To read this content please select one of the options below:

CEO characteristics and audit report lag: evidence from Egypt

Mosa Abdelgelil Amin (Department of Accounting, Faculty of Commerce, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt)
Eman Mohamed Abdelmaged (Department of Accounting, Faculty of Commerce, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt)
Awad Elsayed Ibrahim (Portsmouth Business School, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK)
Tarek Abdelfattah (Nottingham University Business School, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK and Faculty of Commerce, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt)

International Journal of Accounting & Information Management

ISSN: 1834-7649

Article publication date: 27 September 2024

517

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between Chief Executive Officer (CEO) characteristics and audit report lag (ARL) in Egypt, an emerging economy characterized by high power distance and a culture of secrecy. The study utilizes a theoretical framework that integrates agency theory, stewardship theory, and upper echelons theory as the foundation for examining this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consists of 587 firm-year observations from non-financial firms listed on the EGX100, covering the period from 2012 to 2019. The primary variable of the study (ARL) is measured using different proxies. The analysis utilizes both Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and logistic regression models, with additional analysis considering CEO power and using board gender diversity as a moderating variable.

Findings

The study finds that CEO characteristics significantly affect ARL, demonstrating a negative association between CEO ownership, founder status, family ties, duality and ARL. These findings remain robust after a series of tests using alternative measures. Additional analysis reveals that CEO power is negatively and significantly related to ARL. Interestingly, the negative association between CEO characteristics and ARL is more pronounced in boards without female members.

Originality/value

Although extensive research has been conducted on the factors determining ARL, few studies have examined the impact of CEO characteristics on ARL, particularly in emerging economies such as Egypt. The business environment in Egypt is characterized by high power distance and a secretive culture, providing a unique context for this study.

Keywords

Citation

Amin, M.A., Abdelmaged, E.M., Ibrahim, A.E. and Abdelfattah, T. (2024), "CEO characteristics and audit report lag: evidence from Egypt", International Journal of Accounting & Information Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJAIM-03-2024-0096

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles