IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jiaata/v42y2021ics1061951820300586.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Correlates of the internal audit function’s use of data analytics in the big data era: Global evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Rakipi, Romina
  • De Santis, Federica
  • D'Onza, Giuseppe

Abstract

In the big data era, internal audit functions (IAFs) should innovate their techniques so as to add value to their organizations. The use of data analytics (DA) increases IAFs’ ability to extract value from big data, helping IAFs to enhance their activities’ efficiency and effectiveness. We use responses from 1,681 Chief Audit Executives (CAEs) in 82 countries to investigate the correlates of IAFs’ DA usage. From the literature, we identify five main variables expected to be associated with IAFs’ DA use. We find a positive and significant association between DA use and (i) the IAF reporting to the audit committee (AC) and (ii) CAEs’ ability to build positive relationships with managers. These findings suggest that IAF independence and CAEs’ soft skills are important to innovate IAF techniques favoring DA use. We also find a positive association between DA use and IAFs’ involvement in the assurance of enterprise risk management, fraud detection, and IT risk audit activities. Our findings contribute to the internal auditing and DA literatures, and should be of interest to CAEs, ACs, corporate boards, and professional associations.

Suggested Citation

  • Rakipi, Romina & De Santis, Federica & D'Onza, Giuseppe, 2021. "Correlates of the internal audit function’s use of data analytics in the big data era: Global evidence," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jiaata:v:42:y:2021:i:c:s1061951820300586
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intaccaudtax.2020.100357
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1061951820300586
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.intaccaudtax.2020.100357?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nathalie Brender & Bledi Yzeiraj & Emmanuel Fragniere, 2015. "The management audit as a tool to foster corporate governance: an inquiry in Switzerland," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 30(8/9), pages 785-811, October.
    2. Abdolmohammadi, Mohammad J. & Boss, Scott R., 2010. "Factors associated with IT audits by the internal audit function," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 140-151.
    3. Bierstaker, James & Janvrin, Diane & Lowe, D. Jordan, 2014. "What factors influence auditors' use of computer-assisted audit techniques?," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 67-74.
    4. Norman, Carolyn Strand & Rose, Anna M. & Rose, Jacob M., 2010. "Internal audit reporting lines, fraud risk decomposition, and assessments of fraud risk," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 546-557, July.
    5. Earley, Christine E., 2015. "Data analytics in auditing: Opportunities and challenges," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 58(5), pages 493-500.
    6. Mélanie Roussy & Alexandre Perron, 2018. "New Perspectives in Internal Audit Research: A Structured Literature Review," Accounting Perspectives, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(3), pages 345-385, September.
    7. Barbara Arel & Cathy Beaudoin & Anna Cianci, 2012. "The Impact of Ethical Leadership, the Internal Audit Function, and Moral Intensity on a Financial Reporting Decision," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 109(3), pages 351-366, September.
    8. Alles, Michael & Gray, Glen L., 2016. "Incorporating big data in audits: Identifying inhibitors and a research agenda to address those inhibitors," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 44-59.
    9. Gerrit Sarens & Marco Allegrini & Giuseppe D'Onza & Robert Melville, 2011. "Are internal auditing practices related to the age of the internal audit function?: Exploratory evidence and directions for future research," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 26(1), pages 51-64, January.
    10. Marc Eulerich & Jörg Henseler & Annette G. Köhler, 2017. "The internal audit dilemma – the impact of executive directors versus audit committees on internal auditing work," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(9), pages 854-878, November.
    11. Joe Christopher & Gerrit Sarens & Philomena Leung, 2009. "A critical analysis of the independence of the internal audit function: evidence from Australia," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(2), pages 200-220, January.
    12. Vasarhelyi, Miklos A. & Alles, Michael & Kuenkaikaew, Siripan & Littley, James, 2012. "The acceptance and adoption of continuous auditing by internal auditors: A micro analysis," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 267-281.
    13. Gonzalez, George C. & Sharma, Pratyush N. & Galletta, Dennis F., 2012. "The antecedents of the use of continuous auditing in the internal auditing context," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 248-262.
    14. Kim, Hyo-Jeong & Mannino, Michael & Nieschwietz, Robert J., 2009. "Information technology acceptance in the internal audit profession: Impact of technology features and complexity," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 214-228.
    15. Md. Shariful Islam & Nusrat Farah & Thomas F. Stafford, 2018. "Factors associated with security/cybersecurity audit by internal audit function," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 33(4), pages 377-409, April.
    16. Giuseppe D'Onza & Rita Lamboglia & Roberto Verona, 2015. "Do IT audits satisfy senior manager expectations?: A qualitative study based on Italian banks," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 30(4/5), pages 413-434, May.
    17. Miklos A. Vasarhelyi & Silvia Romero, 2014. "Technology in audit engagements: a case study," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 29(4), pages 350-365, April.
    18. Beasley, Mark S. & Clune, Richard & Hermanson, Dana R., 2005. "Enterprise risk management: An empirical analysis of factors associated with the extent of implementation," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 521-531.
    19. Ryan Davidson & Jenny Goodwin‐Stewart & Pamela Kent, 2005. "Internal governance structures and earnings management," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 45(2), pages 241-267, July.
