JOURNAL OF LIAONING TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
(NATURAL SCIENCE EDITION)
LIAONING GONGCHENG JISHU DAXUE XUEBAO (ZIRAN KEXUE BAN)
辽宁工程技术大学学报（自然科学版）
STAKEHOLDERS’ EXPECTATION AND AUDIT COMPLIANCE: EVIDENCE FROM SELECTED AUDITS FIRMS IN NIGERIA
Adeyemo Foluke Helen, Igbekoyi Olusola Esther, Azeez Oyebanji Abiola, Ademoye Kehinde Tosin
The effectiveness of audit compliance is a critical factor in ensuring organizational integrity risk mitigation, and stakeholder confidence. This study investigates the effect of stakeholder’s expectations on audit compliance among selected audit firms in Nigeria, with a focus on the roles of stakeholder perception, audit scope, and audit timing. The study employed purposive research design, adopts a quantitative approach. The targeted population was 1, 282 as at 31st December 2023. The sample size was 344 using Daniel (1999) formula. Regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses and evaluate the relationships between the variables. The findings revealed that stakeholder perception significantly influences audit compliance, while both audit scope and timing also play critical roles in shaping compliance outcomes. Specifically, the study indicated that narrowing audit scopes and unrealistic audit timelines can negatively impact audit quality and adherence to regulatory standards., enhance public trust, and improve the overall effectiveness of audits in Nigeria. This study recommends strengthening regulatory oversight, promoting the adoption of the findings underscore the importance of aligning audit practices with stakeholder expectations to bridge the audit expectation gap technology driven audit tools, and enhancing stakeholder engagement to ensure more effective audit compliance. This study provides actionable insights for policymakers, regulators, and audit firms in Nigeria.
Keywords: Stakeholder perception, Audit scope expectation, Audit timing expectation, Audit compliance and Compliance with regulatory framework.