Organizational structure and job satisfaction in the audit industry
Master thesis

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https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3158953Utgivelsesdato
2024Metadata
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- Master Thesis [4508]
Sammendrag
Job satisfaction is a crucial factor for reducing turnover, an issue the auditing industry has struggled with for years (Grandal, 2022). Additionally, large audit firms are commonly characterized by hierarchical structures (Jeppesen, 2007), where auditors hold various positions, ranging from associate to partner level, which makes it intriguing to explore potential differences in job satisfaction across organizational levels. Furthermore, the auditing industry possesses various attributes and features that can impact job satisfaction both positively and negatively. These include opportunities for close collaboration, teamwork, and professional development, as well as challenges such as heavy workloads and long hours (Revisorforeningen, n.d.a; Grandal, 2023), all of which are key factors in assessing auditors' job satisfaction.
With this master's thesis, we have aimed to investigate how the organizational structure in the auditing industry impacts job satisfaction among employees. While studies on job satisfaction across various organizational levels exist in other industries, as well as several studies on auditors' overall job satisfaction, none, to our knowledge, have focused specifically on job satisfaction among different organizational levels within the audit industry.
To address our research question, we adopted a mixed method approach, gathering data from two of the Big Four audit firms in Norway. The data was collected through a questionnaire and ten semi-structured interviews. Our findings indicate that lower-level individuals receive more feedback and recognition, leading to higher satisfaction compared to those at higher organizational levels. Additionally, we discovered that career and growth opportunities within the companies were more prevalent among lower-level positions, becoming increasingly more limited as one ascends the hierarchy. Conversely, individuals at higher levels expressed greater satisfaction with variables such as work-life balance, autonomy, and job content and tasks, partly due to more flexibility and variety.
In conclusion, our results indicate that the organizational structure of audit firms has a diverse impact on job satisfaction among auditors, depending on the specific variables examined in this thesis. The key findings are summarized in a new research model, which can serve as a contribution for future research.