    20. Rainer Lenz & Ulrich Hahn, 2015. "A synthesis of empirical internal audit effectiveness literature pointing to new research opportunities," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 30(1), pages 5-33, January.
    21. Vidgen, Richard & Shaw, Sarah & Grant, David B., 2017. "Management challenges in creating value from business analytics," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 261(2), pages 626-639.
    22. Amani, Farzaneh A. & Fadlalla, Adam M., 2017. "Data mining applications in accounting: A review of the literature and organizing framework," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 32-58.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Michele Galeotti & Rosa Lombardi & Paola Paoloni & Fabiana Roberto, 2022. "Big data and sustainability reports: The current approach to non-accounting data management," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2022(2 Suppl.), pages 95-116.
    2. Francis Aboagye‐Otchere & Cletus Agyenim‐Boateng & Abdulai Enusah & Theodora Ekua Aryee, 2021. "A Review of Big Data Research in Accounting," Intelligent Systems in Accounting, Finance and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 268-283, October.
    3. Nathanael Betti & Steven DeSimone & Joy Gray, 2022. "The impacts of the use of data analytics and the performance of consulting activities on perceived internal audit quality," Working Papers 2202, College of the Holy Cross, Department of Economics.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mélanie Roussy & Alexandre Perron, 2018. "New Perspectives in Internal Audit Research: A Structured Literature Review," Accounting Perspectives, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(3), pages 345-385, September.
    2. Stéphane Lhuillery & Marion Tellechea & Stéphanie Thiery, 2021. "Open innovation in managerial innovation: the case of internal audit," Working Papers of BETA 2021-19, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    3. Steven DeSimone & Giuseppe D’Onza & Gerrit Sarens, 2019. "Correlates of Internal Audit Function Maturity," Working Papers 1905, College of the Holy Cross, Department of Economics.
    4. Nathanael Betti & Steven DeSimone & Joy Gray, 2022. "The impacts of the use of data analytics and the performance of consulting activities on perceived internal audit quality," Working Papers 2202, College of the Holy Cross, Department of Economics.
    5. Fábio Albuquerque & Paula Gomes Dos Santos, 2023. "Recent Trends in Accounting and Information System Research: A Literature Review Using Textual Analysis Tools," FinTech, MDPI, vol. 2(2), pages 1-27, April.
    6. Thiéry, Stéphanie & Lhuillery, Stephane & Tellechea, Marion, 2023. "How can governance, human capital, and communication practices enhance internal audit quality?," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    7. Isabel Z. Wang & Neil Fargher, 2017. "The effects of tone at the top and coordination with external auditors on internal auditors’ fraud risk assessments," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 57(4), pages 1177-1202, December.
    8. Farida Veerankutty & Thurasamy Ramayah & Noor Azman Ali, 2018. "Information Technology Governance on Audit Technology Performance among Malaysian Public Sector Auditors," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-19, July.
    9. Federica De Santis, 2018. "Big Data e revisione contabile: uno studio esplorativo nel contesto italiano," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(2), pages 129-154.
    10. Ahmad Almagrashi & Abdulwahab Mujalli & Tehmina Khan & Osama Attia, 2023. "Factors determining internal auditors’ behavioral intention to use computer-assisted auditing techniques: an extension of the UTAUT model and an empirical study," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 1-19, December.
    11. Abdalwali Lutfi & Hamza Alqudah, 2023. "The Influence of Technological Factors on the Computer-Assisted Audit Tools and Techniques Usage during COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-22, May.
    12. Slapničar, Sergeja & Vuko, Tina & Čular, Marko & Drašček, Matej, 2022. "Effectiveness of cybersecurity audit," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
    13. Vikash Kumar Sinha & Marika Arena, 2020. "Manifold Conceptions of the Internal Auditing of Risk Culture in the Financial Sector," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 162(1), pages 81-102, February.
    14. Konstantinos Petridis & Georgios Drogalas & Eleni Zografidou, 2021. "Internal auditor selection using a TOPSIS/non-linear programming model," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 296(1), pages 513-539, January.
    15. Steven DeSimone & Giuseppe D’Onza & Gerrit Sarens, 2021. "Correlates of internal audit function involvement in sustainability audits," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 25(2), pages 561-591, June.
    16. Afsay, Akram & Tahriri, Arash & Rezaee, Zabihollah, 2023. "A meta-analysis of factors affecting acceptance of information technology in auditing," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    17. Gambetta, Nicolás & García-Benau, María Antonia & Zorio-Grima, Ana, 2016. "Data analytics in banks' audit: The case of loan loss provisions in Uruguay," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 4793-4797.
    18. Siew, Eu-Gene & Rosli, Khairina & Yeow, Paul H.P., 2020. "Organizational and environmental influences in the adoption of computer-assisted audit tools and techniques (CAATTs) by audit firms in Malaysia," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
    19. Monica Ramos Montesdeoca & Agustín J. Sánchez Medina & Felix Blázquez Santana, 2019. "Research Topics in Accounting Fraud in the 21st Century: A State of the Art," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-31, March.
    20. Sojung Lucia Kim & Thompson S.H. Teo & Anol Bhattacherjee & Kichan Nam, 0. "IS auditor characteristics, audit process variables, and IS audit satisfaction: An empirical study in South Korea," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-15.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jiaata:v:42:y:2021:i:c:s1061951820300586. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-international-accounting-auditing-and-taxation .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.