Matching electronic communication media and audit tasks

Abstract Increasing marketplace demand for real-time reporting of business information is inevitably leading to the requirement for more frequent assurance from auditors over the accuracy and reliability of such information. The frequency and speed with which auditors must provide assurance, coupled with the global dispersion of business clients, place more demand on the use of electronic communication media in all phases of the assurance process. However, there is little theoretical guidance concerning how to best match various electronic communication media representations to audit tasks. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to develop a media–task fit (METAFIT) model that can be used in future research endeavors, particularly for information inquiry tasks in judgment and decision-making. The METAFIT model specifies conditions and factors leading to an optimal bilateral (auditor–client) METAFIT, with the objective of maximizing task effectiveness.

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