Internal audit outsourcing in small organizations: An exploratory study

Few papers have studied internal audit outsourcing in general, and significantly fewer have limited their analysis to small organizations. This study examines the association between small organizations’ propensity to outsource internal audit activities and (1) audit committee involvement, (2) organizational financial health, and (3) need for expertise. Prior studies find mixed evidence when analyzing both large and small organizations concurrently. This study utilizes the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation 2015 Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) survey results data from chief audit executives (CAEs) of small organizations (<500 employees) based in seven Anglo-culture countries. We find significant associations between both audit committee involvement and organization financial health and internal audit outsourcing in small organizations

Star-forming Blue ETGs in Two Newly Discovered Galaxy Overdensities in the HUDF at z=1.84 and 1.9: Unveiling the Progenitors of Passive ETGs in Cluster Cores

We present the discovery of two galaxy overdensities in the Hubble Space Telescope UDF: a proto-cluster, HUDFJ0332.4-2746.6 at z=1.84 ± 0.01, and a group, HUDFJ0332.5-2747.3 at z=1.90 ± 0.01. Assuming viralization, the velocity dispersion of HUDFJ0332.4-2746.6 implies a mass of M_(200) = (2.2 ± 1.8) x 10^(14) M_☉, consistent with the lack of extended X-ray emission. Neither overdensity shows evidence of a red sequence. About $50\%$ of their members show interactions and/or disturbed morphologies, which are signatures of merger remnants or disk instability. Most of their ETGs have blue colors and show recent star formation. These observations reveal for the first time large fractions of spectroscopically confirmed star-forming blue ETGs in proto-clusters at ≈ z. These star-forming ETGs are most likely among the progenitors of the quiescent population in clusters at more recent epochs. Their mass–size relation is consistent with that of passive ETGs in clusters at z ~ 0.7-1.5. If these galaxies are the progenitors of cluster ETGs at these lower redshifts, their size would evolve according to a similar mass-size relation. It is noteworthy that quiescent ETGs in clusters at z = 1.8-2 also do not show any significant size evolution over this redshift range, contrary to field ETGs. The ETG fraction is ≾50%, compared to the typical quiescent ETG fraction of ≈80% in cluster cores at z < 1. The fraction, masses, and colors of the newly discovered ETGs imply that other cluster ETGs will be formed/accreted at a later time

Galaxy Zoo: quantitative visual morphological classifications for 48 000 galaxies from CANDELS

We present quantified visual morphologies of approximately 48 000 galaxies observed in three Hubble Space Telescope legacy fields by the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) and classified by participants in the Galaxy Zoo project. 90 per cent of galaxies have z ≤ 3 and are observed in rest-frame optical wavelengths by CANDELS. Each galaxy received an average of 40 independent classifications, which we combine into detailed morphological information on galaxy features such as clumpiness, bar instabilities, spiral structure, and merger and tidal signatures. We apply a consensus-based classifier weighting method that preserves classifier independence while effectively down-weighting significantly outlying classifications. After analysing the effect of varying image depth on reported classifications, we also provide depth-corrected classifications which both preserve the information in the deepest observations and also enable the use of classifications at comparable depths across the full survey. Comparing the Galaxy Zoo classifications to previous classifications of the same galaxies shows very good agreement; for some applications, the high number of independent classifications provided by Galaxy Zoo provides an advantage in selecting galaxies with a particular morphological profile, while in others the combination of Galaxy Zoo with other classifications is a more promising approach than using any one method alone. We combine the Galaxy Zoo classifications of ‘smooth’ galaxies with parametric morphologies to select a sample of featureless discs at 1 ≤ z ≤ 3, which may represent a dynamically warmer progenitor population to the settled disc galaxies seen at later epochs

The O*NET: A challenging, useful resource for investigating auditing and accounting work

The Occupational Information Network database (O*NET), a publicly available employment and occupation resource, contains considerable relevant data on accountants\u27 and auditors\u27 work and employment. Created and maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor, the O*NET is organized into six categories; annual updates derived from multiple sources including job analysts, surveys of employers and employees, and labor economists\u27 employment projections. The extensive resources supporting its creation and maintenance have resulted in statistically defensible sampling methods but considerable variability in the validity of O*NET conceptual constructs and measures. Users of the O*NET include scholars, state employment agencies, employers, career counselors, and job seekers. Although we are unaware of current applications of the O*NET in professional accounting, we suggest ten applications. A small body of accounting research uses the O*NET; we suggest additional future research applications. The limitations of the O*NET include overly broad categories of accounting work, issues related to biases and construct validity, and poor organization and ease-of-use. But for scholars with patience and tenacity, the O*NET provides an important publicly available, longitudinal, and cross-sectional resource for investigating accountancy employment and work

Does the Holland model of occupational choice (HMOC) perpetuate the Beancounter-Bookkeeper (BB) stereotype of accountants?

This article investigates the Holland model of occupational choice\u27s (HMOC) development, influence, and validity in relation to its classification of bookkeepers, accountants, and business professionals. Study 1 reanalyzes published data and provides evidence that the Beancounter-Bookkeeper (BB) stereotype, which is promoted in the HMOC, is partially predictive of the personality characteristics of individuals who choose to enter professional accountancy. Study 2 investigates the influence of HMOC training, and exposure to accounting education, on perceptions of the personality type needed for accounting work; results indicate that: (1) HMOC training is associated with perceptions that accounting work requires a BB personality, and (2) the importance of investigative skills to accounting work increase with accounting education. Following this, we review evidence that suggests low validity in the HMOC\u27s claims of greater job success and satisfaction among BB accountants. Finally, we consider three possible processes that may explain Holland and colleagues\u27 conjoining of accountants with bookkeepers. Together, the analysis promotes skepticism regarding whether the HMOC\u27s claim that professional accounting success demands a passive, compliant, subservient, i.e., BB, personality supports the public interest obligations of professional accountants. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd