NTU Management Rev i ew Vol . 31 No. 3 Dec. 2021, 203-236 DOI:10.6226/NTUMR.202112_31(3).0005 203 Auditors’ Signing Networks and Auditor Independence: Empirical Evidence from Going-Concern Opinions 會計師簽證網絡與審計獨立性：來自繼續經營疑慮審計意 見的實證分析 Min-Jeng Shiue, Department of Accountancy, National Taipei University 薛敏正/ 國立臺北大學會計學系 Shu-Ling Yeh, Department of Accountancy, National Taipei University 葉淑玲/ 國立臺北大學會計學系 Ching-Yi Chen, Department of Accountancy, National Taipei University 陳靜宜 / 國立臺北大學會計學系 Received 2019/12, Final revision received 2021/6 Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between auditors’ signing networks in CPA firms and improved/impaired auditor independence, where auditor independence is replaced by auditors’ propensity to issue going-concern audit opinions. We use degree centrality as the main proxy for the strength of the relationship network which is computed by the number of co-signed auditors in the CPA firms. The sample consists of publicly traded firms identified as distressed and audited by the Big 4 audit firms in Taiwan during the 2006–2015 period. The empirical results show that auditors’ degree centrality can be one of the key determinants of auditors issuing going-concern opinions. We also use betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, and eigenvector centrality to examine the relationship between auditors’ signing networks and auditor independence. These sensitivity tests only partially support the aforementioned finding. 【Keywords】 signing networks, going-concern opinion, independence 摘 要 本研究利用臺灣審計市場會計師雙重簽證的特性，探討會計師的獨立性是否會受其簽 證網絡強弱影響，並預期簽證網絡中心性越高的會計師，因可由網絡中獲得的資訊較 多、受網絡的監督治理機制較強，有助於提升審計品質。本研究以是否出具繼續經營 疑慮之審計意見作為獨立性之代理變數，並以2006年至2015年間國內公開交易之上 市（櫃）公司，且為四大會計師事務所查核財務危機警訊之企業為研究對象，檢視會 計師簽證網絡中心性是否影響其簽發繼續經營疑慮之審計意見的可能性。實證結果顯 示，簽證網絡程度中心性與會計師出具繼續經營疑慮審計意見之可能性具顯著之正向 關係，支持簽證網絡程度中心性越好的會計師，審計品質較高。本研究另以接近中心 性、中介中心性以及特徵向量中心性作為簽證網絡強弱之代理變數，結果則僅部分支 持簽證網絡中心性與出具繼續經營疑慮審計意見之可能性呈顯著正向關係。 【關鍵字】簽證網絡、繼續經營疑慮意見、獨立性 領域主編：戚務君教授
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