An Investigation into the Relationship Between Auditor Experience and Detection of Material Misstatements

Posted: Mar 04, 2019

• Zoe Collins
• Sienna Ford
• Leo Andrews

Abstract

The relationship between auditor experience and the detection of material misstatements represents a fundamental question in accounting and auditing research with significant implications for audit quality, professional development, and regulatory oversight. Traditional approaches to understanding this relationship have predominantly focused on quantitative measures of experience, typically operationalized as years in practice, number of audits conducted, or industry specialization. While these studies have established a general positive correlation between experience and performance, they often fail to capture the nuanced dimensions of how expertise develops and manifests in complex audit environments. This research challenges conventional methodological approaches by introducing a novel framework that conceptualizes auditor experience as a multidimensional construct encompassing both explicit knowledge and tacit understanding, procedural fluency and adaptive problem-solving capabilities.