An examination of the impact of compliance with internal audit standards on financial reporting quality

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 498-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz Alzeban

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of internal audit (IA) compliance with the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing (ISPPIA) on financial reporting quality (FRQ). Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from 142 chief audit executive from Saudi listed companies, and also from the annual reports of the participating companies. Two proxies are used to measure FRQ, namely, discretionary accruals and accruals quality. Findings The findings reveal that companies demonstrating higher IA compliance with standards have better FRQ. They also indicate that the interaction between IA competency and its compliance with standards has an impact on FRQ. Further, the findings provide evidence that FRQ is higher in companies where IA departments have formal documentation, that is, entirely consistent with the ISPPIA. These results retain their robustness after further analysis. Originality/value In offering these findings, the paper contributes to the existing IA literature by introducing evidence from a Middle Eastern context, namely, Saudi Arabia, of the link between IA compliance with the ISPPIA and FRQ. It confirms the role of IA in FRQ, and hence, as an element of corporate governance, information, which is valuable for both the institute of internal auditors and companies.

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz Alzeban

Purpose This study aims to explore the influence of internal audit (IA) reporting lines and the implementation of IA recommendations (IMPLEMENT) on financial reporting quality (FRQ). Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained from the annual reports of 201 UK listed companies, and also from survey questionnaires completed by the chief audit executives working within those companies. Two measures are used as proxies of FRQ: abnormal accruals and accrual quality. Findings Findings indicate that when IA reports directly to the audit committee (AC), there is a significant positive influence upon FRQ. Conversely, when IA reports to the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief financial officer (CFO), there is a negative impact on FRQ. It is further shown by the results that lower income-increasing accruals are evident when there is greater IMPLEMENT, thereby showing an accompanying positive influence on FRQ. Moreover, the results indicate that greater adoption of such recommendations is also associated with internal reporting lines, i.e. when IA reports directly to the AC, FRQ results improved. Originality/value These findings contribute to the literature in the field of IA reporting, by introducing new insights regarding reporting lines and IMPLEMENT, and the influence of these on FRQ, and by establishing those insights through empirical work undertaken in the UK where little research on this issue has been reported.


2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 539-559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz Alzeban

Purpose – This study aims to provide empirical evidence of the association between audit committee characteristics and internal audit conformance with the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing (ISPPIA). Design/methodology/approach – Seventy-four usable responses were received from a survey of chief internal auditors (CIAs) from Saudi companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange. Findings – The results indicate that audit committee characteristics (the presence of independent members on the committee, members’ expertise in auditing and accounting and meeting with the CIA) influence internal audit conformance with the ISPPIA. Additionally, they demonstrate that such conformance is also influenced by CIA tenure. Practical implications – The findings of this study also have significant implications for audit committees wishing to improve their overall effectiveness, by identifying the impact of the committee’s characteristics on internal audit conformance with the ISPPIA. Originality/value – The results add to the literature on internal audit standards by introducing a Middle Eastern perspective and simultaneously providing insights for companies in their attempts to adhere to the international standards, hence, supporting efforts towards good corporate governance.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen Thi Tran ◽  
Nguyen Phong Nguyen ◽  
Trang Cam Hoang

Purpose By drawing on the institutional theory and contingency theory, this study aims to examine the effects of leadership and accounting capacity on the quality of financial reporting and accountability of public organisations in Vietnam. Furthermore, this paper is to determine the impact of financial reporting quality on accountability. Design/methodology/approach The research model and hypotheses have been tested by partial least squares structural equation modeling, with 177 survey samples obtained from accountants and managers working in the public sector in Vietnam. Findings The research results indicate that leadership and accounting capacity have a positive effect on financial reporting quality; leadership and accounting capacity positively influence accountability; and the quality of financial reporting has a positive impact on accountability. Research limitations/implications The research results provide empirical evidence of the direct impact of leadership and accounting capacity on financial reporting quality and accountability of public organisations in a developing country. Moreover, the current work also provides important evidence for the impact of financial reporting quality on accountability. Practical implications Public sector organisations must realise that leadership and accounting capacity play a vital role in the accounting reform process. Public institutions likewise need to pay attention to develop accounting capacity and promote leadership. Moreover, the results respond to the continuing call for increased citizen trust in public organisations. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the chain from leadership, accounting capacity, financial reporting quality and accountability in the context of public sector organisations in an Asian transition market.


