Ethical Issues Affecting Accountants
The need for ethical standards within the corporate accounting field is urgent, and this paper delves into ethical issues. Given the fact that rules can be bent and manipulated, this paper also points to potential ways in which ethics can become as important as rules.
While there has apparently been a "shift in the ethical behavior of management" -- which is related to the corruption and convictions of accountant-related individuals with Enron and Author Anderson -- the literature indicates that there are still ethical issues to be addressed within the industry (Bolt-Lee, et al., 2010, p. 38). Research presented in the peer-reviewed Journal of Accountancy shows that subsequent to the Enron and other scandals, there is a movement toward a "…more heightened state of ethical awareness" that is apparently due to "…the greater likelihood of punitive consequences" (Bolt-Lee, 38).
In the Bolt-Lee article, the authors allude to a pair of studies (by author Shane Premeaux) given to marketing managers -- that supervise accountants -- in order to gauge ethical attitudes. The first questionnaire was sent to 1,000 managers (with a 40% response rate) in 2003 after the Enron bankruptcy became news but prior to the prosecution of its accountants and other executives. The results showed that those 400 accountants and other business practitioners "…relied on a combination of 'act and rule utilitarian ethical philosophy'" (Bolt-Lee,...
Such accounting is accounting from a purely realistic and numerical perspective, having nothing to do with what those numbers would signify in the context of life within the larger society. All accountants must swear by a strict code of ethics, yet auditors have a unique experience which places them in an even more sensitive position, calling for even more attention to ethical accounting behavior. Auditors have to deal with laboriously
ethics in the business and accounting communities has been a topic of broad discussion. From the collapse of Enron to the mishaps of Andersen the country has seen the most tumultuous ethical behavior in the history of our nation. The purpose of this discussion is to define ethics and the reasons why ethical behavior is important among accountants and business leaders. We will also explore ethical codes within the
International Relations Foreign Policy The fundamental principle of the peace of Westphalia aimed to enshrine in law the idea that politics were essentially territorial but our modern world continues to alter this paradigm. Consider the end of the cold war; Europe and the United States had to search for all new antagonists. The Cold War residue can also be demonstrated by the collapse of the Berlin Wall. This monumental event instantly brought
ETHICS plays an important role in many areas of our business world. Take direct selling, for instance. How can you tell the difference between a legitimate business and a disguised pyramid scheme? To answer this question, we need to back up and look at what "ethics" are all about and, why they are important. Then we will look at the legitimacy of the two direct selling methods. What are ethics? Here
They will also examine the importance of ethics classes in college. They will pave the way for future research into actions that can be taken to address the problems that currently exist within the accounting profession. They will play an important role the improvement of college curriculums so that they can be better prepared to meet ethical and moral challenges of their chosen profession. This study represents the first
In the late 1990s, this was not a problem as the stock was continuing to climb to all-time highs. However, once the economy began to slow, is when this strategy backfired by forcing them to issues more stock to cover these losses. As shares were declining, many investors became weary of continuing to participate in these activities. (Healy, 2003) In late 2001, these activities were brought to the attention of
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