External Auditor Evaluations of Outsourced Internal Auditors

2010 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duane M. Brandon
Keyword(s):  
Internal Audit ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Internal Auditor ◽  
Internal Auditors ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
Consulting Services ◽  
Significant Area ◽  
External Auditor ◽  
Nonaudit Services

SUMMARY: In the last decade internal auditing services has been a significant area of growth for public accounting firms. Unlike the provision of external audits, the provision of outsourced internal audit services does not prohibit accounting firms from providing the client with additional services. This study investigates some implications of an outsourced internal auditor providing nonaudit services. Specifically, 89 experienced external auditors completed an experiment to investigate whether external auditors will evaluate and rely on an outsourced internal auditor’s work differently when the internal auditor also provides nonaudit services. Results indicate that evaluations of the outsourced internal auditors’ objectivity were negatively affected by the provision of nonaudit services. Further, the differences in objectivity perceptions are tempered by the use of different personnel to provide consulting services. Competence perceptions were not affected. Results also indicate that external auditor reliance on internal audit and suggested audit fees are affected. However, these results do not appear to be tempered by audit and nonaudit staffing decisions.

An Understanding of the Differences between Internal and External Auditors in Obtaining Information about Internal Control Weaknesses

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 83-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Burt
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Internal Auditor ◽  
Internal Auditors ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
Organizational Silence ◽  
Internal Control Weaknesses ◽  
External Auditor

ABSTRACT The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) argues that internal auditors often have a strong “employee” identity within their organization. While external auditors are concerned that this employee identity might negatively impact internal auditors' objectivity, the IIA argues this identity can actually be beneficial as employees may be more willing to share sensitive and audit-relevant information with the internal auditor than they would with the external auditor. Through an experiment relying on the social identity and organizational silence literatures, I test the prediction that non-audit employees will identify more highly with the internal than the external auditor and they will thus, be willing to share more information about internal control weaknesses with the internal than the external auditor. The results from a moderated mediation analysis support this prediction and also show the effect is stronger as the severity of the internal control weakness increases. Overall, this research informs external auditors and regulators about conditions under which the internal auditor may have an advantage over the external auditor in obtaining information that could help improve audit quality. It also informs managers about an important role played by their internal auditors that may result in increased quality of the internal control system while also potentially lowering audit fees.

scholarly journals The effects of human resources in internal audit on external audit pricing decision

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (4-1) ◽  
pp. 165-180
Author(s):  
Moon Kyung Cho
Keyword(s):  
Small Firms ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Auditor Independence ◽  
Professional Judgment ◽  
External Audit ◽  
Internal Auditor ◽  
Internal Auditors ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
General Internal

This study presents evidence that external audit fees are negatively and significantly associated with the proportion of general internal auditors. Further, external audit hours are negatively and significantly associated with the proportion of general auditors without affecting external unit audit price. In addition, the results of the data adjusted for firm size suggest that audit fees and audit hours decrease for smaller firms as the proportion of general internal auditor increases. The result implies that both small firms and their external auditors are encouraged to utilize more general internal auditors in performing an external audit. The author finds no evidence that external audit fees are associated with internal auditor expertise or experience. This shows that external auditors are not likely to rely on internal auditors’ professional judgment in performing an external audit due to reduced auditor independence.

scholarly journals Internal Audit Functions: An Empirical Study of Public and Private Sectors in Nigeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-37
Author(s):  
Abdulkadir Madawaki ◽  
Aidi Ahmi ◽  
Halimah @ Nasibah Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Internal Auditor ◽  
Internal Auditors ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
The Public ◽  
Private And Public

The study examines the similarities and differences between the private and public sectors internal audit functions in Nigeria. The features examined include the hierarchical position of the internal audit functions, outsourcing of internal audit activities, reporting relationship of the internal auditor, and the coordination between internal and external auditors. A survey of internal audit managers of both sectors was undertaken to establish their current practices. The results revealed that there are no much differences in the hierarchical positioning of the internal audit function in both sectors. A substantial difference was found in the reporting lines of internal auditors in both sectors. The results further showed that private sector outsources internal audit activities more than the public sector and a slight difference exists between the two sectors about the level of coordination between internal and external auditors. Finally, the result indicated that private sector experiences a reduction in external audit fees compares to its counterpart in the public sector.      

