HSUHK | EN | A A A
  • Professor Phyllis MO (巫麗蘭教授)

    PhD (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
    MBA (University of Birmingham)
    BBA (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

    Head and Professor
    Office: D720

    Tel :(852) 3693 5326
    Email : phyllismo@hsu.edu.hk

    With a bachelor and PhD degrees in Accounting from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a MBA degree from the University of Birmingham in the U.K., Professor Mo had professional experience with leading firms (TVB and Coopers & Lybrand, now merged to become PricewaterhouseCoopers) and academic faculty experience with well-established academic institutions (the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, University of Southern California, Lingnan University and City University of Hong Kong). She is a veteran auditing professor with updated knowledge on auditing theory and practices through research and professional activities. Professor Mo has a great variety of teaching experience from diploma to PhD programmes. She is a CPA with many interactions with the professional and business communities, and through such connections, she actively supports students for internships and placements.

    Research and Teaching Interests

    • Auditing, tax compliance, corporate governance and sustainability

    Intellectual Contributions (Publications, Conferences, Books, Book Chapters, etc.)

    Professor Mo has published extensively in leading accounting journals including The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Contemporary Accounting Research, Review of Accounting Studies, Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory,  British Accounting Review, Accounting Horizons, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, Journal of the American Taxation Association, Journal of International Accounting Research, Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, and International Journal of Accounting.
    Selected Journal Publications
    • “Auditors’ Response to Controlling Shareholders’ Share Pledging: Evidence from Audit Opinions and Audit Fees” (with Chan, Jiang and Zhang) Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory (AJPT) (2025), available online (forthcoming).
    • “High-Speed Railways, Audit Partner Changes across Audit Offices and Audit Quality: Evidence from China” (with Chan, Liu and Li), British Accounting Review (BAR) (2025), available online (forthcoming).
    • “Long-term Tax Strategy and Corporate Acquisition Payment Structure: An Analysis based on the Book-Tax Tradeoff Theory” (Chan, He and Zhang), Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics (JCAE) (2024), 20(30): 100442.
    • “Informativeness of Internal Control Weakness Disclosure on Acquirers’ M&A Decisions” (with Chan and Yorke), Accounting Horizons (AH) (2024). 38(2): 83-100.
    • “Partner-Level Internal Control Opinion Shopping and Its Economic Consequences: Evidence from “SOX 404” in an Emerging Market” (with Guo, Guo and Zhang), Journal of Accounting and Public Policy (JAPP) (2023), 42(6), 107056.
    • “Does Independent Director Experience Improve Individual Auditors’ Audit Quality?” (with Guo and Li), Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance (JAAF) (2023), 38(4), 964-985.
    • “Does IFRS Convergence Improve Earnings Informativeness? An Analysis from the Book-tax Tradeoff Perspective” (with Chan, Lin and Wong), Accounting and Business Research (ABR) (2023), 53(2), 158-184.
    • “Tax Collector or Tax Avoider? An Investigation of Intergovernmental Agency Conflicts” (with Chan and Tang), The Accounting Review (TAR) (2017), 92 (2): 247-270.
    • “Auditors’ Organizational Form, Legal Liability and Reporting Conservatism: Evidence from China” (with Firth and Wong), Contemporary Accounting Research (CAR) (2012), Vol. 29, No. 1, pp.57-93.
    • “Will a Departure from Tax-based Accounting Encourage Tax Noncompliance? Archival Evidence from a Transition Economy” (with Chan and Lin), Journal of Accounting and Economics (JAE) (2010), Vol. 50, No.1, pp.58-73.
    • “Managerial Autonomy and Tax Compliance: An Empirical Study on International Transfer Pricing” (with Chan and Lo), The Journal of the American Taxation Association (JATA) (2006), Vol.28, No. 2, pp.1-22.
    • “A Political-Economic Analysis of Auditor Reporting and Auditor Switches,” (with Chan and Lin), Review of Accounting Studies (RAS) (2006), Vol. 11, No.1, pp.21-48.
    • “Tax Holidays and Tax Noncompliance: An Empirical Study of Corporate Tax Audits in China’s Developing Economy,” (with Chan), The Accounting Review (TAR) (2000), Vol. 75, No. 4, pp. 469-484.
    Scholarly Books and Monographs
    • Pawnshops in the Chinese Communities and Corporate Governance 華人社區當押業與公司管治 (2024), (with Chan, Lin and Wong), Joint Publishing, Hong Kong
    • Hong Kong Professional Services and the Belt-Road Initiative: Challenges for Co-evolving Sustainability, (2023), (with Li) London: Routledge.
    • Transcending the Bottleneck –The Hong Kong Accountancy Profession 突破瓶頸: 香港會計業 (2017), (with Li, Chan and Kam). City University Press.
    • A Dream of the Red Chambers and Corporate Governance of Family Businesses 紅樓夢與家族企業管治 (2009), (with Chan and Wong). Hong Kong: Commercial Press. (in Chinese)
    • Tax Avoidance and Anti-Avoidance Measures in Major Developing Economies (2003) (single-authored); 207 pages. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
    • Modern Auditing 现代审计学 (2003), (with Chen and Shi), 210 pages. Beijing, PRC: Tsinghua University Press. (In Chinese).

