Mandatory audit firm rotation in Spain: a policy that was never applied

In recent international debates on auditing regulation, Spain has assumed a real prominence as a claimed practical example of where a policy of mandatory audit firm rotation did not work and was duly abolished. This study provides an analysis of the implementation and removal of such policy in Spain. Using the evidence provided by congressional hearings, financial newspapers and other documents we demonstrate that at no stage was mandatory rotation of audit firms ever enforced on Spanish auditors.Auditing regulation, Auditor independence, Mandatory audit firm rotation

Human capital, age and job stability: evidence from Spanish certified auditors.

During the period 1976-1988, Spain witnessed pervasive transformations that led the country from a military dictatorship to a fully fledged democracy. In turn, the audit profession experienced high demand which doubled the number of members of the Institute of Sworn Auditors of Spain (Instituto de Censores Jurados de Cuentas de España). In this unique social laboratory, we draw on the insights of human capital theory and the entrepreneurship literature to examine the profile of newly certified auditors at the time of receiving the audit certificate that enabled them to (i) become a licensed auditor and engage in public practice, or (ii) become an unlicensed auditor and leave the profession immediately after receiving the professional qualification. Our results indicate that those Spanish auditors who had high general or specific human capital and job stability and were at the younger or older ends of the age continuum were less likely to apply for audit licences than their counterparts (i.e. low general or specific human capital, middle aged, and unstable jobs).Auditors; Audit market; Human capital theory; Entrepreneurship; Spain;

Gender, the state and the audit profession: evidence from Spain (1942–88).

Extant knowledge on gender and auditing overwhelmingly relies on evidence gathered from a limited group of Anglo-Saxon countries. It is widely admitted, however, that gender issues are affected by the institutional contexts of the investigation. The Anglo-Saxon settings, we contend, embrace a number of idiosyncratic, institutional characteristics that advise caution in the generalizability of results. Our study addresses the role of gender in Spanish audit practice during the period 1942 to 1988. The environment of the Spanish audit profession witnessed the peaceful transition from a dictatorship to a full-fledged democracy as well as the emergence of a free market economy from a system characterized by stiff economic autarchy and an overriding intervention of the state in the economy. We found that the dominant role of the state in Spanish society affected the structure of the audit profession and made impossible the emergence of an autonomous project. In particular, our findings reveal that the audit profession did not have an independent strategy about the role of women at work, but mimicked the attitudes deployed by the state during our observation period.

Accounting historians engaging with scholars inside and outside accounting: issues, opportunities and obstacles

Originating in a panel presentation at the eighth Accounting History International Conference, this study offers a reflection on the issues, opportunities and obstacles which may arise when accounting historians engage with other accounting scholars and scholars outside of accounting. Supporting the view that accounting scholars need and should make an effort to engage with other scholars inside and outside accounting, various aspects are considered as enhancing the interdisciplinarity of accounting history research. Then, issues such as researchers and the community, research problems, theories, methods and data are addressed. The opportunities arising from interdisciplinary interactions with a wide range of scholars are then developed. Finally, the potential obstacles are addressed. These obstacles can be overcome by the development of robust communication and the invention of a new genre of discourse and research focus and by working with those outside our discipline and embracing the challenge of the new and the different

Derogación de la rotación obligatoria de auditores y calidad de la auditoría

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar el impacto de la rotación obligatoria de firmas en la calidad de la auditoría. Dos argumentos opuestos han alimentado el debate sobre la conveniencia de esta medida. Sus defensores argumentan que esta medida refuerza la independencia del auditor y, por tanto, incrementa la calidad de la auditoría. Sus detractores, en cambio, opinan que la rotación destruye el conocimiento específico del auditor y reduce los incentivos a competir en el mercado, disminuyendo la calidad del servicio. La rotación cada nueve años fue obligatoria en España desde 1988 hasta 1995, por lo que contamos con un contexto único para obtener evidencia empírica sobre los efectos de esta norma. Se contrastan dos hipótesis opuestas sobre el impacto de la derogación de la norma sobre la probabilidad del auditor de emitir informes con salvedades por gestión continuada. La muestra está formada por empresas cotizadas españolas con deterioro financiero observadas en un régimen con rotación obligatoria (1991-1994) y sin ella (1995-2000). Los resultados muestran que la derogación de la rotación obligatoria incrementa la probabilidad del auditor de emitir informes con salvedades por gestión continuada, por tanto, se obtienen evidencias empíricas que apoyan los argumentos de los detractores de la rotación.calidad auditoría, rotación obligatoria, independencia del auditor.

