Exploring the Relationship between Human Resource Structure and Operation Performance of Businesses

Review Article

Austin J Bus Adm Manage. 2023; 7(3): 1065.

Exploring the Relationship between Human Resource Structure and Operation Performance of Businesses

Chia-Chi Lee*

Professor, Department of Accounting Information, National Taipei University of Business, Taiwan

*Corresponding author: Chia-Chi Lee Professor, Department of Accounting Information, National Taipei University of Business, No. 321, Sec. 1, Jinan Rd., Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 10051, Taiwan Tel: +886-2-2322-6564; Fax: +886-2-2322-6369 Email: cclee.vera@msa.hinet.net

Received: October 11, 2023 Accepted: November 07, 2023 Published: November 14, 2023

Abstract

From the perspective of human resource structure, this paper examines the impacts of organizational characteristics within accounting firms (hereinafter referred to as “firms”) on the overall operation performance and the performance of four businesses: financial attestation, tax, management consulting, and industrial and commercial registration. This paper finds that 1) a higher proportion of professional assistants correlates with better overall operation performance of firms, with a more pronounced effect in financial attestation and tax; 2) a higher proportion of employees who graduated from universities and colleges is associated with better overall operation performance of firms, particularly noticeable among university-level employees in financial attestation and tax; 3) a higher proportion of young-aged, prime-aged, and middle-aged people is linked to better overall operation performance of firms. In other words, employees between 25 and 54 years old significantly contribute to firms’ overall operation performance, with young employees between 25 and 34 years old excelling in financial attestation, tax, and industrial and commercial registration. Meanwhile, prime-aged employees between 35 and 44 years old excel in tax, industrial, and commercial registration. 4) A higher proportion of female practitioners is associated with better overall operation performance of firms, particularly notable in financial attestation, tax, and industrial and commercial registration. Therefore, managers are advised to consider adjusting or reducing the proportion of partnership accountants and employees with master’s degrees, hiring professionals in various fields, expanding management consulting operations actively, and enhancing firms’ competitive advantages to improve the firms’ operation performance. This paper aims to provide a valuable reference for firm managers when making decisions about human resource structure and operational strategies.

Keywords: Human resource structure; Operation performance of businesses; Overall operation performance; Accounting firm

Introduction

The 2017 survey report on accounting firms in the service industry, which was published by the Financial Supervisory Commission (2018), reported that the number of accounting firms (hereinafter referred to as “firms”) increased from 1,034 in 2015 to 1,111 in 2017. Similarly, business offices increased from 1,196 to 1,271 during the same period. In addition, the number of sole practitioners also increased from 787 to 835, while the number of joint practitioners increased from 247 to 276. This data indicates a notable increase in the number of firms in the industry, leading to intensified competition.

By the end of 2017, 649 firms (or 58.4% of the total number of firms) reported annual sales of less than NT$5 million. These 649 firms employed 10.6% of the industry’s workforce but contributed only a collective market share of 4.2% in revenues. On the other hand, there were 240 large firms with annual sales of NT$10 million, each accounting for 21.6% of the total number of firms. These firms employed 80.5% of the industry’s workforce and had a collective market share of 90.6%. Although small firms constitute the largest portion of industry players, large firms dominate the market in terms of operation performance. For many small firms to continue business in the fierce competition, management must determine how to elevate their scale and promote stable revenue growth. This pivotal issue underpins the research motivation of this paper.

Wu and Chang (2003) asserted that the main drivers for enhancing firm values are creation, accumulation, sharing, and integration. Accounting firms, known for their extensive professional knowledge and experience accumulation [11,45] tend to benefit from their longer operating histories, which allow more human resources and clients to accumulate over time [11]. Pfeffer (1994) suggested that in the era of the knowledge economy, organizations transform the knowledge and competencies possessed by employees into tangible outputs human resource management. This is considered the most important competitive advantage of corporate activities. Chou and Tseng (2009) argued that employees can best utilize their strengths and reach their potential when placed in roles that suit their abilities. This has been a pertinent issue in the field of human resource management. Allocating human resource structure is pivotal in organizational operations. It directly impacts the quality of an organization’s operation performance. Hence, allocating the human resource structure is one of the key characteristics of any organization. This paper aims to explore the influence of organizational characteristics of human resource structures in accounting firms on the overall operation performance of these firms within the context of human resource structures.

