Outsourcing of Internal Audit Services Instead of Traditional Internal Audit Units

Abstract

The internal audit function traditionally establishes and continues its activities within the company, but it can also be provided by professionals outside the organization. Therefore, internal audit activities can be provided in three ways: the internal audit department established within the organization (in-house), the internal audit service provided by an audit firm (outsourcing), the joint operation of the internal audit department and the audit firm (co-sourcing). To choose the better approach for a company, the scale of the organization, the attitude and understanding of the management, and industry in which the company operates in must be taken into consideration. This study is a literature review that classifies the studies carried out on these methods that are used in performing internal audit activities.