In my thesis I deal with the topic of internal audit and its role in the public administration. In the first part the general overview of its origin, development and gradual implementation into the public administration in the Czech Republic is described at the theoretical level. Furthermore, PIFC concept and its impact on internal audit in the public administration are discussed. Following parts focus on the position of internal audit department at Ministry of education, youth and sports using personal experience of author. Single parts of audit process are discussed starting with audit preparation through the implementation phase up to creation of final report including recommendations and following monitoring of their fulfillment.

L'objet de la thèse est d'analyser à travers l'étude des représentations et du comportement décisionnel du commissaire aux comptes, le processus d'audit légal dans un contexte de PME dont le système d'information est basé sur un PGI. Par conséquent, il s'agit de déterminer si la présence d'un système informatique intégré au sein de la PME contrôlée, est de nature à faire évoluer le processus d'audit légal. Dans le cadre d'une démarche interprétative et qualitative, des investigations ont été menées auprès de commissaires aux comptes, auditant en univers PGI/PME. Elles ont permis d'énoncer deux résultats majeurs. Le premier révèle que les progiciels de gestion intégrés sont créateurs de confiance pour certains répondants, mais suscitent également de la défiance pour d'autres. Toutefois, c'est la position critique qui est dominante. Le second enseignement de cette recherche souligne qu'il existe une évolution variable dans la pratique des auditeurs, ce qui met partiellement en échec la théorie de l'adaptabilité décisionnelle de l'individu. Plus généralement, les observations tendent à montrer que la technologie PGI ne remet pas en cause la finalité et les fondements de la démarche du certificateur. / The aim of this thesis is to analyse - through the study of the representations and decision-making behaviour of the legal auditor - the legal audit process in an SME-context where the information system is based on an ERP. Therefore, we intend to determine whether the presence of an integrated information system within the audited SME is likely to alter the legal audit process. In the framework of an interpretative and qualitative approach, investigations were carried out among legal auditors working in an SME/ERP environment. These surveys have allowed us to formulate two major results. The first result reveals that ERPs are trustworthy systems to some respondents, but they also arouse mistrust in others. However, on the whole, the sentiment of mistrust prevails. The second result of this research indicates that varied and unsettled changes exist in each auditors'work methods, which partly challenges the theory of individual decision-making adaptability. More generally speaking, observations tend to show that ERP technology doesn't call into question the purpose and the fondations of the auditor's approach.

Abstract Purpose: The primary goal of this thesis is to provide a deeper understanding of how big data affect professional judgment, audit efficiency, and perceived audit quality. It also aims to explore the effect of Big Data Analytics (BDA) on the skills and competence required by auditors to perform an audit in a big data environment. Theoretical perspectives: Theoretical concepts base on previous research and publications by practitioners and regulators on BDA, professional judgment, audit efficiency, and audit quality. Literature was used to derive the research gap and research questions. Methodology: A qualitative method base exploratory approach. A literature review was conducted to uncover areas of interest that require more research. The effect of data analytics on the audit was identified as a potential area for research; a focus on audit quality was chosen, including key factors that contribute to overall audit quality. The research is based on semi-structured interviews with auditors from big four audit firms in Sweden. Empirical foundation: Empirical evidence was generated through an interview with seven auditors at different levels of the professional hierarchy. Empirical data was analyzed using a thematic data analysis approach. Conclusions: The findings of this research show that using BDA in the audit methodology affect the required skills and competence by auditors to carry out audit engagement activities. More IT related skills and knowledge gaining prominent in the audit field. Implementing data analytics will not be efficient in the early stage but will save time as auditors become more familiar with the tools. Data analytics improve audit quality. Auditors use analytics to gain more insight into the client’s business and communicate such insights to clients. It was found that data analytics generate fact-based audit evidence. The visualization ability enables auditors to visualize and analyze audit evidence to guide their professional judgment and decision making. Key words: Big data, Data analytics, Auditors skills and competence, Audit process, Audit efficiency, Audit quality and Professional judgment.

