Uncovering Culture Through Behavioural Root Cause Analysis
On 11 September 2025, IIA Singapore hosted the webinar “Uncovering Culture Through Behavioural Root Cause Analysis”, featuring PwC speakers from Risk Services, Alywin Teh (Partner), Irin Wee (Manager), and Michael Wong (Manager). The session examined how Root Cause Analysis (RCA), traditionally applied to operational risk incidents across Process, System, and External Factors, can be expanded to more effectively address the People dimension.
While Process, System, and External Factors are often well understood, the behavioural drivers behind risk incidents are not always fully analysed. By integrating behavioural analysis into RCA, internal auditors and risk professionals can uncover the underlying motivations, decision-making patterns, and behaviours that contribute to incidents, enabling a holistic understanding of root causes.
The webinar covered the following topics:
- The IIA Draft Organisational Behaviour Topical Requirement
- What is RCA and what is the problem?
- How to integrate behavioural analysis into RCA?
- When to integrate behavioural analysis into RCA?
- What remediation actions to be taken to address behavioural root causes?
Speakers highlighted that identifying behavioural drivers not only helps prevent recurrence of incidents but also provides insights into organisational culture. This understanding allows organisations to implement targeted remediation measures and strengthen both controls and operational resilience.
Participants found the session practical and useful. One attendee noted, “Thank you to IIA for organising such short and useful webinars that help auditors stay in touch with the latest trends and concerns in the profession.”
The webinar reinforced the connection between behaviour, culture, and operational risk, equipping internal auditors and risk professionals with practical strategies to address root causes and drive sustained improvements in governance and risk management.
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