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How do team workloads and team staffing affect the audit? Archival evidence from U.S. audits

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  • Christensen, Brant E.
  • Newton, Nathan J.
  • Wilkins, Michael S.

Abstract

We use U.S. data from a global accounting firm to investigate how two key elements of audit teams –workloads and staffing continuity – affect the audit. We find that heavier team workloads are associated with lower audit quality, particularly when team members have lower performance ratings or have total workloads that exceed 60 h per week. In addition to finding evidence of employee burnout, we also document an incremental distraction effect. Specifically, we find that audit quality on the primary client suffers when team members spend more time during busy season on other concurrent clients. Regarding continuity, we find that greater year-over-year team staffing continuity is associated with improved audit quality, efficiency, and profitability. These effects are strongest when returning team members are highly rated or work in smaller audit offices. Finally, the effects of workload and continuity on audit quality at the team level are driven by audit seniors and audit staff, suggesting that offices should be particularly careful as they develop schedules for junior auditors. Overall, our study provides important new evidence about audit teams as called for by academics and regulators.

Suggested Citation

  • Christensen, Brant E. & Newton, Nathan J. & Wilkins, Michael S., 2021. "How do team workloads and team staffing affect the audit? Archival evidence from U.S. audits," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:aosoci:v:92:y:2021:i:c:s0361368221000015
    DOI: 10.1016/j.aos.2021.101225
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Audit teams; Audit workload; Turnover; Audit quality; Audit effort;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • M42 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Auditing

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