Tidigare studier har diskuterat att många små och medelstora företag sett revisorn och revideringen som en kostsam tjänst som ger lite värde. I och med avskaffandet av revisionsplikten år 2010 bestämde sig många små företag att avskaffa sina revisorer som en konsekvens av deras kostsamma tjänster. Därför läggs det idag större vikt på revisionsvärdet och mervärdet. Studiens syfte är att förstå hur revisionsvärde skapas från ett klientperspektiv. Tanken är att fem olika perspektiv som kopplas ihop med bland annat agentteorin och professionsteorin ska öka förståelsen för hur revisionsvärde skapas. Utifrån de fem olika perspektiven har studiens modell skapats. Det empiriska materialet består av tio semistrukturerade intervjuer som genomförts av småföretagare i olika branscher. Resultatet av studien visar att revisionsvärde och mervärde skapas från alla fem perspektiv, vilket stämmer överens med tidigare studier. Dock upptäcktes ett värde från ett sjätte perspektiv som studien inte fångar. Det sjätte perspektivet är revisionsbyråer. Slutsatsen är att revisionsvärdet skapas utifrån revisorn, revisionen, revisionsrådgivningen, den fristående rådgivningen, revisor-klient-relationen och revisionsbyråer.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att analysera och förklarar vilka faktorer som påverkar antalet problemområden som revisorn identifierar i form av Key Audit Matter-anmärkningar. Studien undersöker om den nya regleringen som ökar kravet på revisorerna, kan hitta samband mellan antalet KAM-anmärkningar i revisionsberättelsen och andra oberoende variabler. Metod: Studien är av kvantitativ karaktär och tillämpar en deduktiv ansats, där fyra hypoteser framställs för att besvara studiens syfte. Urvalet består av 1162 svenska börsnoterade företag. För att genomföra studien har databasen Thomson Reuters Eikon använts, och data har insamlats från respektive företags årsredovisningar. Data har sedan analyserats genom deskriptiv statistik, korrelationsanalys samt en multivariat regressionsanalys.Resultat och slutsats: Studien påvisar att åtta statistiskt signifikanta samband kan fastställas. Det första är medelvärdet av antal KAM mellan åren 2016 och 2020. Detta bekräftas även med en signifikant skillnad över tid i antal KAM-anmärkningar.Testvariablen ägarkoncentration och kontrollvariablen revisionskostnad, har en signifikant betydelse och säkerställer att det finns ett samband som påverkar antaletKAM-anmärkningar. Detta innebär att företag med högre ägarkoncentration, även får färre KAM-anmärkningar. De kvarvarande tre testvariabler som har testats, påvisar intenågra särskilda signifikanta resultat och det kan därför inte säkerställas att det finns ett samband.Examensarbetets bidrag: Studiens praktiska bidrag riktar sig främst till kapitalmarknaden och intressenter av företagen, för att ge en insikt i faktorer som kan påverka revisionen. Det kan även vara av intresse för “the Big 4” revisionsbyråerna, för att få en inblick i hur revisionen går till väga, för att exempelvis bedriva fortsatt forskning inom området.Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Fortsatt forskning skulle kunna utöka undersökandet till en större marknad och inte enbart granska svenska företag noterade på Stockholmsbörsen. Förslagsvis skulle även en liknande undersökning vara lämpligt att genomföra vid ett senare skede, då ISA-701 har etablerats i en större utsträckning, för att således undersöka huruvida resultaten förändras över en längre tid. / Aim: Audit reporting and its significance has been criticized for being toostandardized which has raised debate regarding its credibility and transparency. To resolve this issue a new auditing standard ISA-701 was implemented, to enhance the tangible data reported by auditors. The purpose of the study is to analyze and explain the factors that affect the number of problem areas that the auditor identifies in the form of Key Audit Matters. The study examines whether this new standard, which increases the requirement for auditors, can find a correlation between the number of KAMs in the auditor's report and other independent variables.Method: The study is of a quantitative nature and applies a deductive approach, where four hypotheses are presented to answer the purpose of the study. The sample consists of 1162 Swedish listed companies. To carry out the study, the Thomson Reuters Eikon database has been used, and data has been collected from each company's annual reports. Data were then analyzed through descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and a multivariate regression analysis.Result and Conclusions: The results show that eight statistically significant relationships can be established. The first is the average value of the number of KAM between the years 2016 and 2020. This is also confirmed with a significant difference over time in the number of KAM remarks. The test variable ownership concentration and the control variable audit cost, have a statistical significance and ensure that there is a correlation that affects the number of KAM remarks. This means that companies with a higher concentration of owners receive fewer KAM remarks. The remaining three test variables that have been tested do not show any particularly significant results and it can therefore not be ensured that there is a correlation.Contribution of the thesis: The study's practical contribution is aimed primarily at the capital market and stakeholders of companies, to provide an insight into factors that may affect the audit. It may also be of interest to “the Big 4” audit firms, to get an insight into how the audit proceeds, for example to conduct further research in the field.Suggestions for future research: Further research could be to expand to a larger market and not only examine Swedish companies listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. We suggest that a similar study could be carried out at a later stage, when the ISA-701 standard has been established to a greater extent, in order to examine whether the results changes over a longer period.

