Big four

The Big Four is the name of the world's four largest accounting networks which in particular provides auditing and consulting services. This specific «Four» includes such companies as :

• Deloitte;
• Ernst & Young;
• KPMG;
• PricewaterhouseCoopers.

These networks are united in the big four because they are approximately equal in such aspects as income, quality of service provision, attractiveness among young people who want to build a career in the provision of services that are related to various economic sciences, namely audit, theoretical and practical consulting, accounting, economic analytics.

The history of association

Everything began in 1910. When did not exist the four accounting companies, were the eight huge accounting organization which satisfied people's needs in this economic category. The ones made up the unity which was known as the Big Eight. They were such firms :

1. Arthur Andersen
2. Arthur Young
3. Coopers and Lybrand
4. Deloitte Haskins & Sells
5. Ernst & Whinney
6. Peat Marwick Mitchell
7. Price Waterhouse
8. Touche Ross

Before the emergence of the Big Eight, there were mainly small companies that also engaged in audit, consulting, and accounting, but they did not have any ties. However, in the 19th century, most successful American and British organizations began to expand and enter new international markets, which required a small accounting firm to merge with the purpose to serve the needs of such large clients. As a result, the Big Eight was formed, which dealt with the affairs of large corporations.

Years passed. The companies worked together as a single mechanism towards the end of the 20th century. It was by the end of this century that competition among large firms increased. One of the Big Eight companies, namely Peat Marwick Mitchell, decided that it should become better than its competitors and suggested that another company (Klynveld Main Goerdeler) from this community merge and form a new company, which is still part of the Big Four - KPMG . But this was not the end, but only the beginning of the new unions such as the Big Seven, the Big Six, Big Five and finally the Big Four. All of these association was created through a merger between the members of the Big Eight.

References

• Kells Stuart, Gow Ian D. (2018) The Big Four: The Curious Past and Perilous Future of the Global Accounting Monopoly, Published by La Trobe University Press in conjunction with Black Inc., Australia, p.9-22

Author: Anna Sobolieva