This research shed the light on regulations and their effects on operational risk management within the Swedish Swedish Banking Sector. The focus lies on operational risk management due to the introduction of new regulations such as FFFS 2014:1, FFFS 2014:4 and FFFS 2014:5. What could be found in the empirical analysis is that the regulations affected organizational changes.  Additionally, differences between large and small banks could be seen. All changes in terms of implementation of regulations are strongly performed throughout the Three Lines of Defence model where clear organization structure and work description are of importance. The Three Lines of Defence is tightly combined with the COSO framework and operational risk management to conduct compliant organization that is adaptable for any regulatory changes.

Business leaders of contracting companies in Qatar struggle to develop appropriate internal controls over revenue estimates to mitigate the risk of financial statement manipulation. Grounded in the internal control framework of the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that business leaders responsible for financial reporting use to develop and implement effective internal controls for recognizing contracting revenues. Nine participants from 3 private contracting companies in Qatar who had implemented strategies to develop and implement effective internal controls for recognizing contracting revenues participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews. Through a process of methodological triangulation as described by Yin, observations and documentary evidence supplemented data collected through semistructured interviews. Different themes emerged through the analysis of data that involved coding narrative segments. The research findings included themes of control environment, control activities, systemized project budget, accounting standards compliance, and risk assessment and monitoring. Business leaders of contracting companies may benefit from the findings of this study by gaining awareness of the need to develop and implement effective internal controls for recognizing contracting revenues. Implications for positive social change could come from identifying internal controls that increase financial statement reliability, which could lead to increased access to capital and debt financing and improved employment opportunities in Qatar.

BackgroundToday’s competitive market forces companies to focus on their core processes. As a result, the number of outsourcing arrangements has grown and especially transactional processes outsourcing, which is clearly evident in Sweden. The lack of expertise and resources that characterizes SMEs makes outsourcing of transactional processes many times a necessity. However, little attention has been given the possible internal control risks associated with outsourcing (Christ et al. 2015). Moreover, frameworks such as the COSO-framework has also neglected to provide guidelines as to how companies should handle outsourcing arrangements. Although the COSO-framework argues that it can be applied to all companies, no matter the size, organizational structure or the choices management makes (COSO 2013). AimThe aim of this study is to identify and analyze internal control risks within Swedish SMEs when outsourcing transactional processes. Moreover, the study will try to provide recommendations to the COSO-framework about how outsourcing arrangements should be handled in order to maintain an effective internal control. MethodThe study uses a qualitative method where a multiple cases study is conducted. The study consists of three case companies where a total of four participants were interviewed through semi-structured interviews, where all participants has a managerial position at their respective company. ConclusionThe findings within the study indicates that outsourcing transactional processes has made the case companies more effective. Moreover, the performance and relational risks identified within the case companies align with previous research where multiple risks were identified. The authors also highlights the possibility of a new risk when outsourcing transactional processes. Furthermore, the authors suggest that the COSO-framework should be modified such that the outsourcing company is a part of the control environment within companies.

