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Article
Publication date: 29 August 2023

Syed Waleed Ul Hassan, Samra Kiran, Samina Gul, Ibrahim N. Khatatbeh and Bibi Zainab

This paper aims to investigate the perceptions of financial accountants and both internal and external auditors regarding the impact of corporate governance (CG) and information…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the perceptions of financial accountants and both internal and external auditors regarding the impact of corporate governance (CG) and information technology (IT) on the detection and prevention of fraud within organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data were collected from 250 financial accountants, internal auditors and external auditors through questionnaires. The non-probability snowball sampling technique was used for data collection, with the sample t-test, one-way ANOVA and paired sample t-test applied for analysis.

Findings

The results indicate that robust CG practices and IT techniques significantly aid in detecting and reducing fraudulent activities by minimizing opportunities, rationalizations, pressures and capabilities of potential employees to commit fraud. Internal controls also play a significant role in reducing instances of fraud. Notably, ethical officers and ethical training were not perceived as significantly effective in preventing and detecting fraud, leading to a perception that fraudulent practices are prevalent and increasing the risk of future fraudulent activities.

Research limitations/implications

This study recommends the adoption of strong CG practices to identify potential fraud within an organization. Moreover, IT techniques should be tailored to specific needs for effective utilization. Furthermore, the government should increase awareness regarding data provision by departments, organizations and other related personnel. Future research could use secondary data from various regions to expand the literature in this field.

Originality/value

This research uniquely combines three significant factors: CG, IT and forensic accounting in fraud detection and prevention. It contributes to the enhancement of literature about fraud and its preventive and detective measures. The results of this study set the seed for future research, government policymaking and enhanced organizational practices.

Details

Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-2517

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 October 2023

Rasha Kassem and Elisabeth Carter

This paper aims to systematically review over two decades of academic articles on romance fraud to provide a holistic insight into this crime and identify literature gaps.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to systematically review over two decades of academic articles on romance fraud to provide a holistic insight into this crime and identify literature gaps.

Design/methodology/approach

More than two decades of peer-reviewed academic journal articles from 2000 to 2023 were systematically reviewed using multiple search engines and databases for relevant papers, identified through searches of paper titles, keywords, abstracts and primary texts.

Findings

The findings reveal 10 themes: i) the definitions and terminology of romance fraud; ii) romance fraud’s impact on victims; iii) the profile of romance fraud criminals and victims; iv) romance fraud methods and techniques; v) why victims become susceptible to romance fraud; vi) the psychology of romance fraud criminals; vii) the links between romance fraud and other crimes; viii) the challenges of investigating romance fraud; ix) preventing romance fraud and protecting victims; and x) how romance fraud victims can be supported.

Practical implications

The paper reveals implications regarding the future direction of policy and strategy to address the pervasive low reporting rates and narratives of shame bound with victims of this crime.

Originality/value

Romance fraud is a serious crime against individuals with impacts beyond financial losses. Still, this fraud type is under-researched, and the literature lacks a holistic view of this crime. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first systematic literature review providing a holistic view of romance fraud. It combines evidence across the academic landscape to reveal the breadth and depth of the current work concerning romance fraud and identify gaps in the understanding of this fraud crime.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 March 2024

Jaspreet Kaur

This study aims to determine experimentally factors affecting the satisfaction of retail stock investors with various investor protection regulatory measures implemented by the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to determine experimentally factors affecting the satisfaction of retail stock investors with various investor protection regulatory measures implemented by the Government of India and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Also, an effort has been made to gauge the level of satisfaction of retail equities investors with the laws and guidelines developed by the Indian Government and SEBI for their invested funds.

Design/methodology/approach

To accomplish the study’s goals, a well-structured questionnaire was created with the help of a literature review, and copies of it were filled by Punjabi retail equities investors with the aid of stockbrokers, i.e. intermediaries. Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Mohali-area intermediaries were chosen using a random selection procedure. Xerox copies of the questionnaire were given to the intermediaries, who were then asked to collect responses from their clients. Some intermediaries requested the researcher to sit in their offices to collect responses from their clients. Only 373 questionnaires out of 1,000 questionnaires that were provided had been received back. Only 328 copies were correctly filled by the equity investors. To conduct the analysis, 328 copies, which were fully completed, were used as data. The appropriate approaches, such as descriptives, factor analysis and ordinal regression analysis, were used to study the data.

