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The revival of large consulting practices at the Big 4 and audit quality

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  • Donelson, Dain C.
  • Ege, Matthew
  • Imdieke, Andrew J.
  • Maksymov, Eldar

Abstract

The Big 4 have acquired numerous consulting firms since the late 2000s, and regulators are concerned that a focus on consulting practices could negatively affect audit quality through audit firm culture. Audit firms counter by arguing that expertise gained through consulting can improve knowledge brought to audits. Using a difference-in-differences design, restatements as an audit quality proxy, and enterprise resource planning- (non-enterprise resource planning-) related acquisitions as a proxy for audit- (non-audit-) related acquisitions, we find nuanced support for both positions, depending on acquisition type. Audit quality increases (decreases) at the local office level after the acquisition of consulting firms that provide services that relate (do not relate) to the audit. Semi-structured interviews of 17 highly-experienced audit practitioners suggest that consulting firm acquisitions positively (negatively) affect audit quality through expertise transfer (shifting the culture towards commercialism) when acquisitions are (are not) audit-related. Thus, the effect of consulting firm acquisitions on audit quality appears to depend on how closely the acquired services are related to the audit.

Suggested Citation

  • Donelson, Dain C. & Ege, Matthew & Imdieke, Andrew J. & Maksymov, Eldar, 2020. "The revival of large consulting practices at the Big 4 and audit quality," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:aosoci:v:87:y:2020:i:c:s0361368218301351
    DOI: 10.1016/j.aos.2020.101157
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    Cited by:

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    3. Mowchan, Michael J., 2023. "Do accounting firms change strategy through office managing partner appointments? Evidence from the U.S," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    4. Elizabeth Carson & Yi (Dale) Fu & Ulrike Thürheimer & Yang Xu, 2023. "The audit market for listed Australian companies from 2012 to 2018: A state of play," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 48(3), pages 524-549, August.
    5. Patrick Velte, 2023. "The impact of external auditors on firms’ financial restatements: a review of archival studies and implications for future research," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 73(3), pages 959-985, September.
    6. Lisic, Ling Lei & Pittman, Jeffrey & Seidel, Timothy A. & Zimmerman, Aleksandra “Ally” B., 2022. "You can't get there from here: The influence of an audit partner's prior non-public accounting experience on audit outcomes," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    7. Kuselias, Stephen & Agoglia, Christopher P. & Wang, Elaine Ying, 2023. "The effect of team member proximity and assignment length on audit staff reliance on a supervisor's preferences," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Audit quality; Consulting; PCAOB; Non-audit services;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M40 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - General
    • M42 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Auditing
    • M49 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Other

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