Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a synopsis of what academic literature says about internal audit (IA) effectiveness ten years after Bailey et al. (2003) presented research opportunities in IA. A new set of research questions that may help to bring the best out of IA is proposed. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical studies based on internal auditors’ self-assessments (“inside-out”) and empirical studies based on other stakeholders’ perspectives (“outside-in”) are reviewed through an “effectiveness lens”. The “outside-in” perspective is regarded as particularly valuable. Findings – First, common themes in the empirical literature are identified. Second, the main threads into a model comprising macro and micro factors that influence IA effectiveness are synthesized. Third, promising future research paths that may enhance IA's value proposition were derived. Practical implications – The “outside-in” perspective indicates a disposition to stakeholders’ disappointment in IA: IA is either running a risk of marginalization (IIA, 2013; PWC, 2013) or has to embrace the challenge to emerge as a recognized and stronger profession. The suggested research agenda identifies empirical research threads that can help IA practitioners to make a difference for their organization, be recognized, respected and trusted and help the IA profession in its pursuit of creating a unique identity. This paper wishes to motivate researchers to explore innovative research strategies and probe new theories, as well as benefit from cross-fertilization with other research streams. Originality/value – This paper summarizes the state of research on IA effectiveness and proposes a guide for future IA research. It provides pointed questions that may further advance the understanding of what constitutes IA and how IA can enhance its value proposition.
Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to investigate and discuss potential reasons why the internal auditing (IA) profession has been marginalized in the governance debate on solutions after the financial crisis that started in 2007, also noting recent studies questioning the value of IA's work. The key aim of this paper is to make readers aware of ambiguities concerning the ultimate customer of IA and its core business, and to stimulate critical reflection thereon. Design/methodology/approach -The conceptual discussion of this paper is based on an objective review of relevant literature, both practitioner and academic. Findings -Positioning IA as agent to the board/audit committee and, at the same time, as partner to management is challenging in practice. The IA function should clarify the customer dimension in its organizational context. Furthermore, this paper argues for a consolidation of internal audit around its core function of providing assurance when seeking to establish IA as a profession. Practical implications -Practitioners will benefit as this paper demands fundamental questions to be addressed in the organizational context, about the ultimate customer and the core business of the IA service rendered. The Institute of Internal Auditors will benefit from this paper and subsequent discussions in academia and practice, supporting its pursuit to gain universal recognition for IA as a profession. Originality/value -This paper may open a new research area in IA that addresses a more critical way of evaluating IA practices.
The purpose of this paper is to identify, examine and evaluate characteristics of an internal audit function (IAF) that help to distinguish between two groups of IAFs with sharply contrasting levels of perceived effectiveness. Based on survey data from 46 heads of internal audit (chief audit executives, CAEs) in private organizations in Germany, we differentiate IAFs that indicate varying and contrasting levels of internal auditing (IA) effectiveness. In doing so, this study plants the seeds for a potential general theory of IA effectiveness -a theory that may also have relevance in other countries. Extant theory highlights the multi-faceted aspects of IA effectiveness and these are considered in the study to sort its 'wheat from the chaff'. We suggest four key dimensions or categorical blocks: organization, IA resources, IA processes and IA relationships. Within these dimensions, statistically valid discriminatory characteristics and features identified in the study include: the existence of an IA charter that is agreed by the board/audit committee (AC); possible career progression after a tenure in IA; some degree of co-sourcing and outsourcing of IA services; the level of training and professional qualification of IA staff and CAEs; the use of IA technology and risk-based IA; whether IA makes recommendations for improving the governance process and rates individual findings and grades the overall report; whether the CAE has appropriate access to the board/AC; whether the CAE benefits from senior management's (SM) and the board/AC's input to the IA plan; and the CAE's informal contact with SM. Appropriately employed, a mix of these characteristics contribute to a theoretical grounding that may help explain IA effectiveness.
Web-based financial intermediation on a peer-to-peer (P2P) basis will eventually prevail as an economically superior form of organisation compared to the traditional banking business model. P2P lending is the most popular type of crowdfunding, whereby an internet platform collects small amounts of funds from individuals in a crowd to finance collectively a larger loan to individuals or businesses. Unlike a commercial bank, the platform does not take risks through its own contractual positions. Whereas banks accumulate risks by taking positions on their balance sheet, platforms decentralise the risks by spreading them to their users. The emergence of financial platform businesses challenges legislators and regulators in several respects: the “easy way” of modifying existing finance and banking laws is inadequate; the internal organisation and knowledge of staff is not well suited to regulating crowdfunding; and capital mediation by crowdfunding platforms requires a different regulatory approach than banking. Finally, there is no doubt that P2P lending platforms will in the long run need a dedicated, single European regulatory framework.
Internal auditing (IA) effectiveness is still viewed, to large extent, as a 'black box' in academic research. In this paper, relevant empirical studies based on self-assessments of internal auditors and on other stakeholders' perspectives are reviewed through an 'effectiveness lens'. Major patterns are identified in the existing literature, and the paper complements the work of Gramling et al. (2004), who examined the literature related to IA quality, largely from the viewpoint of external auditors. This paper reviews the empirical literature on IA effectiveness that has been published since the latest revision of the IA definition in 1999, using the perspectives of new institutional theory and institutional entrepreneurship (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983;DiMaggio, 1988) as a framework, thereby recognizing the tension between institutional forces and the role of agency. In cases where isomorphic forces are in conflict with other organizational demands, chief auditing executives (CAE) agency can be a solution that enables local adaptation (institutional entrepreneurship). The ability to exploit fully the potential of agency is an opportunity for the CAE to tailor and advance the role of IA in its specific organizational context.
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