Title: Improving audit committee performance in the Middle East: do Egyptian audit profession norms support international standards?

Authors: Jennifer Bremer; Mohamed Hegazy; Auday Sabri

Addresses: Public Policy and Administration Department, American University in Cairo, AUC Avenue, New Cairo 11835, Egypt. ' Accounting Department, AUC Avenue, New Cairo, Egypt. ' United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract: Audit committee effectiveness is shaped by formal institutional frameworks but mediated by audit profession norms. Through normative isomorphism, these values may play a greater role in the Middle East, where formal codes and enforcement lag behind global practice. This research examines whether Egyptian professional norms support global audit committee standards by surveying professional auditors| support for amendments to the current Code of Corporate Governance to align it with US and UK codes and regulations. Senior audit experts strongly endorsed proposed reforms, confirming that professional norms can supplement weak governmental oversight to support compliance.

Keywords: audit committees; governance codes; audit standards; Egypt; Middle East; corporate governance; professional norms; normative isomorphism; audit performance; audit profession; auditors; international standards; institutional frameworks; formal codes; enforcement; global practices; global standards; USA; United States; United Kingdom; UK; regulations; audit experts; reforms; amendments; governmental oversight; compliance; Algeria; UAE; United Arab Emirates; Qatar; Bahrain; Jordan; Kuwait; Morocco; Oman; Tunisia; business governance; business ethics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBGE.2011.043239

International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 2011 Vol.6 No.3, pp.225 - 248

Published online: 20 Oct 2011 *

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