), but not in the post-SOX period, suggesting that SOX has enhanced non Big-4’s ability to withstand client pressure arising from fee dependence. These results suggest strong economic bonding between auditors and clients may impair audit quality among smaller auditors, and tightening auditors’ external litigation exposures enhances small auditors’ abilities to withstand client pressure. In Chapter IV, we find that even for firms that are most targeted by SOX, auditors do not allow economic bonding to affect their going-concern decisions in either the pre- or the post-SOX period. These findings thus suggest potential litigation risks faced by auditors in the event of failures to warn the public about their clients’ severe financial distress prior to bankruptcy are high enough to deter auditors from compromising their independence in formulating going-concern decisions. In conclusion, audit quality is affected by closeness in the auditor-client relationship and regulatory intervene may be needed depending on specific setting in terms of auditor type and auditing decisions. / Accounting

The nature of the auditor-client relationship is a complex aggregate involving a number of groups and individuals between both parties. Although auditor-client relationship is an important subject in the accounting and auditing literature, what has not been extensively studied is the complex relationship between the clients accounting staff and the external audit group at subordinate organization level. Thus, the purpose of this study is to dig deeper into the relationship between clients accounting staff and external audit team consisting of junior and senior auditors and to find out what characterizes this relationship. We also aim to look it from knowledge management and trust perspectives since these are special characteristics of both professions. In order to find empirical results we conducted a qualitative research with a case study by interviewing three accountants and one controller in the same mother company who do financial work for four subsidiaries. They all work together with several auditor groups and therefore could provide us a good comparison to our results. Our study reveals that the relationship is maintained on the subordinate level by the senior auditor who works not only as an auditor but also as a relationship manager. Furthermore, we identify the fact that lower competence of junior auditors creates problems in relationship with client’s accountants. Therefore, our accountant respondents are more likely to allocate low trust to inexperienced junior auditors, specially due to the fact that accountants are the ones teaching the junior auditors in specific accounting issues which is time consuming and often leads to irritation on the accountants side. However, accountants’ trust towards the senior auditors turns out to be high due to recognized expertise knowledge of senior auditors based on our interviews.

Purpose - This study explores how Covid-19 may affect audit quality and provide early insights if the pandemic has already affected audit quality in Sweden. Design/methodology/approach - This paper uses qualitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews with eight Swedish authorized auditors within Big Four to explore possible impacts on three key aspects for audit quality. These include Going-concern assessments, Auditor-client relationship, and Auditor-independence. Findings - Even though the Covid-19 pandemic is not over, it has had fewer effects on audit quality than experts and researchers predicted. Even though the pandemic has changed the communication and the relationship between the auditor and client, the findings state no significant effect on audit quality within the auditor-client relationship. The same goes for auditor-independence. However, the findings of this study indicate that making accurate going-concern assessments has and will be more complex and thus threaten audit quality. Practical contribution – We anticipate that auditors need to provide a greater focus on GC assessments as stakeholders require greater disclosure. Further, auditors and clients should gain on the increased use of digital communication by using it as a complement to physical meetings in the future. Originality/Value - This study is, to the best of our knowledge, one of the first studies that explore the potential impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on audit quality with empirical evidence. Since this study is conducted in the middle of the pandemic (Spring 2021), the results can be seen as indications for future researchers that beyond the pandemic seek to explain how the Covid-19 pandemic affected audit quality as it is crucial for the audit community to follow the consequences of the pandemic.

Audit is a bilateral task where the auditors are required to socially interact with their clients during the audit process. The auditor and client may encounter different expectations that could lead to challenges in their social interaction. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore the challenges in the social interaction between the auditor and client during the audit process. Prior literature has applied versions of agency that are implicitly based on classic contract law and virtually ignored clients as a research object. The original value of this study lies in the adoption of the dramaturgical analysis into the context of audit. This study employs a qualitative research method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven real auditor-client dyads in Scania, Sweden. The findings suggest that clients are fixated on the price tag of an audit and do not consider the person delivering the audit service. This puts the auditor and client at risk as the findings suggest that the social interaction is important whereby a similarity attraction in sociodemographic space facilities the social interaction. Asset evaluations can create challenges in the social interaction which are solved with residual control stemming from ownership as well as social status. The seven auditor-client dyads in this study deals with their own unique challenges that resulted in seven prototypes. This study fills in a gap in the literature by interviewing and analyzing the auditors’ respective client expectations on one another. To fulfil each other’s diverse expectations, both must embody different roles.

