An Interpretive Analysis of how Audit Quality is Perceived in Economies in Transition

Abstract

With the movement of many international
accounting firms into Egypt, and the growth of local audit
firms, it is particularly interesting, and relevant for
governmental legislators, to study how the providers of the
audit service perceive the quality of what they do. In this
sense, the purpose of this paper is to report the perceptions of
professional auditors in Egypt concerning how they perceive
the quality of the service they provide. The paper also analyzes
differences between perceptions of the Big 4 audit firms and
other local audit firms. Based on 28 semi-structured
interviews, it was revealed that the interviewees generally
believed that the audit quality is preserved high in the
presence of four factors: (1) high ethical standards to guide
and regulate the profession; (2) a well planned and conducted
audit; (3) a more knowledgeable audit team; and (4) having a
good relationship with the client management.