The overall purpose of this study is to establish whether auditors in South Africa also fail to issue the appropriate audit opinion on the going concern assumption underlying financial statements the reasons for auditors' failure to issue the appropriate audit opinion on the going concern assumption The hypotheses of this study are tested by examining professional auditing standards and secondary data on the going concern assumption conducting an empirical study of listed industrial compames whose listings were terminated because of financial failure This study provides evidence that auditors in South Africa fail to Issue the appropriate audit opinion on the going concern assumption advances specific reasons for this failure / Auditing / M. Comm. (Auditing)

Syftet med uppsatsen är att beskriva samt öka förståelsen för hur de tre delarna i Revisionspaketet; begränsade konsulttjänster, obligatorisk byrårotation och den nya revisionsberättelsen, kan påverka revisionskvaliteten i svensk kontext. För att uppnå vårt syfte har ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt använts, där intervjuer genomförts med en professor inom revision, sex auktoriserade revisorer och FAR:s generalsekreterare. Genom att analysera det empiriska underlaget med stöd från tidigare forskning har vi kommit fram till hur de tre delarna i Revisionspaketet kan påverka revisionskvaliteten i svensk kontext. Resultatet visade att införandet av begränsade konsulttjänster och en obligatorisk byrårotation har en positiv påverkan på det synliga oberoendet men en negativ påverkan på revisorns kompetens vilket innebär att den faktiska revisionskvaliteten påverkas negativt medan upplevelsen av revisionskvaliteten ökar. Detta visar på svårigheten att fastställa den exakta påverkan på revisionskvaliteten, då de två faktorerna som utgör revisionskvalitet påverkas olika. Den faktiska revisionskvaliteten anses dock öka ju längre mandattid revisorn har hos klienten, då revisorns kompetens ökar. Slutligen så anses den nya revisionsberättelsen ha en positiv påverkan på revisionskvaliteten då den är mer informativ och belyser företagets betydelsefulla riskområdena vilket ökar den upplevda revisionskvaliteten. För att fortsättningsvis öka revisionskvaliteten är det därmed av betydelse att förstå vilken effekt en striktare reglering har samt att revisorn i praktiken aldrig är helt oberoende. / The purpose of this study is to describe and increase the understanding of how the three parts from the audit package; restriction of non-audit services, mandatory audit firm rotation and the new audit report, might affect the the audit quality in the Swedish context. To achieve our purpose a qualitative approach has been used, based on interviews with a professor in auditing, six licensed auditors and the secretary-general of FAR. Through analysis of the empirical data with the support from previous research we have concluded how the three parts of the audit package have affected the audit quality in Swedish context. The results concluded that the introduction of restricted non-audit services and the mandatory audit firm rotation have a positive effect on the auditor’s visible independence but a negative impact on the auditor’s competence which means that the real audit quality is affected negatively, while the experience of the audit quality increases. This shows the difficulty to determine exactly how the audit quality is affected, because the two main factors that determines the audit quality is affected differently. The real audit quality is considered to increase with the increasing terms of office with the client, because of the auditor’s heightened competence that comes with the longer terms of office. Finally the new audit report is considered to have a positive impact on the audit quality since it’s more informative and highlights significant risk areas within the company which heightens the experience of the audit quality. To subsequently heighten the audit quality it is important to understand what effect increasing regulations have and understand that the auditor practically can’t be completely independent.

安隆財報醜聞造成其簽證會計師事務所聲譽受損，有鑑於以往的文獻對於Andersen聲譽受損與其簽證客戶股價關聯之探討，多僅限於美國本土，因此，本研究希望能擴大視野，由全球的角度來探討國際結盟會計師事務所聲譽受損在各地資本市場的外溢效果。本研究將針對世界各國Andersen簽證客戶進行研究，研究對象選取同Bhattacharya, Daouk and Welker(2003)所研究之國家，並扣除無法從Datastream獲取股價資料的簽證客戶，故最後選取34個國家892家公司為研究對象。 本研究旨在透過股價的分析，探討國際結盟會計師事務所聲譽受損對客戶股價的影響，研究結果指出，法律執行力較差、避免負盈餘程度越高、資本市場重要性越大的國家，簽證客戶股價因為國際結盟事務所聲譽受損而遭受股價下跌的機率較高。本研究進一步探討股價下跌幅度與不同地區之法律環境、會計資訊品質與資本市場成熟度間的關係，實證結果均無法支持本文先前的預期，各國股價下跌的幅度與該國法律環境、會計特性以及資本市場規模並沒有系統性的相關連。 / The financial scandal surrounding the collapse of Enron Corporation caused an erosion in the reputation of its auditor, Andersen. In consideration of past research about such article was confined to America only, we extend the field of vision to investigate the spillover effects by examining the cumulative abcdrmal returns of clients of the auditors across 34 different areas. In order to include the CPA-firm clients’ name and price data, we merged the data from Worldscope and Datastream, and our sample was 892 firms across 34 countries. In this paper, we examine the auditor’s clients’ stock price reactions to the deterioration of Andersen’s reputation after its admission that a significant number of documents had been shredded on January 10, 2002. Our results suggest that when news about Andersen’s January 10, 2002 shredding admission was released, the areas with weaker law enforcement, higher degree of the loss avoidance, and more developed financial market are more likely to react negatively to Andersen’s tarnished reputation, but there is no further evidence to show that the magnitude of the respond is associated with the legal environments, the characteristics of accounting earnings, and the development of the financial market.

