FAR Working Paper: Does Status Equal Substance? The Effects of Specialist Social Status on Auditor Assessments of Complex Estimates

31 March 2020

Auditors rely on specialists in auditing complex estimates, but do they rely on specialists for the right reasons? We examine whether specialists’ high status, or social standing, influences auditor assessments of specialists’ competence and, in turn, their conclusions about the reasonableness of client estimates. We propose that specialist social status most likely affects auditor conclusions under conditions of heightened ambiguity, specifically when the specialist disagrees with the client and when the specialist agrees with the client but offers poor justification for the conclusion.

To read the full working paper, click here.