The moderating role of professional commitment in the relationship between time budget pressure and sustainable audit quality: The mediating role of professional skepticism

The study aimed to identify the relationship between time budget pressure and the quality of external auditing in the Jordanian environment through the mediating role of professional skepticism. The moderating role of external auditors' professional commitment in this relationship was tested. The study population consisted of certified Jordanian accountants. 234 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents. The study indicated that certified Jordanian accountants are subject to a high level of pressure, in addition to having a high level of audit quality and professional skepticism, and they are professionally committed. The results of the analysis also indicated that high professional skepticism affects the quality of the external audit and that there is an impact of time budget pressure on the quality of the audit, as the pressure of deadlines for preparing audit reports reduces the level of professional skepticism practiced by external auditors in Jordan. The results also indicated that auditors' professional commitment moderates the relationship between time budget pressure, the level of professional skepticism, and audit quality. Interestingly, there is no moderating role for professional commitment in the relationship between professional skepticism and the quality of external auditing in Jordan. This study emphasizes the need for auditors to maintain professional skepticism when exposed to pressures, including time budget pressure, in order to produce high-quality audit reports.