Auditor's Perception of Stress During the Covid19 in the Republic of Serbia

Abstract

The study intends to investigate how much stress people working in the auditing industry in the Republic of Serbia perceive to be brought on by Covid19. An adjusted Cohen's perceived stress scale was used. The answers to the questionnaire were analyzed by the method of descriptive statistics and by applying a simple regression analysis on the ratio of the age of the respondents and the evaluation of the answers to the tested statements. The main finding is that Covid19 significantly worsened stress levels and mental health of auditors. They believe that Covid19 significantly increased their stress levels during daily planning and implementation of work and personal obligations. This study can be used as a concept and a guide by external audit firms and internal audit departments to help those engaged in audit work to overcome stressful situations and master stress management techniques through training and interviews with professionals and by developing a stronger organizational culture.