Title

When the world isn't always flat: The impact of psychological distance on auditors' reliance on specialists

Authors

Authors

M. M. Weisner;S. G. Sutton

Comments

Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

Abbreviated Journal Title

Int. J. Account. Inf. Syst.

Keywords

Construal level theory; CISA; External auditor reliance; Management-appointed specialist; Psychological distance; Telework; CONSTRUAL-LEVEL THEORY; JUDGMENTS; FEES; Business; Business, Finance; Management

Abstract

This study addresses recent calls for research on the conditions influencing auditor decisions related to PCAOB-encouraged reliance on third-party experts. To this end, the present study explores the effect of psychological distance on external auditors' reliance when induced through physical distance in a telework relationship between an auditee and a specialist. The reliance decision focuses on the auditee's contracting with a computer audit specialist who works remotely through a telework arrangement. The psychological distance associated with this telework arrangement is examined both in the context of variance in the physical distance of the computer audit specialist and the interactive effect of a contextual factor-the historical experience with an auditee's internal audit function. A 2 x 2 experiment with a total of 121 experienced Big 4 auditors is conducted in which psychological distance (physically proximate or remote specialist) and historical experience with an auditee's internal audit function (presence or absence of a prior year material weakness in internal controls) are manipulated. Consistent with predictions based on construal level theory, we find that psychological distance affects auditors' reliance judgment such that increased distance leads to lower reliance. Furthermore, the historical experience with the auditee's internal audit function creates a halo effect which moderates the effect of psychological distance such that the differential effect of a present vs. absent prior year material weakness on auditors' confidence and associated willingness to reduce budgeted audit hours is larger for a psychologically distant specialist. The results of this study suggest that an auditee's choice of a more proximate specialist may garner greater reliance by the external auditor, particularly when there is a material weakness in the prior year audit that the specialist is intended to help ameliorate. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.

Journal Title

International Journal of Accounting Information Systems

Volume

16

Publication Date

1-1-2015

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

23

Last Page

41

WOS Identifier

WOS:000354339400003

ISSN

1467-0895

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