Designing a model and prioritizing competencies of internal audit managers: a mixed-methods approach

Authors
1 Ph.D. Student in accounting, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. ( aminrostami@stu.um.ac.ir)
2 Associate Prof., Department of Accounting, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. (Corresponding Author)
3 Associate Prof., Department of Accounting, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. (bagherpur@um.ac.ir)
Abstract
Internal auditing is an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity that helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control and governance processes. As the roles of internal auditors increasingly change in organizations, new competencies are needed. The purpose of this research is to Identify and prioritize competencies of internal audit managers. In this research, mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative methods) are used. In other words, first, qualitative research method and grounded theory approach are used for Identifying competencies. To achieve this goal, with obtaining 18 faculty members and internal auditing experts insights through unstructured interviews in 2018-2019, we developed internal auditors’ competency model in Iran. According to this model, internal auditor managers need a series of Individual, technical, managerial and environmental competencies to achieve the desired level of effectiveness. Then, in the quantitative part of the research, by analyzing the questionnaires received from internal auditors and using Friedman's test, we prioritized the dimensions of competence of internal audit managers in the small, medium and large companies of Iran. The research results show that three dimensions of work experience, academic education, and Mastery of Internal Audit Standards in small, medium and large Iranian companies have a higher priority than other dimensions. In addition, in large companies, intellectual and analytical competencies, expertise in risk management, governance, information technology and quality frameworks have a higher priority than small and medium companies, which can be due to complex operating cycles and processes.
Keywords

ابوالمعالی، خدیجه.(1391)، پژوهش کیفی: از نظریه تا عمل، نشر علم، چاپ اول.
Abdolmohammadi, M., G. D’Onza, and G. Sarens. 2016. Benchmarking Internal Audit Maturity: A High-Level Look at Audit Planning & Processes Worldwide, The Global Internal Audit Common Body of Knowledge, CBOK 2015 Practitioner Survey, the IIA research Foundation (IIARF), July.
ایمانی برندق، محمد؛ کاظمی علوم، مهدی؛ عبدی، مصطفی.(1397)، بررسی تاثیر تنوع جنسیتی در هیات مدیره بر احتمال وجود ضعف در کنترل‌های داخلی، دو فصلنامه حسابداری ارزشی و رفتاری، سال سوم، شماره 6، صص 285-263.
Agut, S., R. Grau, and J.M. Peiro´. 2003. Competency needs among managers from Spanish hotels and restaurants and their training demands. International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol.22,No. 3: 281–295.
باقرپور ولاشانی، محمد علی؛ جهانبانی، مصطفی؛ ظفرزاده، سمیه.(1391)، ارائه مدلی تجربی برای پیاده سازی و بکارگیری حسابرسی داخلی مبتنی بر ریسک در ایران، مطالعات حسابداری و حسابرسی، دوره 2، شماره 6، صص 1-31.
Aitken, K., and K. Von Treuer. 2014. Organisational and leadership competencies for successful service integration. Leadership in Health Services, 27(2): 150-180.
برزگری خانقاه، جمال؛ مروتی شریف آبادی، علی؛ صحت، صفیه.(1396)، کنکاشی در ویژگی های شخصیتی، مهارتی و اخلاقی حسابداران دادگاهی با استفاده از تکنیک تاپسیس، دو فصلنامه حسابداری ارزشی و رفتاری، سال دوم، شماره۴، صص ۶۹-۹۵
Badara, M.S., and S.Z. Sadin. 2013. The Journey so far on Internal Audit Effectiveness: a Calling for Expansion. international Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Vol. 3, No.3: 340-351.
پور موسی، علی اکبر.(1388)، اهمیت حسابرسی داخلی از دیدگاه مدیران، فصلنامه حسابرس، شماره 44 و 45، صص 109-103.
BarclaySimpson, 2012. corporate governance recruitment market report 2012 internal audit. See more at: http://www.barclaysimpson.com/ document_ uploaded/BS2012_ IntAuditMR.pdf.
رحمانی، علی و محمود خانی، مهناز.(1396)، بررسی مولفه‌های ارزیابی اثربخشی حسابرسی داخلی در ایران، سال 6، شماره 24، صص 77-57.
Brown, L., B. George, and C. Mehaffey-Kultgen. 2018. The development of a competency model and its implementation in a power utility cooperative: an action research study. Industrial and Commercial Training, 50(3): 123-135.
