The Role of Internal Auditors in Private and Public Organizations of Jimma Zone Selected Weredas, Ethiopia
The objective of this study is to assess the role of internal auditors in both private and public organizations found in limma zone purposively selected weredas. Both primary and secondary data have been used. Totally 128 self administered questionnaires were distributed to members of the audit committee or equivalent found in both the public and private enterprises in the study area. From this 100 (78 % response rate) questionnaires were completely filled and returned (77questionnaires from public organizations and 23 from the private companies). Collected data was edited, coded, and entered into the computer using SPSS 20 and was then scored. Data analyses are conducted through a descriptive statistics to provide details regarding the roles played by internal auditors. The major finding of the research shows that some of the private and public organization in the case study did not have an audit committee, audit charter and the members of the audit committee did not have a professional certificate in the field. On average, even though the chief audit executive and the internal auditors of both the private and public organization found in jimma zone selected weredas are playing different activities in the organizations, as compared to the standard, they are not playing their role as expected. Based on these findings the organizations are recommended to enhance the role of internal auditors through training of staff in accredited institutes at home and abroad, preparing a comprehensive charter that incorporate all the activities of internal auditing.