{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,24]],"date-time":"2026-06-24T17:11:20Z","timestamp":1782321080136,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,3,11]],"date-time":"2019-03-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1552262400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["MD"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2019,3,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>This paper uses institutional theory to analyze the structure of the sustainability assurance market (SAM) at a global level. The purpose of this paper is to determine if regional differences affect industry specialization in this market.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>Using a sample of 3,657 sustainability reports (SRs) with assurance statements, the authors study the global and regional specialization of assurers by breaking down the sample into three main regions. The authors approach industry specialization using previous methodologies applied to the financial audit market, and explain differences statistically significant among regions.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>The authors find different industry specialists depending on the geographical region in which the audit firm is located. The Europe, Middle Eastern and Africa region has the highest number of industry specialists and the Asia-Pacific region the lowest. Notwithstanding the global participation of Big 4 firms, assurance specialization depends on the country where the company is located.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>The paper reveals the need to include regional differences in the analysis of the SAM at the international level.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>The study shows an in-depth study of the SAM that may be useful for assurers, to decide strategic actions in industries and countries and for regulators, to control the risk of monopolistic\/oligopolistic markets.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>The study presents a novel approach to the analysis of the assurance market for SRs, by studying it from the supply point of view. The analysis provides a measure of specialization that may help understand the structure of the SAM.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/md-06-2017-0598","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,8,7]],"date-time":"2018-08-07T10:33:32Z","timestamp":1533638012000},"page":"669-687","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Regional differences in industry specialization in the sustainability assurance market"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"57","author":[{"given":"Belen","family":"Fernandez-Feijoo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Silvia","family":"Romero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Silvia","family":"Ruiz Blanco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"key2020092419074903500_ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"447","DOI":"10.5465\/amr.2003.10196772","article-title":"The cross-national diversity of corporate governance: dimensions and determinants","volume":"28","year":"2003","journal-title":"Academy of Management Review"},{"issue":"7","key":"key2020092419074903500_ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"600","DOI":"10.1108\/02686900910975341","article-title":"Auditor tenure, auditor specialization, and information asymmetry","volume":"24","year":"2009","journal-title":"Managerial Auditing Journal"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020092419074903500_ref046","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.1002\/bse.672","article-title":"Evidence in development of sustainability reporting: a case of a developing country","volume":"20","year":"2011","journal-title":"Business Strategy and the Environment"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020092419074903500_ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"337","DOI":"10.1108\/09513570810863932","article-title":"Corporate social reporting and reputation risk management","volume":"21","year":"2008","journal-title":"Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2020092419074903500_ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.1002\/bse.701","article-title":"Sustainable development and certification practices: lessons learned and prospects","volume":"20","year":"2011","journal-title":"Business Strategy and the Environment"},{"issue":"6","key":"key2020092419074903500_ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"571","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclepro.2008.12.009","article-title":"Building institutions based on information disclosure: lessons from GRI\u201ds sustainability reporting","volume":"17","year":"2009","journal-title":"Journal of Cleaner Production"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020092419074903500_ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"355","DOI":"10.2308\/accr.2009.84.2.355","article-title":"Industry specialization by global audit firm networks","volume":"84","year":"2009","journal-title":"The Accounting Review"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020092419074903500_ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.2308\/aud.2010.29.1.41","article-title":"Auditor changes following a big 4 merger with a local Chinese firm: a case study","volume":"29","year":"2010","journal-title":"Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020092419074903500_ref008","first-page":"299","article-title":"Is corporate responsibility converging? 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