عبدلی، محمدرضا و نادعلی، علی اکبر.(1394)، بررسی تأثیر وجود حسابرسی داخلی بر کاهش رخداد تحریف های مالی و قانونی و مالیاتی در شرکت ها، دانش حسابرسی، سال پانزدهم، شماره61، زمستان، صص 177-192.
Burton, F.G., M. Starliper, S.L. Summers, and D.A. Wood. 2012. Recruiting internal auditors: The effects of using the internal audit function as a management training ground and performing consulting services. Social Sciences Research Network.
فتحی عبداللهی، احمد و آقایی، محمدعلی.(1396)، بررسی اثربخشی حسابرسی داخلی در عملکرد مدیریت ریسک و کنترل سازمان‌های دولتی، مدیریت سازمان‌های دولتی، دوره 5، شماره 3، صص 83-96.
Christ, M.H., A. Masli, N.Y. Sharp, and D.A. Wood. 2012. Using the internal audit function as a management training ground: Is the monitoring effectiveness of internal auditors compromised. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi. org/10.2139/ssrn, 1946518.
فراستخواه، مقصود.(1395)، روش تحقیق کیفی در علوم اجتماعی با تاکید بر نظریه برپایه، نشر آگاه، چاپ دوم.
Cochran, G. 2009. Developing a Competency Model for a 21th Century Extension Organization, Ohio State University, a doctor of dissertation.
فرهادی نژاد، محسن؛ لگزیان، محمد؛ کفاش پور، آذر؛ منصوریان، یزدان.(1393)، مدیریت دولتی اثر بخش در سازمان‌های ایرانی، نظریه داده بنیاد، فصلنامه مدیریت سازمان‌های دولتی، سال سوم، شماره 9، صص 55-70.
Corbin, J. M., and A. Strauss. 1990. Grounded theory research: Procedures, canons, and evaluative criteria. Qualitative sociology, 13(1): 3-21.
مبشری، آق محمد،(1392)، بررسی میزان اثربخشی حسابرسی داخلی در بهبود کنترل‌های داخلی و عملکرد شرکت‌های مادر تخصصی )هلدینگ( و تابعه بنیاد مستضعفان انقلاب اسلامی ایران، پایان نامه کارشناسی ارشد، دانشگاه گیلان.
Creswell, J. 2005. Research Design: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, 2nd edition, Thousand Oaks, California.
مشایخی، بیتا؛ حسن زاده، شادی؛ امینی، یاسین؛ منتی، وحید.(1395)، تأثیر کیفیت حسابرسی داخلی بر حق الزحمه حسابرسی مستقل، پژوهش‌های حسابداری مالی و حسابرسی، سال 8 ، شماره 31، پاییز، صص 41-56.
Desai, N. K., G. J. Gerard, and A. Tripathy. 2011. Internal Audit Sourcing Arrangements and Reliance by External Auditors. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory 30 (1): 149-171.
منتی، وحید و بابایی، مقداد.(1394)، حسابرسی داخلی و تقلب. دانش حسابرسی، سال هفدهم،شماره 69، صص 5-57.
Desai, R., V. Desai, T. Libby, and R.P. Srivastava. 2017. External auditors’ evaluation of the internal audit function: An empirical investigation, International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Volume 24, February: 114-124.
مهدیلو ترکمانی، پیمان؛ صفدری رنجبر، مصطفی؛ مشبکی، اصغر؛ شجاعی، امیر عباس (1395). شناسایی و اولویت‌بندی شایستگی‌های مدیران واحدهای تحقیق و توسعه و فناوری، سال 13، شماره 49، صص 62-54.
Dubois, D. D., W.J. Rothwell, D. J., Stern, and L.K. Kemp. 2004. Competency-based human resource management. Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black Publishing.
Ege, M. S. 2013. Does internal audit function quality deter management misconduct? University Of Texas at Austin.
نیکبخت، محمدرضا و معادی نژاد، محمد مهدی.(1388)، عوامل موثر در اتکای حسابرسان مستقل بر کار حسابرسان داخلی، دوره 10، شماره 26، صص 112-93.
Ege, M.S. 2015. Does Internal Audit Function Quality Deter Management Misconduct? The Accounting Review, 90(2): 495-527.
