Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effect of the ownership structure types on the indicators of the external audit quality, in the light of the weak legal protection of the shareholders.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used the panel data of 94 listed Jordanian companies from 2009–2018 and the fixed-effect method.

Findings

The results revealed a significant relationship between the directors’ ownership, family and institutional ownership with the audit quality. By contrast, the managerial ownership had an insignificant influence on audit quality.

Research limitations/implications

The results show the important role played by the directors’ and institutions’ ownership in ensuring the audit quality in Jordan. The results have implications for the policymakers in Jordan, to encourage and support the participation of such types of the investors and provide an effective monitoring over other types of ownership in the Jordanian capital markets.

Social implications

This study suggests that the ownership structures are an essential and effective determinants of the external audit quality, which ultimately affects the performance and financial statements.

Originality/value

These results are consistent with prior studies, which have indicated a significant relation between ownership structure and the demand of the audit quality, even in a setting where legal protection of the shareholders plays essentially no role. To the best knowledge of the researchers, this study is one of the few studies that separates the ownership by the directors into two separate types. Further, this is the first study that used several indicators to measure the audit quality at the same time.

中文翻译：

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在股东法律保护薄弱的国家，所有权结构是否会影响审计质量？

目的

本研究旨在针对股东法律保护薄弱的情况，探讨股权结构类型对外部审计质量指标的影响。

设计/方法/方法

本研究使用 2009-2018 年 94 家约旦上市公司的面板数据和固定效应方法。

发现

结果表明，董事的所有权、家族和机构所有权与审计质量之间存在显着关系。相比之下，管理层所有权对审计质量的影响不显着。

研究限制/影响

结果表明董事和机构所有权在确保约旦审计质量方面发挥了重要作用。结果对约旦的政策制定者有影响，鼓励和支持此类投资者的参与，并对约旦资本市场中其他类型的所有权进行有效监督。

社会影响

本研究表明，所有权结构是外部审计质量的重要且有效的决定因素，最终影响绩效和财务报表。

原创性/价值

这些结果与先前的研究一致，这些研究表明股权结构与审计质量要求之间存在显着关系，即使在对股东的法律保护基本上没有作用的情况下也是如此。据研究人员所知，这项研究是少数将董事所有权分为两种不同类型的研究之一。此外，这是第一次同时使用多个指标来衡量审计质量的研究。