Audit Partner Industry Expertise and Accounting Comparability

This study examines whether the individual audit partners and their industry expertise influence accounting comparability. We nd that accounting comparability between two rms in a pair is higher when they are audited by the same audit partner than when they are audited by two di erent partners. We also nd that only the same audit partner who possesses industry expertise shows such a relation. ese ndings suggest that the e ect of increasing accounting comparability within a partner s clientele is driven by industry expertise of the individual audit partner. e industry expert audit partners use a distinct and consistent audit approach, generating comparable nancial statements for their clients. is study provides an important insight into why industry expert auditors provide superior quality audit service.