The purpose of this research was to empirically examine the effect of the establishment of outside audit committees on the objectivity of the management results-reporting practices of those companies that established such committees in response to the New York Stock Exchange mandate effective June 30, 1978. Management income smoothing behavior is taken as a measurable surrogate for the objectivity of the management results-reporting practices. This research involved the testing of one research problem. The research question asks, "Will the establishment of outside audit committees by companies that had no such committees prior to the New York Stock Exchange mandate effective June 30, 1978, be associated with a decrease in the degree of smoothing in the net income series for the period after that date relative to the degree of smoothing prior to that date?" The answer to this question required the selection of an experimental and a control group. Each group was composed of fifty New York Stock Exchange listed firms. Linear and semi-log regression models were used to measure each firm's degree of income smoothing (defined as reducing the variability of a net income series about its trend line). The change in mean square errors of the experimental and control groups was compared using the chisquare and median tests. Neither the chi-square or the median test found a statistically significant increase in the objectivity of the management results-reporting function for the firms that established outside audit committees in response to the NYSE mandate effective June 30, 1978.

Revisionsbranschen är en mansdominerad bransch som är känd för att ha lägst andel kvinnor bland dem ledande positionerna. Kvinnor har stött på olika hinder och haft svårare att nå högre positioner än män, men på senare år har branschen blivit mer jämställd. Studier har visat att könsfördelningen inom delägarkretsen har förändrats till det bättre. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka kvinnliga delägares uppfattningar av faktorer som påverkat kvinnors möjligheter att bli delägare i medelstora och stora revisionsbyråer samt om de uppfattar att dessa faktorer fortfarande finns.   Studiens teoretiska referensram fokuserar på revisionsbranschen och strukturella teorier. I studien har ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt använts för att få en djupgående förståelse om hur kvinnliga delägare upplever att olika faktorer har påverkat dem att bli delägare samt om de upplever att en förändring har skett i branschen. Vi har genomfört sex semistrukturerade intervjuer med kvinnliga delägare från fyra olika bolag.   Resultatet av empirin visar att de kvinnliga delägarna inte upplevt hinder för att nå delägarskap. Det enda hindret som påverkar möjligheterna för att bli delägare är varje individs egna egenskaper, ambitioner och mål. Föräldraskap ses inte som ett hinder av delägarna, däremot upplever de att kombinationen av familj och karriär kan upplevas vara svår. Delägarna upplever att det har skett en förändring bland könsfördelningen i delägarkretsen och att branschen är under utveckling. Med den här studien vill vi bidra till en ökad förståelse kring vilka hinder som påverkar kvinnors avancemang inom revisionsbranschen. / The auditing industry is a male dominated industry that is known for having the lowest proportion of women among the leading positions. Women have encountered various obstacles and found it more difficult to reach higher positions than men, but in recent years the industry has become more equal. Studies have shown that the gender distribution within the circle of partners has changed. The purpose of this study is to investigate female partners’ perceptions of factors that have affected women’s opportunities to become partners in medium-sized and large auditing firms and whether they perceive that these factors still exist.  The study's theoretical framework focuses on the auditing industry and structural theories. A qualitative approach was used to gain an in-depth understanding of how female partners feel that various factors have influenced them to become partners and whether they feel that a change has taken place in the industry. We conducted six semi-structured interviews with female partners from four firms.  The results show that the female partners don’t experience obstacles to achieve partnership. The only obstacle is each individual's own characteristics, ambitions and goals. Parenting is not seen as an obstacle by the partners. However, they experience that the combination of family and career can be difficult. The partners feel that there has been a change in the gender distribution in the co-owner and that the industry is still changing. With this study, we want to contribute to an increased understanding of the obstacles that affect women's advancement in the auditing industry.

In my master´s thesis I am dealing with process approach as one of the basic principles resulting from management according to ISO 9001. Introductory theoretical part pays attention to basic thesis resulting from ISO 9001. In practical part I analyze processes, system of continual improvement and I show economical drop of the International Standard implementation. In the last part I mention the proposals to optimize the process approach.