The purpose of this study explains the relationship between corporate governance and the auditor's role in Swedish family firms with the definitions micro, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and how this relationship is affected by the firms strategy. The study is based on a survey sent out to 3000 Swedish SMEs, of which 280 responses from family firms could be used. Our findings showed that the auditor in the family firms didn’t have a specific role or contributed added value to the firm, and that the strategy didn’t affect the outcome. Furthermore, we found correlation between the perceptions of the auditor's role and added value depending on the family firms type of corporate governance. The correlations in our findings support the agency theory, thus its agency problems and information asymmetry between shareholders and the board of directors. / Syftet med denna studie förklarar sambandet mellan bolagsstyrning och revisorns mervärdesroll i svenska familjeföretag med storleksdefinitionerna mikro, små och medelstora företag (SMF) och hur företagens strategi påverkar detta samband. Studien baseras på en enkätundersökning som skickades ut till 3000 svenska SMF, varav 280 familjeföretags fullständiga svar kunde användas. Resultatet visade att revisorn i familjeföretaget inte hade en särskild roll eller gav ett mervärde och att strategin inte påverkade resultatet. Däremot fanns det samband mellan uppfattningar om revisorns roll samt mervärde beroende på vilken typ av bolagsuppsättning som familjeföretaget hade. Sambanden vi fann styrker agentteorin och dess agentproblematik samt informationsasymmetrin mellan aktieägare och styrelse.

This dissertation deals with methods of creative accounting linked with an auditor risk. In the theory part, there is creative accounting defined together with its methods and demonstrations. The auditor risk is then defined as the risk of an inappropriate statement to final accounts issued by the auditor. It refers to the auditor's respond to a possible risk with the aim to reveal the important (material) inaccuracy in the accounting accounts. The practical part demonstrates the possibility of the important (material) inaccuracy made either intentionally or with neglect. The aim of the work is to demonstrate the potential occurance of the practices of the creative accounting in the final accounts and the auditor's possible response to this situation. The conclusion of this dissertation deals with the possible auditor's statements linked with the revealed important (material) inaccuracies in final accounts.

« A sauts et à gambades » : de cette formule des Essais, la critique a souvent conclu au décousu de leur écriture. Notre travail montre qu'il n'en est rien dans de nombreux chapitres des Essais, en s'appuyant sur l'idée de « cryptique » chez Ramus (Dialectique, 1555) et Canaye (L'Organe, 1589) et sur le concept rhétorique de ductus ou progression du discours : l'écrivain-dux déjoue réticences ou hostilité de son lecteur, sa repugnantia. La première partie précise, à partir des grands traités rhétoriques, dont Quintilien traduit par Gedoyn (1718), ce que recouvrent les notions de propositum, d'oratio, de sermo, de contentio, de digressio, de delectare et de repugnantia ; et, dans le domaine de la dialectique, de syllogisme et de preuve, ce qui permet d'exhumer la structure profonde de l'argumentation. La seconde partie définit la notion d'insinuatio et son pendant dialectique, la « méthode de prudence », dont Ramus donne les préceptes détaillés. Nous en tirons de nombreux outils en vue de l'analyse des textes littéraires. Nous examinons la notion de dissimulatio en rhétorique, notamment la dissimulatio artis, apanage de Socrate, lequel est si important pour Montaigne. La dernière partie expose différentes formes de ductus dans les Essais, pour séduire le lecteur et le mener sur la voie d'un progrès moral. Ce but suppose une rhétorique extrêmement sensible à ce qui « répugne » à son auditoire, comme à ce qui le « passionne ». Le cheminement ressemble de près à la méthode antique de l'exercice spirituel, qui impliquait une certaine familiarité entre auteur et lecteur, un retour sur soi concomitant et symétrique du maître et du disciple. / “A sauts et à gambades”: from this expression in the Essays, critics often came to the conclusion of a rambling speech. Our work shows that this is not the case in many chapters, by referring to the “cryptical method” in the writings of Ramus (Dialectique, 1555) and Canaye (L'Organe, 1589) and to the rhetorical concept of ductus or progression of speech in which the dux-writer circumvents his reader's opposition or hostility, or repugnantia. The first part, which is based on major rhetorical theories, including those of Quintilian translated by Gedoyn (1718), defines the notions of propositum, oratio, sermo, contentio, digressio, delectare and repugnantia ; and, in the field of dialectics, syllogism and proof. It provides a means of digging out the deep structure of arguments. The second part defines the notion of insinuatio and its counterpart in dialectics, the “method of prudence”, on which Ramus gives detailed precepts. These give us many tools for the purpose of literary text analysis. We look into the notion of dissimulatio in rhetorics, including the dissimulatio artis, specific to Socrates – Socrates is an important figure for Montaigne. The last part outlines various forms of ductus in the Essays, so as to lure the reader and lead him on the path to moral progress. This goal requires the rhetoric to be finely attuned to what the reader is averse to, or what he is passionate about. The whole closely resembles the ancient method of spiritual exercise, which involved some familiarity between the writer and the reader, a concurrent and symmetric introspection from the master and his disciple.