Findings

With the aid of factor analysis, four factors have been identified that influence investors’ satisfaction with various investor protection regulatory measures implemented by government and SEBI regulations, including regulations addressing primary and secondary market dealings, rules for investor awareness and protection, rules to prevent company malpractices and laws for corporate governance and investor protection. The impact of these four components on investor satisfaction has been investigated using ordinal regression analysis. The pseudo-R-square statistics for the ordinal regression model demonstrated the model’s capacity for the explanation. The findings suggested that a significant amount of the overall satisfaction score about the various investor protection measures implemented by the government/SEBI has been explained by the regression model.

Research limitations/implications

A study could be conducted to analyse the perspective of various stakeholders towards the disclosures made and norms followed by corporate houses. The current study may be expanded to cover the entire nation because it is only at the state level currently. It might be conceivable to examine how investments made in the retail capital market affect investors in rural areas. The influence of reforms on the functioning of stock markets could potentially be examined through another study. It could be possible to undertake a study on female investors’ knowledge about retail investment trends. The effect of digital stock trading could be examined in India. The effect of technological innovations on capital markets can be studied.

Practical implications

This research would be extremely useful to regulators in developing policies to protect retail equities investors. Investors are required to be safeguarded and protected to deal freely in the securities market, so they should be given more freedom in terms of investor protection measures. Stock exchanges should have the potential to bring about technological advancements in trading to protect investors from any kind of financial loss. Since the government has the power to create rules and regulations to strengthen investor protection. So, this research will be extremely useful to the government.

Social implications

This work has societal ramifications. Because when adequate rules and regulations are in place to safeguard investors, they will be able to invest freely. Companies will use capital wisely and profitably. Companies should undertake tasks towards corporate social responsibility out of profits because corporate houses are part and parcel of society only.

Originality/value

Many investors may lack the necessary expertise to make sound financial judgments. They might not be aware of the entire risk-reward profile of various investment options. However, they must know various investor protection measures taken by the Government of India & Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to safeguard their interests. Investors must be well-informed on the precautions to take while dealing with market intermediaries, as well as in the stock market.

Details

International Journal of Law and Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-243X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 September 2023

Abinash Mandal and Amilan S

This study aims to examine how auditors perceive the influence of crucial fraud prevention factors in deterring financial statement fraud within the corporate sector…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine how auditors perceive the influence of crucial fraud prevention factors in deterring financial statement fraud within the corporate sector. Additionally, this research explores the mediating effect of fraud awareness in elucidating the impact of ethical leadership and internal control systems on preventing financial statement fraud.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used an online survey, targeting a sample of 141 professionally qualified auditors with at least one year of practical experience in the field. The researchers used “Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)” to examine relationships between latent variables using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The study investigated the impact of whistleblowing systems, fraud awareness, ethical leadership, internal control systems and corporate governance on fraud prevention.

Findings

This research finding provides evidence to the corporate sector by establishing the significance of fraud awareness as the most influencing factor in preventing financial statement fraud. Furthermore, the combined explanatory variables account for 77.4% of the overall variance in financial statement fraud prevention. The study reveals a partial mediation effect of fraud awareness on the relationship between the internal control system and financial statement fraud prevention.

Practical implications

This research finding may assist in developing an effective fraud prevention programme to mitigate fraud instances and improve financial reporting quality. In the corporate sector, each organisation should clearly specify the policies on whistleblowing systems, fraud awareness training, internal control systems and corporate governance. To foster a comprehensive fraud prevention programme, the leaders should enforce these policies with employee support.

Originality/value

This research integrated crucial elements to develop a new theoretical framework for investigating financial statement fraud prevention within the corporate context. Accordingly, this research framework provides a more in-depth explanation of preventing financial statement fraud from an auditor’s perspective. Additionally, this research is the first to explore the mediating role of fraud awareness in influencing the effectiveness of the internal control system in preventing financial statement fraud.

Details

Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-2517

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 30 November 2023

Domenico Campa, Alberto Quagli and Paola Ramassa

This study reviews and discusses the accounting literature that analyzes the role of auditors and enforcers in the context of fraud.

