The Effect of Technological and Task Considerations on Auditors' Acceptance of Blockchain Technology

Abstract

ABSTRACT The increasing automation of accounting information makes it imperative for auditors to help organizations design and implement blockchain-based solutions to facilitate transactions. A precursor of this initiative is their acceptance of blockchain. From the task-technology fit and fit-as-mediation perspective, this paper proposes that the technological features of blockchain must fit the task needs of auditors to boost acceptance. A survey of 112 auditors confirms that auditors' task needs fully mediate the effect of blockchain features on acceptance. Not all blockchain features are equally important: While timestamping is most important for a shared database, the prevention of double-spending is most important for other task needs. It also finds that perceptions of blockchain features and task needs are influenced by auditors' accounting knowledge and accounting software knowledge, as well as their technology awareness. This shows the importance of strengthening auditors' knowledge and awareness to boost the acceptance of blockchain.