Search Results (16)

Despite the recognized importance of ethical idealism in enhancing fraud detection in the audit context, there remains limited understanding of the mediating role of conscientiousness in the relationship between auditors’ ethical idealism and fraud detection. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of auditors’ ethical idealism on fraud detection via using the conscientiousness of auditors as a mediator. This study employs a cross-sectional approach, and quantifiable data were gathered via structured surveys from 401 external auditors employed in offices licensed to practice the accounting and auditing profession in Saudi Arabia. Accidental sampling was used to ensure a representative sample of auditors in Saudi audit firms. This study utilized the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique to examine the relationships between ethical idealism (as independent variable), conscientiousness (as mediating variable), and fraud detection (as dependent variable). The result showed that ethical idealism has a positive effect on auditors’ detection of fraud. However, the proposed mediation effect of conscientiousness between ethical Idealism and fraud detection was not statistically significant. The research underscores that the ethical idealism of auditors can enhance fraud detection, especially when accounting firms give priority to ethical training programs, ensuring that they are guided by strong ethical idealism rather than personal conscientiousness. Full article

Legislative regulations have recognized the significance of board independence in enhancing the board’s role and strengthening its autonomy, which are among the key features that mitigate conflicts of interest between management and shareholders. External auditing serves as a pivotal element of corporate governance, acting as a monitoring mechanism to reduce information asymmetry and safeguard principal interests by ensuring the accuracy and fairness of financial statements. This, in turn, reassures data users and stakeholders. The study aimed to examine the effect of board independence on enhancing external auditor independence among 72 Jordanian service companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange from 2017 to 2021, with a study sample of 62 companies. The findings revealed a negative impact of board member independence on external auditor independence, as measured by audit firm size. However, company size positively influenced external auditor independence, while no effect was found for financial leverage or company age. The findings highlight the need for companies to strengthen internal controls and governance practices to enhance external auditor independence. Additionally, they suggest that company size plays a crucial role, while other factors like financial leverage and company age may have limited impact, indicating areas for further exploration in future research. Full article

The significance of internal auditing and its quality cannot be overstated, making it essential to investigate the factors influencing this quality. This study, employing a cross-sectional analysis, aims to assess how the characteristics of external auditors affect the perceived quality of internal audits in Iranian and Iraqi banks. In 2024, data regarding the attributes of external auditors and the perceived quality of internal audits were collected through a questionnaire distributed to external auditors from various banks in Iran and Iraq. The data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The study reveals a positive relationship between external auditors’ competence and independence and the perceived quality of internal audits, while it shows a negative impact of external audit methodologies on this perceived quality. These findings highlight the importance of external auditors’ independence as a key determinant of perceived internal audit quality. Full article

This study examines the factors influencing tax decision-making from the perspectives of income and sales auditors in Jordan. It explores how internal and external factors shape auditing processes and compliance. Using a sample of 215 tax auditors from 2018 to 2022, this study adopts a quantitative methodology and collects data through structured surveys. The findings highlight key variables such as auditor independence, professional experience, and taxpayer knowledge as significant factors influencing tax decisions. The study recommends enhancing auditor training, fostering independence, and improving taxpayer education to promote transparency and fairness in tax systems. Full article

Purpose: the purpose of this study is to investigate whether corporate governance mechanisms and attributes influence the sustainability performance of companies included in the BIST 50 Index. Results and contributions: Regression analysis showed that there was a significant positive influence of board tenure on sustainability performance and all its types; board size on environmental performance; and a dummy variable for board evaluation externally facilitated and company size on sustainability, environmental, and social performance. A significant negative impact of director attendance at board meetings on social performance was also revealed. This study contributes to the literature on the role of corporate governance in achieving the SDGs for BIST 50 Index companies, highlighting the significant impact of its individual indicators on the achievement of sustainability performance. Methodology: The authors reviewed 45 sustainability reports of BIST 50 Index companies for 2023. Four indices—Sustainability Performance, Environmental Performance, Social Performance, and Corporate Governance Performance Indexes—were developed to characterize sustainability performance and its types based on a content analysis of sustainability disclosures. To analyze the influence of mechanisms and characteristics of the corporate governance system on sustainability performance, eight independent variables were used: board size, number of board meetings, director attendance at board meetings, board independence, board tenure, a dummy variable for board evaluation externally facilitated, a dummy variable for internal auditors present, and a dummy variable for CEO and Chair functions combined. Two control variables, company size and leverage, were used as well. Gap: Today, the scientific literature has no universal approach and understanding of how the corporate governance system should be developed to improve sustainability performance or its individual components. Relevance: Development of a corporate governance system is one of the ways to increase the level of sustainability performance of companies. Impact: The results of the study made it possible to produce several recommendations (expand the number of board members, develop an effective procedure for regular changes of general directors in company boards, introduce independent external control tools in the corporate governance systems of companies) that will lead to the achievement of SDGs 5, 8, 16. Full article

