Lean philosophy is based on the continuous quest to improve the organisation‟s processes by creating a culture and operating principles which eliminate all non value adding activities within organisation„s processes. Manufacturing firms consider the adoption of the Lean tools as basic requirements for achieving World Class operational excellence or Best Practice. For some time, lean has been used by the manufacturing organizations. Most organizations understand that lean will help them survive global competition and stay in business. The objective of this study is to investigate how lean manufacturing tools can be used to improve efficiency and enhance the embedding of a continuous improvement culture in the South African Revenue Service Enforcement Audit Port Elizabeth. The activities that took place in Enforcement Audit Port Elizabeth from September 2010 until 31 October 2011 were observed. During the study, an introductory presentation by the researcher was made to Regional Enforcement Management and staff in general, the presentation was to introduce the study highlighting different Lean tools. Thereafter the Port Elizabeth audit staff members were engaged formally, using surveys to assess their underlying mindset and behaviour as well as informally, using unstructured interviews to solicit more information on activities taking place and the reasoning behind certain actions. The results of the survey and observations are analysed and interpreted.

M.Com. (Business Management) / The sector of the economy in which service providers compete, has undergone much change during tho last two decades. Successful service providers followed specific tactics to ensure that the needs of clients were satisfied. Customer satisfaction became more important as competition increased. Although the internal audit department of ABSA has never had to face competition, this situation is rapidly changing. External audit firms are attempting to expand their businesses by providing the internal and the external audit functions to a company. ABSA's internal audit department is not only faced with the increase in competition but is also under pressure to improve its level of service to clients who no longer receive its service free of charge.

The present auditing environment involves increasing audit costs and potential legal liability. Increasing audit costs mandate methods to make the audit more efficient, while the credibility of audited financial statements depends on audit effectiveness. Internal accounting control evaluation impacts both the efficiency and effectiveness of the audit process since this judgment establishes a basis for determining the timing, nature and amount of auditing procedures to be performed. Results of previous research, however, have indicated that variance does exist in auditors' evaluations of internal controls. While individual differences have been given as an explanation of the variance, no research has successfully isolated which individual differences relate to differences in judgment. This study examined the possibility that cognitive style, defined as the mode of processing which individuals use in their perceptual activities, was an individual difference which could explain some of the variance in internal control judgments. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was used to measure the cognitive style of auditors. A second instrument, an audit judgment case, was prepared by the researcher to elicit (1) an auditor's estimate of the reliability of internal controls in a computerized payroll application, and (2) his assessment of the perceived relevance of case information to his reliability judgment. Ninety auditors attending training sessions held by six Dallas CPA firms completed the MBTI and case description. These instruments were administered by the researcher during the Summer of 1984. The participants were primarily senior-level auditors with three years' experience. The statistical methods used in this study included the t-test and ANOVA. Results of the study indicated lack of consensus in the internal control reliability estimates of the participants. Differences were noted in the information the sensing and intuitive types identified as important to their reliability estimates. The number of cues identified as important by the participants was not significantly related to their perceptual mode (sensing or intuitive) or to their internal control reliability judgment.

In planning an effective and efficient audit examination, the auditor has to choose appropriate auditing technologies and procedures. This audit choice problem has been explored from several perspectives. However, it has not been viewed as an innovation process. This dissertation reports the results of an innovation decision study in internal auditing. Hypotheses of associations between the internal auditor’s decision to use statistical sampling and the perceived characteristics of statistical sampling are derived from Rogers’ <i>Innovation Diffusion</i> model (Everett Rogers, <i>Diffusion of Innovations</i>, 1983). Additional hypotheses relating the decision to use statistical sampling to personal and organizational characteristics are derived from the innovation adoption and implementation research literature. Data for this study were gathered by mailing a questionnaire to a sample of internal audit directors. Incorporated into the questionnaire are several scales for measuring (1) innovation attributes, (2) professionalism, (3) professional and organizational commitment, (4) management support for innovation, and (5) creativity decision style. The usable response rate was 32.5% (n= 260). The primary finding of this study is that the extent of use of attributes, dollar unit, and variables sampling techniques is positively associated with the respondents’ perceptions of their relative advantage, trialability, compatibility, and observability, and negatively associated with the techniques’ perceived complexity. A secondary finding is that there is no overall association between the extent of use of statistical sampling by the internal auditors and their (1) professionalism, (2) professional and organizational commitment, (3) decision style, and (4) organizational support for innovation. Further exploration using multiple regression and logistic regression analyses indicate that several of the personal and organizational characteristics add to the ability of the regression models to explain the extent of use of statistical sampling. Evidence that organization types do have an effect upon the innovation decision process is presented. The study concludes by discussing its implications for understanding the innovation decision process of internal auditors, for designing and managing future innovation processes in auditing, and for further research into audit choice problems and innovation decisions of auditors and accountants. / Ph. D.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 74-75).

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-03T18:35:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Angela_Aparecida_Rosseto_Vitti_Ricci.pdf: 835030 bytes, checksum: dc92d1d49577f22a800805ae5ac4152d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-19 / The several crises and many scandals occurred in the recent history of the Financial Market, brings about discussions concerning audit work aiming auditing report issuance. Therefore, this research aims to determine the level of regulatory compliance relating to the audit report established by Resolutions n??. CFC 1.231/09 - ISA 700, CFC n?? 1.232/09 - ISA 705, CFC n??. 1.233/09 - ISA 706 on the auditing reports issued by companies of information technology sector, available on the website of BM&FBovespa. To reach the proposed goal we have performed a study based on the technique of document analysis and content analysis, in which we have attempted to identify the content of the reports of selected audits adequacy, determined by the existing rules for the issuance of the auditing report. The research is descriptive and qualitative approach have been used, checking the contents of 25 audit reports of companies in the information technology industry in which we have compared the mandatory content established by the standard with the contents of the reports. It has been found that: the reports issued by independent auditing firms on the financial statements of the Information Technology companies for the period 2010-2012. It can be concluded that the reports analyzed, show adequacy to the regulations currently in force, in 10 of the 16 mandatory items established by those rules. However, it has been verified inadequacy as to the way exception is presented in the reports, i.e., through an emphasis paragraph, when it should be in an specific paragraph for exceptions. All the information collected is described and analyzed in the development of this work / A hist??ria recente do mercado financeiro por for??a das crises e dos muitos esc??ndalos corporativos traz ?? tona discuss??es a respeito dos trabalhos de auditoria, que t??m por finalidade a emiss??o do relat??rio de auditoria. Diante de tal exposto, esta pesquisa tem como objetivo a verifica????o do n??vel de adequa????o ??s normas relativas ao relat??rio de auditoria definidas pelas resolu????es CFC n??. 