AUDITOR CHOICE AND INTITUTIONNEL INVESTOR CHARACTERISTICS AFTER THE ENRON SCANDAL IN THE FRENCH CONTEXT

Abstract

This study examines the association between the quality of audit and the characteristics of institutional investors, using French data. After the Enron scandal, the perception of the Big 4 by French institutional investors changed. Our first hypothesis focuses on the perception French institutional investors to appointment of the Big 4. Our second hypothesis deals with the perception of the foreign institutional investors to choose one of the Big 4 auditors due to the lack of investor protection in France and the failure of Enron. We tested our hypotheses on a sample of 144 companies listed on SBF 250, using Worldscope data over the period 2000-2007. Empirical results show a negative and statistically significant link between the choices of one of Big 4 auditor by French institutional investors after the Enron scandal, whereas there is a positive and statistically insignificant link between the foreign institutional investor and the Big 4 appointment after 2002.Qualité d'audit, choix de l'auditeur, investisseurs institutionnels, scandale d'Enron.