Cette recherche contribue à la compréhension des interactions auditeur-audité, et plus particulièrement à la compréhension des conflits pouvant opposer ces deux acteurs. S’inscrivant dans une démarche interprétative, elle repose sur l’analyse d’entretiens menés auprès d’auditeurs (29), d’audités (20), de présidents de comités d’audit (3), ainsi que d’un ancien président de l’AMF (1). Un intérêt est porté aux dimensions cognitives et affectives du conflit et une taxinomie des conflits pouvant perturber la coopération auditeur-audité est intentée. La dimension comportementale du conflit (sa manifestation), abordée à travers les zones de sa survenance et des acteurs y impliqués, rend compte des proportions que peut prendre ce dernier, ainsi que de ses implications sur la conduite de la mission. S’agissant de dépasser le conflit, les auditeurs semblent privilégier sa résolution de façon non-coercitive. La recherche de consensus, au travers de la concertation et de la négociation, est pour eux le moyen d’équilibrer les cognitions dissonantes régissant leur environnement. Au-delà des aspects destructeurs connus du conflit, le conflit auditeur-audité peut revêtir des dimensions constructives, à condition de satisfaire à certains critères. / This research is a contribution to the understanding of auditor-client interactions and conflicts. Based on an interpretive approach, it rests on interviews with auditors (29), auditees (20), audit committee chairmen (3) and an ex-chairman of AMF (French Market regulator). Particular attention is paid to cognitive and affective dimensions of conflict and taxonomy of auditor-client conflicts is attempted. Conflict behavioral dimension approached through its concerned areas and participants, shows conflicts’ impacts, particularly on the mission conduct. Auditors give priority to non-coercive approaches of conflict handling. Consensus building, mainly by dialoguing and negotiating, enables them to rebalance their cognitions. When managed with respect to precise criteria, auditor-auditee conflicts may be constructive.

Inledning: Revisor-klient-relationen är viktig både för revisorn och revisionsarbetet, men också för klienterna och deras upplevda mervärde av en revision. Digitaliseringen och Covid-19 tycks medföra nya förutsättningar för denna relation som inte undersökts i tidigare forskning. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att utforska hur revisorer och representanter för små och medelstora klientföretag upplever att deras relation påverkats av den ökade digitaliseringen och pandemin orsakad av Covid-19. Syftet är vidare att utforska hur nämnda parter upplever konsekvenserna av eventuella förändringar. Metod: Studien tillämpar en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi med flerfallstudiedesign. Forskningsansatsen är i huvudsak deduktiv men med induktiva inslag. Datainsamling har skett genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med revisorer och representanter för små- och medelstora klientföretag. Slutsats: Vår studie visar att revisor-klient-relationen, mer eller mindre, beroende på kontextuella faktorer, utvecklats till ett distansförhållande till följd av Covid-19 och digitaliseringen. I det fall där klientföretaget drabbats hårt av pandemin upplevs en närmare relation, annars tyder resultatet på att relationen i många av de studerade fallen inte förändrats, trots nya förutsättningar. Det kan konstateras att det initiala relationsbyggandet försvårats men att befintliga relationer klarat övergången bra. Klienternas upplevda mervärde förefaller samvariera med hur relationen förändrats. Överlag kan revisorns professionella bedömning argumenteras bli än viktigare i en digitaliserad revisionsbransch, samtidigt som digitaliseringen minskar risken för att revisorns oberoende äventyras.