1.231/09 - NBC TA 700, CFC n??. 1.232/09 - NBC TA 705, CFC n??. 1.233/09 - NBC TA 706, dos relat??rios de auditoria emitidos pelas empresas do setor de tecnologia da informa????o, as quais disponibilizam suas informa????es no s??tio da BM&FBovespa. Para atingir o objetivo proposto, realizou-se um estudo baseado na t??cnica de an??lise documental e an??lise de conte??do, com as quais se buscou identificar, no conte??do dos relat??rios das auditorias selecionados a adequa????o determinada pelas normas em vigor para emiss??o de relat??rios. A pesquisa tem car??ter descritivo e utilizou a abordagem qualitativa, para averiguar o conte??do de 25 relat??rios de auditoria das empresas do setor de tecnologia da informa????o, tendo-se comparado o conte??do obrigat??rio institu??do pela norma com o conte??do dos relat??rios. Constatou-se que: os relat??rios emitidos pelas firmas de auditoria independente acerca das demonstra????es cont??beis das empresas de Tecnologia da Informa????o relativos ao per??odo de 2010 a 2012 apresentam adequa????o ?? norma vigente em 10 itens dos 16 itens obrigat??rios institu??dos pela referidas normas. Verificou-se inadequa????o quanto ?? forma de ressalva apresentada nos relat??rios, visto que a ressalva se d?? pelo par??grafo de ??nfase, quando o correto seria em par??grafo espec??fico de ressalva. Todos os dados coletados s??o descritos e analisados no desenvolvimento deste trabalho

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-04T11:45:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jose_Aluisio_Vieira.pdf: 688481 bytes, checksum: 400ed5239f3fabdbbc48b9fe8378f227 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-08-29 / The subject of this paper is to discuss fastly the internal control concepts and components, including the that publicated by Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission - COSO, the recomended principles recommended by Basel Committee, the brasilian regulations context and the Basel Accords I and II influences. After this fast concepts discuss, the papaer show a quickly analysis of compliance, comparing the brasilian rules with the international principles and requiriments, precisly the Basel Accords I and II. Concern the first Basel Accord, are criticaly presents the twenty-five principles and is maked a comparison with brasilian legislation published from 1994 at today. Yet concern the second Basel Accord, the analysis stay centred on the requiriments of disclosure and is maked a comparison with the actuals rules. In addition is maked a quick analysis the accounting impacts implementation that the requiriments are requesting of the financial instituitions and many comments about the Brasilian Central Bank Comunicate N?? 1.276 that was edited at the end 2.004 subjecting to begin the the New Basel Accord compliance process. How consequence of the analysis realized is attributed for each iten the compliance degree at the international rules. Finally, based on the precedent comparisons and analysis, is realized a valuation and present a table about the compliance degree of the brazilian rules to the international principles ane requirements essentially those recommended by Basel Committee. / O presente trabalho tem como objetivo discutir sucintamente os conceitos e componentes de controles internos, inclusive aqueles publicados pelo Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission - COSO, os princ??pios recomendados pelo Comit?? da Basil??ia, o contexto das normas brasileiras em vigor e as influ??ncias dos Acordos da Basil??ia I e II. Ap??s essa breve discuss??o conceitual, o trabalho apresenta uma r??pida an??lise de ader??ncia, comprando as normas brasileiras com os princ??pios e requerimentos internacionais, mais precisamente os Acordos da Basil??ia I e II. Com rela????o ao primeiro Acordo da Basil??ia s??o apresentados criticamente os vinte e cinco princ??pios e ?? feito um confronto com a legisla????o brasileira editada a partir de 1994 at?? os dias atuais. J?? com respeito ao segundo acordo, a an??lise fica centrada nos requerimentos de divulga????o (disclosure) e ?? feita uma compara????o com as normas em vigor. Adicionalmente ?? feita uma breve avalia????o dos impactos cont??beis da implementa????o que os requerimentos est??o a exigir das institui????es financeiras e alguns coment??rios sobre o Comunicado N?? 1.276 do Banco Central do Brasil que foi editado ao final de 2.004 objetivando iniciar o processo de ader??ncia ao segundo Acordo da Basil??ia. Como consequencia da an??lise levada a efeito ?? atribuido a cada ??tem o grau de ader??ncias ??s normas internacionais. Por fim, com base nos confrontos e an??lises precedentes, ?? feita uma avalia????o e apresentada uma tabela sobre o grau de ader??ncia das normas brasileiras aos princ??pios e requerimentos internacionais assencialmente aqueles recomendados pelo Comit?? da Basil??ia.

