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Investors and financial statement users may have differing beliefs about the responsibility of an independent accounting firm performing an audit of a client's financial statements. This study aims to investigate the existence of an audit expectation gap between auditors and financial statement users in Egypt.

The research method adopted in this study is identical to that used by Schelluch, Best et al. and Fadzly and Ahmed.

The results found evidence of a wide audit expectation gap in Egypt in the areas of auditor responsibilities for fraud prevention, maintenance of accounting records, and auditor judgment in the selection of audit procedures. To a lesser extent, an expectation gap was found concerning the reliability of audit and audited financial statements, and the usefulness of audit.

The different economic and cultural conditions in Egypt may restrict the generalisability of this study.

In order to reduce the expectation gap and improve decision‐making by financial statement users, the results of this study support the adoption of the long‐form audit report, augmentation of the auditing framework, strengthening of the auditor's integrity, and finally educating users on the nature and functions of audit.

This paper contributes to the understanding of the diverse nature of the expectations gap by examining the different economic and cultural setting of Egypt.

The purpose of this study is to empirically evaluate the audit expectations gap among stakeholders in listed firms in Palestine. The purpose of the investigation is to determine whether or not there is a gap in audit expectations between auditors and investors, auditors and board directors, as well as among auditors and financial managers and also among auditors and shareholders.

To attain its ultimate objective, this study was created using an exploratory descriptive methodology grounded in the use of quantitative methods. A structured questionnaire was used to gather study data from 81 respondents, and a statistical package for the social sciences-26 was then used for analysis.

The results of this research showed that there is a sizable difference in audit expectations among shareholders, financial managers and board directors, as well as among auditors and investors. The findings also demonstrate that, in comparison to the difference between auditors and financial managers, the gap between auditors and board directors and auditors and shareholders is very narrow.

This investigation, which examines the audit expectations gap in great detail, has some significant limitations. This study was limited to the Palestinian market alone. Future research might compare or examine the variations in audit expectations in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran, among different countries. In addition, the demand for accurate and reliable financial reports has sparked a recent increase in interest in auditing, a long-standing sector that has expanded in recent years.

The study has several practical implications, for example, it underlines how crucial it is to make stakeholders aware of the limitations and difficulties related to the auditing process. By doing this, the situation that audit committees and listed firms find themselves in will be easier for investors, board directors, financial managers and shareholders to understand. The way that auditors and stakeholders communicate can help reduce this gap since it affects how much each party underestimates or understates the other’s obligations.

This paper contributes to the literature by analysing and identifying the causes of the audit expectations gap in companies listed on the Palestine Stock Exchange and providing useful insights and potential solutions to close or mitigate it. It also adds a new contribution to the literature related to the audit expectation gap. This investigation offers unambiguous evidence of a sizable discrepancy between audit expectations and actual performance in terms of formal auditor obligations as outlined by current law, as well as auditor reliability standards and practices, between auditors, board directors, investors, shareholders and financial managers in listed Palestinian firms.

The expectation gap between auditors and users has recently been the topic of many controversies. This paper aims to evaluate the relationship between auditor’s characteristics and audit expectation gap among information users in listed companies on the Tehran stock exchange market. In other words, the study attempts to find whether there is a significant relationship between audit components and the audit expectation gap or not.

The multiple regression model is used to test the hypotheses. Research hypotheses are tested using a sample of 78 listed companies on the Tehran stock exchange during 2012-2016, by using integrated data technique of the multiple regression model.

The findings show that standard audit fees are not significantly associated with the audit expectation gap. Furthermore, audit fees are negatively associated with the audit expectation gap, which provides that allocated audit price in financial statements gives useful information for external and internal individuals. Predictably, it is recommended that audit opinion significantly determines the level of the audit expectation gap. The authors also find that the independence of the director boards and audit committee members fulfill the expectation gap of individual users. Moreover, finding the negative impact of audit firms ranking on the expectation gap, supports the idea of higher ranked audit firms provide high quality services, and consequently, more reliable information. Finally, the results show that the audit record is positively associated with the audit expectation gap.

As all recent studies on the expectation gap were qualitative, the present study is the first paper, which measures the expectation gap quantitatively through the statistical method.

This paper investigates whether an audit expectation gap exists among independent auditors and users of financial statements in Iran.

The study uses a survey instrument to identify the audit expectation gap in Iran. The research method is similar to that adopted by Schelluch, Best et al., Fadzly and Ahmad and Dixon et al.

Audit expectation gaps are found to exist in the areas of auditor responsibility for fraud detection, soundness of the internal controls, and preparation of financial statements. Results indicate no significant difference between users and independent auditors regarding the reliability and utility of audited financial statements. The insignificant results in terms of audit function could be attributed to the culture of trust between auditors and stakeholders in Iran.

Despite normal precautionary steps to increase the response rate, non‐response bias may affect the findings. Another limitation of the study is the different economic and cultural conditions of Iran compared to other countries. Therefore, caution should be used in generalizing the findings to other countries.

The findings will help to reduce the expectation gaps through improvement in auditor‐user communication in the audit reports as well as educating users on the nature and functions of audits.

The paper extends previous studies on audit expectation gap in a different economic and cultural context, i.e. Iran.

