Do Female CEOs Moderate the Link between Female Directors on Audit Committees and Audit Quality: Evidence from the UK
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/qjss.982035454Keywords:
Women Directors, Female CEOs, Audit Committees, Audit Quality, United KingdomAbstract
We examine female chief executive officers (CEOs) in the context of women directors on audit committees (ACs) and audit quality. Previous research has yet to examine whether the presence of a female CEO affects the relationship between female membership in AC and audit quality. This study focuses on FTSE 350 firms, covers the period 2009-2015, and utilizes ordinary least-squares regression to test our hypothesis. The research found a positive relation between the proportion of female directors on ACs and the quality of the audit in the event of a female CEO. Furthermore, the finding is robust to endogeneity bias. In addition, our result is robust to an alternative audit quality proxy. Appointing women to CEO roles in businesses can further increase the link between women on ACs and audit quality. In addition, the results of the study support the efforts of corporate governance regulators to expand the number of female directors.
Downloads
References
Aabo, T., & Giorici, I. C. (2023). Do female CEOs matter for ESG scores? Global Finance Journal, 56, 100722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfj.2022.100722
Abbasi, K., Alam, A., & Bhuiyan, M. B. (2020). Audit committees, female directors and the types of female and male financial experts: Further evidence. Journal of Business Research, 114, 186-197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.04.013
Ahn, S., Jiraporn, P., & Kim, Y. S. (2010). Multiple directorships and acquirer returns. Journal of Banking & Finance, 34(9), 2011-2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2010.01.009
Aldamen, H., Hollindale, J., & Ziegelmayer, J. L. (2016). Female audit committee members and their influence on audit fees. Accounting & Finance, 58(1), 57-89. https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.12248
Andres, P. D., & Vallelado, E. (2008). Corporate governance in banking: The role of the board of directors. Journal of Banking & Finance, 32(12), 2570-2580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2008.05.008
Aobdia, D. (2019). Do practitioner assessments agree with academic proxies for audit quality? Evidence from PCAOB and internal inspections. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 67(1), 144–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2018.09.001
Arun, T. G., Almahrog, Y. E., & Ali Aribi, Z. (2015). Female directors and earnings management: Evidence from UK companies. International Review of Financial Analysis, 39, 137-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa.2015.03.002
Becker, C. L., Defond, M. L., Jiambalvo, J., & Subramanyam, K. (1998). The effect of audit quality on earnings management. Contemporary Accounting Research, 15(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1911-3846.1998.tb00547.x
Bose, S., Podder, J., & Biswas, K. (2017). Philanthropic giving, market-based performance and institutional ownership: Evidence from an emerging economy. The British Accounting Review, 49(4), 429-444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bar.2016.11.001
Bruynseels, L., & Cardinaels, E. (2013). The audit committee: Management watchdog or personal friend of the CEO? The Accounting Review, 89(1), 113-145. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-50601
Chen, H., Chen, J. Z., Lobo, G. J., & Wang, Y. (2011). Effects of audit quality on earnings management and cost of equity capital: Evidence from China. Contemporary Accounting Research, 28(3), 892-925. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1911-3846.2011.01088.x
Chih, H., Shen, C., & Kang, F. (2007). Corporate social responsibility, investor protection, and earnings management: Some international evidence. Journal of Business Ethics, 79(1-2), 179-198. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9383-7
Clatworthy, M. A., & Peel, M. J. (2006). The effect of corporate status on external audit fees: Evidence from the UK. Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, 34(1-2), 169-201. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5957.2006.00658.x