by Lam Man-ho, Leung Yee-mei, Annie. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-70). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.v / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.vi / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Objective of Study --- p.2 / Scope --- p.3 / Limitations --- p.3 / Chapter II. --- THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNAL AUDITING --- p.5 / "Nature, Roles and Value" --- p.5 / Historical Development --- p.7 / Audit Committee --- p.8 / Evolution of Audit Approaches --- p.10 / Implications of Behavioural Issues --- p.12 / Chapter III. --- CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK --- p.13 / The Need for Behaviouralism in Internal Auditing --- p.13 / Job Satisfaction --- p.14 / Stress --- p.15 / Sources of Stress --- p.15 / Organizational Factors --- p.16 / Organizational Status --- p.16 / Relations with Audit Committee --- p.17 / Career Prospect --- p.17 / Departmental Support --- p.17 / Task and Role Factors --- p.18 / Audit Scope --- p.19 / Internal Auditor Role --- p.21 / Interpersonal Factors --- p.22 / Internal Auditor-Auditee Relations --- p.23 / Working Relationship with External Auditors --- p.27 / Chapter IV. --- METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS --- p.29 / Methodology --- p.29 / Structure of Questionnaire --- p.29 / Organizational Factors on Job Satisfaction --- p.30 / Organizational Status --- p.30 / Audit Committee --- p.34 / Career Prospect --- p.37 / Departmental Support --- p.37 / Task and Role Factors on Job Satisfaction --- p.39 / Audit Scope --- p.39 / Internal Auditor Roles --- p.42 / Interpersonal Factors on Job Satisfaction --- p.43 / Internal Auditor-auditee Relations --- p.46 / Relations with External Auditors --- p.49 / Chapter V. --- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.51 / Summary and Conclusions --- p.52 / Organizational Factors --- p.52 / Task and Role Factors --- p.53 / Interpersonal Factors --- p.53 / Recommendations --- p.54 / APPENDICES / Chapter I. --- The Structure of Hong Kong Banking Industry --- p.60 / Chapter II. --- Survey Questionnaire Sample --- p.63 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.68

Thesis (MBA)- Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main object of this study project is clause 14 of the circular 1/2000 "Minimum Requirements for the Internal Audit Function of Banks" of the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority. It requires that banks have a risk management system, a risk-based audit planning and a risk-based audit procedure. These have initiated the transformation process of the internal audit functions from the traditional audit approach, which is past and present orientated, to the risk-based audit approach, which is future oriented. During audit planning the audit objects are chosen due to their inherent-risk instead of choosing them due to indications of pastrelated information or estimations. To determine the inherent-risk the audit object's risk factors have to be determined and assessed. The aim of the study is to set up a model, which allows the standardized categorization of findings according to the Minimum Requirements for the Internal Audit Function of Banks 1/2000, which requires a categorization of findings into at least three categories: shortcoming, serious shortcoming, and particular grave deficiency. The Minimum Requirements doesn't impose a restriction to the method of categorization. The survey "Categorization of Findings" revealed that all banks are categorizing the findings, but that only a few banks are using an objective method to do so. To ensure a coherent, transparent and objective classification of the findings the classification process has to be standardized. For a standardized classification process the extent of the findings have to be comparable and quantitative. Therefore, techniques and methods have to be applied, which quantifies the extent of the findings making them comparable. In order to find the right method to assess the extent of the finding one has to look at the components of a finding. A finding consists of risk, which is expressed by the occurrence probability and the extent of damage. The occurrence probability and the extent of damage are described by various risk factors, which are quantitative and qualitative. These risk factors have to be objectively evaluated and aggregated to determine the risk and thus, the extent of the finding. The main problems of this assessment are the quantification of the qualitative risk factors and the aggregation of all risk factors. For the quantification of qualitative risk factors the methods three dimensional analysis and the Delphi-Method are most appropriate. These