The effect of cloud computing on the quality of financial statements: The mediating role of internal control system

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate how cloud technology implementation would affect Jordanian industrial businesses' financial statements' integrity across a range of variables (financial condition, income, cash flow, owners' equity). The investigation involved employees from financial and internal audit departments, including various job titles. A random sample of 150 questionnaires was distributed among the study population, with a 96% response rate (145 retrieved). Respondents were scored using a Likert five-point scale on the 44-paragraph questionnaire. To accomplish its goals, the study used a descriptive-analytical methodology and statistical techniques such as path analysis (using AMOS) and simple linear regression analysis (using SPSS). According to the study, the implementation of cloud accounting has a statistically significant effect on the quality of financial statements by Dimension (statement of financial position, income statement, statement of cash flows, and list of equity), according to the study. Applying cloud accounting has a statistically significant effect on the internal control system, and the internal control system has a statistically significant impact on the accuracy of financial statements. Furthermore, cloud accounting has a statistically significant impact on the quality of financial statements in Jordanian industrial companies through the internal control system as an intermediate variable. The study made several recommendations in light of the earlier findings, the most significant of which are: determining the internal control system's current state both before and after cloud accounting was implemented; creating and executing a robust internal control system compliant with international accounting standards; and assessing the suitability of cloud accounting solutions through thorough evaluations. The report also emphasized how crucial it is to set up ongoing audit and internal control systems to evaluate how well the internal control and cloud accounting systems are working together.