Audit delay refers to the time from the end of the country or company’s financial year to the date of the audit report. The chances of delay of audit in the public sector are pervasive and as such the expectations of users of these audit reports may differ which could result in the quality and reliability of these audits within this sector to be questioned. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to explore the external and internal factors that cause audit delay and the aftermath they have on public sector audit quality. As for this study, its original value correlates with the espousal of the institutional theory from the perspective of public sector auditing. Considering the aim of this study, a qualitative research was preferred with the objective of gathering in-depth and enriched empirical data; hence, semi structured interviews were conducted with ten auditors of the top and middle management of the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of Liberia – General Auditing Commission. There are varying views regarding the findings of this study as the respondents disclose that the external factors that result to audit delays are caused by either the audited entity or other external parties and not the SAI; however, it is the responsibility of the SAI to work with the entity involved to ensure those factors do not impede the audit process to the extent it cannot be completed; whereas, internal factors which includes inadequate staff training, delay in the review and approval of the draft audit report by top management to the poor performance of auditors as a result of lack of knowledge and etcetera cause audit delays as well and the SAI is solely responsible for ensuring that they are resolved or lessened so as not to affect the timeliness of the reporting process. The study mentions several limitations. One of them is the lack of observation being conducted which would have provided first-hand information on factors that cause the delay of audits in the public sector.

Vad är revision egentligen och varför är det så viktigt? Revision handlar om att kritiskt granska, bedöma och uttala sig om ett företags redovisning och förvaltning. Revision har under många år hjälpt individer att ta beslut kring ett företag utifrån kritiskt framtagna rapporter av auktoriserade revisorer som följer god redovisningssed. Revisionen är en viktig grund för intressenter och aktieägare men också för att säkerställa att juridiska och skatterättsliga restriktioner och regler som ständigt förnyas, tillämpas. Men vad som en gång var en vanlig arbetsuppgift för en revisor är idag annorlunda, digitaliseringen implementeras bland yrket genom automatiserade arbetsuppgifter och den tidigare beskrivningen på vad en revisor utför under en vanlig arbetsdag har förändrats. Syftet med denna studie är att ge en övergripande bakgrundsbild av vad revisionsyrket har haft för arbetsuppgifter och hur dessa har utförts, fram tills att digitaliseringen implementerades bland yrket och förändrade dåvarande arbetsuppgifter. Vi vill med denna studie även undersöka hur dessa arbetsuppgifter har förändrats och vilka effekterna har varit för både yrket samt dess kompetenskrav och för själva revisionen. Under den teoretiska referensramen presenteras en bakgrundsbild av revisorsrollen och dess arbetsuppgifter samt hur utvecklingen sett ut. Vi presenterar sedan två teorier som sträcker sig från den ursprungliga revisorn till den utvecklade, digitaliserade revisorn. Sist presenteras tidigare studier som behandlat revisionyrkets utveckling genom implementering av digitaliseringen. Detta för att få en förståelse kring de effekter som digitaliseringen medfört inom yrket men även för att förstå det förändrade kompetensbehovet som kommer att påverka revisionen. Med hjälp av en kvalitativ metod besvarades syftet och den insamlade empirin presenteras under empirikapitlet för att framföra respondenternas uppfattning. Sedan kopplar uppsatsen samman teori och empiri under analyskapitlet med redogörelse för likheter och skillnader mellan den tidigare bilden av revisionsyrket och dagens digitaliserade revisor med dess nya sätt att behandla sina arbetsuppgifter. Slutsatsen av studien baserat på de åsikter våra respondenter har presenterat är att digitaliseringen har påverkat revisionyrkets arbetsuppgifter på det sätt att tidigare manuella hanteringar av underlag numera tas emot och granskas digitalt. Detta genom automatiserade affärssystem vilket både bespararar tid och hindrar oenigheter då alla underlag lagras, tack vare big data system. Men risken finns att tidigare kompetens suddas ut mot den nya, digitala kompetensen som krävs för att kunna arbeta med revision, vilket är mycket viktigt att ta hänsyn till. Förslag till vidare forskning är att fördjupa sig i detalj kring det förändrade kompetensbehovet som uppstått bland yrkets arbetsuppgifter. Det är även intressant att forska kring byråer som redan nu implementerat förändrade kompetenskrav för att sedan jämföra deras lönsamhet med byråer som inte har implementerat samma krav. / What is auditing intrinsically and why is it so important? Audit is about critically reviewing, assessing and commenting on a company's accounting and management. Audit has for many years helped individuals to make decisions about a company based on critically produced reports by authorized auditors who adhere to generally accepted accounting principles. The audit is an important basis for stakeholders and shareholders, but also to ensure that legal and tax law restrictions and rules that are constantly renewed are applied. But what was once a regular task for an accountant is different today, digitalization is implemented among the profession through automated tasks and the previous description of what an auditor performs during an ordinary working day has changed. The purpose of this study is to provide an overall background image of what the auditing profession has had for tasks and how these have been carried out, until the digitalisation was implemented among the profession and changed the then duties. With this study we also want to investigate how these tasks have changed and what the effects have been for both the profession and its competence requirements and for the audit itself. Under the theoretical frame of reference, a background image of the role of the auditor and its tasks and how the development has been presented is presented. We then present two theories that range from the original auditor to the developed, digitized auditor. Lastly, previous studies are presented that dealt with the development of the audit profession through the implementation of digitization. This is to gain an understanding of the effects that digitization has brought about in the profession, but also to understand the changed skills needs that will affect the audit. With the help of a qualitative method, the purpose was answered and the collected empirical data is presented under the empirical chapter to present the respondents' perception. Then the paper links theory and empirical data in the analysis chapter with an account of similarities and differences between the previous picture of the auditing profession and the current digitized auditor with its new ways of handling their tasks. The conclusion of the study based on the opinions our respondents have presented is that digitization has affected the audit profession's tasks in the way that previous manual manipulations of data are now received and reviewed digitally. This through automated business systems, which saves both time and prevents disagreements when all data is stored, thanks to big data systems. However, there is a risk that previous competencies will be erased against the new, digital competence required to be able to work with auditing, which is very important to take into account. Proposals for further research are to deepen in detail about the changed skills needs that have arisen among the profession's tasks. It is also interesting to research agencies that have already implemented changed competence requirements in order to then compare their profitability with agencies that have not implemented the same requirements. In addition to this summary, the study will be written in Swedish.