The Effects of Employer and Client Identification on Internal and External Auditors' Evaluations of Internal Control Deficiencies

2012 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad M. Stefaniak ◽  
Richard W. Houston ◽  
Robert M. Cornell
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Internal Auditor ◽  
Internal Auditors ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
Audit Efficiency ◽  
Public Company ◽  
External Auditor ◽  
Internal Control Deficiencies

SUMMARY The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's (PCAOB) Auditing Standard No. 5 (AS5) encourages external auditors to rely on internal auditors to increase the efficiency of lower-risk internal control evaluations (PCAOB 2007). We use post-SOX experimental data to compare the levels and effects of employer (client) identification on the control evaluations of internal (external) auditors. First, we find that internal auditors perceive a greater level of identification with the evaluated firm than do external auditors. We also find some evidence that, ceteris paribus, internal auditors are less lenient than external auditors when evaluating internal control deficiencies (i.e., tend to support management's preferred position to a lesser extent). Further, while we support Bamber and Iyer's (2007) results by finding that higher levels of external auditor client identification are associated with more lenient control evaluations, we demonstrate an opposite effect for internal auditors—higher levels of internal auditor employer identification are associated with less lenient control evaluations. Our results are important because we are the first to capture the relative levels of identification between internal and external auditors, as well as the first to compare directly internal and external auditor leniency, both of which are important in light of AS5. That is, we provide initial evidence that external auditors' increased reliance on internal auditors' work, while increasing audit efficiency, also could improve audit quality by resulting in less lenient internal control evaluations, due, at least in part, to the effects of employer and client identification. Data Availability: Contact the first author.

scholarly journals The Reliance of External Auditors on Internal Audit's Use of Continuous Audit

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Malaescu ◽  
Steve G. Sutton
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Automated Control ◽  
Material Weakness ◽  
Internal Auditor ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
External Auditor ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT As a response to the increased demand for timely and ongoing assurance over the effectiveness of risk management and control systems, companies are moving toward a more automated control environment through the implementation of continuous audit modules. The purpose of this study is to evaluate external auditors' reliance on internal audit's work when advanced audit techniques are introduced by the internal auditor and the impact this reliance has on budgeted audit hours. Prior literature suggests that internal control deficiencies also have an impact on external auditor reliance and the audit budget. The reliance decision of an external auditor has important economic consequences and implications for efficiency and effectiveness of the overall audit. In recent years, the PCAOB has encouraged greater such reliance to improve audit efficiency. An experiment is conducted with 87 experienced external auditors to investigate the theorized effects. Using a 2 × 2 between-subjects factorial design, the frequency of the internal audit (traditional versus continuous audit) and prior year material weakness (absent versus present) are manipulated. Consistent with predictions, we find that auditors are willing to rely more on internal audit work in a continuous audit environment than in a traditional environment, and this effect is magnified when the prior year audit report on the effectiveness of internal controls indicates that controls are working properly. The presence of a material weakness, however, negatively impacts judgments on the budget for the valuation of a complex account. In addition, both material weakness and continuous audit have an impact on the overall audit budget, which is reduced only when the company has no prior year material weakness and a functioning continuous audit module is put in place. The results show that auditors increase budgeted hours for the engagement at a higher rate when the client uses traditional internal audit procedures.

Internal audit quality: perceptions of Tunisian internal auditors an explanatory research

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aida Krichene ◽  
Emna Baklouti
Keyword(s):  
Audit Quality ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Internal Auditor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Auditors ◽  
External Auditor ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand how internal auditors perceive the internal audit quality and to highlight the different profiles of internal auditors based on their perception of internal audit quality determinants. Design/methodology/approach The authors’ methodological approach is based on the submission of a self-administered questionnaire. The final sample consists of 104 internal auditors. The first stage of the study is in the lead of a certified public accountants (CPA), which highlights seven factors of the internal audit quality. The second step is a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) that allowed the authors to validate the model proposed by the CPA. Finally, the authors carry out a typological analysis of the auditors according to their way of perceiving the factors extracted by the CPA. Findings The authors’ model, validated by the CFA, shows that the knowledge of the internal auditor, the independence of reporting, compliance with professional standards of internal audit, the relationship with the external auditor, the personal relationship of the internal auditor, the access to information and the field of intervention of the internal auditor have a positive association with the internal audit quality but with a different degree of significance. For example, the field of intervention of the internal auditor and the access to information explain better the internal audit quality. However, the knowledge of the internal auditor and the relationship with the external auditor are not significant to explain the internal audit quality. From the hierarchical cluster analysis, four groups of internal auditors emerged: the autonomous, the perfectionists, the rigorous ones and the objectives. Originality/value In offering these findings, the paper contributes to the existing internal audit literature by introducing evidence from an emerging country, namely, Tunisia, of the internal audit quality model. In addition, the authors proposed a new measure to the internal audit quality model which is the use of the work of the internal auditor by the external auditor. This study is also interesting to managers and professional internal audit organizations in recognizing the characteristics of the quality of the internal audit and advance reflections on the effectiveness of internal audit practices. The authors’ study proposes a typology of certified internal auditors through their perceptions of the quality of the internal audit while taking into account the specificities of the Tunisian audit market. This provides insights to managers and audit committees on the measures necessary to ensure the relevance of the internal audit work within their companies.

