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This paper aims to examine the effect of top management support (TMS) and risk management (RM) on the internal audit activities (IAA) and fraud mitigation (FM) in the Libyan banking sector.

The data is collected using a survey questionnaire of 16 commercial banks in Libya and analysed using a structural equation modeling.

The study shows positive and significant relationships between RM and employees’ FM and TMS and employees’ FM. The study also demonstrates a significant mediating effect on the relationship between RM, TMS and FM.

The study is conducted in the Libyan banking sector. Further research is needed in other contexts and sectors to understand the contribution of the RM and TMS on FM, including the impact of technology and internal audit characteristics in terms of experience, education and professional certificates on FM.

The study is the first attempt to explore FM in an emerging economy, particularly Libya, by introducing IAA as a mediator. The study provides implications for regulators and top management in the banking sector.

The energy retrofit of the existing building stock, and specifically the thermal upgrading of the buildings’ envelopes, has been identified as a key action for both the decarbonisation of the built environment and the reduction in fuel poverty. When considering the energy retrofit of heritage buildings it is, however, important to recognise both the technical issues that this entails and the potential impact on their cultural value and the emotional responses to it. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the thermal upgrading of historic timber-framed buildings in the UK.

The paper begins by exploring the cultural significance of this form of building construction, before examining three case studies using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

The results show that whilst the application of energy retrofit actions to this emblematic typology may have limited success, the emotional connection of the buildings’ occupants often results in the work resulting in higher user satisfaction than would otherwise be expected.

Although limited in number, the three case studies provide an insight into the complex issues surrounding the low energy retrofit of historic timber-framed buildings. Further research into this area is encouraged.

The paper contains the monitoring of specific retrofit details, the results of which should inform future projects.

The review of the cultural significance of historic timber-frame buildings in the UK underlines the importance of the conservation and continuing survival of these buildings.

Previous heritage retrofit research in the UK has focussed on solid wall construction with little investigation into the issues surrounding the retrofit of historic timber-frame buildings. This paper explores this previously under-researched area. Additionally, this paper begins to explore the possible links between occupants’ emotional connection to historic buildings and their perceived levels of comfort.

This study aims to examine whether the size of internal audit functions (IAFs) is significantly related to factors documented by related prior auditing research, namely, diffusion of ownership, firm size, affiliation to the financial services industry, proportion of assets in the form of receivables and inventory, audit committee’s size and the presence of risk management committee.

Using data related to companies listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, this study uses a regression model to examine research hypothesis related to factors predicted to have an association with the size of the firm’s IAF.

The results of the current study provide evidence of a significantly positive relation between the size of the IAF and firm’s affiliation to the finance sector, audit committee’s size and the presence of a separate risk management committee. Such empirical evidence, which stems from the Kuwaiti market, is expected to be valuable for regulators and policy makers as well as audit researchers interested in linking it to the international empirical findings about this issue documented in other audit markets.

This study is original because it is the first to empirically examine factors associated with the size of IAFs in the GCC region, including Kuwait.

This paper aims to provide empirical evidence of the association between audit committee characteristics and internal audit quality through internal audit professionalization.

The investigation of the research question was based on 45 usable responses that were received from a survey of chief audit executives from firms listed on the Athens Stock Exchange and combined with publicly available information from annual reports.

The results indicate that audit committee characteristics (independence, diligence through frequent meetings and interaction with internal audit through valuation) influence internal audit professionalization. In addition, they demonstrate that internal audit professionalization is also influenced by CEO duality and firm’s external auditor.

The findings of this study have implications for audit committees wishing to improve their overall effectiveness, by identifying areas with substantial impact on internal audit quality. Moreover, regulators of corporate governance bodies can also benefit from the results to strengthen audit committee’s efficiency regarding internal audit function oversight.

The results add to the literature on the discussion of internal audit professionalization and complement the work of other researchers in the field of audit committee’s impact on internal audit quality/effectiveness. This study attempts to fill a gap in the literature on the effect of audit committee characteristics on internal audit professionalization, an element introduced from an institutional theory perspective.

The purpose of this study is to explore the internal audit actors and stakeholders' perceptions of the IA status in Iranian companies, and those actors and stakeholders' roles in shaping the current situation of IA in Iran.

This paper uses the interpretive qualitative method. Data comprises of semi-structured interviews with board of directors, audit committees, chief executive officers and chief audit executives. The paper analyzes internal audit policy documents, reports and legislations.

