Canal de denúncias como instrumento de controle interno na detecção de fraudes contábeis em organizações

Abstract

This dissertation aimed to analyze the impact, in organizations, the presence and shape of channels of complaints on the decision of the employee to communicate cases of accounting fraud. A field experiment was conducted with 290 participants and three groups (3 x 2), and a control group (G1) and two groups of treatment (G2 and G3), in which were manipulated to the treatment for the presence and shape of the anonymous complaint channel (operated internally (G2)/operado externally (G3)), in order to check the effect on intention of termination of employees. The data were collected with an electronic questionnaire, distributed randomly between the groups, in which the participant was presented with a scenario containing a simulated case of accounting fraud and questioned about their intention to denounce the fact in three situations. Measuring the intention of complaint was made through seven-point Likert scale. The comparison between groups, to understand the effect of the treatment was carried out with the non-parametric Mann-Whitney. The results indicate that the absence of complaint (G1) in organizing drives for a lower average propensity termination of employee, when compared to this intention when the presence of the channel of complaint (G2 and G3), however, this difference does not show statistical significance. Nevertheless, the data show that when the respondent is informed about the presence and operation of the canal, and this (G2), there is an increase in the average propensity to complaints, in fact, statistically significant. This effect is not checked when the channel is operated externally (G3), and it can be inferred that the presence of an anonymous channel operated internally by the Organization, has influence on employees ' intention of reporting the accounting fraud. The results can be caused by the recent exposure of employees in Brazil to the subject of the complaint, its impacts and benefits. The greater propensity to squeal when the channel is operated internally, only statistically significant factor may be due to greater reliability in internal actions for the necessary measures to cease the unlawful events observed. Besides, it can be suggested that a greater spread between employees of the benefits of the use of the channels of internal communication as an effective instrument of internal control can enhance its intention of complaint and consequently the improvement of the effectiveness of the control systems of organizations.