Corporate fraud poses a significant obstacle for sustainable business development. Drawing on social network analysis, this paper used data originated from Chinese-listed companies from 2009 to 2022 and found that directors’ network position significantly mitigates corporate fraud. Mechanism tests indicated that the quality of external auditors and internal control play a mediating role in this relationship. Further analysis showed that the network positions of independent directors, non-independent directors, and female directors individually inhibit the inclination of corporate fraud when considering various types of directors. Of note, the busy director hypothesis was not applicable in explaining the impact of directors’ network position on corporate fraud. This study provides a new approach to improving the sustainability of enterprises in newly emerging markets via the analysis of director networks. It is also beneficial to the research on director networks and corporate fraud in companies, offering insights for corporate governance and fraud prevention in companies and regulatory agencies. Full article

The usage of Large Language Models (LMMs) and their exponential progress has created a Cambrian Explosion in the development of new tools for almost every field of science and technology, but also presented significant concerns regarding the AI ethics and creation of sophisticated malware and phishing attacks. Moreover, several worries have arisen in the field of dataset collection and intellectual property in that many datasets may exist without the license of the respective owners. Triple-Entry Accounting (TEA) has been proposed by Ian Grigg to increase transparency, accountability, and security in financial transactions. This method expands upon the traditional double-entry accounting system, which records transactions as debits and credits in two separate ledgers, by incorporating a third ledger as an independent verifier via a digitally signed receipt. The utilization of a digital signature provides evidentiary power to the receipt, thus reducing the accounting problem to one of the presence or absence of the receipt. The integrity issues associated with double-entry accounting can be addressed by allowing the parties involved in the transaction to share the records with an external auditor. This manuscript proposes a novel methodology to apply triple-entry accounting records on a publicly accessed distributed ledger technology medium to control the queries of LLMs in order to discourage malicious acts and ensure intellectual property rights. Full article

The purpose of this research is to determine how independent auditors affect the integrity of financial accounting data at commercial banks in northern Iraq. A total of 342 employees from commercial banks in Northern Iraq were surveyed using a quantitative research technique. The research uses structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine the hypothesis that the independence of external auditors improves the integrity of financial accounting information. The study’s findings indicate that financial accounting information quality in commercial banks in Northern Iraq is significantly affected by the independence of external auditors. This suggests that giving external auditors more leeway to do their jobs could boost the quality of financial accounting information at these institutions. Policymakers, auditors, and managers at commercial banks in northern Iraq can learn a lot from these results. In sum, this research adds to the existing body of work on the independence of external auditors and the accuracy of financial accounting information, with a focus on commercial banks in Northern Iraq. This research shows that increasing the independence and autonomy of external auditors in commercial banks could have positive effects on the quality of financial accounting information. Full article

Identifying factors/latent constructs deemed to influence internal audit effectiveness (IAE), through identifying variables used as measures of effectiveness and hypothesising which variables have a statistically significant relationship with IAE was the primary objective. Secondary objectives involved exploring the perceptions and viewpoints of internal auditing and providing general recommendations. To achieve the above objectives, questionnaires were remitted to internal auditors (IA) in various countries, receiving 402 final valid responses. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was carried out to identify new latent variables/constructs, with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in structural equation modelling (SEM) utilised to confirm these factors. The EFA process identified 7 latent factors, with 5 being confirmed through SEM. These factors, confirmed the positive influence of 8/16 hypotheses with 3/16 having partial confirmation, 4/16 not achieving any statistically significant evidence and 1/16 having negative influence. Risk Management, IA size, competency, management support, External Audit (EA) and Audit Committee (AC) cooperation, follow-up process, and control environment were all deemed to positively influence IA effectiveness. Independence, objectivity, and standard adherence achieved partial confirmation of their positive influence. Audit quality, Big Data, scope limitations and public/private organisations achieved no statistically significant results on their influence, while outsourcing was deemed to negatively influence effectiveness. Full article

The information technology (IT) revolutionization aside with the emergence of COVID-19 have catalyzed cloud-computing services and systems with multiple end-user benefits for online business management, specifically in the accounting discipline. For example, cloud accounting enables the significant reduction of organisational IT investment with flexible access to a large group of scalable resources. The cloud accounting enables small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) to independently engage in fundamental bookkeeping responsibilities rather than hiring external auditors for the same services. As cloud-based accounting adoption remains in the preliminary stage within Jordanian businesses, this study applied the technology, organisation, and environment model to explore cloud accounting among Jordanian SMEs. The study data were gathered from 156 Jordanian SME owners or managers with a structured online survey questionnaire. The recommended study framework encompassed seven determinants that influenced the cloud accounting adoption intention. Resultantly, except Perceived knowledge uncertainty factor, the proposed hypotheses were supported as the aforementioned factors (relative advantages, security concerns, top management support, organizational readiness, competitor’s intensity and suppliers computing support) positively and significantly influenced the cloud accounting of Jordanian SMEs. The study outcomes could facilitate IT field decision-makers and practitioners by investigating an actual cloud accounting case based on the essentiality of its application. Full article

