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<p>This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on audit report lag (ARL) and examines the moderating role of corporate governance effectiveness (CGEFC) in mitigating ARL during the crisis. Using a panel dataset of 828 firm-year observations from Saudi-listed firms between 2016 and 2021, the analysis employs feasible generalised least squares regression to test the hypotheses. The results reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly associated with longer ARL, reflecting heightened audit complexity and risk. CGEFC was negatively related to ARL, suggesting that firms with stronger governance structures experienced more timely audit completion. When disaggregated, audit committee effectiveness (ACEFC) was found to significantly reduce ARL, while board of directors effectiveness (BDEFC) showed no notable impact. Furthermore, the interaction analysis indicates that strong ACEFC mitigated the adverse effects of the pandemic on audit timeliness. These findings contribute novel evidence from an emerging market context and highlight the critical role of audit committees in supporting audit efficiency during periods of disruption. The study offers important implications for regulators, practitioners, and policymakers aiming to enhance audit resilience in crisis settings.</p>

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Corporate governance effectiveness and audit report lag during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from the Saudi stock market

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月18日

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  • Ameen Qasem

摘要

This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on audit report lag (ARL) and examines the moderating role of corporate governance effectiveness (CGEFC) in mitigating ARL during the crisis. Using a panel dataset of 828 firm-year observations from Saudi-listed firms between 2016 and 2021, the analysis employs feasible generalised least squares regression to test the hypotheses. The results reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly associated with longer ARL, reflecting heightened audit complexity and risk. CGEFC was negatively related to ARL, suggesting that firms with stronger governance structures experienced more timely audit completion. When disaggregated, audit committee effectiveness (ACEFC) was found to significantly reduce ARL, while board of directors effectiveness (BDEFC) showed no notable impact. Furthermore, the interaction analysis indicates that strong ACEFC mitigated the adverse effects of the pandemic on audit timeliness. These findings contribute novel evidence from an emerging market context and highlight the critical role of audit committees in supporting audit efficiency during periods of disruption. The study offers important implications for regulators, practitioners, and policymakers aiming to enhance audit resilience in crisis settings.