Network Structure and Auditor Compensation: Evidence from a Bipartite Network

This paper examines the relationship between the extent of knowledge flow during audit practice (measured by the local network clustering coefficient) and auditor compensation. We exploit a unique bipartite (i.e. two-mode) network composed of individual auditors assigned to different audit engagements from an audit firm for one full year to determine our local network clustering coefficient and auditor compensation data from this audit firm’s personnel records. Informed by social networks theory and determinants of wage in labor economics, we find a positive association between local network clustering and auditor compensation, which is both statistically and economically significant. Our results are robust to alternative measures of local network clustering coefficient, alternative explanations of structural holes and centrality, alternative linear specification and endogeneity concern. Furthermore, we find that this positive association may be primarily driven by seniors working on audit engagements. Overall, our results suggest that embeddedness within knowledge networks plays an important role for auditor compensation.