Evaluating accounting technology governance in syrian organizations using cobit maturity model and examining its association with accounting information reliability

Businesses rely on Accounting Technology (AT) to provide relevant and reliable information to internal and external users with for decision making. As a response to new governance requirements, Information Technology (IT) governance has been under development for several years. Just as business management is governed by generally accepted good practices, IT, including AT, should be governed by practices that help ensure an enterprise’s IT resources are used responsibly, its risks are managed appropriately and its information and related technology support business objectives. AT governance is the process by which decisions are made around AT investments. How these decisions are made, who makes the decisions, which is held accountable, and how the results of the decisions are measured and monitored are all parts of AT governance. This paper evaluates the AT governance using COBIT Maturity Model (CMM) in Syrian organizations listed in the Syrian Commission on Financial Markets and Securities (SCFMS) and examines the associations between maturity levels of AT governance and the reliability of accounting information.