Auditors are paid by the companies whose financial statements they audit. Economically
important clients carry greater weight in an auditor’s portfolio. Therefore, an auditor may
have a higher incentive to yield to pressure from larger clients, thereby compromising independence.6
Meanwhile, concerns over litigation and reputation may counter this threat.
Therefore, whether audit quality is impaired for important clients is an empirical question.
Much research has been conducted on this topic. Studies that use modeling techniques provide
strong theoretical grounds for archival and experimental studies. However, empirical
evidence is mixed