نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Professional skepticism forms the foundation of audit judgments, and auditing standards emphasize that adhering to professional skepticism is mandatory throughout the entire audit process. Therefore, to improve the quality of auditing services, examining the factors influencing professional skepticism is considered an important topic. Based on the results of empirical studies, the factors affecting professional skepticism have been categorized into two groups: individual characteristics and environmental characteristics. In this research, for the first time, the factors affecting auditors’ professional skepticism have been investigated using psychological concepts and from the perspective of a social-cognitive model. The statistical population consisted of auditors employed in private sector auditing firms that are members of the Iranian Association of Certified Public Accountants (IACPA). The sample included 228 auditors employed across all professional levels in 2024. The research hypotheses were tested using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method. After confirming the acceptable fit of the measurement and structural models of the research, the results showed that a proactive personality has a positive and significant effect on auditors’ professional skepticism and proactive career self-efficacy. Additionally, the results indicate that proactive career self-efficacy has a positive and significant effect on auditors’ professional skepticism. Furthermore, the research findings suggest that proactive career self-efficacy mediates the relationship between proactive personality and auditors’ professional skepticism.