Dadanlar, H. H., & Abebe, M. A. (2020). Female CEO leadership and the likelihood of corporate diversity misconduct: Evidence from S&P 500 firms. Journal of Business Research, 118, 398-405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.07.011
Davies, R. (2016, July 7). Numbers of women in UK boardrooms still low. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jul/07/women-in-uk-boardrooms-still-low-equalities-nicky-morgan-female-ftse100-davies
DeFond, M., & Zhang, J. (2014). A review of archival auditing research. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 58(2-3), 275-326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2014.09.002
E-Vahdati, S., Oradi, J., & Nazari, J. A. (2022). CEO gender and readability of annual reports: Do female CEOs’ demographic attributes matter? Journal of Applied Accounting Research, 24(4), 682-700. https://doi.org/10.1108/jaar-04-2022-0086
Faccio, M., Marchica, M., & Mura, R. (2016). CEO gender, corporate risk-taking, and the efficiency of capital allocation. Journal of Corporate Finance, 39, 193-209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2016.02.008
Farooq, M. U., Su, K., Boubaker, S., & Ali Gull, A. (2022). Does gender promote ethical and risk-averse behavior among CEOs? An illustration through related-party transactions. Finance Research Letters, 47, 102730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2022.102730
Financial Reporting Council (2018a). The UK Corporate Governance Code. https://www.frc.org.uk/getattachment/88bd8c45-50ea-4841-95b0-d2f4f48069a2/2018-UK-Corporate-Governance-Code-FINAL.PDF Accessed 11.08.2018
Fine, M. G. (2009). Women leaders' discursive constructions of leadership. Women's Studies in Communication, 32(2), 180-202. https://doi.org/10.1080/07491409.2009.10162386
Francis, J. R., & Yu, M. D. (2009). Big 4 office size and audit quality. The Accounting Review, 84(5), 1521-1552. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr.2009.84.5.1521
Francis, J. R., Maydew, E. L., & Sparks, H. C. (1999). The role of big 6 auditors in the credible reporting of accruals. AUDITING: A Journal of Practice & Theory, 18(2), 17-34. https://doi.org/10.2308/aud.1999.18.2.17
Francoeur, C., Li, Y., Singer, Z., & Zhang, J. (2022). Earnings forecasts of female CEOs: quality and consequences. Review of Accounting Studies, 1-44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11142-021-09669-7
Gavious, I., Segev, E., & Yosef, R. (2012). Female directors and earnings management in high‐technology firms. Pacific Accounting Review, 24(1), 4-32. https://doi.org/10.1108/01140581211221533
Ghafran, C., & O'Sullivan, N. (2012). The governance role of audit committees: Reviewing a decade of evidence. International Journal of Management Reviews, 15(4), 381-407. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2012.00347.x
Ghafran, C., & O'Sullivan, N. (2017). The impact of audit committee expertise on audit quality: Evidence from UK audit fees. The British Accounting Review, 49(6), 578-593. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bar.2017.09.008
Goodwin-Stewart, J., & Kent, P. (2006). Relation between external audit fees, audit committee characteristics and internal audit. Accounting and Finance, 46(3), 387-404. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-629x.2006.00174.x
Gul, F. A., Hutchinson, M., & Lai, K. M. (2013). Gender-diverse boards and properties of analyst earnings forecasts. Accounting Horizons, 27(3), 511-538. https://doi.org/10.2308/acch-50486
Gul, F. A., Srinidhi, B., & Ng, A. C. (2011). Does board gender diversity improve the informativeness of stock prices? Journal of Accounting and Economics, 51(3), 314-338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2011.01.005
Hassanein, A., Zalata, A., & Hussainey, K. (2018). Do forward-looking narratives affect investors’ valuation of UK FTSE all-shares firms? Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, 52(2), 493-519. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11156-018-0717-6
He, L., & Yang, R. (2014). Does industry regulation matter? New evidence on audit committees and earnings management. Journal of Business Ethics, 123(4), 573-589. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-2011-9
Heckman, J. J. (1979). Sample selection bias as a specification error. Econometrica, 47(1), 153. https://doi.org/10.2307/1912352
Ho, S. S., Li, A. Y., Tam, K., & Zhang, F. (2014). CEO gender, ethical leadership, and accounting conservatism. Journal of Business Ethics, 127(2), 351-370. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-2044-0
Hoang, T. T., Nguyen, C. V., & Van Tran, H. T. (2019). Are female CEOs more risk averse than male counterparts? Evidence from Vietnam. Economic Analysis and Policy, 63, 57-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2019.05.001
Ittonen, K., Miettinen, J., & Vähämaa, S. (2010). Does Female Representation on Audit Committees Affect Audit Fees? Quarterly Journal of Finance and Accounting, 49(3/4), 113–139. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23074633
Javed, M., Wang, F., Usman, M., Ali Gull, A., & Uz Zaman, Q. (2023). Female CEOs and green innovation. Journal of Business Research, 157, 113515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113515
Kaplan, S., Pany, K., Samuels, J., & Zhang, J. (2008). An examination of the association between gender and reporting intentions for fraudulent financial reporting. Journal of Business Ethics, 87(1), 15-30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-008-9866-1
Klein, A. (2002). Audit committee, board of director characteristics, and earnings management. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 33(3), 375-400. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0165-4101(02)00059-9
Kotiranta, A., Kovalainen, A., & Rouvinen, P. (2007). Female leadership and company profitability. Women Entrepreneurs and the Global Environment for Growth. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781849806633.00009
Lai, K. M., Srinidhi, B., Gul, F. A., & Tsui, J. S. (2017). Board gender diversity, auditor fees, and auditor choice. Contemporary Accounting Research, 34(3), 1681-1714. https://doi.org/10.1111/1911-3846.12313
Lara, J., Osma, B., Mora, A., & Scapin, M. (2017). The monitoring role of female directors over accounting quality. Journal of Corporate Finance, 45, 651-668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2017.05.016
Lennox, C. S., Francis, J. R., & Wang, Z. (2011). Selection models in accounting research. The Accounting Review, 87(2), 589-616. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-10195
Lim, M., & Chung, J. Y. (2021). The effects of female chief executive officers on corporate social responsibility. Managerial and Decision Economics, 42(5), 1235-1247. https://doi.org/10.1002/mde.3304
Lin, J. W., & Hwang, M. I. (2010). Audit quality, corporate governance, and earnings management: A meta‐analysis. International Journal of Auditing, 14(1), 57-77. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1099-1123.2009.00403.x
Lueg, R., Punda, P., & Burkert, M. (2014). Does transition to IFRS substantially affect key financial ratios in shareholder-oriented common law regimes? Evidence from the UK. Advances in Accounting, 30(1), 241-250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adiac.2014.03.002
Mangena, M., & Tauringana, V. (2008). Audit committees and voluntary external auditor involvement in UK interim reporting. International Journal of Auditing, 12(1), 45-63. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1099-1123.2008.00369.x
Méndez, C. F., García, R. A., & Pathan, S. (2016). Monitoring by busy and overlap directors: An examination of executive remuneration and financial reporting quality. Spanish Journal of Finance and Accounting / Revista Española de Financiación y Contabilidad, 46(1), 28-62. https://doi.org/10.1080/02102412.2016.1250345
Miethe, T. D., & Rothschild, J. (1994). Whistleblowing and the control of organizational misconduct. Sociological Inquiry, 64(3), 322-347. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-682x.1994.tb00395.x
O’SULLIVAN, N. (2000). The impact of board composition and ownership on audit quality: Evidence from large UK companies. The British Accounting Review, 32(4), 397-414. https://doi.org/10.1006/bare.2000.0139
Pucheta‐Martínez, M. C., Bel‐Oms, I., & Olcina‐Sempere, G. (2016). Corporate governance, female directors and quality of financial information. Business Ethics: A European Review, 25(4), 363-385. https://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12123
Renders, A., Gaeremynck, A., & Sercu, P. (2010). Corporate‐governance ratings and company performance: A Cross‐European study. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 18(2), 87-106. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8683.2010.00791.x