Different scandals around the globe during the past, in specific during the last decade, have intrigued the stakeholders to question the roles of both auditors and management. But most of the fingers since then have been raised on the role of auditors, because it is the auditors who are entrusted with the responsibility to detect any errors or frauds in the financial reports of the client-firm. Apart from this, the long-term auditor client relationship has been the center of attention in most of the discussions and debates as well. Numerous studies have been conducted by the academic researchers, financial and professional analysts, regulatory authorities and governing bodies, and in some cases by the auditors and the firms as well regarding the effects of long-term auditor-client relationship on audit quality, equity risk premium, financial reports quality, audit pricing etc. These studies provide us with different results, both with the positive and negative associations and effects of long-term auditor-client relationship on the basis of different factors and contexts. For long, auditing has been discussed in different studies and research areas but mostly in association with publicly listed companies. Less attention has been paid to the relationship of auditors and clients as far as clients in SMEs are concerned. In any country around the globe, SMEs are of major contribution in terms of backing the economy, giving it both the boost and the stability, as they collectively form the major chunk of the economy. If we specify our study to the SMEs in Sweden, then 99% of the enterprises in Sweden represent the SME sector; in addition they employ around 60% of the manpower. Based on these facts, and due to less attention given to auditor-client relationship in terms of SMEs, instead of; we have directed our concerns towards the study of effects of auditor-client relationship on audit quality in SMEs in this particular research study. In this study, we have opted for qualitative research with semi-structured interviews to be used as the tool for data collection. Interviews were conducted with two different groups of interviewees, one group representing the auditors and the other group representing the client-firms (SMEs). A total of seven interviews were conducted in order to strengthen and validate the results for our research question. Due to the limitations of this study, mostly in terms of cost and time, samples were selected from Umeå, Sweden. The data interview structure, data analysis and discussion, and conclusions were all made based on existing theories summarized in the theoretical review of this study. The results of this study suggests that (1) long-term audit tenure is beneficial for the audit quality if certain risk factors like risk of auditor independence and risk of developing complacency are controlled; and (2) factors such as NAS, industry specialization, knowledge and experience of the auditor, internal control in the client-firm, professional ethics, proper audit plan, providence of unbiased information by the client, and appointment of the auditor by the client-firm itself enhances the audit quality.

I Sverige avskaffades den obligatoriska revisionen för småföretag den första november 2010. Till följd av detta beslut blev svenska små aktiebolag ej revisionspliktiga. Trots slopandet av revisionsplikten har många småföretag valt att frivilligt anlita en revisor. Därför blir det intressant att undersöka faktorer som kan påverka efterfrågan på frivillig revision i svenska småföretag. Studien syftar till att få svar på följande frågan: Vilka faktorer påverkar efterfrågan på frivillig revision hos små aktiebolag i Sverige? För att kunna besvara frågan har insamling av empiriska materialet skett genom en kvantitativ metod i form av en webbenkät. Totalt har 44 fullständiga svar erhållits. Med hjälp av Independent Sample Test har studiens fyra hypoteser testats. Resultatet indikerar på att företagsledare önskan att förbättra kvalitet på finansiella rapporter och önskan att förbättra relationer med kreditgivare och skattemyndigheten är de faktorer som påverkar efterfrågan på frivillig revision hos svenska små aktiebolag. Dock har denna studie inte hittat ett samband mellan frivillig revision och företagsstorlek mätt i nettoomsättning, antal anställda, och balansomslutning. Resultatet indikerar även på att det inte finns något samband mellan delägare utan tillgång till finansiella information och frivillig revision. Studien har bidragit med att undersöka en del av faktorer som kan ha påverkan på efterfrågan på frivillig revision hos småföretag i Sverige. Resultat från denna studie kan vara till nytta för revisionsbyråer för att förstå företagsledare inställning gentemot revision. / In Sweden, the mandatory audit for small companies was abolished on November 1, 2010. As a result of this decision, many of the small Swedish companies were not required to be audited. Despite the abolition of the audit obligation, many small companies have chosen to hire an auditor voluntarily. Therefore, it will be interesting to investigate the factors that affect the demand for voluntary auditing in small Swedish companies. The study aims to answer the following question: What factors influence the demand for voluntary auditing at small Swedish companies? The obtaining of empirical material has been done through a quantitative method in a form of a questionnaire sent to respondents. A total of 44 complete responses were obtained. Using the Independent Sample test, the study's four hypotheses were tested. The results indicate that business leaders' desire to improve the quality of financial reports and the desire to improve relations with creditors and the tax authority are the factors that affect the demand for voluntary audits at small Swedish companies. However, this study has not found a relationship between the voluntary auditing and company size measured in turnover, number of employees, and total assets. The result also indicates that there is no connection between shareholders without access to financial information and voluntary auditing. The study has contributed to investigate certain factors that may affect voluntary auditing in small companies in Sweden. Results from this study could be of benefit for audit firms to understand business leaders' attitudes toward auditing.

