Firm Size, Audit Regulation and Fraud Detection: Empirical Evidence from Iran

An auditor has the responsibility for the prevention, detection and reporting of fraud. Illegal acts and errors are the most controversial issues in auditing, and have been the most frequently debated areas amongst auditors, politicians, media, regulators and the public. Prior research has documented a positive association between audit quality and auditor size. While some studies have used the audit fee as a surrogate for audit quality, other studies have employed more direct measures, such as the outcomes of quality control reviews. Those latter studies, however, used samples that suffer from severe geographic or client-type restrictions. Moreover, most studies of the quality-size relationship have focused on relatively large cpa firms. By the way, in recent years there has been considerable debate about the nature of audit practice (Salehi 2007). Auditors also have responsibility for ensuring the accuracy and precision of statements prepared by managers.