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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.

1906

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

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 August 2022

Antonio D’Andreamatteo, Giuseppe Grossi, Giorgia Mattei and Massimo Sargiacomo

This paper aims to explore how the phenomena of corruption and fraud in the public sector have been portrayed in the literature using the Audit Society Framework (Power, 1997).

3332

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how the phenomena of corruption and fraud in the public sector have been portrayed in the literature using the Audit Society Framework (Power, 1997).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a structured literature review (Massaro et al., 2016) to unveil relevant literature in the area of corruption and fraud in the public sector.

Findings

Results highlight that the literature using “The Audit Society” theory is still scant. Notwithstanding the call for a more decisive role of auditors in fighting corruption and fraud, much is still to be discovered about consequences of auditing and what “good quality” is.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation is that only literature in English has been included.

Practical implications

This paper helps practitioners and policymakers to take and implement informed decisions with regards to the fight against fraud and corruption.

Social implications

In calling for more research in the domain of audit, fraud and corruption in the public sector, this paper promotes a higher focus of society on public interest and the common good.

Originality/value

This paper investigates one part of The Audit Society related to corruption and fraud, topics that are still very underdeveloped and unexplored by researchers. From the findings the authors suggest possible new avenues for further research.

Details

Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, vol. 21 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1176-6093

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 18 January 2021

Abstract

Details

Contemporary Issues in Public Sector Accounting and Auditing
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-508-5

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 27 July 2020

Zaleha Othman, Mohd Fareez Fahmy Nordin and Muhammad Sadiq

This study provides in-depth explanation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud prevention towards sustainability business.

6395

Abstract

Purpose

This study provides in-depth explanation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud prevention towards sustainability business.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies a qualitative research method, i.e. case study, to address the specific research objective.

Findings

The finding revealed a GST prevention model towards sustainable business. The finding shows that it is pertinent for the government to set preventive strategies in order to retain sustainable income for the government. Two essential dimensions emerged in the findings to support preventive strategies, namely macro- and micro-level measures.

Practical implications

The findings of this study provide managers, investors and policymakers with evidence to what extent GST fraud could be minimize in order to safeguard government source of revenue and retain sustainable business in a country. As GST is an important source of revenue for the government, it is thus crucial to prevent fraud from occurring.

Originality/value

Past studies have primarily focused on GST implementation from the perspective of service tax effectiveness and efficiency. However, this study examined the impact of GST fraud to determine measures that could ensure service tax sustainability using preventive strategies, in turn, introducing to the existing literature on indirect tax.

Details

Journal of Asian Business and Economic Studies, vol. 27 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2515-964X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 June 2020

Mohammad Husen Rifai and Agus Widodo Mardijuwono

The purpose of this research is to obtain empirical evidence about the impact of auditor’s integrity and organizational commitment to the prevention of fraud.

7412

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to obtain empirical evidence about the impact of auditor’s integrity and organizational commitment to the prevention of fraud.

Design/methodology/approach

This research was conducted using questionnaires distributed to all internal auditors who worked at East Java Representatives Office of Indonesia’s National Government Internal Auditor. One hundred and thirteen questionnaires were distributed, and fifty-seven questionnaires were received, and all have validity eligible to use in this research. The hypothesis of this research was tested using the partial least square analysis with WarpPLS version 6.0 software.

Findings

The result of this research found that auditor’s integrity and organizational commitment affect positively to fraud prevention.

Originality/value

Using government internal auditors, this study believed, brings a new insight into government internal auditor behavior.

Details

Asian Journal of Accounting Research, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2443-4175

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 21 February 2022

Héctor Rubén Morales, Marcela Porporato and Nicolas Epelbaum

The technical feasibility of using Benford's law to assist internal auditors in reviewing the integrity of high-volume data sets is analysed. This study explores whether Benford's…

2582

Abstract

Purpose

The technical feasibility of using Benford's law to assist internal auditors in reviewing the integrity of high-volume data sets is analysed. This study explores whether Benford's distribution applies to the set of numbers represented by the quantity of records (size) that comprise the different tables that make up a state-owned enterprise's (SOE) enterprise resource planning (ERP) relational database. The use of Benford's law streamlines the search for possible abnormalities within the ERP system's data set, increasing the ability of the internal audit functions (IAFs) to detect anomalies within the database. In the SOEs of emerging economies, where groups compete for power and resources, internal auditors are better off employing analytical tests to discharge their duties without getting involved in power struggles.

Design/methodology/approach

Records of eight databases of an SOE in Argentina are used to analyse the number of records of each table in periods of three to 12 years. The case develops step-by-step Benford's law application to test each ERP module records using Chi-squared (χ²) and mean absolute deviation (MAD) goodness-of-fit tests.

