Given the positive effects that human capital and IT accumulation had on productivity growth, the findings of this study imply that firms seeking to improve their revenues per employee could do so by investing in more IT and human capital. The potential effects of these investments on audit quality could be beneficial when determining the level of investment to make. However, firms should keep in mind the possibility of diminishing results once a certain level of IT and human capital is accumulated. This study also has implications for the debate in the United States surrounding the Sarbanes- Oxley Act which prohibits certain non-audit services by public accounting firms. The debate stem from a concern of the effects of non-audit services on independence but this study displays the benefits that could arise if non-audit services were allowed.

For more information on this study, please contact Hsihui Chang.
 

Chang, H., J. Chen, R. Duh, and S. Li. 2011. Productivity growth in the public accounting industry: the roles of information technology and human capital. Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory 30 (1): 21-48.

The audit industry has changed dramatically over the last two decades. These changes have brought on increased competition among firms which has created immense pressure for audit firms to minimize their costs while maximizing productivity. For many public accounting firms, the way to manage productivity growth and enhance service delivery came in the form of investments in information technology and human capital. Investments in information technology can increase productivity through automation of routine auditing tasks, improvements in audit team collaboration and communication, as well as through an increased level of experience with information systems which can improve auditor performance in engagements to help clients integrate their company information systems. High quality human capital, which is usually indicated through education levels and work experience and results in both technical and tacit knowledge, contributes to the productivity growth of a firm through higher quality services for clients.

This study breaks down human capital and information technology (IT) into four drivers of productivity growth among public accounting firms; efficiency change, technical progress, IT capital accumulation, and human capital accumulation. The authors assessed both the simultaneous effects of human capital and IT as well as the individual contributions of the four distinct components of these factors on productivity growth. Some firms also chose to boost productivity through engaging in more non- audit services. Although most studies focus on the effects that non-audit services have on auditor independence, this study focuses on how non- audit services can contribute to productivity growth.
 

The authors analyzed data on revenues, employees, IT expenditures, and human capital for a sample of public accounting firms in Taiwan from 1993 to 2003. The data was obtained from the Annual Survey of Accounting Firms in Taiwan published by the Department of Statistic of Taiwan’s Ministry of Finance. The authors chose Taiwan as a proper setting for this study because its publications included more advantageous data than that of the United States published in Accounting Today’s annual surveys.

• Public accounting firms experienced growth in productivity, specifically, labor productivity evidenced through revenue per employee. 
• This growth, in order of least contribution to greatest contribution, resulted from efficiency improvement, technical progress, human capital accumulation, and IT capital accumulation. Thus, the primary drivers were human capital and IT accumulation.
• There was a significant difference in productivity growth between Big 4 and non- Big 4 firms. This difference was primarily attributable to greater technical progress and IT capital accumulation among the Big 4. Additionally, there was no difference in human capital accumulation between Big 4 and non- Big 4 firms.
• Although the advance of technology provides all accounting firms with opportunities to improve productivity, not all firms exploit these opportunities equally. The Big 4 invested more heavily in IT systems and were rewarded with higher productivity growth.
• Firms with a greater growth in non-audit services had higher productivity than other firms because they accumulated higher IT and human capital over the sample period.
• Early movers into non-audit services tended to have higher changes in IT capital accumulation.
• Both early moving firms into non-audit services and firms that emphasized growth in non-audit services presented a direct relationship with productivity growth higher than that of firms which focused on traditional audit services.
   

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