Sahoo and Mishra (2012) suggested that diversifying business models can assist companies in optimizing resource utilization and financial performance stability. Eukeria and Favourate (2014) indicated that diversification is a strategic option many managers seek to boost company performance. Among the studies on business diversification of accounting firms, Banker, Chang, and Natarajan (2005) categorized the services rendered by accounting firms into three areas: audits, tax services, and management consulting. Their research suggests that the productivity of management consulting services is higher than that of audits or tax services. Greenwood, Li, Prakash, and Deephouse (2005) argued that business diversification benefits the operational performance of accounting firms.

Chen and Lin (2007) categorized various services into audits, accounting, tax, management consulting, and industrial and commercial registration. Their findings suggest that business diversification improves the technical efficiency of accounting firms. Lee (2012) contends that increased business diversification correlates with employees having more extensive and comprehensive professional skills, resulting in higher productivity for accounting firms. Chen, Hsu, Huang, and Yang (2013) reported that accounting firms offer tax services and management consulting to expand their service offerings and enhance operating effectiveness.

Yang, Yang, and Lee (2015) argued that increased business diversification leads to better operation performance for accounting firms. Lee and Tung (2017) suggested that a higher reliance on financial attestation services increases the likelihood of accounting firms entering the Chinese market. The 2017 survey report on accounting firms in the service industry revealed that accounting firms generate revenues from four business lines: financial attestation, tax, management consulting, and industrial and commercial registration. This indicates that accounting firms operate with business diversification. In addition to investigating the impacts on the overall operation performance of accounting firms, this paper also explores how the benefits of the human resource structure characteristics differ significantly across business lines.

The 2017 survey report on accounting firms in the service industry outlines the human resource structure in the accounting firm industry, which can be categorized into four aspects:

1) Hierarchical structure in four levels, from the highest to the entry-level: partnership accountants, management-level supervisors, professional in-charge supervisors, and professional assistants

2) Education backgrounds in five levels: PhDs, master’s degrees, university degrees, junior colleges, and senior high schools

3) Age profile of employees in six age groups: below 25 years old, 25~-34 years old, 35~44 years old, 45~54 years old, 55~64 years old, and above 65 years old)

4) Gender distribution: males and females

Considering the prevalent and general human resource structure in accounting firms, questions arise about whether employees have adequate professional expertise to handle assigned tasks, whether they have extensive experience satisfying customers' needs in different business lines, and whether they can effectively deliver all the services offered. Moreover, concerns about how management can adjust the characteristics of the human resources structure to enable accounting firms to handle various business lines effectively and brace for challenges also surfaced. These are the issues this paper aims to investigate.

In summary, this paper constructs an empirical model that incorporates four characteristics of the human resource structure: hierarchical levels, educational backgrounds, age profiles, and gender distribution. The total revenues of accounting firms are utilized as an indicator of to assess their overall operation performance. Additionally, the revenues generated by the four business lines are used as indicators to evaluate the operation performance of each business line. This study aims to provide valuable insights to the management of accounting firms, assisting them in making informed decisions regarding recruitment, human structure allocation, operational management of different business lines, and ultimately, enhancing the overall operation performance.

Literature Review and Hypotheses Development

Considering the characteristics of the human resource structure, this paper examines the relation between the four characteristics (i.e., hierarchical levels, education backgrounds, age profile, and gender split) and the organizational operation performance by reviewing relevant literature and developing research hypotheses.

Literature on Hierarchical Levels of Employees

In studies focusing on the hierarchical levels of employees and their impact on operational performance, Wah (1999) emphasized the importance of recognizing the unique value of customer relations and customer knowledge in financial service, with much value tied to frontline employees. Chang and Chi (2006) suggested that at a higher hierarchical level, senior managers are better equipped to serve as business partners and manage various functions within human resource management. Chou and Tseng (2009) examined the employees’ performance in the banking industry and discovered that supervisors tend to outperform non-supervisors. Wang, Tsui, and Xin (2011) explored the relationship between the leadership behavior of CEOs and the performance of companies and discovered that CEO leadership behavior affects the attitude of mid-to-high-level managers. In addition, the results suggest that a more proactive attitude of mid-to-high-level managers contributes to improved company performance. Eisenhardt (2013) asserted that top management’s behavior and decision-making benefit start-up businesses.