Revisorer är en av grupperna som orsakar förväntningsgapet eftersom de ibland misslyckas med att identifiera sina ansvarsområden. Finansiella skandaler har på ett negativt sätt påverkat det förtroende företagens intressenter har för revisionen. Ett ökat förtroende kan bland annat resultera i en mer effektiv kapitalmarknad, som ett resultat av en ökad tillit till revisionen.  Tidigare studier har undersökt om revisionsutbildning som riktats mot allmänheten har en påverkan på förväntningsgapet. Om yrkeserfarenhet inom revision påverkar revisorernas del av förväntningsgapet, har inte studerats i en vidare omfattning. Till följd av finansiella skandaler har det visat sig att det existerar ett misslyckande bland revisorer, eftersom de till fullo inte är medvetna om sina ansvarsområden. Avsikten med studien är att undersöka om yrkeserfarenhet påverkar det här misslyckandet och därmed bidra till ett relativt outforskat område inom förväntningsgapet En kvantitativ studie genomfördes med enkäter som datainsamlingsmetod. Resultatet indikerar att svenska revisorer har en god kännedom, men inte är fullt medvetna om sina ansvarsområden. Resultatet visar dock att det med statistisk signifikans inte går att bekräfta att revisorers misslyckande påverkas av yrkeserfarenhet. / Auditors are one of the groups causing the audit expectation gap since they sometimes fail to identify their areas of responsibility. Financial scandals have negatively affected the trust that the companies’ stakeholders have for audit reports. An increased trust can, among others, result in a more effective capital market, as a result from increased trust to the audit report. Previous studies have examined whether or not audit education directed at the public has an effect on the audit expectation gap. Whether or not the work experience of auditors has an effect on the audit expectation gap have not been studied to a great extent. Following financial scandals, there have been shown to be a failure among auditors, since they are not fully aware of their areas of responsibility. The aim of the study is to examine whether or not work experience affect this failure, and thereby contribute to a relatively unexplored field, within the audit expectation gap. A quantitative study was conducted using questionnaires to collect data. The result indicates that Swedish auditors are generally knowledgeable, but not fully aware of their areas of responsibility. However, the result shows no statistical evidence that indicates that failure of the auditor is affected by work experience.

