Does The Perfect Team Composition Exist? : Investigating Diversity in Soft and Hard Skills in Relation to Efficiency;A Quantitative Study Within the Swedish Audit Profession

Abstract: Background/Problematization: The audit profession and its credibility have been threatenedby audit failures and corporate collapses, and the inability to detect and deter fraud has beenproven costly to audit firms. Regarding the complexity of detection and deterrence of fraud,researchers have suggested the brainstorming session as a fundamental assignment. Where ithas been shown that the brainstorming session seldom is a function of one single individual;it is rather a team effort. Prior researchers within audit team research have investigated teamcomposition in terms of demographic factors whereas other domains of research have movedbeyond this small and narrow view and are now investigating team composition regardingdiversity in soft and hard skills. This is yet to be explored within the audit profession and theresearchers hope to fill this void and provide useful insights through this dissertation. Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation is to explain how a diverse set of soft skills and adiverse set of hard skills affect the efficiency in the brainstorming session and how thisrelationship is contingent on a tall organizational hierarchy. Methodology: The researchers have adopted a positivist research philosophy together with adeductive research approach. The quantitative method has been used to collect data where theresearchers applied the use of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent out to individualswithin the audit profession where the authors aimed for audit associates and senior associates.The response rate was 20 %. The data were further analysed through a Spearman CorrelationMatrix, component principal analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, and hierarchicalmoderated multiple regression analysis. Findings: The findings indicate a positive correlation between diversity in soft skills andefficiency in the brainstorming session where the tall organizational hierarchy has amoderating effect on this relationship.