Improving fraud detection, financial reporting quality, investor confidence and market returns by using specialist auditors. As investors, managers and auditors grapple with the global financial crisis effects, this project's findings will help them by showing how and when auditor specialisation contributes to greater financial statement quality and returns. Investors will benefit from lower audit costs, increased audit quality and more credible financial statements.
Evaluating regulatory initiatives directed at audit firms to improve audit quality. This project will provide evidence as to whether recent regulatory initiatives are improving the quality of audits and provide a comparison of benefits associated with audit firm inspections under differing regulatory schemes. It will inform discussion as to whether these initiatives overcome identified problems in audit quality of listed companies.
Development, implementation and private and public sector adoption of Standard Business Reporting in Australia. Standard Business Reporting is a government response to the business regulatory burden and streamlines business to government reporting, but involves some cost to business in its initial uptake. This project examines the adoption decisions made and their consequences for business entities choosing to use this voluntary reporting channel.