2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 513-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faisal Shahzad ◽  
Ijaz Ur Rehman ◽  
Sisira Colombage ◽  
Faisal Nawaz

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of two monitoring mechanisms: family ownership (FO) and financial reporting quality (FRQ) on investment efficiency (IE) over the period of 2007–2014 for listed firms on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Design/methodology/approach The authors employ two-dimensional pooled OLS cluster at the firm and year level, two-stage least square regression and feasible generalized lease square regression regression methods. Findings The findings suggest that higher FRQ and FO are associated with higher IE. Further, the authors report that higher FRQ and FO mitigate over- and under-investment. The impact of FRQ on IE is stronger (weaker) for family-controlled businesses. The results for these particular estimates are robust for alternative estimation techniques and measures of FRQ and FO. Originality/value The study draws on both agency and behavioral agency theories and therefore contributes to the literature in the following ways. First, the authors examine a relationship between FRQ and IE. Second, the authors test the impact of FO on IE. Third, the authors test the moderating impact of FO on the relationship between FRQ and the IE of family and non-family firms in relatively less regulated emerging market.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahsan Habib ◽  
Md. Borhan Uddin Bhuiyan ◽  
Mostafa Monzur Hasan

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption on financial reporting quality and cost of equity. The paper further investigates whether such association varies at different life cycle stages. Design/methodology/approach This paper follows the methodologies of DeAngelo et al. (2006) and Dickinson (2011) to develop proxies for the firms’ stages in the life cycle. Findings Using both pre- and post-IFRS adoption period for Australian listed companies, the paper finds that financial reporting quality reduced and cost of equity increased because of the adoption of IFRS. The paper further evidences that financial reporting quality in the post-IFRS period increased cost of equity. Finally, the paper finds that mature firms produce a better quality of earnings, which result in lower cost of capital. The results indicate that a mature firm was benefited because of the adoption of IFRS. Originality/value The finding of this research is useful to the regulators and practitioners to understand the widespread benefit of IFRS adoption.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Vadasi ◽  
Michalis Bekiaris ◽  
Andreas Andrikopoulos

Purpose This paper aims to explore internal audit effectiveness through its contribution to corporate governance. Namely, the authors attempt to investigate the impact of internal audit professionalization on internal audit’s contribution to corporate governance. Design/methodology/approach Using a research framework informed by institutional theory, the authors predict that internal audit’s contribution to corporate governance is associated with factors related to internal audit professionalization. To investigate the arguments, the authors combine data from a survey of 49 listed companies in the Athens Stock Exchange with publicly available information from annual reports. Findings Empirical results indicate that internal audit professionalization affects internal audit effectiveness, as internal audit’s contribution to corporate governance is improved for organizations where internal audit function complies with internal auditing standards and internal auditors hold professional certifications. The findings also suggest that internal audit’s contribution to corporate governance is shaped by some company-specific characteristics, namely, CEO duality and audit committee quality. Practical implications The results have implications for internal auditors who wish to increase the efficiency of their work, corporate governance mechanisms such as the board of directors and the audit committee, which can use the findings of this study to better respond to their responsibilities concerning internal audit and regulators who can also benefit to strengthen areas with substantial impact on internal audit’s contribution to corporate governance. Originality/value This paper contributes to the academic discussion on the role of internal audit in corporate governance and complements the work of other researchers in the field of internal audit professionalization. This study tries to fill a gap in the literature on the effect of internal audit professionalization elements on internal audit’s contribution to corporate governance.


