Title: A structural study of internal control for ERP system environments: a perspective from the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Authors: Shi-Ming Huang, Pei-Gin Hsieh, Hsiu-Hui Tsao, Pei-Yu Hsu

Addresses: Department of Accounting and Information Technology, National Chung Cheng University, 168 University Road, Min-Hsiung, Chia-Yi, Taiwan 621, ROC. ' Department of Accounting and Information Technology, National Chung Cheng University, 168 University Road, Min-Hsiung, Chia-Yi, Taiwan 621, ROC. ' Department of Accounting and Information Technology, National Chung Cheng University, 168 University Road, Min-Hsiung, Chia-Yi, Taiwan 621, ROC. ' Department of Accounting and Information Technology, National Chung Cheng University, 168 University Road, Min-Hsiung, Chia-Yi, Taiwan 621, ROC

Abstract: After the outbreak of numerous accounting-related scandals, the significance of internal control became the focus of the public|s attention. In order to recover investors| confidence in the capital market, US President Bush signed into law the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act in 2002. Using the view that the SOX Act enhances internal control over financial reporting as the basis, we explore elements of internal control in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system environments. We build an internal control framework with 5 dimensions and 19 detailed factors. Then, we use the framework in our survey of Taiwan public companies that implement ERP systems. We find that the five most important internal control factors are as follows. (1) Establishment of Information Technology (IT) organisations and their relations; (2) integration and communication of financial information; (3) development of IT strategic plans; (4) management of information quality; (5) monitoring of operating procedures.

Keywords: enterprise resource planning; ERP; Sarbanes-Oxley Act; SOX; internal control; analytical hierarchy process; AHP; Delphi method; financial reporting; Taiwan; information technology; information quality; monitoring; accounting.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2008.015909

International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, 2008 Vol.5 No.1, pp.102 - 121

Published online: 02 Dec 2007 *

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