The Reality of the Obstacles to Applying Modern Auditing Methods in Banks Operating in Tobruk City

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the barriers to implementing modern auditing methods in commercial banks operating in Tobruk City. It focused on examining the current use of modern auditing methods and identifying the main barriers that limit their implementation, including technical, human, organizational, and legislative barriers. To achieve the objectives of the study, a descriptive-analytical approach was adopted, and a questionnaire was used as a data collection instrument. The field sample consisted of 52 respondents from employees of several commercial banks operating in Tobruk City. The collected data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results showed that the study instrument had a high level of reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.911 for the overall scale. The findings also indicated that the technical dimension was the only dimension that appeared as a statistically significant barrier to the implementation of modern auditing methods. The most prominent technical barriers were weak technical infrastructure and the lack of a complete database supporting the implementation of modern auditing methods. The results further revealed that the lack of qualified personnel in the field of modern auditing methods constituted a statistically significant human barrier, although the human dimension as a whole was not statistically significant. In addition, the organizational and legislative dimensions did not appear as statistically significant barriers at the overall dimension level. However, the lack of alignment between local laws and technological developments in modern auditing methods emerged as a statistically significant legislative barrier. The study concluded that the most important barriers to implementing modern auditing methods in the banks under study were related to technical aspects, followed by the shortage of qualified personnel and the need to develop local laws in line with technological developments. The study recommended developing digital infrastructure, establishing integrated databases, providing specialized training programs to qualify human resources, and updating legislation and regulations governing auditing in accordance with modern technological developments.