Who's in Control of the Ark? A Study of Internal Controls in Operating and Auditing A Small Preschool

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth V. Grace ◽  
Ashley Davis
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Auditor Independence ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Control Environment ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Not For Profit ◽  
Analytical Thinking ◽  
Financial Transactions

ABSTRACT This instructional case encourages analytical thinking about internal controls in both the operations and audit of a small, not-for-profit organization. Students examine a control environment characterized by unauthorized expenditures, lack of documentation, and missing documents. Using the COSO (2013) framework, students demonstrate understanding of business processes as they identify internal control risks and deficiencies, and recommend control improvements. Auditing students additionally apply management assertions about financial transactions and assess auditor independence. Students gain practical experience in developing flowcharts of accounting processes and writing a management letter for a familiar organization: a preschool.

scholarly journals Fraud at the Public Park Community School District

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-100
Author(s):  
Rania Mousa
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Public School Districts ◽  
Community School ◽  
Public Park ◽  
The Public ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Not For Profit

ABSTRACT This case study examines potentially fraudulent activities that took place in the Public Park Community School District. Students start their investigations by reading each section and answering case questions. Students analyze potentially fraudulent incidents, identify red flags, calculate potential losses, examine deficiencies in internal controls and suggest effective internal controls. Student feedback indicates the case increased their understanding of fraudulent activities, internal control weaknesses, and effective internal controls in the specific context of public school districts. The findings also highlight the importance of cultivating a strong internal control environment in not-for-profit organizations engaging in fundraising activities.

scholarly journals Effective Internal Controls for Not-For Profit Entities

2020 ◽  
pp. 47-58
Author(s):  
Achraf Seyam, CPA ◽  
Barry Copper, CPA
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Continuous Monitoring ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Professional Services ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
The Public ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Not For Profit ◽  
Non Profit Organizations

The importance of internal control is clear. Effective internal control makes sure non-profit organizations to carried out their mission and objectives, such as proper use of funds and provide professional services to the public without any risk of fraud and mismanagement or breach of ethics. Through continuous monitoring of non-profit’s performance and activities, internal controls dispose of the behaviors of non-profit organizations with their objectives. Internal controls also engaged in good management and make sure to provide appropriate financial reporting by providing accurate and complete reports to the management in a timely manner and make sure the sources are correctly allocated. Internal control is also the tool to safeguard assets that make sure the organizations physical and intangible assets are protected from fraud, misused, and error. Internal control is not only able to deter and detect fraud and error but also is able to reduce the chance to risks.

scholarly journals Cost-Volume-Profit Modeling: A Strategic and Financial Approach

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Joseph M. Larkin
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Control Environment ◽  
Business Decisions ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Profit Analysis

Set in the context of a youth soccer tournament, this case study addresses critical accounting and business topics such as cost-volume-profit analysis, identification of business processes and internal controls and the internal control environment. Students are expected to make business decisions based upon financial and strategic analyses. In addition, the case requires students to identify weaknesses with internal controls and most importantly, make suggestions to strengthen the control environment.

Sunshine Center: An Instructional Case Evaluating Internal Controls in a Small Organization

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 709-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra K. Fleak ◽  
Keith E. Harrison ◽  
Laurie A. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Child Care ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Fraud Triangle ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Not For Profit ◽  
Control Framework ◽  
Internal Control Weaknesses

ABSTRACT: Management and auditors face increased responsibilities to evaluate internal control and assess the risk of fraud. This case provides the opportunity to evaluate internal controls and the possibility of fraud in a very small not-for-profit child care center, a setting that is easy to understand. The first goal of the case is to identify internal control weaknesses by applying the COSO internal control framework in an environment that lacks many aspects of internal control. Interactions among the five components of the COSO framework provide the basis for analyzing internal control. The case requires students to consider possible misappropriation of funds using the fraud triangle. A secondary goal of the case is to introduce financial reporting for a not-for-profit organization as a means of accountability.

scholarly journals Internal Controls and Operational Performance of Nonprofit Organizations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan R Berglund ◽  
Mikhail Sterin
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Control Environment ◽  
For Profit ◽  
External Stakeholders ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Robust Evidence

This study examines the impact of auditor-reported internal control deficiencies (ICDs) on operational performance within nonprofit organizations. Contemporary studies in the for-profit environment document evidence that poor internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) cause suboptimal operational performance. While these analyses are restricted to ICFR, the nonprofit environment allows external stakeholders to observe the effectiveness of both ICFR and internal controls over compliance. We find robust evidence of negative associations between both ICD types and two key measures of nonprofit operational performance: surplus and the charitable expense ratio. Our findings are relevant to multiple nonprofit stakeholders, demonstrating that the control environment has a pervasive impact on a nonprofit's ability to effectively execute its charitable mission.

scholarly journals IPTEKS PENGENDALIAN INTERN ASET TETAP PADA PT. LUMBUNG BERKAT INDONESIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesella Lourina Makaluas ◽  
Winston Pontoh
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Productive Capacity ◽  
Control Environment ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Fixed Assets ◽  
Useful Life ◽  
A Company

PT Lumbung Berkat Indonesia, as a company entity engaged in construction, of course, this company has various types of fixed assets. The Company's fixed assets should be secured by means of internal controls of fixed assets that will oversee, control costs incurred to acquire fixed assets, increase or extend the fixed asset's useful life and increase operational contribution and productive capacity of fixed assets in order to safeguard the company's property. Based on the research that has been done at PT Lumbung Berkat Indonesia and the existing discussion, the conclusion that can be taken is that the internal control of fixed assets will run efficiently if the points that exist in the elements of control environment, risk assessment, control activities, related information , and monitoring has been well executed amongst companies to perform physical matching of fixed assets, appropriate division of functions and responsibilities, separating expenditures of income and expenses, following insurance against fixed assets, creating audit committees and implementing the abolition and disposal of fixed assets. Suggestions for better companies to explore the knowledge and application of internal control of good fixed assets for corporate activities to run effectively and efficiently and the presentation of financial statements and information about the company's fixed assets is accurate and reliable.Keywords: Internal Control, Fixed Assets

