Are auditors more “commercialists” than “professionalists”? An empirical study in Greece

Abstract

Purpose: In an ever changing professional environment, the auditing profession could not have remained unaffected. Globalization and the increasingly higher levels of competition are among the major parameters contributing to the ongoing changes in the auditing profession. The view that the accounting profession presents a shift from “professionalism” to “commercialism” is often encountered in relevant literature. In case this assertion holds true, then serious issues related to the quality of audit work arise; therefore, the tendency of auditors towards “professionalism” or “commercialism” comes up as a major issue to be investigated, so that both the regulative authorities and all other interested parties may take the appropriate measures. Within this context, the purpose of the present study is the investigation of the tendency of Greek auditors towards “professionalism” or “commercialism”. In this respect, a structured questionnaire has been employed, addressed to active auditors in Greece and directly relevant to auditors’ decisions during the client acceptance and continuance procedures - given that such a tendency may clearly become apparent even from the very first stage of the external audit process.

Methodology: A structured questionnaire was employed to collect information on the attitudes, opinions and perceptions of Greek auditors. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyse the data.

Findings: The findings showed that despite the fact that audit firms present a tendency towards “professionalism”, the auditors tend to deviate from this, turning towards the “commercialism” of auditing services they provide. In addition to that, it became apparent that auditors working for the Big6 audit firms in Greece, as well as auditors with less professional experience/ briefer length of service verge towards “professionalism” to a greater extent in comparison to others.

Originality/Value: While the subject of the paper remains a major and ongoing issue, this study examine it through a different prism emphasizing on the first stage of external audit, covering a gap in literature.