two methods can be used for the evaluation of a quantitative risk factor as well. Furthermore, the methods sensitivity analysis, Monte Carlo simulation, and statistical methods can assist the assessment of qualitative risk factors, but these methods alone are not appropriate for the assessment of qualitative risk factors. When aggregating the assessments of the risk factors a combination of successive comparison and Scoring Model are suitable. The classification of findings for the annual audit report can be conducted by use of the ABC-Analysis. Prior to this, the scored findings have to be weighted according to the importance of the audit object for the company. All findings in class A represent serious shortcomings and particular grave defiCiencies, class B represents shortcomings, and class C negligible shortcomings. The classification process can be assisted by the use of the risk map and the risk portfolio, but the sole use of these methods would not lead to a proper classification. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoof doelwit van hierdie studieprojek is klousule 14 van die Sirkuler 1/2000 "Minimum vereistes vir die Interne Oudit funksie van banke" van die Duitse Federale Finansiele Toesighoudende gesag. Dit vereis dat banke 'n risikobestuur sisteem, 'n risiko baseerde oudit plan en risiko baseerde oudit prosedures daar stel. Hierdie verseistes het die transformasie van die interne oudit funksies inisieer, vanaf die tradisionele benadering wat op die verlede en die huidige gefokus het, tot 'n risiko gebaseerde benadering wat op die toekoms gerig is. Gedurende die oudit beplanning word die oudit onderwerpe gekies vanwee hul inherente risikos eerder as vanwee die indikasies van verlede-gebaseerde informasie of estimasies. Om die inherente risikos te bepaal, is dit nodig om die oudit onderwerp se risiko faktore te bepaal en te bereken. Die doeI van die studie is die daarstelling van 'n model vir die gestandardiseerde kategorisering van bevindinge na aanleiding van die "Minimum vereistes vir die Interne Oudit funksie van banke" in ten minste drie kategorie: leemtes, ernstige tekortkominge en spesifieke growwe tekorte. Die Minimum Vereistes beperk nie die metode van kategorisering nie. Die opname "Catagorising of Findings" toon dat al die banke wel hul bevindings kategorieseer maar dat slegs 'n paar banke 'n objektiewe metode hierin toe pas. Om verstaanbare, deursigtige en objektiewe klassifikasie van bevindinge te verseker is dit nodig dat die proses van klassifikasie gestandardiseer word. Vir 'n gestandardiseerde klassifikasie proses moet die resultate van bevindinge vergelykbaar en kwantitatief wees. Hiervoor moet tegnieke en metodes toegepas word wat die resultate van bevindinge kwantifiseer en so vergelykbaar maak. Om die regte metode te vind vir die analisering van die resultate van 'n bevinding, moet daar na die komponente van die bevinding gekyk word. 'n Bevinding bestaan uit risiko wat uitgedruk word as die gebeurlikheidswaarskynlikheid en omvang van skade. Die gebeurlikheidswaarskynlikheid en omvang van skade word beskryf deur 'n verskeidenheid van risiko faktore wat beide kwalitatief en kwantitatief van aard is. Hierdie risiko faktore moet objektief evalueer en saamgevat word om die risiko en so die omvang van die bevinding te bepaal. Die grootste probleem met die analise is die kwantifisering van die kwalitatiewe risiko faktore en die samevatting van al die risiko faktore . Vir die kwatifisering van die kwalitatiewe risiko faktore, is die Drie Dimensionele Analise en die Delphi metodes die mees toepaslikes. Hulle kan ook gebruik word vir die evaluasie van 'n kwantitatiewe risiko faktor. Verder kan die metodes van sensitiwiteitsontleding, Monte Carlo simulasie en ander statistiese metodes ook help met die berekening van kwantitatiewe risiko faktore. Hulle is egter nie toepaslik vir die berekening van kwalitatiewe risiko faktore nie. Met die aggregasie van die analiese van risiko faktore, is die kombinasie van Opeenvolgende Vergelyking en Punte Toekenning modelle ook toepaslik. Die klassifisering van bevindinge vir die jaarlikse oudit verslag kan gedoen word deur die gebruik van ABC-analise. Voorheen moes daar aan die bevindinge gewigte toegeken word in ooreenstemming met die belangrikheid van die oudit onderwerp vir die maatskappy. Alle resultate in klas A verteenwoordig ernstige tekortkominge en besonder gewigtig gebrekkig , klas B verteenwoordig tekortkominge en klas C geringe tekortkominge. Die klasifikasie proses kan bygestaan word deur die gebruik van 'n risiko kaart en risiko portefeulje. Die alleen gebruik van die metodes sal egter nie 'n ordentlike klassifikasie verseker nie.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration