Characteristics of the internal audit and external audit hours: evidence from S. Korea

Ho Young Lee, Hyun Young Park

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: Using 5,055 sample firm-years in Korea between 2009 and 2013, this paper aims to examine the association between the characteristics of the internal audit and the number of external audit hours as a proxy for audit efficiency. Design/methodology/approach: This study is motivated by the International Standard on Auditing No. 610: “Using the work of internal auditors�. This auditing standard guides external auditors in using the work of internal auditors to obtain audit evidence and consult internal auditors for direct assistance. The authors expect that external audit efficiency will increase when the work of competent internal auditors is used. Findings: The authors find that the number of internal auditors relative to the number of employees is associated with the number of external audit hours. This result suggests that the greater the availability of internal auditors, the greater their contribution will be to the financial statement audit and the more efficient the audit. The authors find evidence that external auditors use the work of internal auditors with accounting and legal expertise to improve audit efficiency. They also find some evidence that the work of internal auditors with greater availability is more effective during initial external audit engagements. Originality/value: This study adds to the extant literature on the contributions of internal auditors to external audits by using archival data and by measuring audit effort using a large database of audit hours. In addition, our findings have practical implications for firms and external auditors who are evaluating the role and value of using the work of internal auditors. The authors also believe that the findings will be of interest to regulators or auditing standards boards.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)629-654
Number of pages26
JournalManagerial Auditing Journal
Volume31
Issue number6-7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016 Jun 6

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Accounting
  • Business, Management and Accounting(all)
  • Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Characteristics of the internal audit and external audit hours: evidence from S. Korea'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this