Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which accountants, internal auditors, and certified fraud examiners use fraud prevention and detection methods, and their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of these methods. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was...

On every engagement, auditors are required to obtain a sufficient understanding of the internal control structure to plan the audit and determine the nature, timing and extent of audit tests. The evaluation of control weaknesses is important for error and fraud detection and for the avoidance of...

In the future, paperless audits will become commonplace as audit clients increasingly shift to paperless systems and audit software is developed that allows auditors to complete most procedures on‐line. To audit on‐line systems, auditors will have to incorporate on‐line audit software as...

Purpose – The objective of this paper is to gain an understanding of the multiple ways companies are using performance measures throughout the organization in the areas of strategic planning, monitoring operations, and evaluation of employees work and satisfaction with the company and...

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review the use and application of shell entities, as they facilitate crime and terrorism, impede investigations and harm societies. Design/methodology/approach: The study details the types and characteristics of shell entities, reviews actual cases to...

Examines the legal environment of the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA with respect to auditor liability. Provides an understanding of the legal risks to accountants associated with third‐party uses of audited financial statements by contrasting accounting liability for negligent...

The OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions went into force in February 1999. This article defines the extent and consequences of bribery, describes the adoption and analyzes the major provisions of the OECD Convention, with a...

External auditors are often not positioned to detect and report the occurrence of employee fraud. Internal auditors, however, can be an entity’s main line of defence against fraud. In this article, the authors identify: the fraud risks and signals that internal auditors should recognize, the...

Purpose –This research aims to explore whether recent audit reforms have improved auditor objectivity when performing non-audit services. Design/methodology/approach – In two separate experiments, the authors tested whether external and internal auditors' inventory obsolescence judgments are...

Despite attempts to close the expectation gap, researchers in the USA and other countries continue to demonstrate the existence of differences between auditors’ beliefs about their responsibilities and the public’s understanding of the audit function. This study considers how ambiguous...