1920

Abstract

Purpose

This study reviews and discusses the accounting literature that analyzes the role of auditors and enforcers in the context of fraud.

Design/methodology/approach

This literature review includes both qualitative and quantitative studies, based on the idea that the findings from different research paradigms can shed light on the complex interactions between different financial reporting controls. The authors use a mixed-methods research synthesis and select 64 accounting journal articles to analyze the main proxies for fraud, the stages of the fraud process under investigation and the roles played by auditors and enforcers.

Findings

The study highlights heterogeneity with respect to the terms and concepts used to capture the fraud phenomenon, a fragmentation in terms of the measures used in quantitative studies and a low level of detail in the fraud analysis. The review also shows a limited number of case studies and a lack of focus on the interaction and interplay between enforcers and auditors.

Research limitations/implications

This study outlines directions for future accounting research on fraud.

Practical implications

The analysis underscores the need for the academic community, policymakers and practitioners to work together to prevent the destructive economic and social consequences of fraud in an increasingly complex and interconnected environment.

Originality/value

This study differs from previous literature reviews that focus on a single monitoring mechanism or deal with fraud in a broadly manner by discussing how the accounting literature addresses the roles and the complex interplay between enforcers and auditors in the context of accounting fraud.

Details

Journal of Accounting Literature, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-4607

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 July 2023

Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu, Theodora Aba Abekah Koomson and George Nana Agyekum Donkor

This paper aims to review corporate fraud, as a concept, and the emerging research trends in corporate fraud research from 1957 to 2022 using bibliometric analysis techniques.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review corporate fraud, as a concept, and the emerging research trends in corporate fraud research from 1957 to 2022 using bibliometric analysis techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 7,750 publications from the Scopus database were first assessed using performance analysis to explore the descriptive nature of the bibliographic data, and subsequently, citation, co-citation, co-occurrence and bibliographic coupling analyses were conducted using the VOSviewer software.

Findings

The results indicate there has been increasing growth in fraud research over the years, especially since the global corporate scandals of 2008. Although fraud is a global issue, the results suggest that most extant studies originate from developed economies, with a high level of collaboration amongst scholars in these countries. In addition, the co-occurrence analysis indicates that research into corporate fraud has largely focused on its determinants and corruption. The determinants identified are further clustered in the paper as individual, organizational and national-level factors.

Practical implications

The findings should inform practitioners and policymakers of the state of knowledge on corporate fraud which could be useful in developing strategies and policies to mitigate its occurrence.

Social implications

The study points to the need for research collaborations among scholars in developing economies to increase investigations into the occurrences of fraud.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to holistically assess the intellectual structure of corporate fraud studies from its inception and the trends over time.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 February 2024

Ach Maulidi

This study aims to observe people’s decisions to commit fraud. This study is important in the current time because it provides insights into the development of fraudulent…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to observe people’s decisions to commit fraud. This study is important in the current time because it provides insights into the development of fraudulent intentions within individuals.

Design/methodology/approach

The information used in this study is derived from semi-structured interviews, conducted with 16 high-ranking officials who are employed in Indonesian local government positions.

Findings

The study does not have strong evidence to support prior studies assuming that situational factors or social enablers have direct effects on fraud intentions. As suggested, individual factors which are related to moral reasoning (moral judgment and rationalisation) emerge as a consequence of social enablers. The significant role of that moral reasoning is to rationalise any fraud attempt as permissible conduct. As such, when an individual is capable of legitimising his/her fraud attempt into appropriate self-judgement, s/he is more likely to engage in fraudulent behaviours.

Practical implications

This study offers practical prescriptions in guiding the management to develop strategies to curb fraudulent behaviours. The study suggests that moral cognitive reasoning is found to be a parameter of whether fraud is an acceptable option or not. So, an understanding of observers’ moral reasoning is helpful in predicting the likelihood of fraud within an organisation or in detecting it.

Originality/value

This study provides a different perspective on the psychological pathway to fraud. It becomes a complement work for the fraud triangle to explain fraudulent behaviours. Specifically, it provides crucial insights into the underlying motivations that lead individuals to accept invitations to engage in fraudulent activities.

Details

Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1832-5912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 September 2023

Abinash Mandal and Amilan S.

