What the study found
The study presents a phase-based account of the PCAOB inspections process for global network firms, organized into hiring, training, and performance assessment; planning; execution; and resolution. It also combines prior research with interviews from 29 former PCAOB inspectors to build structured taxonomies of the process.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors say this matters because it helps clarify how inspections operate in practice and where further research is needed. They also frame the work as a foundation for researchers, practitioners, and regulators seeking to evaluate and strengthen audit oversight.
What the researchers tested
The researchers integrated prior academic research with in-depth interviews from 29 former PCAOB inspectors. PCAOB stands for the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the U.S. body that oversees audits of public companies.
What worked and what didn't
The synthesis produced a detailed framework that organizes fragmented research and insider perspectives into four sequential phases. The abstract says this framework adds novel, practice-based observations and identifies areas where further research is critical, but it does not report a single quantified outcome or compare specific interventions.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe limitations in detail beyond noting that more research is needed. It also focuses on global network firms and on the inspection process as described by former inspectors, so the scope is limited to that context.
Key points
- The paper maps PCAOB inspections into four phases: hiring, training, and performance assessment; planning; execution; and resolution.
- It draws on prior academic research plus interviews with 29 former PCAOB inspectors.
- The authors say the synthesis clarifies how inspections operate in practice and where further research is needed.
- The study offers structured taxonomies that combine literature with practice-based observations.
- The abstract does not report numerical findings or a tested intervention.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Framework maps PCAOB inspections across four phases
- Authors:
- Eldar Maksymov, Kimberly D. Westermann
- Institutions:
- Arizona State University, California Polytechnic State University
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-17
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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