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Audit Market Segmentation -- The Impact of Mid-tier Firms on Competition

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  • Dirk Simons
  • Nicole Zein

Abstract

This analysis’ goal is to characterise the impact of mid-tier auditors on competition and average supplied audit quality. The major result of our analysis is the following: Auditors’ flexibilities with respect to clients’ complexity determine the offered audit quality levels and thus the average supplied audit quality. Defining a model-endogenous quality measure, we show that for some instances the mid-tier auditor improves average audit quality, but for other instances fails to do so. The result could be of special interest for standard setters, for example, the European Commission, which is currently revising EU audit regulation. Further, the analysis may serve as an instrument to analyse economic consequences of future changes of regulation.

Suggested Citation

  • Dirk Simons & Nicole Zein, 2016. "Audit Market Segmentation -- The Impact of Mid-tier Firms on Competition," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 131-154, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:euract:v:25:y:2016:i:1:p:131-154
    DOI: 10.1080/09638180.2014.990476
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    2. Breuer, Matthias & Le, Anthony & Vetter, Felix, 2023. "Audit mandates, audit firms, and auditors," Working Papers 333, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.

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