因為公司所有者與管理者不同，且外界第三者不容易直接觀察到公司管理者的行為，而有代理問題存在，也因代理問題使公司管理當局有操縱盈餘數字的機會及動機。然而在投資者沒有受過會計專業訓練下，幾乎很難去區分裁決性應計項目及非裁決性應計項目，當盈餘與營業現金流量差異愈大時，代表管理者操縱應計項目的空間愈大，管理當局為向外界發出訊息顯示自己雖有盈餘管理機會，卻無盈餘管理的行為，則會聘用高審計品質的會計師事務所進行查核簽證，也將進一步了解高審計品質會計師事務所是否有較高之偵測或抑制盈餘管理能力。

本研究第一部份在探討公司特性與聘任審計品質之關連性，採用Logit的研究方法探討我國上市公司產生應計項目之特徵是否會影響選任審計品質，並控制以往研究中發現會影響選任會計師因素的變數，如：公司規模、財務槓桿、公司成長率、財務困難、查核意見等變數。本研究第二部分在探討審計品質與所查核公司盈餘管理之關連性，採用橫斷面Modified Jones Model 及CFO Model的盈餘管理偵測模式來衡量公司裁決性應計項目，並利用無母數統計方法探討高、低審計品質會計師事務所查核公司之裁決性應計項目平均數是否有差異。

研究結果發現，當公司營業週期愈長，則表示企業愈需要較多營運資本，維持其營運活動，或當公司資產敏感度愈高時，則表示企業折舊或攤銷等長期項目愈多，其盈餘與營業現金流量差異愈大，管理當局可操縱盈餘之空間愈大，愈傾向聘用高審計品質之會計師事務所查核簽證以降低代理問題。另外，實證結果亦發現分別採用橫斷面Modified Jones Model 及CFO Model驗證高、低審計品質在偵測盈餘管理或抑制盈餘管理能力上其結果不同，所以無強烈證據支持由高審計品質所查核簽證財務報表之公司，其盈餘管理的現象會低於由低審計品質所查核者。

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周文賢，多變量統計方:SAS/STAT使用方法，待出版書稿。
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