Do family ownership and supervisory board characteristics influence audit report lag? A view from a two-tier board context

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of family ownership and supervisory board characteristics on audit report lag in Indonesia. The study relies on a balanced panel dataset and matched-pair sample of 124 listed non-financial firms (2017–2019) in a two-tier board context, drawing on Type II agency theory and the entrenchment/alignment implications of ownership concentration. First, we find a positive and significant association between family ownership and audit report lag. Second, we find evidence that the size of the supervisory board (locally referred to as the board of commissioners) and the frequency of meetings are negatively associated with audit report lag. Further analyses reveal that firms with a larger proportion of family members on the supervisory board experience longer reporting lag. This finding highlights the family’s entrenchment and their domination of the board of commissioners. Additional analysis considering the commissioners’ backgrounds reveals that audit report timeliness worsens when there is a larger proportion of community leadership. This suggests that some commissioner profiles could further lead to entrenchment behaviors. Our findings contribute to the literature and to policy by highlighting the potential and limits of a two-tier board policy on accounting outcomes, particularly in the context of dominant family structures in emerging economies.