The results illustrate that the internal audit in Iran is perceived as a “perfunctory” practice among its stakeholders due to being recognized as an inefficient process. The key actors and stakeholders in internal audit process–including executive and board managers, audit committee members and chief audit executives–play important roles in shaping the current status of internal audit via their perceptions and actions.

The fact that internal audit in Iran is perceived as an inefficient process and is used as a perfunctory practice highlights the importance of addressing this issue at the standardization and regulation level. The deficits in the roles of key actors and stakeholders need to be considered as the legislative guide in different levels.

Prior studies mostly focus on the role of internal audit in organizations. In contrast, this study focuses on the role of key actors and stakeholders of internal auditing process in shaping the current perceived role of internal audit in organizations. Also, the study examines an emerging economy, which differs from advanced economies in important ways, including regulations, organizational culture, internal control structure and internal audit.

In light of the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, electronic auditing otherwise known as computer-assisted audit tools and techniques (CAATTs) has become inevitable to automate the auditing process worldwide. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to examine the influence of technological, organizational and environmental (TOE) factors on public sector adoption of CAATTs in developing countries such as Jordan under the COVID-19 pandemic conditions.

This study used 136 usable responses from the managers of internal audit (IA) of the Jordanian public sector entities. The data collected were analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling. The TOE framework has been used in this study to consider a wide set of TOE factors. Then, this study suggests a CAATTs adoption model that incorporates the related technology factors of the diffusion of innovation theory to environmental and organizational factors. Further, this study contributes to the TOE framework by addressing government regulations, audit bodies’ support and audit task complexity as environmental factors affecting CAATTs adoption in the context of the public sector.

The results revealed that for technological factors, only the compatibility affects CAATTs adoption by the IA departments. For organizational factors, organizational readiness, top management support, auditors’ information technology competency and entity size were found to be significant factors. From the environmental factors, both government regulation and audit task complexity influence the CAATTs adoption. Besides, entity size moderates the influence of top management support on the CAATTs adoption in the public sector.

The findings could highlight the significance of the CAATTs adoption in the public sector institutions (by internal auditors) post-COVID-19, taking into consideration the TOE framework’s factors. Also, the findings are significant for the decision-makers and regulators in declaring new legislation for the electronic IA profession in the Jordanian public sector.

It turns out that the CAATTs adoption in the public sector can definitely enhance their ability to achieve the role of IA in preserving public funds and restricting corrupt practices within the public sector.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first studies that address the professional audit agency support and audit task complexity as environmental factors, as well as the entity size as an organizational factor, that affect CAATTs adoption in the IA department of the public sector.

Attempts to determine the extent to which auditing is being taught as part of accounting degrees and, where it is, to discover the nature and content of the courses. A survey of university and polytechnic lecturers shows there is little agreement about the nature and content of an auditing class. Courses are dominated by external audit, perhaps reflecting the professional backgrounds of those who teach them. Lecturers feel that they are working in isolation and are keen to have a forum at which to exchange ideas.

This paper aims to explore internal audit effectiveness through its contribution to corporate governance. Namely, the authors attempt to investigate the impact of internal audit professionalization on internal audit’s contribution to corporate governance.

Using a research framework informed by institutional theory, the authors predict that internal audit’s contribution to corporate governance is associated with factors related to internal audit professionalization. To investigate the arguments, the authors combine data from a survey of 49 listed companies in the Athens Stock Exchange with publicly available information from annual reports.

Empirical results indicate that internal audit professionalization affects internal audit effectiveness, as internal audit’s contribution to corporate governance is improved for organizations where internal audit function complies with internal auditing standards and internal auditors hold professional certifications. The findings also suggest that internal audit’s contribution to corporate governance is shaped by some company-specific characteristics, namely, CEO duality and audit committee quality.

The results have implications for internal auditors who wish to increase the efficiency of their work, corporate governance mechanisms such as the board of directors and the audit committee, which can use the findings of this study to better respond to their responsibilities concerning internal audit and regulators who can also benefit to strengthen areas with substantial impact on internal audit’s contribution to corporate governance.

This paper contributes to the academic discussion on the role of internal audit in corporate governance and complements the work of other researchers in the field of internal audit professionalization. This study tries to fill a gap in the literature on the effect of internal audit professionalization elements on internal audit’s contribution to corporate governance.