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Does Auditor Industry Specialization Improve Audit Quality?

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  • MIGUEL MINUTTI‐MEZA

Abstract

This study examines whether auditor industry specialization, measured using the auditor's within‐industry market share, improves audit quality and results in a fee premium. After matching clients of specialist and nonspecialist auditors on a number of dimensions, as well as only on industry and size, there is no evidence of differences in commonly used audit‐quality proxies between these two groups of auditors. Moreover, there is no consistent evidence of a specialist fee premium. The matched sample results are confirmed by including client fixed effects in the main models, examining a sample of clients that switched auditors, and using an alternative proxy that aims to capture the auditor's industry knowledge. The combined evidence in this study suggests that the auditor's within‐industry market share is not a reliable indicator of audit quality. Nevertheless, these findings do not imply that industry knowledge is not important for auditors, but that the methodology used in extant archival studies to examine this issue does not fully parse out the effects of auditor industry specialization from client characteristics.

Suggested Citation

  • Miguel Minutti‐Meza, 2013. "Does Auditor Industry Specialization Improve Audit Quality?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(4), pages 779-817, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:51:y:2013:i:4:p:779-817
    DOI: 10.1111/1475-679X.12017
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    2. Michael J. Peel, 2018. "Addressing Unobserved Selection Bias in Accounting Studies: The Bias Minimization Method," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(1), pages 173-183, January.
    3. Daniela Hohenfels & Reiner Quick, 2020. "Non-audit services and audit quality: evidence from Germany," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 14(5), pages 959-1007, October.
    4. Jennifer Martínez-Ferrero & Isabel-María García-Sánchez, 2018. "The Level of Sustainability Assurance: The Effects of Brand Reputation and Industry Specialisation of Assurance Providers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(4), pages 971-990, July.

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