Familjeföretag är en av de vanligaste företagskonstellationerna i Sverige och kan ställas inför unika utmaningar. Att vara ett familjeföretag innebär att det i många fall finns komplexa familjerelationer i företaget och att det kan vara svårt att skilja på privat- och arbetsliv. På grund av detta löper familjeföretag ofta större risk för att konflikter uppstår. Tidigare studier menar att revisorn kan vara den första att upptäcka problem i ett familjeföretag och därmed fylla en viktig funktion genom att anta fler roller än som enbart granskare. Det finns dock de som menar att revision bör separeras från andra tjänster för att inte riskera att skada revisorns oberoende. Vilken roll som revisorn har, eller bör ha, är således omdiskuterat vilket ligger till grund för denna studies syfte som är att bidra med förståelse för hur familjeföretag uppfattar revisorns roll. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer med respondenter från sju olika familjeföretag. Vidare har agentteorin och stewardshipteorin använts för att analysera empirin och därmed förstå relationerna, familjeföretagens unika karaktärsdrag samt revisorns roll. Studien visar att familjeföretagen uppfattar revisorns roll som granskare och rådgivare. Rådgivare är den roll de främst efterfrågar och är i behov av medan granskare snarare är något de behöver på grund av att de, enligt lag, är revisionspliktiga. Revisorn som granskare är dock inte enbart ett nödvändigt ont utan även något familjeföretagen värdesätter då revisionen utgör en kvalitetsstämpel. Tidigare studier, där revisorer tillfrågats, visar istället att revisorns dominerande roll är som granskare. Detta tyder på skillnader mellan familjeföretagens och revisorernas uppfattningar om revisorns roll. Studien kan därför bidra till att revisorer kan förstå familjeföretagens uppfattning om revisorns roll, och vad de efterfrågar, och därmed uppnå ett bättre samarbete. / Family businesses are one of the most common business constellations in Sweden and can be faced with unique challenges. Being a family business means that in many cases there are complex family relationships in the company and that it can be difficult to distinguish between private and work life. Therefore, family businesses often run a greater risk of conflicts arising. Previous studies suggest that the auditor can be the first to discover problems in a family business and thus fulfill an important function by taking on more roles than as solely an auditor. However, there are those who believe that auditing should be separated from other services in order not to risk damaging the auditor's independence. What role the auditor has, or should have, is thus debated. This is the foundation for the purpose of this study which is to contribute with an understanding of how family businesses perceive the auditor's role. The study has been accomplished by using semi-structured interviews with respondents from seven different family businesses. Furthermore, the agency theory and the stewardship theory have been used to analyze the empirical evidence and thereby understand the relationships, the unique characteristics of family businesses and the role of the auditor. The study shows that family businesses perceive the auditor's role as auditor and advisor. Advisor is the role they mainly request and need, while auditor is rather something they need because they are required to audit by law. However, the auditor as an auditor is not only a must, but also something that family businesses value, as the audit is a sign of quality. Previous studies, where auditors were asked, show that the auditor’s dominant role is as an auditor. This indicates differences between the family businesses' and the auditors' perceptions of the auditor's role. This study can therefore contribute to auditors being able to understand the family businesses' perception of the auditor's role, and what they demand, and thereby achieve better cooperation.

