The impact of auditor’s ethics on the quality of auditing the company's cash flows

Abstract

The cash flow of the company is a sophisticated complex system, which enhances the quality requirements of the audit. Various factors influence the process of conducting an audit, such as: level of financial market development, regulatory support, trust for audit services, quality of financial information, interest differentiation of parties, qualifications of the auditor, etc. Special attention is required to study ethical aspects of the audit. Therefore, the aim of research is substantiation of the importance of the auditor's ethics and the quality of auditing the company's cash flows to form socially responsible market leaders in the context of asymmetric information. The system approach towards the realization of the research goal allowed to systematize theoretical and methodological principles of the audit of cash flows and develop a conceptual scheme for conducting a cash flow audit of the enterprise taking into consideration the influence of the external environment and the company's development strategy. Based on the comparative analysis of professional auditors’ ethics codes, developed by experts from various countries and international organizations, criteria for the quality of the cash flow audit has been identified as follows: integrity, objectivity, professional competence, confidentiality, professional behavior, etc. It has been also identified that the audit quality depends, to a large extent, on the reliability of information and the possibility of its use by various users. Therefore, the interests of the core users of audit information have been systemized by authors. The mechanism of an ethical audit of the company's cash flow was developed, including policies and procedures, which are inherent in different levels: auditor, enterprise and the environment. The advantages of forming socially responsible leader companies in the asymmetry of information conditions were determined. It is an opportunity for the company to attract investors, skilled personnel and loyal customers and partners. At the same time, the presence of socially responsible auditors and companies can stimulate overall integrity, ethical behavior and sustainable development of society.