The Violet Bay School District Deficit of 2005: Evaluating Internal Control and Identifying Risks

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie J. Henry ◽  
Michael E. Bitter ◽  
Terry Kubichan
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
School System ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Control Problems ◽  
Control Environment ◽  
Grand Jury ◽  
Strong Control

ABSTRACT: In August 2005, Violet Bay taxpayers were surprised to learn that their school system had amassed a $7 million deficit for the 2004–2005 budget year, despite previous assurances of a surplus. Ultimately, the actual deficit was found to be $12.1 million. A special grand jury investigation uncovered numerous internal control problems that contributed to the deficit.This instructional case provides students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the importance of internal control, particularly a strong control environment, through examination of the problems encountered by an actual governmental entity, renamed the Violet Bay School District. It also gives students some practical experience with tasks such as gaining an understanding of an entity and identifying its business risks, evaluation of internal control using the five components of the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) framework, identification of fraud indicators, and consideration of the likelihood of fraud occurrence. The case also provides exposure to ethical issues.

scholarly journals Does Control Self-Assessment Influence Financial Reporting Quality?

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 70-76
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Uemura
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Audit Fees ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Control Environment ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Positive Effects

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of control self-assessment (CSA) on financial reporting quality by using CSA as a proxy of monitoring quality. CSA has an important feature that allows the employees themselves to become involved in the assessment of internal controls’ effectiveness. Moreover, CSA has two important monitoring functions. First, it can add value to internal auditing. Second, because all employees of operational units participate in the assessment of internal controls in CSA, that control environment is expected to be mature. The investigation of this study used data from 3,517 Japanese firms listed on the First Section, Second Section, Mothers, and JASDAQ of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The result of 2SLS regression shows that CSA adoption has a negative relationship with the number of financial restatements and audit fees, and therefore, I conclude that CSA has positive consequences for financial reporting quality. This result indicates that the internal monitoring mechanism that continuously monitors internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) effectiveness and in which all employees participate has some positive effects on financial reporting quality. There are two reasons for this result. First, employees have easier access to negative information concerning ICFR effectiveness than outsiders and can share that information with the internal personnel in charge of monitoring (e.g., internal auditors). Moreover, CSA is expected raise an entity’s awareness of ICFR, that is, the control environment of ICFR components is made into an environment that prevents and detects impropriety in the accounting process. Keywords: Control

Changes in the Strategic Internal Control of Companies under Crisis Pressure

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (37) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyudmila Mihaylova ◽  
Emil Papazov
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Control Environment ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Online Sales ◽  
Strategic Model ◽  
The Impact

Purpose of the article: The article aims at presenting and analysing key changes in the strategic internal control of companies under the pressure of crisis phenomena. The research question is how to adapt the strategic internal control to an evolving crisis through inclusion of control environmental sustainability measures, and strategic model adaptation.Methodology: A qualitative approach has been applied along with the research of larger companies from the brewery sector and small-and medium sized enterprises from the knitted fabrics manufacturing sector in Bulgaria. The study has also taken into consideration some companies’ strategic documents, as well as interviews with companies’ managers. The gathered information has been systematized, compared and evaluated with the help of the “Relative (Competitive) Advantage Matrix” model.Scientific aim: Understanding the impact of changes in strategic internal control on management under the pressure of crisis phenomena.Findings: The analysing of the quasi-control environment and competitive advantages is an important strategic management issue during crises. Competitive advantages derive mainly from the characteristics of the product (or service) that make it better than the products (or services) of competitors and they are associated with changes in the strategic internal control of companies under the pressure of hard times.Conclusions: Strategic internal control has to be adapted to the crisis situation through control environmental sustainability measures, strategic model adaptation and selected competitive advantages. Business processes are changing as a result of crisis times, then the control environment, risk assessments and competitive advantages need to be more detailed and analysed in different aspects. At the same time, the strategic internal control in hard times faces unexpected results, such as a drastic reduction in the incomes, a decrease in retail sales or a drastic increase in online sales. Using the collected information, comparisons can be made to better outline similarities and differences that will point out ways for improvement. This information should be brought to the attention of the personnel of the companies. The change in the activities should not be delayed in time, since information quickly becomes out-dated.

scholarly journals IPTEKS PENGENDALIAN INTERNAL TERHADAP PEREKAMAN SURAT PEMBERITAHUAN TAHUNAN (SPT) PADA KANTOR PELAYANAN PAJAK (KPP) PRATAMA MANADO

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (02) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nabilah N.R. Amin ◽  
Lady Diana Latjandu
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Control Environment ◽  
Tax Returns ◽  
Directorate General ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Control Procedures ◽  
Ministry Of Finance

KPP Pratama Manado is a tax administration agency in the Manado area under the auspices of the Indonesian Ministry of Finance. The main task of KPP Pratama Manado is to carry out the main duties of the Directorate General of Taxes in collecting State revenues from the Taxation sector. To achieve the best service, recording annual notification letters (SPT) on taxpayers is one of the important roles in reporting, receiving or deduction. This study aims to determine the internal control of SPT recording at KPP Pratama Manado. Internal controls will run according to regulations if implementing COSO internal controls, including the control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, and monitoring. The results of the study indicate that the ability of KPP Pratama Manado in processing and recording Annual Tax Returns is quite effective, but delays in reporting will often occur.Keywords: Tax, SPT, recording, internal control, procedures

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