Human capital, age and job stability: evidence from Spanish certified auditors

During the period 1976-1988, Spain witnessed pervasive transformations that led the country from a military dictatorship to a fully fledged democracy. In turn, the audit profession experienced high demand which doubled the number of members of the Institute of Sworn Auditors of Spain (Instituto de Censores Jurados de Cuentas de España). In this unique social laboratory, we draw on the insights of human capital theory and the entrepreneurship literature to examine the profile of newly certified auditors at the time of receiving the audit certificate that enabled them to (i) become a licensed auditor and engage in public practice, or (ii) become an unlicensed auditor and leave the profession immediately after receiving the professional qualification. Our results indicate that those Spanish auditors who had high general or specific human capital and job stability and were at the younger or older ends of the age continuum were less likely to apply for audit licences than their counterparts (i.e. low general or specific human capital, middle aged, and unstable jobs).Publicad

Periodismo y Social Media: cómo están usando Twitter los periodistas españoles

As part of their professional routine, Spanish journalists are gradually joining the ranks of active users of social networks like Twitter. Following some on-the-fly strategy or just winging it, and fully putting into practice the idea that “one must be where the people are,” they distribute information coming from their own media, viralize information from other users/media, editorialize as they go, sum up daily life or shoot the breeze about a variety of topics. This paper presents the results of an in-depth survey conducted among 50 Spanish journalists with active professional profiles on Twitter. The aim of the survey was to find out how they are using this social media at work, how they feel about it and what their expectations are.Como parte de su rutina profesional, los periodistas españoles se están sumando a la nómina de usuarios activos de redes sociales como Twitter o Facebook. Respondiendo a una estrategia más o menos planificada o improvisando sobre la marcha, llevando a la práctica la máxima de que “hay que estar dónde está la gente”, distribuyen información de sus propios medios, viralizan información de otros usuarios/medios, editorializan sobre la marcha, glosan la cotidianidad o lanzan al viento sus reflexiones sobre los más variados asuntos. Este artículo presenta los resultados de una encuesta en profundidad realizada a 50 periodistas españoles con perfiles profesionales activos en Twitter. La finalidad de la investigación era averiguar cómo están usando las redes sociales en su trabajo, qué percepción tienen de las mismas y cuales son sus expectativas

Who am I and who are You? Are social networks changing the image that Spanish radio journalists have of the public?

¿Están cambiado las redes sociales, y, más específicamente, Twitter, la imagen1 del público que manejan los periodistas radiofónicos españoles? ¿Qué uso hacen los periodistas radiofónicos de Twitter? ¿Qué tipo de participación a través del Social Media consideran estos periodistas más valiosa? Estas y otras cuestiones serán analizadas a lo largo de este artículo que presenta los resultados de una investigación cuyo principal objetivo era conocer cómo están afectando los entornos participativos, como Twitter, a la imagen de la audiencia que tienen los periodistas y, en consecuencia, a la construcción de los mensajes informativos en los que, inevitablemente, está implícita una determinada concepción del público.Are Social Media, and most specifically Twitter, transforming the image that Spanish radio journalists have of their publics? How are radio journalists using Twitter and what are their goals (if they have been established)? What kind of Social Media participation is more valued by radio journalists? These and other questions will be discussed throughout this article that presents the main results of a research project focussing on the transformations that Social Media are likely to produce in the journalist’s image of the audience, and, therefore, in the ways they report, closely linked to the implicit representation that journalists have of their audiences

Transmedialidad y ecosistema digital.

El presente artículo explora algunos de los rasgos estructurales de la narrativa transmedia. Se considerarán por tanto procesos consustanciales al medio Internet, como la viralidad, la colaboración de los usuarios en la creación y proliferación de contenidos y la especificidad informativa. Se presentan también algunas reflexiones de diferentes profesionales de la comunicación acerca de este fenómeno. A modo de coda o conclusión se ofrece una tentativa de definición de la narrativa transmedia en términos de proceso comunicativo