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The purpose of this paper is to find answers to the current issue of the audit. What has to offer classical approach of audit practice to help organizations improve their performance? What should be done for the results of an audit of the audited organization to be useful in terms of its managers more interested in improving organizational performance, effective leadership, risk management and assessing the maturity of the organization in order to take decisions and improve business than the information to confirm compliance?

Analysis and evaluation of the management systems’ audits findings, conducted in the last ten years by two major Romanian accredited certification bodies.

A complete rethinking of audits is required. The audit methods will increase, allowing auditors to use various combined methods, based on audit purposes and on the needs of the audited organization.

The present paper is describing the current situation, found in management systems auditing and also trying to assess and predict future development possibilities.

External management auditing has links with — but is different from — external financial auditing, internal operational auditing and management consultancy. The reasons for conducting external management audits are considered, particularly in relation to the accountability of corporate management, and the interests of various potential user groups. To obtain empirical evidence, a random sample survey of UK credit managers was carried out; response was almost 50 per cent. Results of the survey are summarised. Essentially, the conclusion was that credit managers strongly favoured external management audit reports.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the detailed content and research framework of a knowledge management audit, from the view of operation flow based on a cognition summary of knowledge management audit proposed by many scholars and organizations, in order to put forward some references for effective implementation of an organization knowledge management project.

The paper carries out a multi‐perspective analysis of the cognition of knowledge management audit summarizes the similarities and differences between the different viewpoints, also a contrasting analysis on the method proposed by various scholars and organizations from the point of view of flow, and then constructs the conceptive framework of knowledge management audit.

Knowledge management audit is the first important step in a knowledge management project and includes four phases: preparation, analysis, implementation, and summary. Its primary content involves knowledge management environment audit, knowledge property audit, knowledge management ability audit and knowledge management performance audit, and its main modules consist of knowledge demand analysis, knowledge inventory analysis, knowledge map and knowledge flow analysis.

The paper provides a theoretical construction, but has not conducted a case study. In future research development, the framework of the paper will be improved through the case analysis of organization knowledge management practice.

By utilizing the research framework and method of the paper, an organization may understand rapidly the basic content of a knowledge management audit, implement an effective knowledge management audit to help improve organization (including non‐profit organization) performance and implement a knowledge management strategy.

The paper provides a framework for implementing a knowledge management audit.

Internal auditing has transformed over the past two decades from its beginnings as a financial enforcer to a respected member of the management decision‐making process. Internal auditors now are providing management with information of a broader range of company activities than they are used to. This transformation is far from over because of the nature of the auditor′s work and the perceptions of management and the public concerning audits. The function of internal auditors is not only to measure and evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency and economy of organisational activities and controls but also to participate with management in high‐level decision making. The partnership concept of internal auditing is needed to enhance the image and change the attitudes of management with regards to internal auditing in light of the increased demands and responsibilities of the new auditor. Students, internal auditors and management must be educated properly and trained for this partnership concept. By using the internal auditor as part of the management team and by offering more to management and assuming more risk, the goals of the organisation are more likely to be achieved effectively, efficiently and economically.

Describes the function of operational auditing from a management point of view. Due to opinions on decentralization and the integral management of organizations which have gradually been generally adopted, changes are taking place in their design and control. The so‐called integral management concept assumes that more responsibilities are included in line management. As the decision making at strategic level can no longer rely on extensive, hierarchically constructed staff departments, a second opinion function should be incorporated in the decision‐making cycle. Operational auditing as a second opinion function will focus on the infrastructure of organization and information.

This paper outlines the results of a survey designed to compare the opinions of internal auditors to one class of audit customers – namely management accountants. To function effectively, internal auditors and the customers of audit services should possess a similar understanding of what makes internal auditing a value‐added activity. Failure to reach this understanding could result in the perception that internal audit is simply an obstacle to achieving production objectives. This can result in underutilized audit services and ignored audit recommendations. Fortunately, internal auditors and management accountants have similar views, but there are a few areas of difference that should be addressed by internal auditors.

