Audit digitalization and its consequences on the audit expectation gap: A critical perspective

Abstract

This study examines how a paradigm shift from traditional to digital audits could affect the audit expectation gap. It uncovers possible new areas of the expectation gap and threats and challenges resulting from this paradigm shift. The findings suggest that audit digitalization will result in the audit profession transitioning from the defensive approach of educating users on auditors’ duties to a constructive approach of using digital tools to perform some of the duties that users expect of auditors. Specifically, digital technologies have the potential to enhance internal controls and facilitate fraud prevention and detection, thus narrowing the expectation gap in relation to these critical issues. It may further accelerate the elimination of future challenges and threats and the narrowing of future expectation gaps. The potential benefits of switching to the constructive approach are lower costs for audit firms, enhanced audit quality, and improved client perceptions of auditors.