The Impact of Religion on the Going Concern Reporting Decisions of Local Audit Practice Offices

59 Pages Posted: 24 Aug 2010 Last revised: 29 May 2015

See all articles by Thomas C. Omer

Thomas C. Omer

University of Nebraska at Lincoln - School of Accountancy

Nathan Y. Sharp

Texas A&M University - Department of Accounting

Dechun Wang

Texas A&M University

Date Written: May 2015

Abstract

We extend research on the effects of local audit practice office characteristics on audit quality by investigating whether audit offices in highly religious U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) exhibit going concern decisions that reflect heightened professional skepticism relative to audit offices in less religious MSAs. Prior research links religiosity to risk aversion and ethical development and suggests audit practice offices in more religious MSAs are more likely to issue going concern opinions because they exhibit greater professional skepticism. Our results indicate that audit practice offices located in highly religious MSAs are more likely to issue going concern audit opinions, consistent with greater levels of professional skepticism. Additional tests provide direct evidence consistent with the argument that these audit offices are more risk averse in issuing going concern opinions. In addition, we find that they issue going concern reports with greater bankruptcy prediction accuracy. Our findings are relevant to auditors, audit clients, researchers, and regulators.

Keywords: religion, professional skepticism, going concern opinions, audit quality

JEL Classification: M41, M42, Z12

Suggested Citation

Omer, Thomas C. and Sharp, Nathan Y. and Wang, Dechun, The Impact of Religion on the Going Concern Reporting Decisions of Local Audit Practice Offices (May 2015). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1664727 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1664727

Thomas C. Omer

University of Nebraska at Lincoln - School of Accountancy ( email )

307 College of Business Administration
Lincoln, NE 68588-0488
United States

Nathan Y. Sharp

Texas A&M University - Department of Accounting ( email )

4353 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-4353
United States
979-845-0338 (Phone)

Dechun Wang (Contact Author)

Texas A&M University ( email )

430 Wehner
College Station, TX 77843-4353
United States

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