Discusses the development of internal audit theory and practice with reference to the Sino‐China Petrochemical Corporation (SINOPEC), a large, state‐owned petrochemical enterprise group. Examines the organizational status, authority and role of internal audit, and the question of independence. Notes the move from financial to managerial and operational auditing, identifying specific examples. Suggests future direction, which might include a closer relationship with state audit.

Professional accounting associations in various countries and governmental and other quasi‐official bodies have played an important role not only in the evolution of internal control reporting on a global scale, but also in educating management, investors, financial institutions, accountants, auditors, and other interested parties highlighting the pervasiveness of the effects of a sound internal control structure in corporate reporting as well as other aspects of an organization′s success. These associations include the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the General Accounting Office (GAO), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Cadbury Committee, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW), the Scottish Institute of Chartered Accountants (SICA), the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), and others. Business failures, management fraud, corporate misconduct, international bribery, and notorious business scandals in all sectors of business have prompted the US government to take drastic action on internal control reporting to safeguard public interest. Several professional and government committees were formed to study this precarious situation: the Treadway Commission, the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission, the Packard Commission, the Cohen Commission, the Adams Commission in Canada, the Cadbury Committee in the UK, and others. The principal motivation for the changing dynamics has been growing public pressure for greater corporate accountability. The government′s pressure on the accounting profession and management of public corporations has been pivotal in spearheading internal control reporting. Examines the role of professional associations, governmental agencies, and others in promulgating standards for internal control reporting, and the impact of legislation on this aspect of internal auditing in the USA and worldwide.

This study reports the findings of a survey of Swedish auditors seeking opinions on the conceptual underpinnings of the long established private sector management audit in that country. The authors give the background to the historical calls for accountability and stewardship and draw parallels with calls for accountability by the large modern corporations which emanate from the agency contracts that management functions under. The findings conclude that the Swedish profession needs a theoretical base for its continued conduct of this audit function. The UK and US professions have taken tentative steps towards expanding the traditional financial audit but the rallying calls of visionaries seem as yet to be unheeded.

This paper aims to investigate management auditing, a thorough examination of an organization and the management in place, through an empirical research to gather data about how management audits are perceived and implemented among Geneva’s (Switzerland) business community. The board of directors is in charge of a corporation’s overall supervision. The internal auditing function works under the aegis of the board to ensure that the directors will properly execute their responsibilities as defined by corporate governance rules. Management auditing could thus be used to improve corporation performance. However, management audits are not commonly used or referred to as a tool to address corporate governance. Findings enable the authors to both explain why management audits are not commonly used or referred to as a tool to address corporate governance and generate related research hypotheses.

In this paper, the authors rely on an ethnographic study aimed at exploring perceptions of management audits in service companies from the Geneva region. This study is based on transcripts from 85 semi-directed interviews, conducted over a three-year period, of professionals with managerial and auditing backgrounds. The economic context during these three years was consistently characterized by the Swiss and international financial crises, ensuring that the findings remain comparable over this time period.

This paper identified three main factors that influence the integration of management audits into corporate practices: the degree of acceptance of the tools and requirements of management audits, the national culture and values embodied in the practice and the degree of corporate governance maturity. This paper presents the findings in the form of hypotheses that can be tested on any adoption of good corporate governance practices – not on management audits alone.

Notwithstanding the limitations due to its nature and extent, this study’s main limitation is its lack of validation of the hypotheses. In further research, the authors intend to use a quantitative survey to validate the research hypotheses and make statistical inferences.

This paper contributes to the literature because it is, to the authors’ knowledge, the first study to empirically examine the significant link between management audits and corporate governance. The findings could be interesting for an international audience because they indicate possible action points that boards of directors can leverage to carry out management audits. The findings also bridge a gap between the literature on management audits and the expanding role of the internal audit function. This study also examines the way companies – in the Swiss context – understand, perceive and may be ready to apply management audits as a good corporate governance practice.