Whistleblowing intentions among external auditors: an application of the moderated multicomponent model of the theory of planned behaviour
ISSN: 2049-372X
Article publication date: 11 August 2021
Issue publication date: 9 September 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate external auditors’ whistleblowing intentions by applying the moderated multicomponent of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), incorporating perceived organizational support (POS) and provides insights on the moderating effect of moral norm on the relationship between attitude and internal whistleblowing intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
Data was gathered using a questionnaire survey involving 274 external auditors in Malaysia and the data was analyzed using SmartPLS 3.2.9.
Findings
The results show that there are positive relationships between perceived behavioural control and POS with whistleblowing intentions, but there is no evidence to support the hypotheses related to attitude and subjective norm. The findings provide partial support for the capability of the multicomponent model of TPB in examining whistleblowing intentions. The results further show that moral norm moderates the relationship between attitude and whistleblowing intentions.
Practical implications
The findings can assist accounting professional bodies and policy makers in formulating strategies to enhance the practice and, consequently, the benefits of whistleblowing. The findings are also valuable to managers of audit firms in strategizing for ways to enhance whistleblowing intentions to encourage the audit staffs to report any wrongdoings done by their colleagues.
Originality/value
This study provides the perspective of whistleblowing intentions of external auditors in the institutional setting of an emerging market, Malaysia. Further, this study extends the TPB model in whistleblowing studies by applying a higher-order construct, incorporating POS as an additional determinant of whistleblowing intentions and considering moral norm as moderating the relationship between attitude and whistleblowing intentions.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The study is supported by the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS/1/2016/SS01/UMT/02/5) from the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia. The authors thank the Ministry for its research support. The study is part, and an extension, of Tuan Mansor’s degree of Master of Science from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu titled “Determinants of External Auditors” Whistleblowing Intentions in Malaysia
Citation
Tuan Mansor, T.M., Ariff, A.M., Hashim, H.A. and Ngah, A.H. (2022), "Whistleblowing intentions among external auditors: an application of the moderated multicomponent model of the theory of planned behaviour", Meditari Accountancy Research, Vol. 30 No. 5, pp. 1309-1333. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-07-2020-0948
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited