Graduation Year

2019

Date of Submission

12-2018

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Award

Robert Day School Prize for Best Senior Thesis in Economics (Accounting) and Finance

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Economics-Accounting

Reader 1

Andrew Finley

Rights Information

© 2018 Franny Lin

OCLC Record Number

1089398214

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of CFO gender on auditor turnover, audit fees, and financial reporting timeliness. Since investors value audit outcomes such as auditor turnover, audit fees, and reporting timeliness as important financial signals, differences in the probability of auditor turnovers, the amount of audit fees, and the speed of financial reporting between male CFO firms and female CFO firms can help investors make better informed financial decisions. Additionally, these audit outcome differences between male and female CFOs can also provide insights to executive hiring-decisions and audit budgeting. The results of this study suggest that firms with female CFOs take longer to report financial statements than their male counterparts. However, I do not find evidence for differences in the probability of auditor turnover between female CFO and male CFO firms. I also do not find significant differences in audit fees between firms with female and male CFOs. Overall, this study highlights how gender differences in risk-tolerance and confidence level can affect tangible audit outcomes.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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