The (mis)fit between the profile of internal auditors and internal audit activities

This study investigates whether there is a fit between the profile of internal auditors and the activities of the internal audit department (IAD). It also seeks to discover which type of internal auditors fit which type of internal audit (IA) activities. This is commonly referred to as the person-job (P-J) fit. Furthermore, this study investigates whether this (mis)fit is associated with the outsourcing/co-sourcing of IA activities and turnover within the IAD. Bringing strategic human resource management (SHRM) into IA can be considered as the key contribution of this paper. The results of this study are based on a questionnaire completed by 280 members of the Institute of Internal Auditors in Belgium. The results show that there is a fit between some characteristics of internal auditors working in an IAD and the activities of the IAD. The results also show that certain internal auditor characteristics fit with certain types of IA activities. However, the degree of fit varies. Furthermore, it was found that IADs that co-source/outsource were significantly more associated with a misfit between the profile of the internal auditors and the activities of the IAD, whereas a misfit was not significantly associated with a high turnover of internal auditors.     

Internal Audit Outsourcing: A Literature Synthesis and Future Directions

The internal audit function (IAF), which has traditionally been an in‐house function, is increasingly being outsourced to outside consultants, in line with global trends for other services. This study synthesises research on the outsourcing and co‐sourcing of internal audit services over the last three decades, and suggests directions for future research. It draws from professional and academic literature to highlight the nature of organisations that outsource the IAF, and the main reasons behind the outsourcing decision. The study further examines the financial impact of outsourcing, as well as its impact on financial reporting, internal audit quality and auditors’ independence. The study shows widespread adoption of outsourcing of internal auditing services, largely due to the perceived cost benefits as well as perceived improved access to specialised internal auditing resources. There are mixed findings on the impact of outsourcing of internal auditing services on quality, cost, independence and availability of resources. This study contributes to internal and external audit, corporate governance and outsourcing literature in general, by synthesising the existing research and providing a roadmap with which to understand the origins, development, present state and impact of outsourcing of internal auditing.     

Internal audit outsourcing in Australia

The present study investigates the determinants of internal audit outsourcing using survey data on 99 companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, where 54.5 per cent fully rely on in‐house facilities and 45.5 per cent outsource some or all of their internal audit function. Results from logistic regression analyses suggest that internal audit outsourcing is associated with perceived cost savings and the technical competence of the external provider. For a subsample of firms that have previously undertaken internal audit activities before outsourcing, contrary to expectations, the larger the organization the greater the propensity to outsource. In addition, smaller firms are found to be adopting internal audit for the first time, through outsourcing. These results suggest that internal audit outsourcing is an expanding business opportunity for professional accountants; but with 75 per cent of firms outsourcing to their external auditor, there are implications for external auditor independence.     

Internalization versus externalization of the internal audit function: an examination of professional and organizational imperatives

This paper examines the recent trend towards the outsourcing of internal audit services to the public accounting profession. Here we draw from two dominant literature perspectives (the sociology of professions literature and the outsourcing literature) to examine this clash between the public accounting profession and the internal auditing profession over the provision of internal audit services. Two major research propositions are postulated from which to consider these issues. These propositions concern themselves with the efforts of both the public accounting profession and the internal audit profession in this outsourcing debate. We examine these professions both in terms of volitional professional behavior (as espoused in the sociology of professions literature) and organizational arguments (inherent advantages and disadvantages of the externalization of work as typically espoused by the outsourcing literature).     

Gaps in Guidelines on Audit Committees

Since the 1940s, advocacy of the establishment of audit committees was undertaken by regulatory agencies, and subsequently by the accounting profession, and committees representing combinations of interest groups. Over time, this advocacy literature has reflected changing views about the key responsibilities of audit committees. Initially, audit committees were primarily concerned with negotiations with (or responding to) auditors, and reviewing financial statements prior to publication. Since the 1970s, formal guidelines or requirements have suggested additional responsibilities that involve oversight of the internal management of corporations. There is a pattern of renewed enthusiasm for enhanced corporate governance and for a stronger role for audit committees following spates of corporate crashes or disasters. Nevertheless, some of the lessons from those events continue to be ignored, so that arguably there are gaps in contemporary guidelines on audit committees. These gaps concern the need for audit committees to review the structure and design of delegations, and the adequacy of financial and operational information being provided to senior management and boards (particularly concerning subsidiaries and associated entities). These gaps are also reflected in the charters of the audit committees of Australia's top 200 listed entities. However, in some respects, Australian practice has gone beyond the recommendations embodied in recent guidelines. Drawing from literature and practice, this article proposes a model charter which, if adopted, may contribute to improvements in the effectiveness of audit committees.     