Cheng, Wang, and Weng (2000) pointed out that a higher percentage of partnership accountants in the total workforce significantly enhance the technical efficiency of accounting firms. Liang, Tsai, Wang, and Lin (2007) note that, among the competence dimensions of partnership accountants, total annual sales are ranked as the most important indicator for non-Big-Four firms and sole proprietary firms but only the third for Big Four firms. This is because total annual sales from a single accountant may not stand out significantly among a large number of accountants. Lin (2008) asserted that more experienced and high-caliber professional talents lead to improved technical efficiency for accounting firms. As shown by O'Callaghan, Elson, Walker, Rao, and Rechtman (2010), the strong competencies of the employees qualified as public accountants provide partnership accountants more time for business development and project services. This enables accounting firms to expand their customer base and enhance their competitive advantage. Ye, Yuan, and Cheng (2014) suggested that auditors’ experiences help mitigate the degree of earnings managed by customers and improve the quality of audits.

Lee and Chen (2016) stated that accounting firms are organizations where partnership accountants lead work teams to serve customers. They proposed that partnership accountants can lead management-level supervisors, professional in-charge supervisors, and professional assistants using a professional division of labor mechanism to enhance the operation performance of accounting firms. Lee and Chen (2016) further advised partnership accountants and management-level supervisors to collaboratively develop potential clientele with varying business needs, promoting the operational diversification of accounting firms. Lee and Cheng (2018) demonstrated that a higher percentage of senior employees leads to greater business diversification of accounting firms. With their work experience and professional knowledge, senior employees are better equipped to provide comprehensive services to customers with various requirements, thus enhancing the business diversification of accounting firms [24]. Lee and Lin (2019) defined professional in-charge supervisors and professional assistants as the primary personnel working at client sites, a common practice in accounting firms. Their study revealed that a higher percentage of personnel working at client sites is associated with better operational performance of accounting firms.

According to the human resource structure shown in the 2017 survey report on accounting firms in the service industry, the hierarchical structure of employees from the top to the entry-level consists of partnership accountants, who may lead management-level supervisors, professional in-charge supervisors, and professional assistants. Typically, higher ranks correspond to more practical experience. In 2016-2017, these four levels represented an average of 30.7%, 7.7%, 9.8%, and 40.3%, respectively, of the total employees in accounting firms. These numbers highlight that partnership accountants and professional assistants constitute the largest groups in the hierarchy, accounting for nearly 80% of the workforce. Therefore, this paper refers to these two levels as a research variable to determine whether the higher percentage of partnership accountants and the percentage of professional assistants contributes to improved overall operation performance and performance of different business lines. Hence, this paper introduces H1 and H1-1a to H1-5b as follows:

H1: All else being equal, employee hierarchy levels influence the operation performance of accounting firms.

H1-1a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of partnership accountants positively influences the total revenues of accounting firms.

H1-1b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of professional assistants positively influences the total revenues of accounting firms.

H1-2a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of partnership accountants positively influences the revenues from financial attestation services.

H1-2b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of professional assistants positively influences the revenues from financial attestation services.

H1-3a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of partnership accountants positively influences the revenues from tax services.

H1-3b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of professional assistants positively influences the revenues from tax services.

H1-4a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of partnership accountants positively influences the revenues from management consulting services.

H1-4b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of professional assistants positively influences the revenues from management consulting services.

H1-5a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of partnership accountants positively influences the revenues from industrial and commercial registration services.

H1-5b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of professional assistants positively influences the revenues from industrial and commercial registration services.

Literature on Education Levels of Employees

Regarding research on the educational backgrounds of employees and their impact on operation performance, Chow (2006) discovered that the presence of employees with college degrees or above significantly influences companies’ profit-seeking ability. Chen, Chen, and Goan (2010) noted a significant and positive correlation between educational backgrounds and the operation performance of partnership account firms. Higher levels of operational performance and higher employee education are associated with accountants with master’s degrees being more likely to become partners. Meanwhile, partnership firms with a high percentage of accountants with master’s degrees also reported significantly higher revenues in financial attestation, tax, and management consulting businesses than partnership firms with a high percentage of accountants with bachelor’s degrees [9]. Shih and Tsai (2014) suggested that recruiting highly educated employees and experienced professionals and offering on-the-job training help enhance the technical efficiency of firms.

