ABSTRACT: This study investigates the role of global audit firm networks in the market for audit services. Underlying theory suggests that there are benefits from the use of network structures, which enable these firms to expand efficiently into the global audit market and to develop global industry specializations. I identify global and national industry specialist auditors via market share metrics based on client assets audited, and use a large sample of 15,583 clients from 62 countries in 2000 and 14,628 clients from 60 countries in 2004. I find in both periods that audit fee premiums are consistently associated with global specialist auditors, irrespective of whether those audit firms are or are not national specialists.

ABSTRACT We study what determines the involvement of component auditors in multinational enterprise (MNE) group audits and the association with audit quality and audit fees. Using unique Australian disclosures of group audit fees paid to the principal and component auditors, we first document that MNE complexity, MNE internationalization, and auditor characteristics are associated with component auditor involvement, and extent and type of component auditor involvement. Next, we find that involvement of component auditors benefits audit quality as long as the principal auditor conducts a substantial amount of work. Once the involvement of component auditors exceeds a certain level, audit quality decreases. We also document that audit fees are higher in the presence of a component auditor and increase with the extent of involvement, irrespective of component auditor type. Our results contribute to the emerging literature on group audits and provide empirical evidence on regulatory concerns about group audit quality.

ABSTRACT We investigate the establishment of public audit oversight bodies (POBs) worldwide. We present descriptive evidence on POBs’ characteristics and factors influencing the timing of their establishment, finding that countries with stronger institutions, civil law traditions, and higher media attention to audit quality adopt POBs faster. While countries may choose similar POB design features, these choices do not align with the factors driving adoption speed. We also explore whether the finding of a positive impact on audit quality of the U.S. PCAOB generalizes to other countries. A difference‐in‐differences analysis over 20 years provides some evidence that POB establishment and their characteristics improve audit quality. However, the results appear sensitive to audit quality measures and research design. Our study offers the first broad‐based investigation of POB adoption and provides important nuance on the relation between POBs and audit quality.