Esta dissertação possui como objetivo oferecer uma contribuição para o estudo dos controles internos no setor público brasileiro, por meio de comparação entre os aspectos do sistema de controle interno de um órgão público com os conceitos disseminados pelo COSO e literatura correlata. O senso comum, apoiado em inúmeras denúncias veiculadas na mídia sobre superfaturamentos e fraudes ocorridas na Administração Pública, remete à ideia de que os órgãos desse setor não possuem mecanismos suficientes que visem evitar esses desvios de recurso do Erário. A pesquisa foi conduzida por meio de um estudo de caso, tendo como unidade de análise o processo de pagamento de pessoal de uma Organização Militar da Marinha. Para tanto, foi elaborado um instrumento de avaliação do controle interno, baseado no modelo COSO-I adequado à realidade da entidade estudada, para em seguida, com o apoio dessa ferramenta, verificar o nível de harmonização do sistema de controle interno da organização com a estrutura teórica, evidenciando as similaridades e diferenças entre eles. Os resultados apontam para um nível de harmonização de 76,58%. Das diferenças encontradas, 71% das diferenças podem ser explicadas por fatores externos à organização e 29% podem ser explicados pelo modelo interno de gestão, podendo ser convertidos em proximidades com ações executadas na própria organização. / This study aims to offer a contribution to the study of internal controls in the Brazilian public sector, by comparing aspects of public agency`s internal control system with concepts disseminated by COSO and related literature. Common sense, supported by numerous complaints aired in the media about overbillings and frauds in Public Administration, refers to the idea that this sector bodies do not have sufficient mechanisms aimed at preventing diversion of the public purse. This research was conducted as a case study method, having as unit of analysis the process of paying staff of a Brazilian Navy military organization. Therefore, it was designed a tool for internal control evaluation, based on the COSO - I, wich was model adapted to the reality of the studied organization, for then, check the harmonization level of the organizations internal control system with the theoretical structure, highlighting the similarities and differences between them. The results indicate a harmonization level of 76.58%. These founded differences can be explained and by external factors to the organization in 71% of the cases, and 29% can be explained by the internal model of management and may be converted into similarity with actions executed by the organization itself.

Esta dissertação possui como objetivo oferecer uma contribuição para o estudo dos controles internos no setor público brasileiro, por meio de comparação entre os aspectos do sistema de controle interno de um órgão público com os conceitos disseminados pelo COSO e literatura correlata. O senso comum, apoiado em inúmeras denúncias veiculadas na mídia sobre superfaturamentos e fraudes ocorridas na Administração Pública, remete à ideia de que os órgãos desse setor não possuem mecanismos suficientes que visem evitar esses desvios de recurso do Erário. A pesquisa foi conduzida por meio de um estudo de caso, tendo como unidade de análise o processo de pagamento de pessoal de uma Organização Militar da Marinha. Para tanto, foi elaborado um instrumento de avaliação do controle interno, baseado no modelo COSO-I adequado à realidade da entidade estudada, para em seguida, com o apoio dessa ferramenta, verificar o nível de harmonização do sistema de controle interno da organização com a estrutura teórica, evidenciando as similaridades e diferenças entre eles. Os resultados apontam para um nível de harmonização de 76,58%. Das diferenças encontradas, 71% das diferenças podem ser explicadas por fatores externos à organização e 29% podem ser explicados pelo modelo interno de gestão, podendo ser convertidos em proximidades com ações executadas na própria organização. / This study aims to offer a contribution to the study of internal controls in the Brazilian public sector, by comparing aspects of public agency`s internal control system with concepts disseminated by COSO and related literature. Common sense, supported by numerous complaints aired in the media about overbillings and frauds in Public Administration, refers to the idea that this sector bodies do not have sufficient mechanisms aimed at preventing diversion of the public purse. This research was conducted as a case study method, having as unit of analysis the process of paying staff of a Brazilian Navy military organization. Therefore, it was designed a tool for internal control evaluation, based on the COSO - I, wich was model adapted to the reality of the studied organization, for then, check the harmonization level of the organizations internal control system with the theoretical structure, highlighting the similarities and differences between them. The results indicate a harmonization level of 76.58%. These founded differences can be explained and by external factors to the organization in 71% of the cases, and 29% can be explained by the internal model of management and may be converted into similarity with actions executed by the organization itself.

