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The geographic decentralization of audit firms and audit quality

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  • Beck, Matthew J.
  • Gunn, Joshua L.
  • Hallman, Nicholas

Abstract

Audit firms are organized as collections of geographically decentralized offices. Decentralization allows for increased proximity between offices and clients, improving the efficiency of auditors' interactions with client personnel. Yet decentralization also decreases the proximity between offices within each firm, potentially impeding auditors’ interactions with each other. We show that decreased proximity between offices reduces inter-office audit quality “spillovers” and that this effect is driven primarily by reduced monitoring and knowledge sharing. Our findings expand the “within office” view of audit production by demonstrating the importance of interactions between offices and the role of geographic proximity in facilitating them.

Suggested Citation

  • Beck, Matthew J. & Gunn, Joshua L. & Hallman, Nicholas, 2019. "The geographic decentralization of audit firms and audit quality," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jaecon:v:68:y:2019:i:1:s0165410119300278
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jacceco.2019.101234
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    Cited by:

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    2. Qasim Ahmad Alawaqleh, 2021. "Impact of Accounting Information System on Internal Audit Quality: Mediating Role of Organizational Culture," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 12(1), pages 205-213, January.
    3. Hallman, Nicholas J. & Kartapanis, Antonis & Schmidt, Jaime J., 2022. "How do auditors respond to competition? Evidence from the bidding process," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(2).
    4. Yangyang Chen & Jun Huang & Ting Li & Jeffrey Pittman, 2022. "It's a Small World: The Importance of Social Connections with Auditors to Mutual Fund Managers’ Portfolio Decisions," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(3), pages 901-963, June.
    5. Yi (Dale) Fu & Youngdeok Lim & Elizabeth Carson, 2024. "Accounting firm office size and tax aggressiveness," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 64(1), pages 1183-1219, March.
    6. Xiong, Jiacai & Ouyang, Caiyue & Tong, Jamie Yixing & Zhang, Feida Frank, 2021. "Fraud commitment in a smaller world: Evidence from a natural experiment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    7. Zhang, Yiling & Wei, Lang, 2023. "Does regional audit market competition influence audit pricing? Evidence based on the spatial distribution of the audit market," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PC).
    8. Gu, Junjian, 2021. "FDI characteristics, industry homogeneity, and audit fees in Japanese multinationals," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    9. Byzalov, Dmitri & Basu, Sudipta, 2024. "The misuse of regression-based x-Scores as dependent variables," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(2).
    10. AYOUB, Maysam, 2023. "Audit firms’ network structure and audit quality," Working Papers 2023008, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    11. 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.
    12. AYOUB, Maysam, 2023. "European evidence on the effects of audit office changes on clients' financial reporting quality," Working Papers 2023007, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    13. Paul J. Coram & Noel Harding & David C. Hay & Jahanzeb Khan & Ashna Prasad, 2021. "Comments of the AFAANZ Auditing and Assurance Standards Committee on Proposed International Standard on Auditing 600 (ED 600)," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(4), pages 5879-5890, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Audit quality; Organizational structure; Geographic distance; Earnings quality; Audit office size;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • M49 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Other
    • R30 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - General

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