The Materially Significant Uncertainty Associated With the Continuity of Operations to the Sector I-Accommodation and Food Services in the COVID-19 Crisis

Introduction

COVID 19 has led to changes in all spheres of people's lives and companies’ operations. As a result of the restrictions imposed by governments during the COVID 19 epidemic, people's social mobility and company activities were adversely affected (Atalan, 2020). Interruption of business in some activities, among others, in the accommodation and food service sector, then the interruption or reduction of the activities of all companies and the entire economies of countries in the world, numerous measures taken by different countries, led to an impact on economic activity, and certainly on auditors’ work. For example, in Poland, prior to the COVID 19 pandemic, remote work and working outside of the company were not common practices. However, due to the pandemic, most organizations had to rapidly adopt virtual work arrangements and transition their employees to working remotely. This posed significant challenges, which had to be addressed quickly. The paper by Halina & Magdalena (2021) appears to focus on the effects of digitalization on financial-accounting processes during the COVID 19 pandemic. The research conducted by Lawal et al. in 2022 demonstrates that an Accounting Information System (AIS) can have a positive impact on employee performance within a company. The implementation of AIS was found to improve overall company performance and reduce costs in the audit process. However, the role of auditors has become increasingly difficult, as they are expected to assess and report on the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on a company's ability to continue operating as a going concern. This involves evaluating the uncertainty surrounding a company's ability to maintain operations during the pandemic and providing recommendations to stakeholders. Despite the challenges faced by auditors, it is important for them to highlight any potential threats to the company's going concern status in their audit reports. The research conducted by Lin & Hwang (2021) aimed to examine the relationship between personal information management (PIM) capabilities and the knowledge sharing behavior of accounting professionals during the COVID 19 pandemic. The study found that individuals with higher PIM capabilities were more likely to share knowledge and share it more frequently with their colleagues. Therefore, PIM capabilities positively impacted the knowledge sharing behavior of accounting professionals during the pandemic. The study emphasizes that financial and audit reports play a critical role in providing information related to the uncertainty associated with business continuity, which has been significantly affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. The reports should accurately reflect the impact of the pandemic on the company's operations and provide insights to stakeholders regarding the potential threats to the company's ability to continue as a going concern. The appearance of the COVID 19 virus has significantly impacted the global economy, and the effects of the pandemic have been felt in various industries to varying degrees. Accounting and auditing professionals have had to adapt their practices to account for the impact of the pandemic on businesses and their ability to continue operating as a going concern. The use of artificial intelligence has been helpful in navigating these changes and in providing accurate insights into the financial health of companies during the pandemic.

The paper by Yi et al. (2022) is a review article that examines the different applications of artificial intelligence in various aspects of the COVID 19 pandemic. One interesting aspect discussed in the paper is the impact of the pandemic on the application of going concern in accounting and auditing. The study notes that the impact of the pandemic has not been uniform across countries or industries, and it is possible to monitor and measure the differences in impact between them.