Abstract This research examines the differences in accounting quality judgments by analysts for publicly held clients of major CPA firms. The results suggest that perceived accounting quality does not systematically differ by CPA firm. The absence of systematic differences among CPA firms' clients provides some evidence that accounting quality is relatively uniform among major CPA firms. These findings are inconsistent with the contention that some CPA firms are more permissive than others in upholding GAAP.
Eugene A. Imhoff (Tue,) studied this question.