Human Capital Development in Auditing: A Qualitative Study of Learning Mechanisms, Challenges, and Differences across Audit Firms

Human capital is the most crucial input in auditing. While auditors possess skills and competencies when entering the audit firm, on-the-job learning is crucial for the further development of human capital. While prior research has typically focused on one specific learning mechanism, there is a lack of a comprehensive and holistic view of how learning currently manifests in the audit practice. Using 23 semi-structured interviews, this study provides an overview of key learning practices in audit firms, the differences in learning practices between audit firms of different sizes, and barriers to learning in audit firms. This study helps researchers to understand the institutional setting of learning in audit firms and to identify future avenues for research. Furthermore, this study helps practitioners in identifying barriers to learning that may warrant attention.