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Can Priming a Firm’s Organizational Identity Overcome the Influences of National Culture on Auditor Judgment?

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Date Issued:
2016
Summary:
A significant challenge faced by large auditing firms is offering consistent quality across the global network. Unfortunately, variation in judgments and decision-making, resulting from cultural differences, can undermine the provision of a uniform level of audit quality for these international firms. Previous research has determined that national culture influences an auditors’ professional judgments and decisions. Relying on Social Identity Theory, I explore whether inducing one’s organizational identification can both enhance auditor judgment and mitigate any deleterious impact that culture may have on the provision of a uniform level of audit quality. I also examine current cultural variations in auditor judgment in order to ensure that the results of earlier studies still typify the international auditing environment. National culture is assessed using two dimensions (individualism/collectivism, power distance) included in Hofstede’s 1980 cultural values framework. Participants from the United States are used to represent an individualistic/low power distance culture while individuals from India are used to represent a collectivistic/high power distance culture. Firms need mechanisms to elicit desired behaviors that may not be consistent with cultural tendencies in order to provide a uniform level of audit quality. Contrary to expectations, no significant differences are identified between the judgments of auditors from India and The United States. The results, however, do provide evidence that enhancing one’s organizational identification can impact certain professional judgments during the audit process. An association between national culture and auditor attitudes pertaining to client trust is also found. The implications of these findings for the professional auditing environment and future academic research are discussed.
Title: Can Priming a Firm’s Organizational Identity Overcome the Influences of National Culture on Auditor Judgment?.
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Name(s): Killey, Michael, author
Higgs, Julia, Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
College of Business
School of Accounting
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2016
Date Issued: 2016
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 86 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: A significant challenge faced by large auditing firms is offering consistent quality across the global network. Unfortunately, variation in judgments and decision-making, resulting from cultural differences, can undermine the provision of a uniform level of audit quality for these international firms. Previous research has determined that national culture influences an auditors’ professional judgments and decisions. Relying on Social Identity Theory, I explore whether inducing one’s organizational identification can both enhance auditor judgment and mitigate any deleterious impact that culture may have on the provision of a uniform level of audit quality. I also examine current cultural variations in auditor judgment in order to ensure that the results of earlier studies still typify the international auditing environment. National culture is assessed using two dimensions (individualism/collectivism, power distance) included in Hofstede’s 1980 cultural values framework. Participants from the United States are used to represent an individualistic/low power distance culture while individuals from India are used to represent a collectivistic/high power distance culture. Firms need mechanisms to elicit desired behaviors that may not be consistent with cultural tendencies in order to provide a uniform level of audit quality. Contrary to expectations, no significant differences are identified between the judgments of auditors from India and The United States. The results, however, do provide evidence that enhancing one’s organizational identification can impact certain professional judgments during the audit process. An association between national culture and auditor attitudes pertaining to client trust is also found. The implications of these findings for the professional auditing environment and future academic research are discussed.
Identifier: FA00004736 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Corporate governance.
Corporations--Auditing.
Auditing--Quality control.
Identity (Psychology)
Accounting--Moral and ethical aspects.
Accounting--Professional ethics.
Social responsibility of business.
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Links: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004736
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004736
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.