The Intellectual Structure of Audit Committee Research: A Bibliometric Analysis (1969 – 2020)

Abstract

The audit committee is a widely recognized mechanism of effective corporate governance. We advance prior literature reviews by using bibliometric analysis techniques that comprehensively process large bodies of bibliometric information. We base inferences on citation patterns of 1,173 articles to identify concepts that “shine through” within the scientific understanding of audit committees. Using content analysis, we then analyze these concepts and explore existing interrelationships. We document a declining influence of audit committee research, as well as a widening gap between the quantitative and qualitative research camps. While the former is mostly derivative in nature, the latter produces innovative insights on new theoretical approaches and the inner dynamics of effective audit committees. Our results imply an extension of extant theoretical frameworks and provide the basis for questions that future research might address.

Keywords: Audit Committee; Audit Committee Effectiveness; Bibliometrics

JEL Classification: G34, G38, M40, N01