External auditors’ reliance on internal audit: the impact of sourcing arrangements and consulting activities

This study examines the impact of internal audit outsourcing and involvement in consulting on external auditors’ reliance on the work of internal audit. We test whether these factors influence reliance on internal audit work already undertaken and the use of internal auditors as assistants, distinguishing between control evaluation and substantive testing. Involvement in consulting impacts reliance on work undertaken and the use of internal auditors as assistants for control evaluation. External auditors make greater use of internal auditors as assistants for substantive testing when internal audit is provided in‐house. Overall, external auditors use internal audit more for control evaluation tasks.     

内部审计研究述评:2003—2009

2003—2009年,我国学者关于内部审计的学术研究取得了重大进展,形成了围绕内部控制的清晰脉络。热点集中在内部审计的职能、外包,以及内部审计与公司治理、风险管理、内部控制的相互嵌合方面,内涵也随着内部控制的发展而不断丰富。未来内部审计将在实现技术和相关理论综合上有所突破,有关内部审计人员的研究也将其作为研究方向之一。     

内部审计外包的策略选择:组织柔性视角的案例研究

因市场环境日新月异的变化以及企业间竞争的加剧,内部审计外包成为不少企业的选择。本文运用组织柔性理论探讨了企业采取内部审计外包策略的动因和影响因素。在此基础上,采取案例研究的方法,选择同为电信行业的两家企业作为典型案例,阐释了内部审计外包的机构设置、模式设置、边界设置等问题。研究结果表明:内部审计外包作为一种企业内部柔性能力,体现组织结构与企业环境匹配的适应性,不同企业采取权变的方法选择外包策略。     

Internal audit,alternative internal audit structures and the level of misappropriation of assets fraud

In recent years, the importance of good corporate governance has received significant public and regulatory attention. A crucial part of an entity's corporate governance is its internal audit function. At the same time, there has been significant public concern about the level of fraud within organizations. The purpose of this study is to assess whether organizations with an internal audit function are more likely to detect and self‐report fraud than those without. In this study, we use a unique self‐reported measure of misappropriation of assets fraud for the first time. The fraud data are from the 2004 KPMG Fraud Survey, which reported fraud from 491 organizations in the private and public sector across Australia and New Zealand. The internal audit data are from a separate mail survey sent to the respondents of the KPMG Fraud Survey. We find that organizations with an internal audit function are more likely than those without such a function to detect and self‐report fraud. Furthermore, organizations that rely solely on outsourcing for their internal audit function are less likely to detect and self‐report fraud than those that undertake at least part of their internal audit function themselves. These findings suggest that internal audit adds value through improving the control and monitoring environment within organizations to detect and self‐report fraud. These results also suggest that keeping the internal audit function within the organization is more effective than completely outsourcing that function.     

上市公司内部审计外包决策的影响因素研究

本文在分析我国上市公司内部审计外包情况的基础上,建立了基于交易成本理论和公司治理理论的外包程度影响因素模型,并利用我国上市公司数据予以实证分析。结果发现,内审资产的专用性、内审活动的开展频率、审计委员会的有效性是影响内部审计外包程度的主要因素,即内审资产的专用性越低,内审活动开展越不频繁,审计委员会未成立或未有效运作,公司越可能进行内部审计外包。     

或有表外项目的分类和计量研究

2001～2002年，大量的重大会计丑闻曝光，这些问题暴露了公司治理、审计实务和财务报告中的薄弱环节，其中两个主要问题是表外项目的范围（包括特殊目的实体的使用）和股票发行者的财务报告是否透明地反映了表外项目的经济实质。本文主要对或有表外项目中投资的分娄和计量进行兮析，并提供了美国上市公司投资于其他实体的经验研究与发现，以期对今后的衍生金融工具的会计处理提供借鉴。     

Do investment in and the sourcing arrangement of the internal audit function affect audit delay?

This paper investigates the association between the internal audit function attributes and audit delay using a sample of 432 publicly traded firms in Malaysia in 2009. In this unique setting, we capitalize on the publicly available data concerning the investment in and the sourcing arrangement of internal audit function. We find a negative relationship between the costs incurred for the internal audit function and audit delay. However, we do not find any significant association between the internal audit function sourcing arrangements and audit delay. Additionally, we find that greater audit committee independence and longer auditor–client tenure shorten audit delay, and more frequent audit committee meetings and higher misstatements in the preliminary unaudited earnings are associated with a longer audit delay.     

国家审计、内部审计与注册会计师审计的协调与贯通

我国审计体系依据审计主体的不同,划分包括国家审计、内部审计和注册会计师审计三种审计力量。三大审计主体之间既有区别也有联系。三者之间的区别即工作目标、工作依据不同。三者之间的联系主要体现在国家审计对内部审计、注册会计师审计具有领导作用;内部审计以及注册会计师审计应接受国家审计机关的监督和指导,以便促进三种审计力量的有效相互配合,更好的服务于国家治理。为推动我国国家治理现代化的实现,进一步加强三大审计主体之间的协调与贯通是很有必要的。     

