Auditor Independence Auditing, Corporate Governance and Market Confidence

In Auditor Independence, Ismail Adelopo argues that the importance of auditors' independence cannot be over-emphasised. Not only do auditors provide certification of the truth and fairness of the information prepared by managers, they also have a duty to express opinions on the degree of compliance with laws and regulations guiding a firm's operations. Theirs is a socially important responsibility. In all that has been proposed to mitigate the governance crisis and restore confidence in the market system, relatively little attention has been paid to auditor independence. Examining the historical role of auditing in corporate governance and the regulatory context, this book sets the function within a theoretical framework and then provides empirical analysis of the problem issues such as the relationship between audit committees and external auditors and the probity of providing non-auditing services to audit clients. The focus on matters that are damaging to market confidence and threatening to the reputation of the auditing profession, means the conclusions and recommendations in this book are important for key stakeholders, including policy makers, regulators, those running companies, and their investors and customers. This is also a book for those responsible for training in the auditing profession and for others with a research or academic interest in the matters addressed.

Chapter 1 Corporate Misbehaviour and Corporate Governance; Chapter 2 Defining Corporate Governance – The Background; Chapter 3 Regulation and Auditing – Ethics and Professionalism; Chapter 4 Theory and Corporate Phenomena – Concepts and Frameworks; Chapter 5 Audit Committees and Auditor Independence – The Research Evidence; Chapter 6 Governance and Auditing – Theory, Practice, Policy and Research;

Ismail Adelopo is a Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance in the Department of Accounting and Finance at Leicester Business School, part of De Montfort University in the UK. He teaches auditing, corporate governance and financial reporting at different levels, including to post graduate and professional level students. Dr Adelopo holds a PhD from De Montfort University and he is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. He is also a member of a number of accounting associations including the British Accounting Association, the European Accounting Association, and the Management Control Association.