Lead auditors, their client portfolios and performances

Abstract: This thesis focuses on lead auditors’ differences in terms of client portfolios and  performances. First, lead auditors are surveyed and their responses on professional scepticism linked to their performances. Second, survey and archival data are combined to check whether self-control is related to performance. Third, lead auditors’ client portfolios are examined with regard to industry similarity, portfolio dispersion and client grouping. Finally, auditors’ independence is tested in the  private firm setting. Overall, the findings indicate that performance is not homogenous across lead auditors in the same (tier) audit firm(s), and that the characteristics of lead auditors and accounting firms are determinants that partly explain the differences.