The interference of the organisational culture with the internal audit function

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the interference of the organisational culture with the internal audit function (IAF) of financial institutions in Brazil. Ten internal auditors from ten different banks based in Sao Paulo answered a cultural diagnostic questionnaire and were interviewed about how they perceived cultural interference with their functions. Data were analysed with the support of NVivo application and electronic spreadsheets. We found that the interference of the organisational culture with internal auditor's work takes place mainly through an 'image', a symbolic representation which contains the values and the expectations the organisation has concerning the way internal auditors must act. Moreover, organisations culture mainly affects the IAF in its planning process, when audit objects are chosen, and in its effectiveness, that is, the implementation of audit recommendations.