Coordination and Cooperation between Internal and External Auditors

Abstract

Effective coordination and cooperation between internal and external auditors leads to several benefits for them and also for the clients whom they serve. It increases both the efficient and effective of audit and decreases audit fees. Professional bodies have confirmed their importance and their potential contribution in improving auditors’ works. However, this issue has not been extensively studied yet and need more research especially in developing countries. This paper discusses the professional standards which relating to, the benefits of, and the role of corporate governance in enhancing coordination and cooperation between auditors. Issues are analyzed by providing recommendations that could enhance it. This paper has argued that coordination and cooperation between auditors in the organization are both affected in and affected by their relationship with other corporate governance parties, and depended on the support of both audit committee and senior management, which could provide insights for future research.

Keywords: internal auditing, external auditing, coordination between auditors, cooperation between auditors.