Measuring Audit Firms＇ Intellectual Capital as a Determinant of Audit Quality： A Suggested Model

The intellectual capital is a main source of competing advantage. Many studies developed measure（s） of intellectual capital of industrial and service firms. Few studies have tried to develop a reliable measure of intellectual capital in audit firms. This study extends the current models to provide more insight into the role of intellectual capital in audit firms. The aim of this study is to develop a quantitative model to measure audit firms＇ intellectual capital. The suggested model can be used to explore the relationship between the intellectual capital in audit firms and audit quality. The model combines the main components of intellectual capital （human capital, structural capital, and relational capital）. The suggested model provides a tool that may help to better manage the intellectual capital in audit firms. As this is a theoretical study, a number of hypotheses are presented for testing in the future.