This study investigates how non-Big 4 firm audit partners' Big 4 experience is valued by the audit market. The Big 4 audit firms have differentiated themselves as nationally recognized firms for whose services companies are willing to pay a premium. It is unclear, however, whether this...

A firm's decision on whether to choose the same auditor as a close competitor reflects a trade-off between exercising caution to protect its proprietary information and pursuing the benefits of auditor knowledge derived from providing services to comparable clients. We conduct a survey of audit...

We understand relatively little about factors that affect the internal audit function's ability to serve as an important monitor of financial reporting quality. We therefore study how turnover of the chief audit executive (CAE) influences financial reporting quality and stakeholders'...

In this paper, we examine how CEO succession and succession planning affect perceptions of financial reporting risk among stakeholders who are responsible for and oversee firms' financial reporting (e.g., auditors, management, and audit committees). Management succession introduces uncertainty...

In this paper, we study spatial competition in the U.S. audit market while accounting for its two-tiered nature. We provide evidence on the differential impact that market share distances within and between the players in the large and small audit markets have on competition. We find that the...

Small accounting firms represent important participants in the audit market, yet details of how they operate and develop competencies remain unexplored. Small firms often join forces through accounting associations and networks (“AANs”), which may help them overcome significant challenges...

In this study, we explore a topic of primary concern to small audit firms – attracting new clients. A potential avenue available to small audit firms to enhance their visibility and legitimacy among potential audit clients is to join an association of accounting firms. We examine whether small...

Benefit plan audits, a material but less understood public accounting service, represent a non-audit service that is “audit-related.” We explore the implications of benefit plan audits for the financial statement audit. We find that performing a benefit plan audit for a company significantly...

The “coopetition” paradox exists when two or more organizations are simultaneously involved in cooperative and competitive interactions. In the accounting industry, small firms encounter coopetition when they align themselves with other independent firms to form accounting associations and...

Upper echelon theory posits that defining, executing, and overseeing an organization’s strategy is a shared activity among top executive teams. Based upon this perspective, we explore whether greater turnover among the members of a firms’ top executive group other than those with direct...