In der heutigen Zeit ist der Wettbewerbsdruck in der Textilindustrie sehr präsent. Ein Qualitätsmanagementsystems nach DIN EN ISO 9000 ff. erhöht die interne Unternehmenstransparenz, vereinfacht Unternehmensstrukturen und verbessert interne Prozessabläufe. Eine permanente Analyse des Systems durch Audits, dient zur Fehlerprophylaxe und senkt letztendlich Kosten. Die Forschungsarbeit befasst sich mit der Frage, in welchem Umfang die DIN EN ISO 9000 ff. auf die Textilindustrie anwendbar sind. Qualitative Experteninterviews wurden im Rahmen der Untersuchung angewandt und das Ergebnis zeigt, dass die Normen auf die Textilindustrie anwendbar sind. Die Untersuchung zeigt ergänzend, dass Voraussetzungen zur Implementierung eines solchen Systems geschaffen werden müssen. Auf Grundlage der Erkenntnisse werden die erarbeiteten Voraussetzungen aufgegriffen und unter Berücksichtigung der Textilindustrie vertieft. Ein Kostenplan wurde bis zur Zertifizierung aufgestellt.:Abbildungsverzeichnis 5 Tabellenverzeichnis 6 Abkürzungsverzeichnis 7 1 Einleitung 8 1.1 Problemstellung 9 1.2 Zielsetzung der Arbeit 9 2 Theoretische Grundlagen 11 2.1 Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie in Deutschland 11 2.2 Definition des Begriffs „Qualität“ 12 2.3 Branchenunabhängiges Qualitätsmanagementsystem 14 2.4 Qualitätsmanagement in der Textilindustrie 16 2.5 Entstehung der Normen 18 2.5.1 Entwicklungen der Normen 20 2.5.2 Entwicklung des Qualitätsaudits 23 2.6 Kernnormen der ISO-9000-Familie 24 2.6.1 ISO 9000 26 2.6.2 ISO 9001 27 2.6.3 ISO 9004 28 2.6.4 ISO 19011 29 2.6.5 Relevante Normen, Leitfäden und Best-Practice-Modelle fürs Qualitätsmanagement 31 2.7 Dokumente eines QS-Systems 34 2.8 Prinzipien des Audits 36 2.8.1 Qualitätsaudit 39 2.8.2 Systemaudit 41 2.8.3 Prozessaudit 41 2.8.4 Produktaudit 42 3 Untersuchungsmethodik 44 3.1 Experte I 45 3.1.1 DQS – Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Zertifizierung von Managementsystemen 46 3.2 Experte II 46 3.2.1 Intertek 47 4 Ergebnisse 48 4.1 Qualitätsmanagement-Handbuch 52 4.1.1 Qualitätshandbuch für den externen und internen Gebrauch 55 4.1.2 Enterprise Wiki als Dokumentationsverwaltungssystem 55 4.2 Auswahl geeigneter Auditoren 60 4.2.1 1. Persönliches Verhalten von Auditoren 61 4.2.2 2. Allgemeines Wissen und Fertigkeiten von Auditoren 62 4.2.3 3. Disziplin- und branchenspezifisches Wissen und Fertigkeiten von Auditoren 64 4.2.4 4. Allgemeines Wissen und Fertigkeiten eines Auditteamleiters 64 4.2.5 Auditorenauswahl in der Praxis 65 4.3 Kostenplan bis zur Zertifizierung 67 4.3.1 Unternehmen I 67 4.3.2 Unternehmen II 69 4.3.3 Kostenplan 70 4.3.4 Erläuterung des Kostenplans 74 4.3.5 Kosten und Nutzen 78 5 Nebenerkenntnis 80 5.1 Der Weg zur Zertifizierung 80 5.2 Ausblick auf die Norm 9001:2015 87 6 Fazit 90 7 Gender-Erklärung 92 8 Literaturverzeichnis 93 9 Anhang 98 9.1 Fragenkatalog – Interviewleitfaden 98 9.2 Aufwand und Kosten für eine Erst-Zertifizierung nach ISO 9001 100 / Nowadays, competitive constraints are very famous in the textile industry. A quality management system subject to DIN EN ISO 9000 et sqq. increases the intern transparency of companies, simplifies the structures of them and improves the intern processes. A permanent analysis of the system, undertaken by audits, is used to avoid mistakes and to reduce costs in the end. This research deals with the question to what extend the DIN EN ISO 9000 et sqq. can be used for the textile industry. Qualitative interviews of experts were used in this study and the result is that the rules can be used for this branch of industry. The study shows also that preconditions must be created to implement such a system. On the basis of these findings the prepared preconditions are used and deepened under consideration of the textile industry. A financial plan (overview) has been established up to the certification.:Abbildungsverzeichnis 5 Tabellenverzeichnis 6 Abkürzungsverzeichnis 7 1 Einleitung 8 1.1 Problemstellung 9 1.2 Zielsetzung der Arbeit 9 2 Theoretische Grundlagen 11 2.1 Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie in Deutschland 11 2.2 Definition des Begriffs „Qualität“ 12 2.3 Branchenunabhängiges Qualitätsmanagementsystem 14 2.4 Qualitätsmanagement in der Textilindustrie 16 2.5 Entstehung der Normen 18 2.5.1 Entwicklungen der Normen 20 2.5.2 Entwicklung des Qualitätsaudits 23 2.6 Kernnormen der ISO-9000-Familie 24 2.6.1 ISO 9000 26 2.6.2 ISO 9001 27 2.6.3 ISO 9004 28 2.6.4 ISO 19011 29 2.6.5 Relevante Normen, Leitfäden und Best-Practice-Modelle fürs Qualitätsmanagement 31 2.7 Dokumente eines QS-Systems 34 2.8 Prinzipien des Audits 36 2.8.1 Qualitätsaudit 39 2.8.2 Systemaudit 41 2.8.3 Prozessaudit 41 2.8.4 Produktaudit 42 3 Untersuchungsmethodik 