Revision är en systematisk process som innefattar en systematisk insamling av bevis för attslutligen lämna ett yttrande om ett klientföretags redovisning. Syftet med revision är attundersöka och utvärdera relevans och validitet i klientföretagets finansiella antaganden (Eilifsen et al, 2014, s. 12). Revision anses vara viktigt för klientföretaget och dess aktieägare,likaväl som för intressenter och andra utomstående parter (Eilifsen et al., 2014, s. 5). Revisorer och deras arbete är i sin helhet styrda av flertalet lagar och förordningar, där överträdelser eller åsidosatta skyldigheter kan leda till en sanktion. I denna studie har vi valt att fokusera på tillsynsärenden och revisorer som fått en sanktion utfärdad mot sig. I Sverige finns det en specifik myndighet som ansvarar för tillsynen av revisorer och som därmed även utreder disciplinära ärenden. Den myndigheten heter Revisorsinspektionen och ansvarar främst för tillsyn av revisorer och revisionsbolag men även för examination samt auktorisation av revisorer (Revisorsinspektionen, u.å. d). Revisorsinspektionens tillsynsmyndighet är myndighetens största verksamhetsområde. Förekommande ärendebeslut vid disciplinära ärenden hos Revisorsinspektionen är varning, erinran samt upphävande, vilka är de ärendebeslut som vi i denna studie benämner som sanktioner. Även ärendebeslut så som ingen åtgärd, avskrivning samt beslut i annat ärende är förekommande hos myndighetens tillsynsverksamhet men leder inte till någon sanktion.Denna studie syftar till att bidra med kunskap avseende disciplinära åtgärder mot revisorer med fokus på klientföretagen. Studien syftar även till att identifiera eventuella kännetecken hos de klientföretag som väljer att anlita en sanktionerad revisor och ifall dessa kännetecken skiljer sig från eventuella kännetecken hos företag som anlitar icke-sanktionerade revisorer. Studien bygger på studier av två olika tidsperioder som syftar till att kunna jämföra och dra slutsatser om dessa kännetecken förändras över tid. Denna studie har sin grund i tidigare forskning som utförts inom revision men även företagsekonomi. Denna studie har även ett tydligt fokus på valet av revisor där revisorn fått en disciplinär åtgärd – därmed sanktionerade revisorer ur ett klientföretagarperspektiv. Detta är något som differentierar denna studie från tidigare studier och därmed är ett givande teoretiskt bidrag. Den tidigare forskning som funnits i samband med litteratursökning, har ett större fokus på valet av revisor i form av auditor choice. Däremot återfinns inga tidigare studier med ett fokus på sanktionerade revisorer i relation till auditor choice. Vilket gör denna studie till den första studien som sammankopplar dessa områden i samma studie. Utifrån denna studie har vi kunnat dra slutsatsen att både kön på VD och styrelse har en inverkan på valet av sanktionerad revisor. En ytterligare slutsats som kunnat dras av denna studie är att tiden sedan utfärdad sanktion har en påverkan på de avgörande kännetecknen hos klientföretagen vid val av sanktionerad revisor.