O fortalecimento de um mercado acionário está relacionado diretamente com a transparência e confiabilidade da informação disponível para os usuários desses mercados. Com este fim, o auditor e o seu trabalho, divulgado através do relatório de auditoria, configuram-se como garantias da realidade econômica e contábil das empresas de capital aberto. No entanto, na realidade latino-americana (nos casos do Brasil, Colômbia e Argentina), ainda não se tem quantificado o impacto que o auditor, e o relatório de auditoria, exercem na dinâmica dos seus mercados acionários. Em resposta à falta de estudos que quantifiquem a relação auditoria mercado acionário se formula o presente trabalho. Assim, analisa-se, através de um estudo de eventos, o efeito que os relatórios de auditoria exercem no preço das ações das companhias de capital aberto listadas nas principais bolsas de valores do Brasil (Bolsa de Valores, Mercadorias e Futuros BM&F Bovespa), Colômbia (Bolsa de valores de Colombia BVC) e Argentina (Bolsa de Comercio de Buenos Aires BCBA). Realizou-se um estudo univariável e multivariável para testar as hipóteses. No caso brasileiro e argentino, o período de estudo abrangeu desde o ano 2000 até 2007. No primeiro caso, confirma-se que a divulgação dos relatórios de auditoria modificados, das companhias de capital aberto participantes da BM&FBOVESPA, não afeta o preço das suas ações. Já para o caso da Argentina, obtém-se um resultado oposto, verificando através do teste de hipóteses que o relatório do auditor impacta no mercado acionário representado pela Bolsa de Comércio de Buenos Aires; em particular, a divulgação dos relatórios de auditoria modificados tem um efeito negativo nos preços das ações negociadas no mercado acionário Argentino. Por último, no mercado acionário da Colômbia analisa-se um período de estudo desde o ano 2001 até 2007. Na Colômbia são obtidos resultados similares aos verificados no mercado acionário brasileiro. Assim, a contribuição do presente trabalho é avaliar e quantificar a importância do auditor externo nesses países em estudo e, indiretamente, avaliar o uso do relatório de auditoria como médio de divulgação de informação relevante aos seus mercados acionários. / The strength of a stock market is related to transparency and reliability of all information available for its users. In this sense, both the auditor and his work, which is disseminated through the auditing reports, become the guarantee of the economical reality from all publicly traded companies. However, in Latin America reality (especially in Brazil, Colombia and Argentina), the impact of the Auditor and his reports still has not been verified upon the stock markets. Hence, this present job aims to respond to the lack of studies stating the relationship between Auditing and Stock markets in Latin America. The analysis is done through a event study, evaluating what is the auditing report effect upon the prices of stocks from the main publicly traded companies in Brazilian stock market (Bolsa de valores, Mercadorias e Futuros BM&FBovespa), Colombian stock market (Bolsa de valores de Colombia BVC) and Argentine stock market (Bolsa de Comercio de Buenos Aires BCBA). In particular, two studies are carried out, one univariable and the other multivariable, in order to test the hypothesis. In Brazilian and Argentine cases, the study covers the period from 2000 until 2007. In the first case, the disclosure of the modified auditing reports, considering public companies of the BM&FBovespa Stock Exchange, does not affect their stock price. On the contrary, in Argentine case, an opposite result is obtained: the auditing reports impact on BCBA Stock Exchange; specifically, the disclosure of modified auditing reports has a negative effect on stock prices. Finally, for the Colombian stock market, a study period from 2001 until 2007 is utilized. In Colombian case, similar results to those reported from Brazilian analysis are obtained. The contribution of this thesis is to evaluate and quantify the role of the auditor in the countries mentioned above and, indirectly, the use of the auditor\'s report as way to disseminate Auditing information.

Revisorers roll har utvecklats genom tiden, från att ta hand om bolagets räkenskaper och gekonsulttjänster till sina kunder till att idag endast granska väsentliga poster och företagetstransaktioner samt hitta felaktigheter i redovisningen. Far menar med revision att revisorn som enoberoende part granskar bolagets årsredovisning och bokslut i syfte att fastställa omredovisningen ger en rättvisande bild av företaget till externa intressenter såsom investerare,banker etc.Syftet med undersökningen är att undersöka hur förväntningsgapet mellan småföretagare ochrevisorer ser ut. Vi har även tänkt ge förslag på hur förväntningsgapet kan minska samt få enuppfattning om vad det var som förorsakade förväntningsgapet, som till slut kan hjälpa oss attuppnå en bättre förståelse på problematiken. För att åstadkomma syftet med uppsatsen har vigenomfört kvalitativa intervjuer med tre revisorer och två ägare till två småföretag.Vår slutsats är att småföretag har bristande kunskap om vad revisorers uppgift och roll innebär.Exempel på deras bristande kunskap är att revisorn kan allting och löser alla företags ekonomiskaproblem, samt att revisorn kan samtidigt bokföra och revidera företagets räkenskaper. Det finnsflera saker som kan anses ha påverkan på förväntningsgapets uppkomst. Dessa är: att revisionenvar lagstadgad länge, att revisionen har ändrats genom tiden, att kommunikationen mellanrevisorn och kunderna är bristande samt att kunderna köper pakettjänster från revisionsbyrå ochanser att revisorn är en del av företaget p.g.a. arvodet de betalar till revisorn. Vi kom fram till attåtgärder som kan införas i syfte att minska eller reducera gapet är: tydligare kommunikationmellan revisorn och kund, mindre omfattande uppdragsbrev samt avskaffande avrevisionsplikten.