This paper aims to explore external auditors’ perception of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It investigates whether there is a perception among external auditors toward the contribution of AI to audit quality. It also aims to test whether the perception of AI usage and its impact on audit quality differs between local and international external auditors. Data were collected using an online survey from 22 local and 41 international audit firms to achieve these research objectives. Participants were either the auditing manager, audit partners, senior auditors or other personnel who may have experience in the field of accounting and auditing. To test our hypotheses, data analysis was undertaken using reliability and validity tests, descriptive analysis and independent samples t-test. We found that the analysis shows that there is a non-significant difference in the perceived contribution of AI to audit quality between local and international audit firms. All the audit firms, whether local or international, have equal perceived contributions with regard to the audit quality. Full article

Reliable financial reporting is highly important when aiming for sustainable development and the long-term financial stability of the entire economy. An external audit is one of the main monitoring mechanisms to warrant this reliability. While auditing serves as an independent monitoring mechanism towards management, studies indicate that management is often the driving force behind auditor appointments and terminations, especially if it is willing to drive auditor choice. While this raises questions about an auditor’s independence and resulting audit quality, willingness will only have an impact when management is also able to exert its will. This study, therefore, examines to what extent ability strengthens the CEO’s willingness to appoint a non-Big Four auditor. Using a dataset of 316 private firms, regression results show that when the CEO is willing to appoint a non-Big Four auditor and also has sufficient power, it is less likely that a Big Four auditor is actually appointed, at least when the control effectiveness of the board is weak such that the CEO can exert his/her power. This emphasizes the need for both shareholders and legislators to ensure that the independence of the auditor is guaranteed and to implement complementary monitoring mechanisms like a strong board. Full article

This study investigates how the presence and power of labor unions are associated with auditor replacement, more specifically, external auditor tenure and the direction of auditor change. External auditor tenure and direction have been of great interest to stakeholders, as they are very likely associated with the financial reporting quality and corporate transparency, crucial factors for sustainable business. We are focusing on the role of the labor union, one of the key stakeholders involved in corporate governance and transparent operations, in external auditor selection processes. During the annual wage bargaining process, labor unions that rely on financial information face information asymmetry because financial statements are provided by the management. Therefore, labor unions have a high demand for independent and capable external auditors. This demand is likely to shorten auditor tenure and/or prompt changes to higher-quality auditors. Using a sample of 4568 firm-years listed in the Korean stock markets for the period of 2005 to 2008, we find evidence that the presence and power of labor unions significantly decrease external auditor tenure. We also find that the direction of auditor changes with the presence and power of labor unions is likely from non-industry specialist auditors to industry specialist auditors. This study contributes to the extant literature by extending the previous research on auditor selection and the governance role of labor unions. Full article

Credible audit quality is a precondition for a firm’s sustainability. External auditors offer assurance with regard to the uncertain factors that can jeopardize a firm’s sustainability and provide audit opinions that help investors assess risk. After the global crisis and accounting scandals, mandatory audit firm rotation has been implemented globally. However, few studies have investigated either the cost or the benefit of mandatory audit firm rotation. Prior studies provide only indirect evidence on the effects of audit firm tenure on audit quality/perceived audit quality. By discussing prior arguments, we examine how investors perceive the implementation of mandatory audit firm rotation in Korea. Using a unique and direct setting to examine our research question, we analyze the relationship between firms with mandatorily switched audit firms and the cost of equity capital from 2006 to 2008. We find that the mandatory change in the auditors has a negative association with the cost of equity capital. The results are robust to using the arithmetic mean of the cost of equity capital, lagged control variables, and the manufacturing industry effect. The results indicate that investors perceive that mandatory audit firm rotation provides an environment for qualified audits by enhancing auditor independence and skepticism, and thus decreases the cost of equity capital. This study helps to improve our understanding of the impact of mandatory audit firm rotation the information risk evaluations and provides political implications for policy makers by showing the benefit of mandatory audit firm rotation. Full article

This study investigates the effects of both foreign majority shareholders and foreign investors’ participation in the board of directors on audit quality, as reflected by auditor size and audit fees. In addition, the study examines the moderating effect of an agency problem on the relationship between foreign investors and the monitoring of audit quality. Using 1574 non-financial firm-year observations listed on the Korea Stock Exchange from 2000 to 2003, we find that the presence of foreign investors such as foreign block shareholders and foreign outside directors increases audit quality. At the same time, the monitoring role of foreign block shareholders is more powerful than that of foreign external directors. Moreover, the foreign block shareholders in professional management-controlled firms exert a more profound influence on audit quality than do those in owner-controlled ones. These test results imply that foreign investors with independence, expertise, and monitoring incentives could play an important role in improving the corporate governance system in Korea, which in turn would not only enhance firm value, but also strengthen the sustainability of Korean companies. Full article