While performing an annual audit of a client’s financial statements, an
audit firm’s staff identified what seems to be a material misstatement.
Two discussions with the client have led to an impasse in that the client
refuses to record what the auditor regards as a necessary adjustment. Our
experimental study analyzes whether the likelihood of public accountants
modifying their audit report for this departure from generally accepted
accounting principles is affected by whether audit firm rotation is about to
occur (no rotation v. rotation) under each of the two levels of corporate
governance (weak v. strong). Our subjects include 105 CPA firm employees
and partners who have an average experience level slightly less
than 14 years. Results suggest that auditors in the rotation condition
are more likely to modify their audit report as contrasted to those in a
situation in which a continuing relationship is expected.