O fortalecimento de um mercado acionário está relacionado diretamente com a transparência e confiabilidade da informação disponível para os usuários desses mercados. Com este fim, o auditor e o seu trabalho, divulgado através do relatório de auditoria, configuram-se como garantias da realidade econômica e contábil das empresas de capital aberto. No entanto, na realidade latino-americana (nos casos do Brasil, Colômbia e Argentina), ainda não se tem quantificado o impacto que o auditor, e o relatório de auditoria, exercem na dinâmica dos seus mercados acionários. Em resposta à falta de estudos que quantifiquem a relação auditoria mercado acionário se formula o presente trabalho. Assim, analisa-se, através de um estudo de eventos, o efeito que os relatórios de auditoria exercem no preço das ações das companhias de capital aberto listadas nas principais bolsas de valores do Brasil (Bolsa de Valores, Mercadorias e Futuros BM&F Bovespa), Colômbia (Bolsa de valores de Colombia BVC) e Argentina (Bolsa de Comercio de Buenos Aires BCBA). Realizou-se um estudo univariável e multivariável para testar as hipóteses. No caso brasileiro e argentino, o período de estudo abrangeu desde o ano 2000 até 2007. No primeiro caso, confirma-se que a divulgação dos relatórios de auditoria modificados, das companhias de capital aberto participantes da BM&FBOVESPA, não afeta o preço das suas ações. Já para o caso da Argentina, obtém-se um resultado oposto, verificando através do teste de hipóteses que o relatório do auditor impacta no mercado acionário representado pela Bolsa de Comércio de Buenos Aires; em particular, a divulgação dos relatórios de auditoria modificados tem um efeito negativo nos preços das ações negociadas no mercado acionário Argentino. Por último, no mercado acionário da Colômbia analisa-se um período de estudo desde o ano 2001 até 2007. Na Colômbia são obtidos resultados similares aos verificados no mercado acionário brasileiro. Assim, a contribuição do presente trabalho é avaliar e quantificar a importância do auditor externo nesses países em estudo e, indiretamente, avaliar o uso do relatório de auditoria como médio de divulgação de informação relevante aos seus mercados acionários. / The strength of a stock market is related to transparency and reliability of all information available for its users. In this sense, both the auditor and his work, which is disseminated through the auditing reports, become the guarantee of the economical reality from all publicly traded companies. However, in Latin America reality (especially in Brazil, Colombia and Argentina), the impact of the Auditor and his reports still has not been verified upon the stock markets. Hence, this present job aims to respond to the lack of studies stating the relationship between Auditing and Stock markets in Latin America. The analysis is done through a event study, evaluating what is the auditing report effect upon the prices of stocks from the main publicly traded companies in Brazilian stock market (Bolsa de valores, Mercadorias e Futuros BM&FBovespa), Colombian stock market (Bolsa de valores de Colombia BVC) and Argentine stock market (Bolsa de Comercio de Buenos Aires BCBA). In particular, two studies are carried out, one univariable and the other multivariable, in order to test the hypothesis. In Brazilian and Argentine cases, the study covers the period from 2000 until 2007. In the first case, the disclosure of the modified auditing reports, considering public companies of the BM&FBovespa Stock Exchange, does not affect their stock price. On the contrary, in Argentine case, an opposite result is obtained: the auditing reports impact on BCBA Stock Exchange; specifically, the disclosure of modified auditing reports has a negative effect on stock prices. Finally, for the Colombian stock market, a study period from 2001 until 2007 is utilized. In Colombian case, similar results to those reported from Brazilian analysis are obtained. The contribution of this thesis is to evaluate and quantify the role of the auditor in the countries mentioned above and, indirectly, the use of the auditor\'s report as way to disseminate Auditing information.