title: Internal audit outsourcing practice and rationales: SME evidence from New Zealand

authors: Van Peursem, Karen A.

subjects: enterprises

abstract: Purpose – This study seeks to examine practices in, and rationales for, internal audit outsourcing in New Zealand (NZ) companies. The purpose is to assess whether practice and preference conform to expectations where small-to-medium businesses dominate. 

Design/methodology/approach – Senior financial managers of all 165 NZ Stock Exchange listed companies are surveyed. Questions are drawn from the strategic management and auditing literature. Relationships between size, international association and industry are tested or revealed from descriptive statistics and qualitative analyses. Comparisons to overseas studies, where possible, are drawn. 

Findings – Of 63 usable responses (38.2 per cent response rate), a comparatively low 57 per cent carry out some form of internal audit and a further 27 per cent claim interest in doing so. International companies are more likely to engage in internal audit, and preliminary findings point to less interest within consumer and equity/trust industries. As to outsourcers, 65 per cent (11) only began doing so recently, Big4 accounting firms are a major source, access to quality is an important reason and most 82 per cent (14 of 17) are aware of independence issues. Conclusions analyse legislative incentive patterns found and suggest further research. 

Originality/value – Recent scandals and legislation in the USA, UK and Australia highlight the importance of the internal audit function to industry. This study looks at practices in and rationales for internal audit outsourcing found within the NZ corporate sector.

text: Internal audit outsourcing practice and rationales: SME evidence from New Zealand Purpose – This study seeks to examine practices in, and rationales for, internal audit outsourcing in New Zealand (NZ) companies. The purpose is to assess whether practice and preference conform to expectations where small-to-medium businesses dominate. 

Design/methodology/approach – Senior financial managers of all 165 NZ Stock Exchange listed companies are surveyed. Questions are drawn from the strategic management and auditing literature. Relationships between size, international association and industry are tested or revealed from descriptive statistics and qualitative analyses. Comparisons to overseas studies, where possible, are drawn. 

Findings – Of 63 usable responses (38.2 per cent response rate), a comparatively low 57 per cent carry out some form of internal audit and a further 27 per cent claim interest in doing so. International companies are more likely to engage in internal audit, and preliminary findings point to less interest within consumer and equity/trust industries. As to outsourcers, 65 per cent (11) only began doing so recently, Big4 accounting firms are a major source, access to quality is an important reason and most 82 per cent (14 of 17) are aware of independence issues. Conclusions analyse legislative incentive patterns found and suggest further research. 

Originality/value – Recent scandals and legislation in the USA, UK and Australia highlight the importance of the internal audit function to industry. This study looks at practices in and rationales for internal audit outsourcing found within the NZ corporate sector.

year: 2008

title: Distribution and abundance of fish and crayfish in a Waikato stream in relation to basin area

authors: Hicks, Brendan J.

subjects: native fish

abstract: The aim of this study was to relate the longitudinal distribution of fish and crayfish to increasing basin area and physical site characteristics in the Mangaotama Stream, Waikato region, North Island, New Zealand. Fish and crayfish were captured with two-pass removal electroshocking at 11 sites located in hill-country with pasture, native forest, and mixed land uses within the 21.6 km2 basin. Number of fish species and lineal biomass of fish increased with increasing basin area, but barriers to upstream fish migration also influenced fish distribution; only climbing and non-migratory species were present above a series of small waterfalls. Fish biomass increased in direct proportion to stream width, suggesting that fish used much of the available channel, and stream width was closely related to basin area. Conversely, the abundance of crayfish was related to the amount of edge habitat, and therefore crayfish did not increase in abundance as basin area increased. Densities of all fish species combined ranged from 17 to 459 fish 100 m-2, and biomass ranged from 14 to 206 g m-2. Eels dominated the fish assemblages, comprising 85-100% of the total biomass; longfinned eels the majority of the biomass at most sites. Despite the open access of the lower sites to introduced brown trout, native species dominated all the fish communities sampled.

text: Distribution and abundance of fish and crayfish in a Waikato stream in relation to basin area The aim of this study was to relate the longitudinal distribution of fish and crayfish to increasing basin area and physical site characteristics in the Mangaotama Stream, Waikato region, North Island, New Zealand. Fish and crayfish were captured with two-pass removal electroshocking at 11 sites located in hill-country with pasture, native forest, and mixed land uses within the 21.6 km2 basin. Number of fish species and lineal biomass of fish increased with increasing basin area, but barriers to upstream fish migration also influenced fish distribution; only climbing and non-migratory species were present above a series of small waterfalls. Fish biomass increased in direct proportion to stream width, suggesting that fish used much of the available channel, and stream width was closely related to basin area. Conversely, the abundance of crayfish was related to the amount of edge habitat, and therefore crayfish did not increase in abundance as basin area increased. Densities of all fish species combined ranged from 17 to 459 fish 100 m-2, and biomass ranged from 14 to 206 g m-2. Eels dominated the fish assemblages, comprising 85-100% of the total biomass; longfinned eels the majority of the biomass at most sites. Despite the open access of the lower sites to introduced brown trout, native species dominated all the fish communities sampled.

year: 2003-06-01

title: An evaluation of Te Rau Puawai workforce 100: Te Rau Puawai support team and staff perspectives

authors: Nikora, Linda Waimarie

subjects: Maori students

abstract: To evaluate the Te Rau Puawai programme, the Ministry of Health commissioned the
Maori and Psychology Research Unit of the University of Waikato in July 2001. The
overall aim of the evaluation was to provide the Ministry with a clearer understanding
of the programme including: the perceived critical success factors, the barriers if any
regarding Te Rau Puawai, the impact of the programme, the extent to which the
programme may be transferable, gaps in the programme, and suggested
improvements.
The Te Rau Puawai support team were identified as an important source of support
for bursars particularly the support provided by the coordinator and administrator.
This report documents the perspectives of four members of the telephone support
team (including the coordinator), and individual interviews held with the coordinator
and the administrator in addressing the objectives of the evaluation.

text: An evaluation of Te Rau Puawai workforce 100: Te Rau Puawai support team and staff perspectives To evaluate the Te Rau Puawai programme, the Ministry of Health commissioned the
Maori and Psychology Research Unit of the University of Waikato in July 2001. The
overall aim of the evaluation was to provide the Ministry with a clearer understanding
of the programme including: the perceived critical success factors, the barriers if any
regarding Te Rau Puawai, the impact of the programme, the extent to which the
programme may be transferable, gaps in the programme, and suggested
improvements.
The Te Rau Puawai support team were identified as an important source of support
for bursars particularly the support provided by the coordinator and administrator.
This report documents the perspectives of four members of the telephone support
team (including the coordinator), and individual interviews held with the coordinator
and the administrator in addressing the objectives of the evaluation.

year: 2002-05-01