Rusmin, R., Scully, G., Tower, G., & Taplin, R. (2009). The impact of corporate governance and ownership concentration on audit quality in three Asia Pacific stock markets. The Asia Pacific Journal of Economics and Business, 13(2), 58–74. https://www.proquest.com/openview/d5064b9056482c38f91e2a7602fcd028/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=60419
Sila, V., Gonzalez, A., & Hagendorff, J. (2016). Women on board: Does boardroom gender diversity affect firm risk? Journal of Corporate Finance, 36, 26-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2015.10.003
Song, J., & Windram, B. (2004). Benchmarking audit committee effectiveness in financial reporting. International Journal of Auditing, 8(3), 195-205. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1099-1123.2004.00090.x
Srinidhi, B., Gul, F. A., & Tsui, J. (2011). Female directors and earnings quality. Contemporary Accounting Research, 28(5), 1610-1644. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1911-3846.2011.01071.x
Sultana, N., Singh, H., & Rahman, A. (2019). Experience of audit committee members and audit quality. European Accounting Review, 28(5), 947-975. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638180.2019.1569543
Sun, J., Liu, G., & Lan, G. (2011). Does female directorship on independent audit committees constrain earnings management? Journal of Business Ethics, 99(3), 369-382. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0657-0
Tate, G., & Yang, L. (2015). Female leadership and gender equity: Evidence from plant closure. Journal of Financial Economics, 117(1), 77-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2014.01.004
Terjesen, S., & Sealy, R. (2016). Board gender quotas: Exploring ethical tensions from a multi-theoretical perspective. Business Ethics Quarterly, 26(1), 23-65. https://doi.org/10.1017/beq.2016.7
Thiruvadi, S., & Huang, H. (2011). Audit committee gender differences and earnings management. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 26(7), 483-498. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542411111175469
Tucker, J. W. (2010). Selection bias and econometric remedies in accounting and finance research. Journal of Accounting Literature, 29, 31–57. https://bear.warrington.ufl.edu/tucker/2011-2-6_econometric_essay.pdf
Ullah, I., Majeed, M. A., & Fang, H. (2021). Female CEOs and corporate investment efficiency: Evidence from China. Borsa Istanbul Review, 21(2), 161-174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bir.2020.09.010
Vafeas, N. (1999). Board meeting frequency and firm performance. Journal of Financial Economics, 53(1), 113-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0304-405x(99)00018-5
Vafeas, N. (2005). Audit committees, boards, and the quality of reported earnings. Contemporary Accounting Research, 22(4), 1093-1122. https://doi.org/10.1506/1qyn-2rfq-fkyx-xp84
Vo, L. V., Nguyen, H. T., & Le, H. T. (2020). Do female CEOs make a difference in firm operations? Evidence from Vietnam. Accounting & Finance, 61(S1), 1489-1516. https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.12634
Weng, D. H., & Kim, K. (2023). Letting go or pushing forward: Director death and firm risk-taking. Long Range Planning, 56(3), 102322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2023.102322
Whisenant, S., Sankaraguruswamy, S., & Raghunandan, K. (2003). Evidence on the joint determination of audit and non-audit fees. Journal of Accounting Research, 41(4), 721-744. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-679x.00121
Zalata, A. M., Ntim, C., Aboud, A., & Gyapong, E. (2018). Female CEOs and core earnings quality: New evidence on the ethics versus risk-aversion puzzle. Journal of Business Ethics, 160(2), 515-534. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-3918-y
Zalata, A. M., Tauringana, V., & Tingbani, I. (2018). Audit committee financial expertise, gender, and earnings management: Does gender of the financial expert matter? International Review of Financial Analysis, 55, 170-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa.2017.11.002
Zaman, M., Hudaib, M., & Haniffa, R. (2011). Corporate governance quality, audit fees and non‐audit services fees. Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, 38(1-2), 165-197. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5957.2010.02224.x
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Kaleemullah Abbasi, Noor Ahmed Brohi, Shahzad Nasim, Zaibunnisa Siddiqi, Syed Jamal Haider Zaidi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.