The results of this study are important due to the requirement of members of the audit engagement team to identify potential fraud. The results of this study identify a method of improving auditor performance of identifying potential frauds at both the individual brainstorming stage and the subsequent group brainstorming stage. Because the effectiveness of the group brainstorming session is dependent on the quality and quantity of inputs from the individual auditor brainstorming sessions, the present study suggests a simple intervention regarding task representation to improve the performance of these inputs. Specifically, auditors considering potential fraud categories (e.g., revenue recognition, inventory, etc.) one by one, as opposed to all at once, identify a greater quantity and quality of potential frauds. By improving both the individual and group brainstorming stages, auditors are less likely to overlook potential fraud.
Chen, W., A. S. Khalifa, and K. T. Trotman. 2015. Facilitating brainstorming: Impact of task representation on auditors’ identification of potential frauds. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory 34 (3): 1-22.
The insights highlighted in this paper from research on audit groups/teams inform one’s understanding of how best to design group interactions between auditors within the firm and with professionals outside the audit firm, including management, audit committees, and inspectors. These insights are important given the criticism audit firms have faced from regulators and inspectors over the past decade and the multi-person setting present in auditing. Further, while a large literature exists on single-person decision-making, these studies may not generalize to multi-person settings. The review also highlights the need for continued research in this area and the importance audit practitioner involvement with future research efforts.
Trotman, K., T. Bauer, and K. Humphreys. 2015. Group judgment and decision making in auditing: Past and future research. Accounting, Organizations and Society 47: 56-72.
The results of this study are important for audit firms to consider when conducting multinational audits involving several different local offices. The results suggest that local offices of audit firms may modify inter-office instructions and firm audit methodologies to suit the needs of their local client, including adapting materiality levels. Additionally, results suggest that while some local offices see the worldwide audit team as their “client” other offices are focused on meeting the needs of their local client.
Barrett, M., D.J. Cooper and K. Jamal. 2005. Globalization and the Coordinating of Work in Multinational Audits. Accounting, Organizations and Society 30 (1): 1-24.