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Audit and the Pursuit of Dynamic Repair

Humphrey, Christopher ; Sonnerfeldt, Amanda LU ; Komori, Naoko and Curtis, Emer (2021) In European Accounting Review 30(3). p.445-471
Abstract
Is audit capable of evolving into something that is more consistently valued and socially purposeful? We address this fundamental question, utilizing Sennett’s (2008). The Craftsman. New Haven: Yale University Press) notion of ‘dynamic repair’ to present four key ways of thinking differently about the statutory financial audit and its core conceptual foundations. First, we highlight the capacity for audit to be regarded as a first-order function of value in its own right rather than a second-order function inherently dependent on corporate financial statements. Second, we call for a change in the assumed relationship between audit and assurance, arguing that assurance should be treated as a sub-set of audit rather than the other way round.... (More)
Is audit capable of evolving into something that is more consistently valued and socially purposeful? We address this fundamental question, utilizing Sennett’s (2008). The Craftsman. New Haven: Yale University Press) notion of ‘dynamic repair’ to present four key ways of thinking differently about the statutory financial audit and its core conceptual foundations. First, we highlight the capacity for audit to be regarded as a first-order function of value in its own right rather than a second-order function inherently dependent on corporate financial statements. Second, we call for a change in the assumed relationship between audit and assurance, arguing that assurance should be treated as a sub-set of audit rather than the other way round. Third, we consider the scope for audit standard setting to provide a space for ‘product’ innovation. Finally, we advocate moving beyond presumptions that the current statutory financial audit serves ‘the public interest’ to asking deeper questions about the type of society we want to inhabit and whether audit has a more direct and valued contribution to make. Collectively, such re-conceptualizations offer a broader canvas for audit innovation and can help to sustain the promise of current audit reform initiatives proposed by the Brydon Report and others. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Audit, Assurance, Public Interest, Brydon Report
in
European Accounting Review
volume
30
issue
3
pages
26 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85106308428
ISSN
0963-8180
DOI
10.1080/09638180.2021.1919539
project
Organizing and conceptualizing accounting in times of digitalization
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
093011d3-b28d-4bac-8d80-5cea20eb1a17
date added to LUP
2021-06-26 22:39:48
date last changed
2022-04-27 02:36:32
@article{093011d3-b28d-4bac-8d80-5cea20eb1a17,
  abstract     = {{Is audit capable of evolving into something that is more consistently valued and socially purposeful? We address this fundamental question, utilizing Sennett’s (2008). The Craftsman. New Haven: Yale University Press) notion of ‘dynamic repair’ to present four key ways of thinking differently about the statutory financial audit and its core conceptual foundations. First, we highlight the capacity for audit to be regarded as a first-order function of value in its own right rather than a second-order function inherently dependent on corporate financial statements. Second, we call for a change in the assumed relationship between audit and assurance, arguing that assurance should be treated as a sub-set of audit rather than the other way round. Third, we consider the scope for audit standard setting to provide a space for ‘product’ innovation. Finally, we advocate moving beyond presumptions that the current statutory financial audit serves ‘the public interest’ to asking deeper questions about the type of society we want to inhabit and whether audit has a more direct and valued contribution to make. Collectively, such re-conceptualizations offer a broader canvas for audit innovation and can help to sustain the promise of current audit reform initiatives proposed by the Brydon Report and others.}},
  author       = {{Humphrey, Christopher and Sonnerfeldt, Amanda and Komori, Naoko and Curtis, Emer}},
  issn         = {{0963-8180}},
  keywords     = {{Audit; Assurance; Public Interest; Brydon Report}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{445--471}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{European Accounting Review}},
  title        = {{Audit and the Pursuit of Dynamic Repair}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09638180.2021.1919539}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/09638180.2021.1919539}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}