The investing public has historically relied upon
audited financial statements when making investment
decisions and has depended upon auditors and
the accounting profession to confirm the accuracy
and completeness of financial information (Kane,
2004). Because recent high profile financial disasters
involving accounting fraud have suggested that the
auditors involved in monitoring these firms have not
honored what the public has perceived to be their
appropriate role, the public has become less trusting
of the auditing profession’s ability and/or willingness
to protect investor interests (Cullinan, 2004).
According to Miller and Bahnson (2004) auditors
have a responsibility to be ‘‘gatekeepers’’ to protect
the investing public, but many auditors have failed to
honor their gatekeeper role with a resulting increase
in risk passed on to investors. When auditors are
willing to compromise their independence or
overlook key information in order to retain a client,
then the objectivity of the auditor and the accuracy
of the client’s financial statements are immediately
suspect (cf. McLean and Elkind, 2003)