The Association between Audit Committee Internal Audit Oversight and Internal Audit Activities

The purpose of this research is to investigate the association between the audit committee’s oversight of the internal audit function (IAF) and the nature of IAF activities. In this paper, it is assumed that regarding the role of the audit committee in preventing financial misstatements leads to an increase in the focus of IAF on internal controls. Based on the survey of 140 Chief Audit Executives (CAE) of Tehran Stock Exchange listed companies in 2020, research variables have been measured. A regression model is used to test the research hypothesis. Based on the opinions of CAEs participating in this research, the results show that the audit committee’s oversight of the internal audit function leads the IAF toward a more internal-controls-oriented focus. Also, the size of the company, financial leverage, ratio of inventories and the significant weakness in internal controls have a positive and significant effect on the IAF internal-controls-oriented focus. Finally, the results show that the sales growth rate and operating cash flow do not have a significant effect on the IAF internal-controls-oriented focus.