The Role of Tacit Knowledge in Auditor Expertise and Human Capital Development

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bol, Jasmijn C.; Estep, Cassandra; Moers, Frank; Peecher, Mark E.
• 署名单位: Tulane University; Emory University; Maastricht University; University of Illinois System; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING RESEARCH
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-8456
• DOI: 10.1111/1475-679X.12220
• 发表日期: 2018
• 页码: 1205-1252
• 关键词: LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE; PERCEIVED ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT; Performance evaluation; practical intelligence; job-satisfaction; information-accuracy; determinants; COMMITMENT; turnover; MODEL

摘要

Two critical aspects of the model of auditor expertise development in Tan and Libby [1997] are that audit firms do not value tacit knowledge in inexperienced auditors but do value it in experienced auditors. We update the former and extend the latter. Our paper predicts and finds that audit firms now do value tacit knowledge in inexperienced auditors, especially when their supervisors have higher tacit knowledge. Our proxies of value include higher promotability assessments, annual evaluations, and cash bonuses. Our paper also extends Tan and Libby [1997] by positing that enhanced development of expertise and audit firm human capital are two reasons audit firms value tacit knowledge in experienced auditors. As predicted, higher tacit knowledge in experienced auditors is positively associated with higher tacit knowledge acquisition by their inexperienced subordinates and with stronger firm commitment of inexperienced subordinates having higher tacit knowledge.