44 3.1 Experte I 45 3.1.1 DQS – Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Zertifizierung von Managementsystemen 46 3.2 Experte II 46 3.2.1 Intertek 47 4 Ergebnisse 48 4.1 Qualitätsmanagement-Handbuch 52 4.1.1 Qualitätshandbuch für den externen und internen Gebrauch 55 4.1.2 Enterprise Wiki als Dokumentationsverwaltungssystem 55 4.2 Auswahl geeigneter Auditoren 60 4.2.1 1. Persönliches Verhalten von Auditoren 61 4.2.2 2. Allgemeines Wissen und Fertigkeiten von Auditoren 62 4.2.3 3. Disziplin- und branchenspezifisches Wissen und Fertigkeiten von Auditoren 64 4.2.4 4. Allgemeines Wissen und Fertigkeiten eines Auditteamleiters 64 4.2.5 Auditorenauswahl in der Praxis 65 4.3 Kostenplan bis zur Zertifizierung 67 4.3.1 Unternehmen I 67 4.3.2 Unternehmen II 69 4.3.3 Kostenplan 70 4.3.4 Erläuterung des Kostenplans 74 4.3.5 Kosten und Nutzen 78 5 Nebenerkenntnis 80 5.1 Der Weg zur Zertifizierung 80 5.2 Ausblick auf die Norm 9001:2015 87 6 Fazit 90 7 Gender-Erklärung 92 8 Literaturverzeichnis 93 9 Anhang 98 9.1 Fragenkatalog – Interviewleitfaden 98 9.2 Aufwand und Kosten für eine Erst-Zertifizierung nach ISO 9001 100

In 2010, the obligation to audit was abolished in Sweden with the aim of promoting entrepreneurship and minimizing its costs. As a result, today the majority of small private limited companies choose not to have an audit. Furthermore, there is a negative trend in the audit industry as the number of qualified auditors has decreased significantly since the abolition of the audit obligation.   Considering the 2017 review report by Riksrevisionen, which concluded that the audit obligation should be reintroduced in Sweden, this thesis addresses the question of whether the audit obligation should be reintroduced in Sweden. Previous research in other geographical areas indicates that auditing has positive effects for companies by increasing the quality of their financial reports. Moreover, further research indicates that there are no compelling reasons to mandate auditing for small private companies and that the auditor could be replaced by an accounting consultant. This relatively understudied area is therefore worthy of investigation, partly because of the inconsistent results observed in previous research and partly because few studies are based on Swedish society. The objective of this thesis is to examine the various perspectives on the removal of the audit obligation and to contribute to the debate on whether a reintroduction should be considered. Additionally, the study aims to assess the impact of a potential reintroduction of the audit obligation on the quality of reporting for the companies concerned. The thesis addresses the roles of auditors and accounting consultants for small private limited companies in Sweden. Through the qualitative method of interviewing company managers, auditors, and accounting consultants, the positions of these stakeholders are elucidated.  The results of the study indicate that the majority of respondents do not believe that the audit obligation should be reintroduced in Sweden. This is because the results suggest that an authorized accounting consultant can effectively serve as a substitute for the auditor for small private limited companies, thereby compensating for the potential loss of quality that may arise in the absence of an auditor. Additionally, the results demonstrate that auditing provides a quality stamp, but that the benefits of this do not exceed the costs incurred by the companies. The primary rationale for opposing the reintroduction of auditing is that the current audit methodology is ill-suited to the needs of small private limited companies, resulting in excessive costs. Moreover, the results strongly suggest that some form of external control is necessary, rather than mandatory auditing. Potential solutions include increased controls from Skatteverket or requiring an authorized accounting consultant. In conclusion, the findings demonstrate that auditing is a valuable practice with beneficial effects for both businesses and society at large. Nevertheless, the evidence suggests that there are currently insufficient compelling reasons to advocate for the reinstatement of mandatory audits in Sweden.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between audit quality, with a specific focus on auditor size and audit fees, and the cost of debt and access to debt for medium-sized privately held enterprises in Sweden. Additionally, we seek to explore how family firms moderate these relationships.   Theoretical perspective: This paper combines signaling theory and agency theory to theorize how Big-4 classifications of audit firms and audit fees signal audit quality and different levels of agency cost of debt to creditors. Further, it explores the moderating effect of family firms using socioemotional wealth theory alongside agency theory.   