The purpose of this study was to identify company characteristics associated with the presence of disclosures regarding internal control in the annual report. Gibbins, Richardson and Waterhouse [1990] have developed a framework from which to examine financial disclosure,. These authors define two dimensions of a company's disclosure position; opportunism and ritualism. I examined the association between variables representing the dimensions identified by these authors and a company's decision regarding disclosure of a management report on internal control. I compared specific characteristics of companies disclosing this information to those of companies not disclosing. The dependent variable represented the presence or absence of disclosure. I used logit analysis to test the significance of the chosen characteristics relative to the decision to include or exclude a management report on internal control in the annual report. My results were consistent with the existence of ritualism with respect to this issue. Reporting on internal controls was associated with membership in the Financial Executives Institute, auditor choice, certain industry designations and prior inclusion of such a report. FEI membership was closely related to initial reporting decisions as well'. I found evidence of opportunism as well. The likelihood of reporting on internal controls was related to company size (and presumably control strength), and growth rates. I also found an association between reporting and the issuance of publicly traded securities in the succeeding year and more moderate levels of debt relative to an industry average. In addition, I found that initial reporting decisions were associated with external events relating to potential legislation of the reporting issue. This research provides insight into the corporate response to reporting on internal controls.

The study addresses whether differently ordered accounts receivable workprograms and task experience relate to differences in judgments, confidence levels, and recall ability. The study also assesses how treated and untreated inexperienced and experienced auditors store and recall accounts receivable workprogram steps in memory in a laboratory environment. Additionally, the question whether different levels of experienced auditors can effectively be manipulated is also addressed.

The corporate form that developed in the early 20th century created enormous pressure for corporate governance mechanisms to curb the power of corporate managers. Berle and Means, legal pluralists, warned about concentrating economic power in the hands of a small but powerful class of professional managers. They claimed this "new form of absolutism" required governmental oversight and viewed boards of directors as part of management, rather than monitors for shareholders. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed that corporations establish a special board committee, made up of "nonofficer members" in response to the McKesson & Robbins scandal of the late 1930s. My dissertation examines the evolution of the U.S. corporate audit committee through three specific time periods: (1) 1920-1954; (2) 1955-1986; and (3) 1987 to the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. My purpose is to determine if evolution of the audit committee throughout these periods has been a reform continually couched in symbolism or whether the audit committee concept has evolved into real reform, allowing proper corporate governance and mitigation of unchecked corporate power. My analysis is a traditional empirical analysis, relying on both primary and secondary sources to develop a coherent ordering of facts. I use narrative in a narrow sense as my historical methodology, examining patterns that emerge and interpreting facts to develop a clear understanding of demands for and uses of audit committees. I use a holistic approach in studying the data, using narrative to show how these patterns ensue from the historical data.

Theses focuses on the status and powers of the Supreme Audit Office of the Czech Republic. The topics of the audits, done by SAO, have been described primarily in the framework of topics, describing audits done by state authorities. Scope of audits done by the Office one of them. Submitted work deals just with auditing competencies of the SAO and describes it from the theoretical point of view. Substantial space is dedicated to the case law, especially of the Constitutional court. Such case law has been important for defining of organizations, subjected to audit activities SAO. The aim of the thesis is to investigate the status of the Supreme Audit Office as independent authority sui generis, his powers and scope of his activities. The text is divided into individual chapters, with expanded analysis. The goal is to provide readers with detailed information on mentioned topics. Introductory chapters deal with history of audit organizations, preceding constitution of SAO. Further chapters are dedicated to constitutional anchorage of the SAO, its relations to other constitutional authorities and to attributes of the Office's independence. Attention is paid to the actual exercise of auditing powers of the SAO and its comparison with audit activities of other state authorities. Special part describes in...