How do auditors perceive CEO's risk-taking incentives?

Neil Fargher, Alicia Jiang, Yangxin Yu

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    41 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Prior literature documents that executive compensation influences managerial risk preferences through executives' portfolio sensitivities to changes in stock prices (delta) and stock-return volatility (vega). Large deltas discourage managerial risk-taking, while large vegas encourage risk-taking. Theory suggests that auditors charge higher audit fees when standard audit procedures do not allow auditors to reduce audit risk including the risk arising from higher business risk. We posit and find evidence of a negative (positive) relation between CEO portfolio deltas (vegas) and audit fees. We also find a negative relation between CEO portfolio deltas and the issuance of going-concern audit opinions (GCO).

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1157-1181
    Number of pages25
    JournalAccounting and Finance
    Volume54
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2014

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