This study examined the challenges faced by internal auditors in adopting AI for the internal audit functions of the public universities in Ghana. The study used a qualitative research design that involved semi-structured interviews with six audit professionals from six prominent public universities; it was guided by the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) and Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory. The study employed NVivo 14 software to analyses data thematically. The findings revealed four critical themes influencing AI adoption: technological readiness, organizational culture, capacity and competency gaps, and regulatory and ethical ambiguities. The most significant obstacles were identified as technological constraints, such as outmoded infrastructure and inadequate data systems. Furthermore, innovation was impeded by bureaucratic leadership structures and inadequate management commitment. The adoption of AI was further restricted by the ambiguities surrounding its ethical and regulatory use, as well as skill deficiencies. The study underscored the need for leadership commitment and governance innovation to realize the full potential of AI in public audit transformation. It contributes to the literature by contextualizing the challenges of AI adoption in the higher education sector of a developing economy, specifically Ghana, to offer theoretical insights into the intersection of digital readiness and institutional culture. For policymakers, it also provides practical recommendations such as targeted capacity building, infrastructure enhancement, and policy reforms to support AI-driven auditing.
The relationship between corporate sustainability performance and firm valuation has attracted considerable scholarly and practical attention; however, empirical evidence remains inconclusive, particularly within environmentally sensitive and carbon-intensive industries. This study examines the association between corporate sustainability performance and firm valuation in the global oil and gas (O&G) sector and further investigates whether external sustainability assurance moderates this relationship. Grounded in Stakeholder Theory and Legitimacy Theory, an empirical analysis was conducted using a sample of 100 publicly listed O&G companies across multiple jurisdictions during the 2022–2023 period. Corporate sustainability performance was measured using Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) scores, while firm valuation was employed as the primary indicator of financial outcomes. In addition, the presence of independent third-party sustainability assurance was incorporated as a moderating variable to assess whether externally verified sustainability disclosures enhance the credibility and economic relevance of sustainability initiatives. The findings indicate that corporate sustainability performance is not significantly associated with firm valuation within the O&G industry. Furthermore, no significant moderating effect of external sustainability assurance was identified. These results suggest that sustainability-related activities and disclosures may not yet be perceived by investors as value-enhancing mechanisms in carbon-intensive sectors. It is also possible that stakeholders regard such initiatives as symbolic responses to legitimacy pressures rather than as substantive drivers of long-term economic performance. The findings challenge the widely accepted assumption that superior sustainability performance necessarily translates into improved market valuation and financial benefits. By providing evidence from a sector characterised by substantial environmental exposure, regulatory scrutiny, and stakeholder pressure, this study contributes to the growing literature on the economic consequences of corporate sustainability. The results further underscore the importance of developing industry-specific sustainability frameworks and assurance practices capable of strengthening stakeholder confidence and improving the integration of sustainability considerations into corporate value creation processes.
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