Efter 2000-talets stora skandaler fick den interna kontrollen en central roll på de flesta företagen. En stark intern kontroll kan enligt tidigare forskning skydda företag ifrån bedrägerier, fel och misstag. Denna studien syftar till att förklara variationen i företags upplysningar om intern kontroll. En kvantitativ metod har använts för att lyckas besvara detta syfte och empirin har insamlats ifrån 235 börsnoterade bolags årsredovisningar. Uppsatsen har en teoretisk referensram som är byggd på tidigare forskning samt flera olika teorier. De teorier som kommer att användas är legitimitetsteorin, agentteorin, positive accounting theory och institutionell teori. Utifrån denna referensram har fem hypoteser utvecklats. Dessa hypoteser har sedan testats med hjälp av olika statistiska analyser. Resultatet ifrån denna studien indikerar på att det finns flera faktorer som kan påverka företagens upplysningar om intern kontroll i årsredovisningarna. Slutsatsen påvisade att storlek, ägarstruktur samt tillämpningen av COSO: ramverket påverkar mängden upplysningar som anges i bolagens årsredovisningar. Studien indikerade vidare på att bransch och revisionsbyrå inte påverkar mängden upplysningar som anges i årsredovisningarna. / After the big scandals of the 21st century, internal control became a crucial role amongst most companies. According to previous research, strong internal control can protect companies from frauds, errors and mistakes. This study clarifies the variation in companies’ information concerning internal control. Furthermore, a quantitative method is used to successfully respond to this purpose and the information is composed from the annual reports of 235 listed companies in Sweden. This study has a theoretical framework that is based on previous research and several different theories. The theories that are used is legitimacy theory, agent theory, positive accounting theory and institutional theory. Consequently, based on this outline, five hypotheses are developed. Further, these hypotheses are tested using various statistical analyzes. The result of this study indicates that there are numerous of factors that may affect the company's information regarding internal control in the annual report. Conclusively, the study indicates that size, ownership structure and the application of the COSO framework affect the amount of disclosures in the company's annual reports. In addition, the study indicates that the quantity of information disclosed in the annual reports is not depended on the industry or audit firms used.

Idag ställs det högre krav på företag att utveckla och stärka den interna kontrollen. Brister i det interna kontrollsystemet kan påverka företagets lönsamhet, framgång och i värsta fall överlevnad negativt. Mikro, små och medelstora företag har ännu inte bildat ett enhetligt internt kontrollsystem. redovisningsbranschen är en bransch som upplever problem med den interna kontrollen och därav är det den inriktning studien antar. Vidare syftar studien till att undersöka hur mikro, små och medelstora redovisningsbyråer, med hjälp av COSO-ramverke, utformar sin interna kontroll. Studien antar en kvalitativ ansats i form av sex stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultaten visade att det inte finns ett enhetligt internt kontrollsystem för redovisningsbyråer utan att de utformar den interna kontrollen på olika sätt. Vidare finns det en omedveten efterlevnad av COSO-ramverkets komponenter vid utformningen av den interna kontrollen. / Today, higher demands are placed on companies to develop and strengthen internal control. Deficiencies in the control system can negatively affect the company´s profitability, success and, in worst case, survival. Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises have not yet formed a unified internal control system. The accounting industry is an industry that experiences problems with internal control and hence the focus study assumes. Furthermore, the study aim to investigare how micro, small and medium-sized accounting firms, whit the help of the COSO framwork, design their internal control. The study assumes a qualitative approach in the form of six semi-structured interviews. The results showed that their is no uniform internal control system for accounting firms, but that they design the internal control in different ways. Furthermore, there is an unconscious adherence to the components of the COSO framwork in the design of the internal control.

Bolagsstyrningen har förändrats på grund av vissa negativa företagshändelser som inträffade under 2000-talet. Det har blivit ett större fokus på internkontroll och etik. Som ett led i detta har även betydelsen av internrevision ökat. För att öka effektiviteten och kvaliteten på revisionen måste en samverkan mellan interna och externa revisorer äga rum. Förhållandet mellan parterna är avgörande för att fastställa styrningen av företaget. Denna bakgrund ledde oss fram till uppsatsens syfte som är att undersöka hur den externa revisionen påverkas av internrevision sett utifrån en externrevisors perspektiv. För att besvara uppsatsens frågeställningar har en kvalitativ fallstudie använts. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med fem externa revisorer för insamlandet av data. Från fallstudien framkom det att internrevisionen påverkar externa revisorer. Ytterligare visade studien att det sker ett samarbete mellan den interna och externa revisionen. En bra internrevision leder till ett mer effektivt arbetssätt samt en mindre riskfylld revision. Resultatet som framkom i studien visar att externa revisorer använder den interna revisionens underlag om den bedöms som tillförlitlig. Samarbetet mellan revisorerna bidrar till en mer effektiv revision.