The Effect of a Transparency Report on Auditor Independence: Practitioners's Self-Assessment

The objective of this study is to investigate how practitioners assess several aspects of a transparency report on auditor independence published by auditing firms. This research was conducted using a survey approach with an experimental component, where the research instrument was distributed to 92 experienced practitioners. Results indicate no significant perceived difference as to whether the transparency report is mandatory or voluntary or whether the report is audited or not. Also the transparency report’s effectiveness is not assessed differently by practicing auditors or accountants. Further descriptive analysis over the full sample indicates the individually most important safeguards related to auditor independence are perceived to be quality assurance, internal quality controls and independence practice and compliance. However, the importance of fee information and information on audited entities is assessed to be more important by accountants compared to auditors due to different interests.