Identification and Ranking Factors Affecting Professional Judgment and Decision-Making of Auditors

The importance of judgment in auditing is vital. Judgment in auditing is the most important factor in decision making, and auditors are required to make decisions and judgments in many work areas. Therefore, it is important to identify the factors that affect the judgment and decision-making of auditors.Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify and prioritize the factors affecting professional judgment and decision-making of auditors using fuzzy screening technique. The present study was conducted in one-year period from esfand ( the final month of iranian calender) 2016 to esfand 2017.First, by examining the literature related to the research topic, the factors influencing the judgement and decision-making of auditors were identified, then using the opinions of 15 experts (Iranian certified public accountants and faculty members) and using fuzzy screening technique 40 indicators were identified. Finally, using fuzzy ranking, the importance degree of these factors were determined.The results of testing the research hypotheses show that the environmental, functional and behavioral structures of the auditor have the greatest impact on the professional judgment and decision-making of auditors in Iran, respectively. Also, the auditors' fees, auditors' accountability, financial and competitive conditions of the auditing profession, auditors' independence and the auditors' attempt to satisfy the customer are the most important and effective factors influencing the professional judgment and decision-making of auditors in Iran.