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The Impact of Internal Auditor Compensation and Role on External Auditors' Planning Judgments and Decisions

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  • F. Todd Dezoort
  • Richard W. Houston
  • Michael F. Peters

Abstract

This paper reports the results of an experiment that investigates how external audit planning is affected when internal auditors have incentives and the opportunity to bias their evaluations. Specifically, we draw on attribution theory to examine how internal auditor eligibility for incentive compensation and participation in consulting (i.e., two factors that provide incentives to bias audit evaluations) affect external audit planning. In addition, we examine the effects of incentive compensation and a consulting role across two routine internal audit tasks — an objective tests of controls task and a subjective inventory valuation task — to evaluate whether their effects are contingent upon task subjectivity (i.e., opportunity to bias audit evaluations). Seventy†six external auditors from four Big 5 public accounting firms participated in an experiment that manipulated internal auditor compensation (fixed salary versus incentive compensation), the type of work that the internal auditors routinely perform (primarily auditing versus primarily consulting), and audit task subjectivity (objective tests of controls versus subjective inventory valuation). Our results suggest that the nature of internal auditors' compensation and work affect audit planning recommendations differently. The opportunity to receive incentive compensation results in less reliance on internal auditors' work and greater budgeted audit hours, but only for the subjective task. Although a consulting role decreases perceived internal auditor objectivity, it has a limited effect on planning recommendations. Specifically, consulting has no effect on reliance, and leads to greater budgeted audit hours only when incentive compensation is available. We discuss potential explanations for the results as well as implications for audit research, practice, and regulation.

Suggested Citation

  • F. Todd Dezoort & Richard W. Houston & Michael F. Peters, 2001. "The Impact of Internal Auditor Compensation and Role on External Auditors' Planning Judgments and Decisions," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(2), pages 257-281, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:coacre:v:18:y:2001:i:2:p:257-281
    DOI: 10.1506/7ERQ-LD54-BTQV-TUVE
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    Cited by:

    1. Desai, Naman, 2015. "The Effects of Group Brainstorming on the Auditor’s Search for Potential Misstatements and Assessment of Fraud Risk in the Presence of Pressures and Opportunities," IIMA Working Papers WP2015-03-11, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
    2. Lois Munro & Jenny Stewart, 2010. "External auditors’ reliance on internal audit: the impact of sourcing arrangements and consulting activities," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 50(2), pages 371-387, June.
    3. Suroso Imam Zadjuli & Atina Shofawati & Muryani Muryani, 2020. "Implementinggood corporate governance in zakat institution," Bussecon Review of Social Sciences (2687-2285), Bussecon International Academy, vol. 2(1), pages 27-37, January.
    4. Weisner, Martin M. & Sutton, Steve G., 2015. "When the world isn't always flat: The impact of psychological distance on auditors' reliance on specialists," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 16(C), pages 23-41.
    5. G. Sarens & I. De Beelde, 2004. "Contemporary internal auditing practices : (new) roles and influencing variables. Evidence from extended case studies," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 04/273, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    6. Ikseon Suh & Adi Masli & John T. Sweeney, 2021. "Do Management Training Grounds Reduce Internal Auditor Objectivity and External Auditor Reliance? The Influence of Family Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 173(1), pages 205-227, September.
    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. Rustam, Sehrish & Rashid, Kashif & Zaman, Khalid, 2013. "The relationship between audit committees, compensation incentives and corporate audit fees in Pakistan," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 697-716.
    9. Desai, Naman & Gupta, Vishal, 2015. "Selective Perceptions and Group Brainstorming: An Investigation of Auditors’ Fraud Risk Assessment," IIMA Working Papers WP2015-03-14, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
    10. Emna Ben Saad & Cédric Lesage, 2009. "Perception De L'Indépendance De L'Auditeur : Analyse Par La Théorie D'Attribution," Post-Print halshs-00460618, HAL.
    11. Mandy M Cheng & Habib Mahama, 2011. "The impact of capital proposal guidelines and perceived preparer biases on reviewers’ investment evaluation decisions," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 36(3), pages 349-370, December.
    12. Desai, Naman & Nagar, Neerav, 2016. "A research note: Are auditors unable to detect classification shifting or merely not willing to report it? Evidence from India," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 111-120.
    13. 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.
    14. Desai, Renu & Desai, Vikram & Libby, Theresa & Srivastava, Rajendra P., 2017. "External auditors' evaluation of the internal audit function: An empirical investigation," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 1-14.

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