Conceptual Framework
internal auditing effectiveness
As noted above, only a few academic studies have
examined the effectiveness of internal auditing, and even fewer have
dealt with the issue empirically. In one of the very few
studies that examined the effect of internal auditing
on organisational performance, Eden and Moriah
(1996) assigned 224 bank branches to experimental
conditions (audited or not audited) and monitored
their performance for a year. Their findings showed
that performance significantly improved during the half
year following the audit in the experimental branches,
while the control branches experienced a decline due to
poor general business conditions. It should be reiterated
that Eden and Moriah are nearly alone in developing
and testing an explanatory model of internal auditing effectiveness.
While that study offers a useful jumping-off point
for understanding how good auditing can improve a
company’s performance, it does not go far enough in
explaining when and why internal auditing works, and the conditions
that facilitate or impede it. Helping to bridge this gap
will be one of the main contributions of this study.