Reconciling Archival and Experimental Research: Does Internal Audit Contribution Affect the External Audit Fee?

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas F. Prawitt ◽  
Nathan Y. Sharp ◽  
David A. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Internal Audit ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Archival Studies ◽  
External Audit ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Internal Auditor ◽  
Internal Auditors ◽  
Auditing Standards

ABSTRACT Consistent with guidelines from external auditing standards, experimental and survey research suggests that an internal audit function (IAF) can contribute in ways that lead to decreased external audit fees; however, research using archival methodologies generally finds either no relation or a positive relation between proxies for IAF contribution and external audit fees. In this paper, we provide new evidence using a unique and previously unavailable data set to develop archival proxies of internal audit contribution. We find that archival proxies for the contribution of internal audit based on Statement of Audited Standards (SAS) No. 65 are associated with lower unexpected external audit fees. We show that proxies used in prior archival studies are limited in their ability to capture the IAF's potential contribution to external auditing, and suggest that the lack of high-quality proxies could help explain the divergent findings of experimental and survey-based studies in relation to archival studies in this area. In addition, our results suggest that fee reductions are associated with the direct assistance of, but not with reliance on, work previously performed by the internal auditor. Overall, our results provide evidence consistent with external auditing standards and with results from prior experimental and survey studies suggesting that IAFs can indeed contribute in ways that lead to lower external audit fees. Data Availability: Contact the authors. Data provided by the Institute of Internal Auditors are subject to restrictions.

scholarly journals Criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the internal audit of an economic entity

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3B) ◽  
pp. 504-510
Author(s):  
Yulia Nikolaevna Kovalenko ◽  
Svetlana Nikolaevna Kovalenko ◽  
Natalia Alekseevna Prodanova ◽  
Marina Mikhailovna Krekova ◽  
Vadim Anatolevich Mironchuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Audit Committee ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Executive Management ◽  
Internal Auditor ◽  
Internal Auditors ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
Audit System ◽  
Economic Entity ◽  
The Board Of Directors

The article raises issues related to the need and possibility of evaluating the effectiveness of the internal audit system. The directions of internal auditors 'audits are formed, the procedure of actions of various structural divisions within the framework of effective corporate governance is described, the key factors of the effectiveness of internal auditors' work are given, their essence is revealed. The necessity of creating an internal audit committee is justified, and the provisions of the internal audit committee are prescribed, according to its supervisory role in the activities of an economic entity. The role of the internal auditor and its interaction with external auditors who carry out control measures are described, arguments are given about internal cooperation between the board of directors, the internal audit committee and the executive management of an economic entity in relation to the control system.

The Influence of Internal Audit on External Audit

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Ana Silva ◽  
Helena Inácio ◽  
Elisabete Vieira
Keyword(s):  
Significant Influence ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
External Audit ◽  
Internal Auditors ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
The Relationship

The main purpose of this chapter is to analyze the relationship between internal and external audit and its effect on external audit fees, through a questionnaire addressed to the external auditors of Portugal and Spain. It obtained 131 answers for Portugal and 149 answers for Spain. According to the results, the competencies and characteristics of internal auditors, as well as the type of activities performed by them and the communication between internal and external auditors, have a significant influence on the decision of using the internal audit work. However, the Portuguese external auditors do not consider this influence to be so significant that it affects the number of substantive tests, the quality of external audit, and external audit fees. However, for Spanish auditors using internal audits decreases the planned hours, the number of control and substantive tests, and improves external audit quality, but does not reflect in the fees to be charged to the client.

THE EFFECT BETWEEN COORDINATION AND COOPERATION IN INTERNAL AUDITOR WITH EXTERNAL AUDITORS TO AN EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERNAL AUDIT: CASE STUDY ON A ROLE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
hendra poltak
Keyword(s):  
Internal Audit ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Internal Auditor ◽  
Internal Auditors ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
Pls Analysis ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Audit Effectiveness

The internal audit ineffectiveness is marked by the weakness of financial accountability. This research aimed to examine and provide determinants of the internal audit effectiveness at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP). The research sample consisted of 31 inter-nal auditors and 31 KKP employees. This research belongs to the explanatory research. The re- search questionnaire data to test hypotheses were analyzed with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis tool. The results showed that the coordination and cooperation of internal auditors with external auditors had a positive effect on the effectiveness of internal audits. In addition, man-agement support was able to moderate the coordination and cooperation of internal auditors with external auditors on the effectiveness of internal audits. This finding can open the horizons of interested parties, especially KKP leaders to consider policies that can improve the effectiveness of internal audits to improve organizational objectives and performance.

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