Book description
"Messrs. Gow and Kells have made an invaluable contribution, writing in an amused tone that nevertheless acknowledges the firms' immense power and the seriousness of their neglect of traditional responsibilities. 'The Big Four' will appeal to all those interested in the future of the profession--and of capitalism itself." —Jane Gleeson-White, Wall Street JournalWith staffs that are collectively larger than the Russian army and combined revenues of over $130 billion a year, the Big Four accounting firms—Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, and KPMG—are a keystone of global commerce. But leading scholar Ian Gow and award-winning author Stuart Kells warn that a house of cards may be about to fall.
Stretching back to the Medicis in Renaissance Florence, this book is a fascinating story of wealth, power, and luck. The founders of the Big Four lived surprisingly colorful lives. Samuel Price, for example, married his own niece. Between the world wars, Nicholas Waterhouse collected postage stamps while also hosting decadent parties in his fashionable London home.
All four firms have endured major calamities in recent decades. There have been hundreds of court cases and legal prosecutions for failed audits, tax scandals, and breaches of independence. The firms have come so close to “extinction level events” that regulators have required them to prepare “living wills.” And 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.
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 or considering working in the industry, or simply curious about the fate of the global economy.
Table of contents
Product information
- Title: The Big Four
- Author(s):
- Release date: August 2018
- Publisher(s): Berrett-Koehler Publishers
- ISBN: 9781523098033
You might also like
book
The Digital Mindset
The pressure to "be digital" has never been greater, but you can meet the challenge. The …
book
Selling to the C-Suite, Second Edition: What Every Executive Wants You to Know About Successfully Selling to the Top, 2nd Edition
THE CLASSIC GUIDE TO HIGH-LEVEL SELLING. Updated with new insights from global executives. How do the …
book
The Little Book of Big Management Theories, 2nd Edition
101 management theories from the world’s best management thinkers – the fast, focussed and express route …
book
Lean Six Sigma For Dummies, 4th Edition
Become a process improvement star with Lean Six Sigma! Thinking Lean? Not in terms of weight …