| Description |
1 online resource (x, 260 pages .) |
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text file |
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PDF |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Summary |
"With staffs that are collectively larger than the Russian army, the Big Four accounting firms are a keystone in global finance --but do they really provide stability and safety? Leading scholar Ian Gow and award-winning writer (and former KPMG director) Stuart Kells warn that a house of cards may be about to fall. Across the globe, the so-called Big Four accounting and audit firms - Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, and KPMG - are massively influential. Together, they earn more than $100 billion annually and employ almost one million people. In many profound ways, they have changed how we work, how we manage, how we invest and how we are governed. Stretching back centuries, their history is a fascinating story of wealth, power and luck. But today, the Big Four face an uncertain future - thanks to their push into China; their vulnerability to digital disruption and competition; and the hazards of providing traditional services in a new era of transparency. Surprisingly colorful and unquestionably authoritative, this account of the past, present and likely future of the Big Four is essential reading for anyone perplexed or fascinated by professional services, working in the industry, contemplating joining a professional services firm, or simply curious about the fate of the global economy"-- Provided by publisher |
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"With staffs that are collectively larger than the Russian army, the big four accounting firms are a keystone in global finance and corporate governance--but do they really provide stability and safety? Kells and Gows explore the history and troubled future of these firms to warn that a house of cards may about to be toppled"-- Provided by publisher |
| Contents |
Cover; Half Title; Copyright; Contents; Prelude: Science, Magic and the Prehistory of the Big Four; 1 Introduction; Part I Infancy; 2 Glory, Not Infamy: The Medici Bank as a precursor to the Big Four; 3 Transported: How the Big Four began in the dangerous world of nineteenth-century accountancy; 4 A Curious Match: The remarkable founders of the Big Four; Part II Maturity; 5 Mere Automata: Staking out the Big Four's turf; 6 An Injudicious Change: Adventures and misadventures in Big Four branding; 7 Porn Star: The culture of the Big Four |
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8 The Most Average Guys in the Room: Big Four professional valuesPart III The Difficulties of Adulthood; 9 Unqualified: Auditing as the foundation of the Big Four brand; 10 Clean: The impairment of Big Four auditing; 11 Get Ready to Dance: Conflicting interests in Big Four taxation services; 12 One Four Ten: The Big Four in China; Part IV The Twilight Years; 13 Disrupted: The obsolescence of Big Four technology; 14 Conclusion; Epilogue; Acknowledgements; Endnotes; Bibliography; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; Z; About the Authors |
| Subject |
Accounting firms -- Accounting.
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Corporate governance -- History.
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Accounting.
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Cabinets d'expertise comptable -- Comptabilité. |
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Gouvernement d'entreprise -- Histoire. |
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Accounting |
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Accounting firms -- Accounting |
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Corporate governance |
| Genre |
History
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| Added Author |
Kells, Stuart, author.
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| Other Form: |
Print version: Gow, Ian D. Big four. First edition. Oakland, CA : Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., [2018] 9781523098019 (DLC) 2018019440 (OCoLC)1041250359 |
| ISBN |
9781523098026 (electronic bk.) |
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1523098023 (electronic bk.) |
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9781523098033 (electronic book) |
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1523098031 (electronic book) |
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