Topic > Ethical Issues Faced by the Accounting Profession

Ethics plays an essential and integral role in the accounting profession. Professional conduct plays an important role in establishing public confidence in financial reporting and business practice. However, this can be and has been threatened when customers and employees are exposed to the risk of fraud if accounting ethics are not followed. Codes of ethics are adopted to guarantee the reliability, comparability and integrity of the financial statements. Ethical standards exist to safeguard the fundamental principles of accounting and recognize threats to these principles so that judgment can be made to resolve ethical dilemmas. However, an accountant often faces ethical issues as a result of their work and does not always remain vigilant to manipulative influences on their judgment. Findings from Abdolmohammadi, M., Fedorowicz, J., and Davis, O. (2009) indicate that despite the attention paid in recent years to the importance of ethics and social responsibility in the accounting curriculum and in the profession, scores The ethical reasoning of those attracted to public accounting appears to have actually worsened over the past 15 years. This result suggests that there is a need to improve the training and education of public accountants in ethical reasoning and decision making. The report concluded that ethical reasoning increases with age and education, but education is the primary factor in this relationship. Ethical attitudes should be developed early, i.e. from the early years of education, and should be re-emphasized throughout one's career. Abdolmohammadi, M., Fedorowicz, J., and Davis, O. (2009) concluded from their literature that higher levels of ethical reasoning are preferred over lower levels, especially in a profession such as accounting where public trust is ... half of the paper...es, [online] 6(1), p.65. Available at: http://www.questia.com/read/1G1-166935302/from-essential-characteristic-to-oxymoron-accounting [accessed April 27, 2014]. Goria, E. (2013). User-friendly AICPA Code of Ethics on the horizon. [online] Journalofaccountancy.com. Available at: http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/Issues/2013/Jun/20137230 [Accessed 26 April 2014]Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB), (2011). Case studies on ethical dilemmas. p.4.Leibowitz, M., & Reinstein, A. (2014). Help resolve ethical dilemmas for accountants. [online] Journalofaccountancy.com. Available at: http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/Issues/2009/Apr/20081358.htm [Accessed 26 April 2014]Abdolmohammadi, M., Fedorowicz, J., & Davis, O. (2009). Cognitive styles and ethical reasoning of accountants: a comparison over 15 years. Journal of Accounting Education, 27(4), pp.185-196