Lee and Chen (2016) proposed that the concentration of educational backgrounds among employees significantly and positively influences the total number of service projects, total revenues, net incomes, and employees’ productivity. In other words, the higher the concentration of educational backgrounds among employees with similar academic qualifications, the better the operation performance of firms. Accounting firms rely on teamwork, and a greater consistency in the educational background of the workforce leads to more uniform thinking patterns and an increased ability to reach a consensus. This reinforces team solidarity and enhances the proactive provision of services [28].

The survey reports on accounting firms in the service industry revealed most employees hold university degrees. Higher education levels are generally associated with more solid professional knowledge in auditing, accounting, and tax codes. Therefore, a concentration of highly educated employees enhances the competitive advantage of accounting firms [28]. Lee and Tung (2017) argued that a higher percentage of highly educated employees increases the likelihood of accounting firms entering the Chinese market. Lee and Cheng (2018) suggested that a higher percentage of highly educated employees leads to greater operating profits for accounting firms. Higher education levels are linked to better training in professional knowledge and the ability to learn. These factors improve work efficiency, help achieve organizational goals, and ultimately boost the operating profits of accounting firms (Lee & Cheng, 2018). Lee and Lin (2019) emphasized the significant and positive correlation between the percentage of highly educated personnel (as a human resource dimension) and the revenues from non-services and management consulting. Their findings revealed that more employees with university degrees or above increase account firms’ non-service and management consulting revenues.

In the context of human resource structure within accounting firms, the 2017 survey report on accounting firms in the service industry identified a total of five levels, from the highest to the lowest: PhDs, master’s degrees, university degrees, junior colleges, and senior high schools. In 2016-2017, these five levels represented an average of 1%, 16%, 61.4%, 15.9% and 5%, respectively, of the total employees in accounting firms. These numbers indicate employees with master’s degrees, university degrees, and junior college degrees constitute the three largest groups in terms of educational backgrounds. Notably, university graduates accounted for more than 60% of the total. Therefore, this paper utilized these three education levels as research variables to explore whether a higher percentage of employees with master’s degrees, university degrees, and junior college degrees positively influences the overall operational performance and performance of different business lines in accounting firms. Hence, H2 and H2-1a to H2-5c are proposed as follows:

H2: All else being equal, employees’ education levels influence the operation performance of accounting firms.

H2-1a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with master’s degrees positively influences the total revenues of accounting firms.

H2-1b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with university degrees positively influences the total revenues of accounting firms.

H2-1c: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with junior college degrees positively influences the total revenues of accounting firms.

H2-2a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with master’s degrees positively influences the revenues from financial attestation services.

H2-2b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with university degrees positively influences the revenues from financial attestation services.

H2-2c: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with junior college degrees positively influences the revenues from financial attestation services.

H2-3a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with master’s degrees positively influences the revenues from tax services.

H2-3b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with university degrees positively influences the revenues from tax services.

H2-3c: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with junior college degrees positively influences the revenues from tax services.

H2-4a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with master’s degrees positively influences the revenues from management consulting services.

H2-4b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with university degrees positively influences the revenues from management consulting services.

H2-4c: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with junior college degrees positively influences the revenues from management consulting services.

H2-5a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with master’s degrees positively influences the revenues from industrial and commercial registration services.

H2-5b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with university degrees positively influences the revenues from industrial and commercial registration services.

H2-5c: All else being equal, a higher percentage of employees with junior college degrees positively influences the revenues from industrial and commercial registration services.

Literature on Age Profiles of Employees

Regarding employee’s ages and their impact on operational performance, Chou and Tseng (2009) examined employees’ performance in the banking industry and discovered that those aged 45 years and above scored the highest, followed by the 35-45 years old and 25-35 years old. The age group below 25 years old scored the lowest. Those with a tenure of 20 years reported the highest score, followed by the 10 (incl.) to 20 years, 5-10 years, and lastly, those below five years. Lallemand and Rycx (2009) explored the influence of employees’ age profiles on companies’ production efficiency and found that a better representation of young employees benefits productivity. Lee and Chen (2016) noted that the concentration of age groups significantly and negatively impacts the total number of service projects and total revenues. A more dispersed age profile of employees leads to improved operational performance. Employees of different age groups have somewhat different ways of thinking and methods of operation. Sharing professional knowledge, technicality, and experience at work helps employees learn from each other and grow by accumulating and applying knowledge. This, in turn, develops the service models beneficial for the firms’ businesses and observes greater customer trust [28]. Lee and Tung (2017) argued that younger employees are more likely to drive accounting firms to enter the Chinese market. This is because young employees are innovative, eager for challenges, and less confined by family issues. As a result, they are more collaborative, adaptive, and willing to spend more time and effort to go to China for work. Therefore, the effective recruitment of young and prime-aged adults by accounting firms positively affects the provision of services in China. Lee and Cheng (2018) suggested that stronger organizational vitality leads to higher operating profits for firms. Young employees are crucial in driving innovations and boosting organizations’ morale. Warm interactions among employees foster a cohesive team atmosphere, ensure comprehensive service quality, and boost operating profits for firms [28]. Lee and Lin (2019) proposed that most personnel working at client sites are either young or in their prime years. The effective recruitment of employees in these age groups can enhance the work efficiency of accounting firms. They also discovered that the closer the average age of employees is to the young and prime age range, the better the operation performance of firms. Notably, when the average age is closer to an older age range, the non-service revenues tend to be lower.