نیکبخت، محمدرضا؛ رضایی، ذبیح اله؛ منتی، وحید.(1396)، طراحی مدل کیفیت حسابرسی داخلی، دو ماهنامه حسابرسی داخلی، دوره 1، شماره 5 و 6، صص 60-33.
Esser, A., Kahrens, M., Mouzughi, Y., & Eomois, E. 2018. A female leadership competency framework from the perspective of male leaders. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 33(2): 138-166.
هوشیار، وجیهه و رحیم نیا، فریبرز.(1392)، ارائه مدل شایستگی مدیران شعب در سیستم بانکی، فصلنامه مدیریت توسعه و تحول، 13، صص 55-68.
Gramling, A. A., M. J. Maletta, A. Schneider, and B. K. Church. 2004. The Role of the Internal Audit Function in Corporate Governance: A Synthesis of the Extant Internal Auditing Literature and Directions for Future Research. Journal of Accounting Literature 23:194-244.
Gros, M., and S. Koch. 2017. Internal audit function quality and financial reporting: results of a survey on German listed companies, Journal of Management & Governance, June, Volume 21, Issue 2: 291–329.
Khalid, A. A., H. Haron, and T.A. Masron. 2018. Competency and effectiveness of internal Shariah audit in Islamic financial institutions. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 9(2): 201-221.
Kregel, I., N. Ogonek, and B. Matthies. 2019. Competency profiles for lean professionals–an international perspective. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 68(2): 423-446.
Lawler, E. E. 1994. From job-based to competency-based organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 15, No.1: 3-15.
Lee, Y. 2010. Exploring high-performers’ required competencies, Expert Systems with Applications, Vol. 37: 434–439.
Lenz, R. 2013.Insights into the effectiveness of internal audit: a multi-method and multi-perspective study, dissertation at the Université catholique de Louvain – Louvain School of Management Research Institute.
Lin, S., M. Pizzini, M. Vargus, and I.R. Bardhan. 2011. The role of the internal audit function in the disclosure of material weaknesses. The Accounting Review, 86(1): 287-323.
Malaescu, I., and S.G. Sutton. 2015. The Reliance of External Auditors on Internal Audit’s Use of Continuous Audit, Journal of Information Systems, Spring, Vol. 29, No. 1: 95-114.
Messier Jr, W.F., J.K. Reynolds, C.A. Simon, and D.A. Wood. 2011. The effect of using the internal audit function as a management training ground on the external auditor's reliance decision. The accounting review, 86(6): 2131-2154.
Meyer, M. A. 2019. Competencies required for healthcare improvement positions. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance.
Pizzini, M., S. Lin, and D.E. Ziegenfuss. 2015. The Impact of Internal Audit Function Quality and Contribution on Audit Delay, A Journal of Practice & Theory, February 2015, Vol. 34, No. 1: 25-58.
Prawitt, D.F., J.L. Smith, and D.A. Wood. 2009. Internal audit quality and earnings management. The accounting review, 84(4):1255-1280.
Seol, I., J. Sarkis, and F. Lefley. 2011. Factor structure of the competency framework for internal auditing (CFIA) skills for entering level internal auditors. International Journal of Auditing, 15(3): 217-230.
Strauss, A., & J.M. Corbin. 1990. Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Sage Publications, Inc.
Tehseen, S., F.U. Ahmed, Z.H. Qureshi, and M.J. Uddin. 2019. Entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs’ growth: the mediating role of network competence. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 11(1): 2-29.
The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). 2011. Recruitment Strategies for Tomorrow’s Internal.
Trivellas, P., and C. Drimoussis. 2013. Investigating Leadership Styles, Behavioural and Managerial Competency Profiles of Successful Project Managers in Greece, Social and Behavioral Sciences,vol. 73: 692 – 700
Uhbiyati, N. 2015. A competency-based model of the human resource development management of ustadz at salaf boarding school. International Journal of Educational Management, 29(5): 695-708.
Viitala, R. 2005. Perceived development needs of managers compared to an integrated management competency model, Journal of Workplace Learning. 17(8): 436-442.
Weatherly, L. A. 2005. Competency models series part I: Competency models – an overview. Available from Society for Human Resource Management: http://shrm.org
Wu, T. H., S.M. Huang, S.Y. Huang, and D.C. Yen. 2016. The effect of competencies, team problem-solving ability, and computer audit activity on internal audit performance. Information Systems Frontiers: 1-16.