當公司的營運下滑時,管理階層通常會透過盈餘管理的方式,以延遲危機爆發之時 點。一但企業爆發財務困難時,規模愈大的會計師事務所很容易成投資人的索賠對象, 最終之賠償金額亦愈高。故當查核失敗成本較高的會計師事務所,由於查核財務困難公 司所面臨的查核風險較高,一但審計失敗,所發生查核失敗成本相對較高,所以應以更 仔細謹慎態度為之;其將愈會抑止財務困難公司之不當盈餘管理行為。 由於公司管理當局與投資人之間存在潛在的利益衝突,故會計師提供審計服務時, 能維持其獨立性,其將愈能抑止財務困難公司之不當盈餘管理行為。 而企業的經營失敗,並非短期造成,而是經由一定期間的演變,因此本研究將企業 發生財務困難定義為三階段:經營衰退期、財務惡化期、破產倒閉期。 本論文探討查查核失敗成本較高的會計師事務所,因查核風險考量,是否為了避免 其審計失敗所帶來的損失,而傾向更加注意財務困難公司是否有盈餘管理之行為;且獨 立性較高的事務所,是否愈有能力去抑制財務困難公司從事盈餘管理之行為。 實証結果顯示,在會計師事務所查核失敗成本與裁決性應計數關聯性方面:經營衰 退期及破產倒閉期,當會計師事務所查核失敗成本愈高,愈會抑制經營衰退或破產倒閉 期公司從事盈餘管理之行為。而財務惡化期的財困公司,並無明顯進行盈餘操弄之行為。 在查核會計師事務所獨立性與裁決性應計數關聯性方面:經營衰退期,以特定客戶 的審計公費、全部公費各佔整體事務所總公費收入的比率,作為獨立性代理變數的結果 皆支持,由獨立性較高的事務所查核,愈能抑制經營衰退公司從事盈餘管理之行為。但 若以特定客戶的非審計公費佔整體事務所總公費收入的比率,作為獨立性代理變數的結 果顯示,非審計公費的經濟依賴度並不會影響查核會計師事務所的獨立性,而對公司進 行盈餘管理也無任何顯著相關性存在。而財務惡化期,研究結果顯示財困公司,並無明 顯進行盈餘操弄之行為。
This study examines that the CPA firms with higher audit risk would take more concerns about the earning management of financial distressed company to avoid the loss from audit failure for the sake of audit failure costs. In addition, it is also mainly about that whether CPA firms with higher independence would have enough abilities to restrain the earning management of the financial distressed company. However, there are specific evolutions in the failure spectrum of enterprises. Therefore, this study would define three periods of the failure spectrum for an enterprise -economical recession, financial degeneration and bankruptcy. In the relation between the audit independence and the discretionary accruals, the empirical results indicated that the CPA firms with higher audit failure costs would restrain the behaviors of earning management during the period of economical recession and bankruptcy. However, there is no obvious evidence mentioned that companies in the period of financial degeneration employ discretionary accruals to be engaged in behavior of the earnings management. In check of the relation between the independence and discretionary accruals of the CPA firms, the result of ratio of specific audit fee which occupied total audit’s income of the CPA firms’ could be the support of independence proxy results. The CPA firms with higher independence could suppress more the distressed company engaged in behavior of the earnings management. Besides, the independence of the CPA firms wouldn’t be affected by non-audit fee.