    Research Grants and Awards

    Awarded numerous research grants as principal investigator or co-investigator. Recent RGC grants include:
    • Hong Kong Insolvency and Restructuring Law and Policy in Times of COVID-19 and Beyond (Co-Principal Investigator), (Collaborative Research Fund).
    • Why Government-Controlled Firms Avoid Taxes? Further Evidence (Principal Investigator).
    • Will Changes in Book-Tax Conformity Affect the Effectiveness of Monitoring Mechanisms in Constraining Corporate Tax Noncompliance? (Co-investigator).
    • An Empirical Tax Compliance Study on the Association between Tax Audits and Financial Audits (Principal Investigator).
    • Could a Tax Credit Rating System create a Spillover Effect to reduce the Tax Avoidance of Peer Firms? (Co-Investigator).
    • Does Sharing the Same Auditor with Listed Affiliated Firms Affect IPO Audit Quality? An Analysis at the Audit Firm and Partner Levels (Co-Investigator).
    • Book-Tax Relationships, Tax Avoidance and IPO: Evidence from China (Co-Investigator).
    • Revisiting the DeAngelo (1981) Theory on Auditor Size and Audit Quality at the Audit Firm, Audit Office and Engagement Partner Levels (Co-Investigator).
    Strategic Public Policy Research (SPPR) and Public Policy Research (PPR) Fund:
    • Hong Kong Professional Services in the Co-evolving Belt-Road Initiative: Innovative Agency for Sustainable Development (SPPR, Co-Investigator)
    • Sustainability and Social Mobility in Professional Services: A Case Study of Accounting Profession in Hong Kong (PPR, Co-I)
    Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme (PASS):
    • Economic and Trade Cooperation Zones Along Belt and Road Workshop Series (Deputy Project Coordinator)
    Contract Policy Research:
    • Estimation of Carbon Emissions of the Hong Kong Financial Sector and Policy Recommendation (Funded by European Climate Foundation/Sunrise Project) (Co-Principal Investigator)

    Business and Professional Engagement (including membership)

    Editorship/Editorial Board of Academic Journals:
    • Associate Editor, Accounting and Business Research
    • Editorial Board member, Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory
    • Editorial Board member, Journal of International Accounting Research
    • Editorial Board member, Review of Accounting and Finance
    Professional Services:
    • Served on various committees of Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) including Sustainability Assurance Advisory Panel, Greater Bay Area Committee and Auditing & Assurance Standards Committee;
    • A member of the ESG Disclosure and Integration Working Group of Hong Kong Green Finance Association
    Public Services:
    • Non-Executive Director, Accounting and Financial Reporting Council
    • Convenor, Financial Reporting Review Panel, Financial Reporting Council
    • Member, Vetting Committee of the Trade and Industrial Organisation Support Fund, HKSAR
    • Member, Vetting Committee of Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, HKSAR
    • Member, Insurance Appeals Tribunal, HKSAR
    • Specialist of Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic & Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ)

    Address

    D751, 7/F,
    School of Business
    Lee Quo Wei Academic Building, Yuen Campus,
    The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong,
    Hang Shin Link, Siu Lek Yuen, Shatin,
    New Territories

    Contact Us

    Tel : (852) 3963 5551
    Email : sbus@hsu.edu.hk
    Facebook : @sbus.hsuhk.edu.hk

    Log In

    Create an account