The accounting profession has long faced the issue of an audit expectation gap; being the gap between the quality of the profession’s performance, its objectives and results, and that which the society expects. Studies have been carried out worldwide to determine the effect of education in narrowing the audit expectation gap. Extending the knowledge acquired, this paper investigates whether internship program could reduce the audit expectation gap in Malaysia. Using a pre‐post method, the research instrument adapted from ferguson et al. (2000) is administered to the UUM’s accounting students before and after completing an internship program. The results show a significant change in their perceptions after the internship program. The results show a significant change in their perceptions after the internship program. However, changes in perceptions may not warrant an internship program as a means of reducing the audit expectation gap as misperceptions about the duties of auditors for fraud prevention and detection are still found among respondents. Nevertheless, an internship can still be used to complement audit education as it is an ideal way to expose students to professional issues and enables them to have a better insight of the actual performance and duties of auditors.

This paper reports the results of a postal questionnaire survey of UK primary stakeholders, members of the Institutional Fund Managers Association, as to the definition of the expectations gap, its constituents, and the extent to which the expectations gap might be narrowed by audit regulation. The study revealed that fund managers were aware of the audit expectations gap and were particularly concerned about the scope and responsibilities of the auditor, and monitoring of auditors’ work. Fund managers agreed that increased regulation offered potential to narrow the expectations gap, especially as regards monitoring and discipline of auditors. The paper concludes that establishment of the Accountancy Foundation should provide greater independence to the investigation and disciplinary processes of the existing regulatory framework, and thus go some way to narrowing the expectations gap. Concerns may remain about its perceived independence of the profession and the lack of a specific obligation to investigate auditors’ work in circumstances of corporate failure.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the consequences of the auditor’s choice in group companies and the expectation gap of listed firms on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE).

In this study, 128 companies (768 observations) listed on the TSE during the period 2012 to 2017 have been investigated. To test the hypotheses, logistic regression has been used.

The results showed that companies that are members of business groups are more likely to choose their auditors from large audit firms. The research findings also showed no significant relationship between the business group firms that have used the large auditor and the financial reporting quality. The results showed a positive and meaningful relationship between the member firms that use the large auditor and the audit fees. The results showed a negative and significant relationship between membership in business groups and the audit expectations gap.

Despite the importance of the audit performance, defining auditors’ roles most acceptably has always been challenging to create a gap through the diverse understanding of auditors’ role, which is the distance of perception between users’ auditors. For this reason, over the past years, the audit expectation gap and how to reduce it have focused on academics, professional accounting firms and users of financial statements. As any unmet expectations from the community will reduce the audit firm’s credibility and ability to gain and be widely detrimental to stakeholders, the audit study’s expectation gap in performing audit study is critical. Although there are extensive studies on the gap in auditing expectations in developed economies, most conclusions cannot be attributed to developing countries such as Iran due to cultural and legal differences. Besides, the audit environment in Iran and existing laws can have different results. This research also helps to bridge this gap by providing additional guidance to regulators. Besides, as all recent studies on the expectation gap were qualitative, the present study measures the expectation gap through quantitative statistical methods.

Reports a study in 1996 of the audit expectation gap in Singapore. The main aims were to measure the level and nature of expectation gap in the 1990s and compare with the results of Schelluch, Low and Low et al.. The motivation for performing this research in Singapore was due to lack of research on this issue in recent years and Singapore’s status as one of the “dragon countries”. The research method adopted is a replication of a study by Schelluch. The results found evidence of a wide audit expectation gap in Singapore in the areas of auditor responsibility for fraud prevention and detection, maintenance of accounting records, freedom of the entity from fraud, and auditor judgment in the selection of audit procedures. The results strongly support the adoption of the long‐form audit report in Singapore if Singaporean professionals are serious about reducing the expectation gap and improving decision making by financial statement users.

There is concern that auditors and the public hold different beliefs about the auditors’ duties and responsibilities and the messages conveyed by audit reports. In recent years, some spectacular and well‐publicised corporate collapses and the subsequent implication of the reporting auditors have highlighted the audit expectation gap. Apparently, public misperceptions are a major cause of the legal liability crisis facing the accounting profession. Given the significance of the expectation gap, it is not surprising therefore that prior research on the expectations problem is substantial. The objective of this paper is to review the literature on the audit expectation gap along the following lines: definition of the expectation gap; nature and structure of the expectation gap; and ways to reduce the expectation gap. It is hoped that such an attempt can provide insights into the audit expectation gap.

To study the audit expectation gap, a survey questionnaire listing 13 possible company audit objectives was administered to 500 auditors and 500 non‐auditors in Singapore. The overall response rate is 48.7% (i.e., 487). ANOVA and multiple comparison (SNK) results show that auditors perceive significantly more strongly than non‐auditors that giving a true and fair opinion and providing aid and advice on accounting matters are important and appropriate company audit objectives. On the other hand, non‐auditors perceive significantly more strongly than auditors that detecting and preventing major errors, fraud or illegal acts; satisfaction of the requirements of authorities; and ensuring the accuracy of financial accounts are important and appropriate company audit objectives. Overall, it can be concluded that an audit expectation gap with respect to company audit objectives exists between auditors and non‐auditors and that the latter place a significantly greater demand on audits and auditors than what auditors themselves perceive their roles and responsibilities to be.