One limitation of this research is the limited number of studies.
Another is that opinion shopping may not only reduce GCs, but also impair audit quality on other dimensions.
Issuing a clean opinion when a GC is appropriate suggests a lack of independence, which may also be reflected in increased restatement and earnings management.
In addition, regulatory prescriptions designed to curb opinion shopping may have unintended negative consequences.
For example, in South Korea, Portugal, and France, regulators attempt to prevent opinion shopping through forced auditor retention, which conflicts with mandatory auditor rotation.
In addition, mandatory rotation may exacerbate opinion shopping by allowing clients to find a more pliable auditor under the guise of switching to a more independent one