The 2017 survey report on accounting firms in the service industry categorized the employees into six age groups: below 25 years old, 25~34 years old, 35~44 years old, 45~54 years old, 55~64 years old, and 65 years or above. In 2016-2017, these six groups represented an average of 7.6%, 26.4%, 27.1%, 22.1%, 11.7% and 5%, respectively, of the total employees in accounting firms. These numbers suggest that 25~34, 35~44, and 45~54 constitute the three largest age groups in the workforce, with each group accounting for over 20% of the total employees. The largest group is between 35 and 44 years old. Therefore, this paper utilized these three largest age groups as research variables and labeled the age group 25~34 “young-aged employees,” the age group 35~44 “prime-aged employees,” and the age group 45~54 “middle-aged employees.” This helps understand whether the higher percentage of young prime-aged and middle-aged employees leads to improved overall operational performance and the performance of different business lines in accounting firms. Hence, H3 and H3-1a to H3-5c are proposed as follows:

H3: All else being equal, employees’ age profiles influence accounting firms’ operation performance.

H3-1a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of young-aged employees positively influences accounting firms’ total revenues.

H3-1b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of prime-aged employees positively influences accounting firms’ total revenues.

H3-1c: All else being equal, a higher percentage of middle-aged employees positively influences accounting firms’ total revenues.

H3-2a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of young-aged employees positively influences the revenues from financial attestation services.

H3-2b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of prime-aged employees positively influences the revenues from financial attestation services.

H3-2c: All else being equal, a higher percentage of middle-aged employees positively influences the revenues from financial attestation services.

H3-3a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of young-aged employees positively influences the revenues from tax services.

H3-3b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of prime-aged employees positively influences the revenues from tax services.

H3-3c: All else being equal, a higher percentage of middle-aged employees positively influences the revenues from tax services.

H3-4a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of young-aged employees positively influences the revenues from management consulting services.

H3-4b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of prime-aged employees positively influences the revenues from management consulting services.

H3-4c: All else being equal, a higher percentage of middle-aged employees positively influences the revenues from management consulting services.

H3-5a: All else being equal, a higher percentage of young-aged employees positively influences the revenues from industrial and commercial registration services.

H3-5b: All else being equal, a higher percentage of prime-aged employees positively influences the revenues from industrial and commercial registration services.

H3-5c: All else being equal, a higher percentage of middle-aged employees positively influences the revenues from industrial and commercial registration services.

Literature on Employees’ Gender Distribution

Numerous studies examined how gender distribution affects company performance [1,17,24,34]. Chou and Tseng (2009) suggested that females outperform males in the banking industry. Law (2009) discovered that males are more likely to be promoted to partnerships than females in accounting firms. Indartono and Chen (2010) examined how gender factors influence work performance and discovered that females report better performance than males. Hsu, Kuo, and Chang (2013) argued that in large firms, males have better operating performance than females because most female accountants provide services other than financial attestation.

Yang, Chen, and Yang (2013) compared the impact of professional training on the financial performance of accounting firms with workforces dominated by males versus females. The study divided the accounting firms into two groups: with professional training (no breaches) and without professional training (breaches). The results revealed that the financial performance of accounting firms without breaches was better than those with breaches. Perryman, Fernando, and Tripathy (2016) found that a greater gender divide in top management lowers company risks and improves performance. However, female senior executives receive lower remunerations than their male counterparts. Lee and Cheng (2018) argued that a higher percentage of males (vs. the percentage of females) is associated with greater operating profits for firms. Male employees demonstrate better implementation and judgment than female employees. They are also more professional and stable in offering services and handling work, ultimately benefiting accounting firms’ operating profits [24]. Lee and Cheng (2018) argued that a higher percentage of males vs. females promotes greater business diversification for accounting firms.

