Improving Audit Committee Performance in the Middle East: Do Egyptian Audit Profession Norms Support International Standards?

Abstract

Audit committee effectiveness is shaped by formal institutional frameworks but mediated by audit profession norms. Through normative isomorphism, these values may paly a greater role in the Middle East, where formal codes and enforcement lag global practice.This research examines whether Egyptian professional norms support global audit committee standards by surveying professional auditors' support for amendments to the current code of corporate governance to align it with Us and UK codes and regulations. Senior audit experts strongly endorsed proposed reforms, confirming that professional norms can supplement weak governmental oversight to support compliance.

Keywords: audit committee; governance code; audit standards; Egypt; Middle East; corporate governance; professional norms; normative isomorphism

JEL Classification: M41