| Nature of the intended relationship | Nature of the relationship obtained | Conclusion |
Research hypothesis | |||
H1: The external auditor’s membership of the “Big Four” creates more value within the company; | Positive | Positive | Rejected |
H2: The respect of the steps of the audit process by external auditor contributes significantly and positively to the creation of value in the company; | Positive | Positive | Validated |
H3: The provision of other services in addition to the audit by the external auditor does not contribute to value creation within the company; | Negative | Positive | Validated |
H4: The evolution of audit fees contributes to the creation of value in the company; | Positive | Positive | Rejected |
Control variables | |||
Size of the company (SIZE) | Positive | Positive | Rejected |
Age of the company (AGE) | Positive | Negative | Validated |