The Accounting Review Vol. 84 No. 2 2009
Auditor Switches in the Pre- and Post-Enron Eras: Risk or Realignment?
Abstract
Using a comprehensive sample of switches to and from the largest auditors (i.e., the Big N), we examine empirically whether the sensitivity of Big N auditor switches to client risk and misalignment changed between the pre- and post-Enron periods. Although we find an increase in the sensitivity to client misalignment, the sensitivity to client risk generally decreases. The results are consistent with Big N auditors rebalancing their audit client portfolios in response to post-Enron capacity constraints arising from the supply of former Arthur Andersen clients and the audit demands imposed by Sarbanes-Oxley rather than increasing their sensitivity to client risk. Additional evidence indicates that the Sarbanes-Oxley demand shock did not affect Big N auditor switching behavior incremental to the initial Andersen supply shock.
- DOI
- 10.2308/accr.2009.84.2.531
- Volume
- 84
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 531-558
- Language
- en
- Sources
- openalex bibtex:phds-export.bib crossref