Method: This study is based within the positivistic paradigm, employing a deductive approach. The study uses a quantitative methodology, gathering data from 463 medium-sized privately held enterprises in Sweden. The empirical data is analyzed using multiple linear regressions, with the moderating effects of family firms.    Findings: The findings of this study suggest that firms engaging Big-4 audit firms do not experience lower costs of debt nor improved access to debt. However, audit fees demonstrate a positive relationship with both the cost of debt and access to debt. Further, the study indicates that family firms do not have a moderating effect on these relationships.

Master of Science / Department of Food Science / Doug Powell / In the development of a hypothetical new food product (Beta Buzz) a company must have a thorough understanding of the associated food safety risks, and control factors needed to protect their consumers and their brand. The company must understand each of the suppliers, and take a proactive approach in determining the supplier requirements. It is critical that manufacturing risks be controlled and/or reduced through a combination of internal program compliance, government regulations, third party audit compliance, and/or customer audits and expectations with a focus on ingredients, the finished product and the manufacturing process itself. Food consumers have a right to safe food; the industry, as well as the government, has a responsibility to ensure consumers receive safe food.

Corporate governance has received increased attention from both regulators and researchers in recent years resulting in highlighting the significance of the internal audit function (IAF). Another transformative force on the IAF has been the dissemination of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems which have an impact on the legitimacy of the IAF if it is not suitably adapted. However, there is insufficient knowledge about the adaptations of the IAF which are required if it is to maintain its essential role in governance. This thesis extends our knowledge by exploring and theorising the adaptation of the IAF after ERP introduction. This thesis uses institutional theory as a lens through which to investigate how the IAF responds to the external governance pressures and the internal pressures of the control logic following the introduction of an ERP system. Data were gathered from two listed companies in the food and beverage sector and two large banks operating in Egypt, where one of each pair is an international company and the other is a national company. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with all stakeholders in addition to careful analysis of a number of internal and external documents related to the ERP and the IAF. The study finds that governance pressures related to the IAF determine the legitimisation criteria for the IAF. There is little coercive governance pressure on the IAF in Egypt. However, international companies with operations in Egypt have introduced normative governance pressures as a result of their compliance with stock exchange rules in other jurisdictions. Therefore, mimetic behaviour has helped in transferring the IAF response to ERP implementation. ERP systems carry new control logics based on some interlinked assumptions, which have affected the IAF. The ERP system’s control logic is aligned with the corporate governance goals and objectives, but further alignment is needed to make the best use of the ERP system in enhancing internal control. The introduction of an ERP system produces uncertainty about the IAF’s activities, which motivates it to adapt by changing its practice and structure. The changes in the IAF are dependent on the strategic response adopted by the auditors, which range from acquiescence to defiance. These responses were found to change over time. The differences in responses result in different outcomes for the IAF adaptation. In the international companies the implementation of an ERP system motivates the IAF to be integrated and have a comprehensive scope, whereas in the national companies change was resisted and the role of the IAF was significantly diminished. The IAF’s legitimacy maintaining strategies depend on the coercive and normative governance pressures, which give directions about how to maintain legitimacy. This study offers an explanation of how information systems contribute to the IAF’s professional stability or change and of how macro-governance pressures can bind micro-IAF practice within organisations.