Publication
The Impact of Emerging Technologies in Accounting and Auditing
| dc.contributor.advisor | Almeida, Bruno José Machado de | |
| dc.contributor.author | Francisco, Lando Miguel Completo | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-01-06T10:55:55Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-01-06T10:55:55Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-12-05 | |
| dc.description.abstract | This dissertation explores the adoption, impact, and challenges of emerging technologies—namely Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, ML, and RPA—in the financial auditing and accounting sector. With technological advances continually redefining the professional landscape, this study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these technologies are being used, the benefits they provide, and the obstacles faced by organizations in implementing them. The research is guided by several key questions: What is the current level of adoption of these technologies in financial audit and accounting services? What are the main challenges and barriers that companies face during the adoption process? What perceived benefits do these technologies bring in terms of efficiency, scalability and cost reduction? Finally, how do adoption rates and the benefits perceived according to the size of the companies and the roles played within the organization? To answer these questions, a mixed-methods approach was adopted, using a structured questionnaire distributed among professionals in the financial audit and accounting sector. Descriptive statistical techniques, including frequency distributions and cross-tabulations, were applied to analyze the data collected from 29 respondents, providing insights into the extent of technology adoption, perceived impacts, and variations in different organizational contexts. The results reveal that while technologies such as ML and AI have been widely adopted due to their direct applications in data analysis and process automation, others, such as Blockchain, have yet to achieve significant adoption, possibly due to their perception as a niche technology or their early stage of development. The results also highlight significant challenges, including a lack of expertise, high costs, and regulatory compliance issues, which pose substantial barriers to wider adoption. On the other hand, the perceived benefits, such as greater accuracy, improved efficiency and better risk management, underline the transformative potential of these technologies. This study adds to the existing body of knowledge by providing empirical evidence on the state of technology adoption in the financial audit and accounting sector and offering practical recommendations to industry players and policy makers. It emphasizes the importance of strategic investments in training, infrastructure, and change management to overcome existing challenges and take full advantage of the advantages provided by emerging technologies. In conclusion, this dissertation highlights the critical role of emerging technologies in promoting innovation and efficiency in financial auditing and accounting. It calls for continued research into the factors influencing technology adoption and the development of appropriate strategies to support successful integration, ensuring that organisations of all sizes can benefit from the ongoing digital transformation in the industry. | pt_PT |
| dc.identifier.tid | 203780108 | pt_PT |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/53455 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | pt_PT |
| dc.subject | Artificial intelligence | pt_PT |
| dc.subject | Blockchain | pt_PT |
| dc.subject | Machine learning | pt_PT |
| dc.subject | Robotic process automation | pt_PT |
| dc.subject | Financial auditing | pt_PT |
| dc.subject | Accounting | pt_PT |
| dc.subject | Technological adoption | pt_PT |
| dc.subject | Operational efficiency | pt_PT |
| dc.subject | Challenges | pt_PT |
| dc.subject | Benefits | pt_PT |
| dc.title | The Impact of Emerging Technologies in Accounting and Auditing | pt_PT |
| dc.type | master thesis | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| rcaap.rights | openAccess | pt_PT |
| rcaap.type | masterThesis | pt_PT |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra |