The impact of Confucianism on auditor judgment

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between Confucianism and auditor judgment. Using a sample of Chinese listed firms from 2006 to 2019, we find that the Confucian atmosphere in auditors’ hometowns is positively associated with their audit adjustments. The mechanism analyses show that Confucianism in auditors’ hometowns can influence auditor morality and further affect their judgment. We also find that the positive relationship between Confucianism in auditors’ hometowns and audit adjustments is reinforced by auditor exposure to strong Confucian atmospheres in their places of education and workplaces but weakened by Western culture diffusion. Moreover, auditors who are more influenced by Confucianism are associated with more improvements in client financial reporting quality, more upward and downward adjustments, more small and large adjustments and more audit effort but not higher audit fees. Overall, this study provides evidence that supports the imprinting effect of traditional Confucianism on auditors.