Knowledge management : the effect of knowledge transfer on professional skepticism in audit engagement planning

Mubako, Grace N.; Rodgers, Waymond; Hall, Laura

Abstract

The objective of this study is to test how the transfer of auditing knowledge, along with other variables, work together to impact the level of professional skepticism in auditors and answer the crucial question of how auditors' competencies and expertise jointly interact with the knowledge transfer process. The study attempts to test these components in an empirical model, decomposing them and showing how they affect skepticism by comparing how knowledge is transferred in experts as compared to novices. The results of this study show that the differences between the expert auditors and the novices strengthened support for the role of knowledge and expertise in improving skepticism in engagement planning. The results of our study illustrate that knowledge transfer plays an important role in enhancing auditor professional skepticism, thereby improving the accuracy of auditor judgments. Also, as suggested by Nelson (2009), expert knowledge, position, and judgment were significant factors in the planning of an audit engagement. However, trait effects (as captured by firm effects) were not significant in explaining auditors' judgments. These results are important in that they illustrate the significance of the role that knowledge transfer functions in facilitating auditors' exercise of appropriate professional skepticism in audit engagement planning.

Citation

Rodgers, W., Mubako, G. N., & Hall, L. (2017). Knowledge management : the effect of knowledge transfer on professional skepticism in audit engagement planning. Computers in Human Behavior, 70, 564-574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.069

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 28, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jan 13, 2017
• Publication Date: 2017-05
• Deposit Date: Sep 4, 2017
• Journal: Computers in human behavior
• Print ISSN: 0747-5632
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 70
• Pages: 564-574
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.069
• Keywords: Knowledge management; Organizational learning; Knowledge transfer; Decision making; Expertise Audit planning
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/454436
• Publisher URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563216308986
• Additional Information: This is a description of an article accepted for publication in Computers in human behavior, 2017, v.70. The full text is not available in this repository.