Accounting fraud and corporate governance- Critical variables in fraud prevention procedures. Theoretical and empirical investigation in Greek listed companies.

Abstract

Accounting fraud prevention is an important tool for the financial stability, viability, and growth of an entity. Revealing a fraud has consequences not only for the economic environment but also for society as a whole. The present dissertation aims to examine the factors that affect the prevention of accounting fraud in organizations in Greece, since this topic has not been adequately studied both internationally and locally. Initially, a presentation and analysis of the international literature on the prevention of accounting fraud and the variables that affect it occurs, as well as the formulation of research hypotheses. The model consists of four factors: Internal auditor’s characteristics, organizational commitment, fraud detection techniques, and corporate governance effectiveness. After the collection of 47 questionnaires answered by internal and external auditors, managers, accountants, and other business executives, a descriptive statistical analysis of the answers is performed, followed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis through SPSS 22 and AMOS 22. According to its findings, fraud detection techniques are positively and statistically significantly related to fraud prevention.