Findings

Benford's law is an adequate tool for performing integrity tests of high-volume databases. A minimum of 350 tables within each database are required for the MAD test to be effective; this threshold is higher than the 67 reported by earlier researches. Robust results are obtained for the complete ERP system and for large modules; modules with less than 350 tables show low conformity with Benford's law.

Research limitations/implications

This study is not about detecting fraud; it aims to help internal auditors red flag databases that will need further attention, making the most out of available limited resources in SOEs. The contribution is a simple, cheap and useful quantitative tool that can be employed by internal auditors in emerging economies to perform the first scan of the data contained in relational databases.

Practical implications

This paper provides a tool to test whether large amounts of data behave as expected, and if not, they can be pinpointed for future investigation. It offers tests and explanations on the tool's application so that internal auditors of SOEs in emerging economies can use it, particularly those that face divergent expectations from antagonist powerful interest groups.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates that even in the context of limited information technology tools available for internal auditors, there are simple and inexpensive tests to review the integrity of high-volume databases. It also extends the literature on high-volume database integrity tests and our knowledge of the IAF in Civil law countries, particularly emerging economies in Latin America.

Details

Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Science, vol. 27 no. 53
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2218-0648

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 8 December 2022

James Christopher Westland

This paper tests whether Bayesian A/B testing yields better decisions that traditional Neyman-Pearson hypothesis testing. It proposes a model and tests it using a large, multiyear…

1219

Abstract

Purpose

This paper tests whether Bayesian A/B testing yields better decisions that traditional Neyman-Pearson hypothesis testing. It proposes a model and tests it using a large, multiyear Google Analytics (GA) dataset.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is an empirical study. Competing A/B testing models were used to analyze a large, multiyear dataset of GA dataset for a firm that relies entirely on their website and online transactions for customer engagement and sales.

Findings

Bayesian A/B tests of the data not only yielded a clear delineation of the timing and impact of the intellectual property fraud, but calculated the loss of sales dollars, traffic and time on the firm’s website, with precise confidence limits. Frequentist A/B testing identified fraud in bounce rate at 5% significance, and bounces at 10% significance, but was unable to ascertain fraud at the standard significance cutoffs for scientific studies.

Research limitations/implications

None within the scope of the research plan.

Practical implications

Bayesian A/B tests of the data not only yielded a clear delineation of the timing and impact of the IP fraud, but calculated the loss of sales dollars, traffic and time on the firm’s website, with precise confidence limits.

Social implications

Bayesian A/B testing can derive economically meaningful statistics, whereas frequentist A/B testing only provide p-value’s whose meaning may be hard to grasp, and where misuse is widespread and has been a major topic in metascience. While misuse of p-values in scholarly articles may simply be grist for academic debate, the uncertainty surrounding the meaning of p-values in business analytics actually can cost firms money.

Originality/value

There is very little empirical research in e-commerce that uses Bayesian A/B testing. Almost all corporate testing is done via frequentist Neyman-Pearson methods.

Details

Journal of Electronic Business & Digital Economics, vol. 1 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-4214

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 10 August 2023

Ahmed Anis

This paper aims to examine the role of Blockchain in the accounting and auditing literature and profession. Specifically, the paper investigates auditors' perceptions about the…

4127

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the role of Blockchain in the accounting and auditing literature and profession. Specifically, the paper investigates auditors' perceptions about the role of blockchain in accounting and auditing and the perceived potential benefits and challenges of blockchain-based accounting systems in Egypt. Moreover, what are the capabilities required for successfully implementing blockchain-based accounting systems?

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-method approach was adopted to achieve the research objectives. The qualitative study included 11 in-depth interviews with external auditors, and the results of the interviews and the literature review helped develop a survey collected from 58 auditors.

Findings

The findings revealed low-to-moderate awareness of Blockchain-based accounting systems. Also, there were significant differences between auditors from large audit firms and small-and-medium audit firms regarding the benefits and challenges associated with Blockchain-based accounting systems.

Practical implications

The results provide valuable insights for practitioners, researchers and policymakers.

Originality/value

Understanding blockchain-based accounting systems and the benefits and challenges associated with their application is crucial for developing effective strategies and frameworks to overcome barriers and realize the transformative potential of blockchain in the accounting and audit market.

Details

Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences, vol. 5 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2632-279X

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 27 June 2017

Jim Peterson

Abstract

Details

Count Down
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78714-700-3

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 18 January 2021

Abstract

Details

Contemporary Issues in Public Sector Accounting and Auditing
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-508-5

1 – 10 of 536