An Internal Audit Expectation Gap in Poland

Lena Grzesiak

Abstract


Theoretical background: One of the factors influencing internal audit effectiveness is the expectation gap understood as the extent to which the function does not meet the expectations of auditees, managers, executives, and audit committee members.

Purpose of the article: The purpose of the article was to determine why they perceive internal audit in their organisations as not fulfiling their expectations and how their awareness of this affects internal audit effectiveness.

Research methods: This article is a pilot study that uses the results of a critical review of the literature and the findings of the survey of internal audit stakeholders in Poland.

Main findings: The article shows that internal audit stakeholders have limited knowledge of the role and responsibilities of internal auditors and the purpose of their work. According to their views, the raison d’être of the internal audit function is fraud detection. This perception of internal audit that emerged in its early years still determines the majority of opinions about its effectiveness.


Keywords


internal audit expectation gap; opinion survey; internal audit effectiveness; internal audit expectation; Poland

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ahmad, Z., & Taylor, D. (2009). Commitment to Independence by Internal Auditors: The Effects of Role Ambiguity and Role Conflct. Managerial Auditing Journal, 24(9), 899–925. https://doi.org/10.1108/02686900910994827

Arena, M., & Sarens, G. (2015). Editorial: Internal Auditing: Creating Stepping Stones for the Future. International Journal of Auditing, 19(3), 131–133. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijau.12053

Azham, A., Teck Heang, L., Mohamad, R., & Ojo, M. (2008). Internship and Audit Expectation Gap Among Undergraduate Students in Universiti Utara Malaysia. Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, 6(1), 55–74. https://doi.org/10.1108/19852510880000635

Bednarek, P. (2016). Wpływ kierownictwa wyższego szczebla i komitetu audytu na wartość dodaną audytu wewnętrznego. Studia Ekonomiczne Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Katowicach, 268, 34–42.

Carcello, J.V., Eulerich, M., Masli, A., & Wood, D.A. (2018). The Value to Management of Using the Internal Audit Function as a Management Training Ground. Accounting Horizons, 32(2), 121–140. https://doi.org/10.2308/acch-52046

Cohen, A., & Sayag, G. (2010). The Effectiveness of Internal Auditing: An Empirical Examination of Its Determinants in Israeli Organisations. Australian Accounting Review, 20(3), 296–307. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1835-2561.2010.00092.x

D’Onza, G., & Sarens, G. (2018). Factors That Enhance the Quality of the Relationships Between Internal Auditors and Auditees: Evidence from Italian Companies. International Journal of Auditing, 22(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijau.12100

Dewing, I., & Russell, P. (2002). UK Fund Managers, Audit Regulation and the New Accountancy Foundation – Towards a Narrowing of the Audit Expectations Gap? Managerial Auditing Journal, 17(9), 537–545. https://doi.org/10.1108/02686900210447533

Dobroţeanu, L., Dobroţeanu, C.L., & Ciolpan, D. (2009). A semiologic Approach to Audit Expectations. Annals of the University of Oradea. Economic Science Series, 18(3).

Enes, E.F., de Almeida, B.J., da Silva A., Carvalho, F.P., & Simões, J.M. (2016). Education as a Contribution to Reduce the Audit Expectation Gap: The Portuguese Case. Tékhne – Review of Applied Management Studies, 14(1).

Filipczyk-Gałązka, A. (1994). Problem oczekiwań szkolnych uczniów w świetle różnych teorii psychologicznych. Chowanna, 1, 20–31.

Frigo, M. (2002). A Balanced Scorecard Framework for Internal Auditing Departments. Altamonte Springs: The IIA Research Foundation.

Grzesiak, L. (2019). Myths on Internal Auditing. Przedsiębiorczość i Zarządzanie, 20(6/1), 421–434.

Grzesiak, L. (2020). Kapitał ludzki a skuteczność audytu wewnętrznego. PhD dissertation.

Humphrey, C., Moizer, P., & Turley, S. (1993). The Audit Expectation Gap in Britain: An Empirical Investigation. Accounting and Business Research, 23(91), 395–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/00014788.1993.9729907

IIA (The Institute of Internal Auditors). (n.d.). Internal Auditing. Adding Value Across the Board. Retrieved from https://na.theiia.org/about-ia/PublicDocuments/Internal_Auditing-Adding_Value_Across_the_Board.pdf

IIA. (2011). A Call to Action: Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Internal Auditing. Retrieved from https://www.iia.nl/SiteFiles/IIA_leden/CBOK%20Stakeholders%20USA%20only%20.pdf

International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing. (2016). Florida: IIA.

Koh, H., & Woo, E. (1998). The Expectation Gap in Auditing. Managerial Auditing Journal, 13(3), 147–154. https://doi.org/10.1108/02686909810208038

Kozielecki, J. (1997). Koncepcje psychologiczne człowieka. Warszawa: Żak.

KPMG. (2016). Quality Assessment of Internal Audit. Retrieved from https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/ch/pdf/ch-quality-assessment-internal-auditing-en.pdf

Lenz, R., Sarens, G., & Hoos, F. (2017). Internal Audit Effectiveness: Multiple Case Study Research Involving Chief Audit Executives and Senior Management. EDPACS, 55(1), 1–17. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312045439_Internal_Audit_Effectiveness_Multiple_Case_Study_

Research_Involving_Chief_Audit_Executives_and_Senior_Management/link/5a29bfbeaca2728e05dae913/download

Lenz, R., Sarens, G., & Jeppesen, K.K. (2018). In Search of a Measure of Effectiveness for Internal Audit Functions: An Institutional Perspective. EDPACS, 58(2), 1–36. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327061036_In_Search_of_a_Measure_of_Effectiveness_for_Internal_Audit_Functions_An_Institutional_Perspective

Meigs, W., Whittington, O., Meigs R., & Lam, W. (1983). Principles of Auditing. Homewood: Richard D. Irwin.

Moeller, R. (2018). Nowoczesny audyt wewnętrzny. Warszawa: Nieoczywiste.

Morgan, G. (1997). Obrazy organizacji. Warszawa: PWN.

Nowak, S. (2007). Metodologia badań społecznych. Warszawa: PWN.

Porter, B. (1990). The Audit Expectation-Performance Gap – an Empirical Investigation. Perth: AAANZ Conference.

Porter, B. (1993). An Empirical Study of the Audit Expectation-Performance Gap. Accounting and Business Research, 24(93), 49–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/00014788.1993.9729463

PwC. (2016). State of the Internal Audit Profession Study Leadership Matters: Advancing Toward True North as Stakeholders Expect More. Retrieved from https://www.pwc.pl/pl/pdf/2016-state-of-the-internal-audit-profession.pdf

Ruhnke, K., & Schmidt, M. (2014). The Audit Expectation Gap: Existence, Causes, and the Impact of Changes. Accounting and Business Research, 44(5), 572–601. https://doi.org/10.1080/00014788.2014.929519

Skoczylas-Tworek, A. (2014). Audyt we współczesnej gospodarce rynkowej. Łódź: UŁ.

Weizenbaum, J. (2008). Moglibyśmy mieć raj. Forum.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/h.2021.55.3.37-50
Date of publication: 2021-11-24 12:10:13
Date of submission: 2021-05-18 12:46:08


Statistics


Total abstract view - 1190
Downloads (from 2020-06-17) - PDF - 0

Indicators



Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2021 Lena Grzesiak

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.