2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Tommasetti ◽  
Marcelo Á. da Silva Macedo ◽  
Frederico A. Azevedo de Carvalho ◽  
Sergio Barile

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature on financial reporting quality (FRQ) within family firms (FFs), assessing whether longevity can determine a different propensity to earning management (EM) behaviors. Design/methodology/approach The sample, composed by Italian and Brazilian listed family (and non-family) firms, is segregated into old and young. For each subsample, unsigned discretionary accruals are calculated, using two different EM models. A linear regression model is then proposed, together with some robustness tests, to confirm the research hypothesis. Findings The outcome is that, within FFs, the entrenchment effect seems to be diminishing with the company’s age, up to become lower than the alignment effect. With some caveat, research also demonstrates that old FFs are more propense to supply higher FRQ than any other subsample group. Research limitations/implications The authors demonstrated that, in terms of EM decision process, FFs become virtuous just with time. More research is needed to evaluate the impact of the share and management control separately and to analyze different generation segmentation. Practical implications This paper could help non-family stakeholders, as it shows that different company types (family vs non-family), at a different stage of the life-cycle (young vs old) have a different attitude toward FRQ. On the other hand, family owners could exploit the longevity as a value driver. Originality/value This paper suggests that agency theory and socio-emotional theory are complementary in explaining the family control role in earnings management decisions. The study also contributes to the debate of FF homogeneity and on risk behavior in FFs, often portrayed as having a patient capital.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-458
Author(s):  
Md. Mamunur Rashid

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of financial reporting quality (FRQ) on share price movement (SPM) of listed companies in an emerging and developing economy – Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach The study analyzed 296 annual reports for the year 2015 and 2016 in examining the effect of FRQ on SPM. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model is used to examine the hypothesized relationship among the variables. A modified version of Lang et al. (2003) has been adopted in measuring the SPM. FRQ is measured using the qualitative characteristics approach as defined by the International Financial Reporting Standard Framework and used by Beest et al. (2009) and Braam and Beest (2013). Findings The study finds a positive association (though not significant statistically) between the FRQ and SPM in the country’s leading stock exchange (Dhaka stock exchange). Furthermore, the effect of enhancing quality on SPM is found to be stronger as compared to fundamental quality. Majority of the FRQ constructs demonstrate an improvement in the quality score in the year 2016 as compared to 2015 except for relevance. Research limitations/implications The key limitation of the study is that it focuses only on two years (2015 and 2016) annual reports data in measuring FRQ and its effect on SPM. Originality/value The study uses qualitative characteristics approach in measuring the FRQ and to examine its effect on SPM using the context of an emerging and developing economy – the case of Bangladesh.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Qasim Ahmad Alawaqleh ◽  
Nashat Almasri

The corporate governance literature indicates efforts to investigate the role of the audit committee (AC) in improving the financial reporting quality (FRQ) after the emergence of financial scandals in many countries in the world, inclusive Jordan. To date, empirical findings are inconclusive enough to address all audit committee characteristics regarding its competency and responsibilities by employing a questionnaire to collect data about this relationship. Thus, this study measures the correlation between AC (performance and composition) and FRQ of manufacturing corporations registered on the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). To test this impact empirically, the target population was financial managers, audit committee members, and internal audit managers who are working in manufacturing corporations listed on the (ASE). According to the coefficient (β), the independent variables (Audit Committee Performance and Audit Committee Composition influence the dependent variable FRQ. This research recommends that firms enhance the audit committee work performance and composition to ensure audit committee members effectively enhance the FRQ audit committee is a vital mechanism of the firm's corporate governance system.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qaiser Rafique Yasser ◽  
Abdullah Al Mamun ◽  
Margurite Hook

Purpose This paper aims to focus mainly on the relationship between ownership structure and earnings management of a developed and two developing economies, and is distinct from prior research. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of firms from three countries (Australia, Malaysia and Pakistan), the detailed ownership evolutions for the period 2011-2013 were observed. Findings Overall, the authors find that in the East, ownership concentration is negatively associated with financial reporting quality. Individual ownership and group ownership were negatively associated with earnings management in Pakistan, however, not in Malaysia where the same were positively associated. Further, the result of this study indicated that state ownership is negatively associated with firm performance. Among the control variables, it was found that larger firms were negatively correlated with financial reporting, while firms with a larger board size and mature in the maneuver were coupled positively with earnings management. Originality/value The results highlight the highly individualized effects of blockholders and the need for research to further understand the mechanisms through which shareholders impact financial reporting quality.


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