The 2017 survey report on accounting firms in the service industry divided the employees into males and females. In 2016-2017, the percentage of female employees averaged at 70.4%, males 29.6% in accounting firms. These numbers suggest that over 70% of the employees were females, making it a distinctive feature in the human resource structure of accounting firms. Therefore, this paper utilized gender divide (measured by the difference between the percentage of male employees and the percentage of female employees) as a research variable. The value of this variable ranges from -1 to 1, with values closer to 1 indicating a higher percentage of females and values closer to -1 indicating a higher percentage of males. This helps understand whether a greater gender divide (i.e., the higher percentage of female employees) positively influences the operational performance of different business lines in accounting firms. Hence, H4 and H4-1 to H4-5 are proposed as follows:

H4: All else being equal, gender divide influences the operation performance of accounting firms.

H4-1: All else being equal, the degrees of gender divide positively influence the total revenues of accounting firms.

H4-2: All else being equal, the degrees of gender divide positively influence the revenues from financial attestation services.

H4-3: All else being equal, the degrees of gender divide positively influence the revenues from tax services.

H4-4: All else being equal, the degrees of gender divide positively influence the revenues from business consulting services.

H4-5: All else being equal, the degrees of gender divide positively influence the revenues from industrial and commercial registration services.

Research Design

This section explains data sources and sample selection, provides the operational definitions of all variables, and develops the multiple regression model.

Data Sources

The accounting firm service survey report continued to adopt previous survey questions. In June 2017, the Financial Supervisory Commission initiated relevant surveys. The scope of the survey was limited to those engaged in accounting firm business in Taiwan and approved for registration. In September 2017, the survey was completed. Subsequently, the survey data underwent review, error detection, summary, and analysis. In addition, the survey report was edited, printed, and distributed to different people and institutions for reference and reading to expand the survey application. To maintain the consistency of the survey data from year to year, the relevant tables of the survey report remain consistent with those of the previous year. However, new questions for the industrial and service industry surveys are not listed separately.

In addition, this survey was organized into a database according to the Financial Supervisory Commission questionnaires. By the time the researchers received the data, it had already been organized into secondary data files for user convenience. Researchers interested in this database can obtain it from the Financial Supervisory Commission to facilitate their research.

This paper sources data from 2016-2017 survey reports on accounting firms in the service industry compiled and printed by the Financial Supervisory Commission. The numbers of raw observations are 1,050 and 1,111 firms for 2016 and 2017, respectively. After removing 14 firms without employees, 22 firms without revenues, and seven firms with an operating history of over 90 years, the final number of effective observations is 1,031 for 2016 and 1,087 for 2017. This paper utilized a total of 2,118 observations for these two years in its empirical research.

Variable Definitions

Many studies have examined accounting firms, focusing on factors influencing factors the operation performance of accounting firms. Notable studies in this domain include Chen and Lee (2006), Lee (2012), Lee (2013), Lee (2014), Lee and Chen (2016), Lee and Tung (2017), Lee (2018), Lee and Cheng (2018) and Lee and Lin (2019). In both Lee and Lin (2019) and the 2017 survey report on accounting firms in the service industry, total revenues are categorized into four business lines: financial attestation, tax, management consulting, and industrial and commercial registrations. Specifically, financial attestation services encompass revenues from attestation for public offerings, financing, and other services. Meanwhile, revenues from tax services include income tax reporting and filing, tax planning, tax administrative remedies, and other services. This paper utilized the total revenues (Y1) as the proxy variable for assessing the overall operation performance of accounting firms. Additionally, it utilized revenues from financial attestation services (Y2), revenues from tax services (Y3), revenues from management consulting services (Y4), and revenues from industrial and commercial registration services (Y5) as the proxy variables to evaluate the operational performance of different business lines.

A total of nine independent variables were established while developing the hypotheses, derived from analyzing the four aspects of human resource structure. These variables include the percentage of partnership accountants (X1) and the percentage of professional assistants (X2) in terms of hierarchical levels, the percentage of master’s degree holders (X3), the percentage of university degree holders (X4), the percentage of junior college degree holders in terms of education levels (X5), the percentage of young-aged employees (X6), the percentage of prime-aged employees (X7), the percentage of middle-aged employees (X8) in terms of age profiles, and the degrees of gender divide (X9) in terms of gender distribution.

