Are auditors interested in XBRL? A qualitative survey of big auditing firms in Italy

Abstract. Although academics and scholars have called attention to the opportunities
and challenges of eXtensive Business Reporting Language (XBRL),
new empirical evidence undermines academic assumptions about XBRL’s easy
acceptance and widespread use by auditing professionals working in the field.
This study examines whether independent auditors in Italy are really convinced
about the utility and practicality of XBRL in their work. What is proposed here
is a preliminary theoretical framework for surveying auditors’ interest in
XBRL. Electronic questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to
survey Italian auditors’ interest and test the proposed framework. Data analysis
was structured by adopting a multiple case approach. Despite the mandatory requirement
for Italian unlisted companies to report financial statements in
XBRL, the independent auditors’ knowledge about XBRL remains quite low.
As a result of the survey, a set of unexpected but clear-cut attitudes emerged to
explain auditors’ limited interest in XBRL.