Ownership Concentration and Audit Actions

Abstract

This study presents current evidence on the impact of different corporate ownership types on audit quality in Oman and potentially in other developing countries with similar institutional environments, such as GCC countries. While previous research has primarily focused on overall ownership concentration, this study aims to examine the role of specific shareholder identities and their influence on the demand for audit quality. This research sheds light on the relationship between ownership identities and audit quality of Omani financial companies listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange from 2014 to 2020. This study employs additional analysis to mitigate potential confounding factors and ensure robust results. Additionally, a GMM test establishes the robustness of our findings, alleviating potential endogeneity concerns. The findings highlight the positive impact and significance of bank, government, and foreign ownership in promoting high audit quality. In contrast, ownership by financial institutions (non-banks) and block holder concentrations negatively and significantly impact audit quality. In addition, this study found that family members on boards play positive moderating roles in the relationship between ownership concentration and audit quality. In addition to contributing to the existing literature, this study provides valuable insights for regulatory bodies to consider the role of ownership types in their decision-making processes. Our findings also assist investors in making informed choices and offer a better understanding of how ownership structures influence audit quality for other stakeholders. The implications of this research extend beyond Oman and can be relevant to countries with similar ownership structures and regulatory frameworks.