Regarding control variables, Zettelmeyer (2000) argued that companies can enhance competitiveness in the marketplace by segmenting consumers and offering different levels of product information for different channels. Therefore, this paper employed the number of branch offices (C1) to measure the extensiveness of channels. Oster (1994) suggested that firms with a longer operating history can allocate resources more efficiently over time. Cheng, Wang, and Weng (2000) noted that there is a significant and positive correlation between the operating years and the technical efficiency of accounting firms. Lee (2013) discovered that a longer history of accounting firms improves operational performance. Chen and Chen (2014) mentioned that a longer operating history is associated with improved human capital and clientele sources that can be accumulated, positively impacting accounting firms’ business performance. Lee and Chen (2016) emphasized that the operating history of accounting firms positively and significantly influences both the number of audit projects and non-audit projects. Lee and Tung (2017) also utilized the number of operating years as a proxy variable of the operating attributes of accounting firms. Lee and Cheng (2018) proposed that longer operating histories result in more client sources and better operating profits for firms. Lee and Lin (2019) discovered that a longer operating history leads to improved operation performance. Therefore, this paper measured the operating history of firms using the number of operating years (C2).

Chen and Huang (2011) used a dummy variable to indicate the business structure of accounting firms. Their research emphasized that partnerships have better business performance than sole proprietorships. Lee and Tung (2017) also deployed a dummy variable to indicate the organization types of accounting firms and referred to it as a proxy variable for business attributes of accounting firms. Hence, this paper also employed a dummy variable to determine whether accounting firms’ business structure (C3) is a partnership or sole proprietorship. Large firms often find it easier to gain customers' trust than smaller ones due to their capacity to provide better service quality [14,41]. Cheng, Wang, and Weng (2000) identified a significant and positive correlation between firm sizes and technical efficiency. Lee (2013) emphasized that larger firm size leads to better operational performance. Lee and Chen (2016) suggested that greater firm size leads to higher total revenues. Lee and Tung (2017) examined the key factors for entering the Chinese market for business and incorporated firm size as a control variable in their regression model. Lee and Lin (2019) evaluated the business performance of accounting firms in Taiwan using the intellectual capital theory. They referred to operating assets as the control variable and the measurement of the operating scale in the regression model. In reference to Lee and Tung (2017) and Lee and Lin (2019), this paper utilized operating assets (C4) as the measurement of accounting firm sizes.

In the context of resource-based views, Chen and Lee (2006) developed a multiple regression model to analyze the operational performance of accounting firms in Taiwan. The results revealed a positive correlation between non-audit service revenues and the operational performance of the firms with strategic alliances (i.e., with the formation of management consulting companies). Meanwhile, these firms also exhibited significantly superior operational performance than firms without strategic alliances. Chen and Chen (2014) noted that national, regional, or local firms that have established strategic alliances with management consulting companies report better operational performance than those that have not. Lee and Tung (2017) suggested that establishing management consulting companies increases the probability of accounting firms entering the Chinese market. Lee and Lin (2019) found that the higher the number of management consulting companies established, the better the operational performance of firms. Therefore, this paper employed the number of management consulting companies (C5) created by accounting firms as a measure of strategic alliance behavior.

Chaston, Badger, Mangles, and Sadler-Smith (2001) proposed that adopting e-commerce can reduce costs and boost efficiency for companies. Accounting firms primarily focus on providing business information and transferring electronic transactions through e-commerce. Lee and Tung (2017) used a dummy variable to determine whether accounting firms have incorporated e-commerce into their operations, which serves as a proxy variable for the operating attributes of these firms. Lee and Lin (2019) also employed a dummy variable to measure the adoption of e-commerce in accounting firms, considering it as a component of innovation capital within the intellectual capital framework. This paper refers to adopting digitalization (C6) as a measure of e-commerce business activities.

Drawing from the pertinent research on the operation performance of accounting firms and the characteristics of accounting firms as an industry, this paper established six control variables for the regression model: the number of branch offices (C1), number of operating years (C2), business structure (C3), operating assets (C4), number of management consulting companies (C5) and adoption of digitalization (C6). Table 1 summarizes the operational definitions of all variables (Table 1).