The Role of Public Managers in Achieving Compliance in the Light of the Economic Crisis: Evidence from Greece

Abstract

The present paper investigates the role of management of public entities in Greece concerning the achievement of compliance with budgetary laws and regulations as well as with the recommendations of external audit. In the last three-year period, the reconstruction of the wider financial management system has been attempted via a line of legislative reforms. The research was carried out with the distribution of questionnaires to the administrative executives of entities and the auditors of Hellenic Court of Audit and it led to the conclusion that the two parties conceive the role of management differently, to a certain extent. They agree, however, in the reformation of the system of external audit and its alignment with the requirements of international standards.