Although corporations exert considerable efforts to uphold ethical standards in their business operations, fraud instances persist as an enduring and formidable challenge within…

Abstract

Purpose

Although corporations exert considerable efforts to uphold ethical standards in their business operations, fraud instances persist as an enduring and formidable challenge within organisations, defying their utmost efforts. The presence of fraud poses a substantial and recurring threat to corporations, leading to significant financial losses on an annual basis. This emphasises the crucial need for a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to fraudulent activities and the intricate nature of fraud risk factors inherent in business operations. Therefore, this paper aims to enhance the efficacy of fraud detection and prevention measures through critical analysis and refinement of established fraud theories, drawing upon the existing literature on this subject matter.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper offers a comprehensive qualitative analysis of the existing literature, thoroughly reviewing prominent models that aim to elucidate the underlying motivations behind fraudulent behaviour. Moreover, drawing upon the existing theoretical foundation, this study conceptualises a model that enhances the understanding of the crucial factors contributing to fraudulent behaviour.

Findings

The study presents new theoretical insights concerning the role of personal integrity in fraudulent decision-making, presenting refined interventions that enhance comprehension of the underlying drivers of fraud occurrences and strategies for prevention. Furthermore, the study reveals a comprehensive three-part approach to improving organisational health through strengthening compliance mechanisms and cultivating an ethical-values-based culture.

Originality/value

The study introduces a novel conceptual framework, the personal ethic-based fraud motivation model, which offers a deeper understanding of the factors and conditions influencing individuals’ propensity to engage in fraudulent activities. Furthermore, this study presents a three Cs strategy that effectively delineates the influential forces that drive individuals to surmount fraud risks.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 August 2023

Esraa Esam Alharasis, Hossam Haddad, Mohammad Alhadab, Maha Shehadeh and Elina F. Hasan

This study aims to examine the degree of consciousness of forensic accounting (FA) in Jordan. This study surveys practitioners and academicians about their views and thoughts…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the degree of consciousness of forensic accounting (FA) in Jordan. This study surveys practitioners and academicians about their views and thoughts toward the expected role of using FA techniques to detecting and preventing fraud practices and shedding more light on advantages and obstacles of using the FA techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

To collect the data, a questionnaire was constructed and distributed to the study population which consists of accounting academics, students and accounting practitioners.

Findings

The results of this study show evidence that both students and professionals have a lower level of awareness on the FA concept and its importance. The results also confirm there is a significant correlation between, fraud prevention and detection, advantages of the application of FA, the training courses toward the application of FA and the application of FA in the context of Jordan. It has also been confirmed that there is a number of significant factors hinders this implementation in Jordan.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study offer many policy implications for regulators and policymakers on the needed relevant information to address and implement FA in education and practice, thereby activating the FA concept in Jordan.

Originality/value

The primary motivation of this study is driven by the limited and inconclusive research on the FA as a monitoring tool, notably there is a high possibility of fraud and misstatement practices due to the agency conflict. This study is the first of its kind to discuss this topic in the context of Jordan. The need to integrating the accounting education within accounting profession regarding FA becomes an urgent need to develop the awareness level of practitioners when it comes to practice of FA.

Details

Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-2517

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 April 2024

Mohd Azril Rezza Mohd Razmin, Amri Mohamad and Maheran Zakaria

This study aims to investigate the factors that influence asset misappropriation fraud among police officers in the Internal Security and Public Order (Malay: Keselamatan Dalam

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the factors that influence asset misappropriation fraud among police officers in the Internal Security and Public Order (Malay: Keselamatan Dalam Negeri dan Ketenteraman Awam [KDNKA]) Department, Royal Malaysian Police (RMP).

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data were collected from a questionnaire-based survey and the data were analysed using descriptive analysis, correlation analysis and multiregression.

Findings

The element of pressure was found to have a negative relationship with asset misappropriation fraud. This result shows the uniqueness of the KDNKA Department in the RMP. The other three elements are found to have a significant positive relationship with asset misappropriation fraud.

Practical implications

This study’s findings can aid academicians in gaining a better understanding of the literature surrounding fraud diamond theory and aid the policymakers in recognizing the signs and possibilities of asset misappropriation fraud in public agencies.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that uses the KDNKA Department which is the second largest department in RMP as a population in fraud study.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

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