监管导因的信息披露质量研究——基于深交所信息披露质量考评结果分析

以深交所信息披露质量考评结果为依据,通过2008～2010年吉林省上市公司与全国上市公司信息披露质量的比较,发现吉林省上市公司信息披露质量低于全国水平。究其原因,与外部监管环境宽松和内部监管机构独立性不足有着密不可分的关系。应从加大处罚力度、强化对注册会计师审计质量的"再监督"、明确内部审计机构的组织隶属地位等方面入手加以治理。     

The influence of corporate governance mechanisms on the quality of financial reporting and auditing: Perceptions of auditors and directors in Singapore

This study uses two hypothetical cases to examine the perceptions of auditors and directors in Singapore about corporate governance practices relating to the quality of financial reporting and auditing. In the first case, the strength of the audit committee, the existence of an internal audit function and the strength of a corporate code of conduct were manipulated. All three variables were perceived to have some influence on financial reporting and audit quality. However, some interesting differences were found between the perceptions of auditors and directors. Auditors place more weight on the internal audit function, possibly due to their familiarity with the role that internal audit can play in reducing audit risk and enhancing controls. Directors have more confidence in board enforcement of a strong code of conduct, possibly reflecting the view that this encourages staff to adhere to higher ethical standards. In the second case, audit partner rotation, outsourcing of internal audit services and whether the audit firm audited all companies within a group were manipulated. Auditors believed that their ability to resist management pressure was enhanced when they audited all companies within the group. No significant differences were found for the other variables, suggesting that neither group believes that these practices impair audit independence.     

Effect of outsourcing public sector audits on cost‐efficiency

This study compares the cost‐efficiency of ‘in‐house’ and outsourced to private sector audit supplier arrangements to deliver financial audits in the public sector by examining audit cost‐efficiency within the context of the public sector arrangement at one state in Australia (Western Australia). The results for 178 public agencies show that outsourced audits are, in general, more costly than in‐house audits, but this result is conditional on the type and size of public agency. Specifically, outsourced audits are more costly than in‐house audits for small statutory authority audits, whereas for specialist audits (i.e. hospitals) and large and complex statutory authority audits, the in‐house supply is equally efficient as the outsourced service.     

Public Sector Outsourcing as an Exchange Option

The outsourcing of government activities is justified primarily by expected cost savings. In the formal process of determining whether there are potential savings from contracting out, public sector agencies in Australia are required by published government guidelines to measure the relevant costs of in-house activities and to compare these with external bids. Similar and in technical respects essentially identical requirements exist in Great Britain. The cost comparison methodology advocated in these various publications is deficient in that it makes no allowance for the financial value of the option to contract out. Like other options, the option to contract out provides a hedge against uncertainty, and is all the more valuable the more uncertain (less predictable) the agency's future costs of in-house and external service arrangements. In the face of inherently uncertain cost streams, there is something to be said for conserving all available options. By interpreting the option to contract out as a financial asset with theoretically measurable value, arguments for government agencies maintaining at least some in-house capabilities are given a basis in 'rational economics'.     

Large audit firm premium and audit specialisation in the public sector

The outsourcing of public‐sector audits to the private sector is an important issue. This study examines the fee premium in the public sector by comparing audit fees between the government auditor and the Big5. The study (i) statistically adjusts for self‐selection bias, (ii) allows the slope coefficients in the audit fee model to vary between the Big5 and the government audit and (iii) estimates the counterfactual audit fee premium. The Big5 premium is around 23 percent. However, the variation in premium depends on whether the Big5 auditor is an industry or city specialist.     

审计管理体制改革的生态分析:基于国家治理现代化视角

党的十八大以来,党中央、国务院对新时期如何做好审计工作提出了新要求,对审计管理体制改革作出一系列重大决策部署。本文运用生态分析方法研究国家治理现代化新环境与审计管理体制改革间的内在联系:改革审计管理体制是国家治理现代化的必然要求;国家治理外部环境发生变化,国家审计必须适应新环境,因此需要健全完善与履行新职责新使命相适应的审计管理体制。基于对以上双向互动关系的理解,试图诠释我国审计管理体制改革的逻辑与思路:以构建集中统一、全面覆盖、权威高效的审计监督体系为目标;通过中央审计委员会加强党对审计工作的领导,增强审计管理体制对国家治理现代化新环境的适应性。     

2006年沪市公司内部控制信息披露研究

本文针对上海证券交易所出台的《上海证券交易所上市公司内部控制指引》和《关于做好上市公司2006年年度报告工作的通知》中关于内部控制信息披露的规定,通过描述性统计对2006年沪市年报内部控制信息披露的现状分析,认为2006年沪市公司内部控制信息披露存在以下问题:内部控制信息披露的强制规定未得到有效执行、内部控制信息自愿性披露动机不足、公司的内部控制自我评估和会计师事务所的核实评价缺少统一的标准。文章相应提出如下改进建议:制定明确的内部控制框架;作为制定、执行、评估和审核的基础,内部控制自评报告应采用强制披露和分步走相结合的做法;内部控制审核报告应采用强制性披露和鼓励性披露相结合的作法;加强对内部控制信息披露的监管。