Is Audit Quality at Risk in the Covid-19 Era? The Moderating Role of Client Complexity

This study investigated the association between low audit quality and the tendency to issue modified audit opinions (MAO), using the proxy of non-Big Four audit firms and non-industry-specialized auditors. It also investigated the moderating effect of client complexity on the relationship between au...

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Main Authors: Michelle Thalia, Antonius Herusetya
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universitas Syiah Kuala 2025-04-01
Series:Jurnal Dinamika Akuntansi dan Bisnis
Subjects:
Online Access:https://jurnal.usk.ac.id/JDAB/article/view/41756
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author Michelle Thalia
Antonius Herusetya
author_facet Michelle Thalia
Antonius Herusetya
author_sort Michelle Thalia
collection DOAJ
description This study investigated the association between low audit quality and the tendency to issue modified audit opinions (MAO), using the proxy of non-Big Four audit firms and non-industry-specialized auditors. It also investigated the moderating effect of client complexity on the relationship between audit quality and MAO, and examines the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on these relationships. The samples were all listed firms on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, except for financial industry over a period of 2018 – 2020 (1,020 firm-years observations). Using panel logistic regression analyses, this study reveals that non-Big Four audit firms have a greater tendency to issue MAO, with no association between non-industry-specialized auditors and the tendency to issue MAO. This study also identifies that client complexity represents a moderator that enhances the positive correlation between non-Big Four audit firms and MAO. Lastly, no evidence found of any difference in the audit quality between pre- and during COVID-19 pandemic.
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institution Kabale University
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series Jurnal Dinamika Akuntansi dan Bisnis
spelling doaj-art-46561d4e272243098d626a73dcc3ef422025-08-20T03:30:20ZengUniversitas Syiah KualaJurnal Dinamika Akuntansi dan Bisnis2355-94622528-11432025-04-01121658810.24815/jdab.v12i1.4175620177Is Audit Quality at Risk in the Covid-19 Era? The Moderating Role of Client ComplexityMichelle Thalia0Antonius Herusetya1Universitas Pelita HarapanUniversitas Pelita HarapanThis study investigated the association between low audit quality and the tendency to issue modified audit opinions (MAO), using the proxy of non-Big Four audit firms and non-industry-specialized auditors. It also investigated the moderating effect of client complexity on the relationship between audit quality and MAO, and examines the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on these relationships. The samples were all listed firms on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, except for financial industry over a period of 2018 – 2020 (1,020 firm-years observations). Using panel logistic regression analyses, this study reveals that non-Big Four audit firms have a greater tendency to issue MAO, with no association between non-industry-specialized auditors and the tendency to issue MAO. This study also identifies that client complexity represents a moderator that enhances the positive correlation between non-Big Four audit firms and MAO. Lastly, no evidence found of any difference in the audit quality between pre- and during COVID-19 pandemic.https://jurnal.usk.ac.id/JDAB/article/view/41756covid-19client complexitynon-big fournon-industry specialist auditormodified audit opinion
spellingShingle Michelle Thalia
Antonius Herusetya
Is Audit Quality at Risk in the Covid-19 Era? The Moderating Role of Client Complexity
Jurnal Dinamika Akuntansi dan Bisnis
covid-19
client complexity
non-big four
non-industry specialist auditor
modified audit opinion
title Is Audit Quality at Risk in the Covid-19 Era? The Moderating Role of Client Complexity
title_full Is Audit Quality at Risk in the Covid-19 Era? The Moderating Role of Client Complexity
title_fullStr Is Audit Quality at Risk in the Covid-19 Era? The Moderating Role of Client Complexity
title_full_unstemmed Is Audit Quality at Risk in the Covid-19 Era? The Moderating Role of Client Complexity
title_short Is Audit Quality at Risk in the Covid-19 Era? The Moderating Role of Client Complexity
title_sort is audit quality at risk in the covid 19 era the moderating role of client complexity
topic covid-19
client complexity
non-big four
non-industry specialist auditor
modified audit opinion
url https://jurnal.usk.ac.id/JDAB/article/view/41756
work_keys_str_mv AT michellethalia isauditqualityatriskinthecovid19erathemoderatingroleofclientcomplexity
AT antoniusherusetya isauditqualityatriskinthecovid19erathemoderatingroleofclientcomplexity