The Relationship between Accounting Frauds and Economic Fluctuations: A Case of Project Based Organizations in UAE

Abstract

Purpose: the purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of the rate of accounting frauds (misappropriation of assets, fraudulent financial reporting), and how they occur in different business cycles (economic fluctuations). Further, it aims at exploring the relationship between factors influencing the economic fluctuations and the level of accounting frauds.

Design/methodology approach: a qualitative research design used semi-structured interviews with a group of internal controllers and external auditors from the big four auditing companies in addition to other Leading and certified audit offices in UAE in order to identify how the factors influencing the GDP fluctuations could affect the degree of accounting frauds.

Findings: GDP components that influence economic fluctuations associate with the accounting frauds rate, especially fraudulent financial reporting. Economic factors including the GDP, unemployment and inflation are very important in the steadiness of an economy. The probable drop of GDP, or raise in unemployment level, high rates of inflation are positively influence the occurrences of accounting frauds.

Research limitation/implications: There are many ECONOMIC roots of business cycles and economic fluctuations such as variations in trading strategy, warfare, inflation caused by governmental finance or fears. But these represent non-economic data that is hard to be rationalized by economic theory. Typical macroeconomic theory inclines to illuminate business cycles by a number of mistake and emphasis on modifying this mistake either by dynamic strategy or by supporting a separate strategy (Raudino, 2016). Thus, it is very hard to capture all the factors influencing the economic fluctuations. However, most of the studies in the literature considers the GDP as the most important factors, in addition to inflation and unemployment.

Practical implication: This study contributes to both economic and accounting research by proving findings from an investigation of the elements modifying the economical fluctuation and how these fluctuations might impact the rate of accounting Frauds (AF), with implications for economists and financiers, shareholders, stakeholders, stockholders and external inspectors of auditing companies an additional visions about the audit risk in PBOs at altered stages of GDP.

Originality/value: This study contributes to both economic and accounting research by exploratory research into the GDP fluctuation, inflation, and unemployment and accounting frauds rate.