Purpose This paper aims to provide new theoretical discussion about the role of whistleblowing system and fraud awareness as an effective deterrent for financial statement fraud. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted surveys to 13 reputable public accounting firms in East Java, Indonesia. Findings It is well acknowledged, as fraud attacks grow more sophisticated, whistleblowing system and fraud awareness can be possible deterrents. By increasing employees’ fraud awareness, they do not only recognise fraud symptoms and typologies but also support to raise concerns in good faith and on reasonable grounds. This study also suggests the role of fraud awareness as a human capital investment that increase sensitivity on identifying fraud symptoms and discouraging participation in crimes. Originality/value This study produces new theoretical discussion about fraud prevention. Then this study also offers several aspects that can help organisation to establish effective whistleblowing systems and reporting mechanisms. Those aspects identified can encourage an individual to report malpractice or wrongdoing. This study also offers how fraud awareness can support the implementation of whistleblowing system in preventing fraudulent financial statements and other irregularities.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to extend existing theory by developing a contingency theory for the public sector and to provide a landscape for local government to deal with white-collar crime. In recent years, the theme of risk management and internal controls, which is popular in the industry and private sector, has been mirrored by public sector organisations. Of course, it is to improve fraud risk control systems. We have to accept that public sector organisations have a growing need to control the (fraud) risks in a rapidly changing economic environment. Within this situation an effective internal control is becoming strategically important in many organisations, as it is proving to be a cost-efficient way to manage these risks in everyday operations. Here, the authors conducted a case study on the risk management control system at an Indonesian local government. Design/methodology/approach This study uses mixed methods, integrating quantitative and qualitative data – in-depth interviews and questionnaires were required to address the social phenomenon being investigated. Findings This study found that the structure of the control system fits a generic model, in which control systems are fundamental factors to all departments. It shows that control systems can support managers to align employee capabilities, activities and performance with the organisation’s goals and missions. In addition, the authors could identify, risk assessment and monitoring activities are effective measures of controlling organisation’s activities, and potentially could diagnose potential (fraud) risks, deterring to the achievement of organisational aims. Ideally, those aspects should be performed on a continuous basis if organisations want to prevent the spread of numerous potential menaces. In other words, if an organisation fails to carry out risk assessment correctly, it will result in unidentified possibility of fraud risks. The more explicit the risk assessment, the more effective the detection of fraud. Practical implications It can be alternative to consider Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission’s internal control as fraud mitigation in local government. Originality/value This study offers new directive discussion about internal controls as notion of fraud mitigation.

The research objective is to examine factors that affect non-performing loans at conventional private banks in Indonesia. These factors include growth in gross domestic product, interest rates, currency exchange rates, exports, credit growth, inflation, return on asset, operating costs to operating income, and the capital adequacy ratio. The sample used in this study was conventional private banks listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange 2014-2019. Data analysis techniques using Multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS). The study results inform an influence between the predictor variables and the response variables based on functions in the model. The variables that affect non-performing loans are credit growth, exchange rates, inflation, capital adequacy ratio, return on asset, operating costs to operating income, and interest rates. In contrast, gross domestic product growth and export growth in this study do not affect non-performing loans in conventional private banks. The MARS model has informed that the most influential variable on non-performing loans is credit growth. Banking authorities need to control lending by applying credit risk management and regulating the quality of credit loans to contribute to the results in this study.