Professional accounting bodies' perceptions of ethical issues
Purpose – Given the calls for increased ethics education following recent corporate collapses, this
paper aims to examine the significance of ethical issues that challenge the profession and, more
specifically, professional accounting bodies.
Design/methodology/approach – The study assesses the perceptions via an online survey of
66 professional accounting bodies worldwide in respect of ethical issues, potential causes of ethical
failure and the need for ethics education.
Findings – Respondents identified a number of important challenges including conflicts of interest,
earnings management and whistle-blowing. The findings also demonstrate strong support for
participation in prescribing the nature of ethics education by members of professional accounting
bodies.
Research limitations/implications – The results of this study are based on feedback from
41 per cent of member bodies of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). Despite a number
of follow-up reminder notices, some regions are under-represented in the responses to the survey
distributed to the (then) 160 member bodies of IFAC. Geographic isolation and language limitations
contributed to the failure to gain a higher response rate.
Practical implications – The findings demonstrate that professional bodies support ethics
education at the pre- and post-qualifying levels of education and a willingness to take an active role in
promoting ethics education to their members.
Originality/value – By addressing member bodies’ attitudes to ethics education, this paper fills a
gap in prior literature that has been restricted to addressing the attitudes of academics, students and
business organisations.
Professional accounting bodies' perceptions of ethical issuesPurpose – Given the calls for increased ethics education following recent corporate collapses, thispaper aims to examine the significance of ethical issues that challenge the profession and, morespecifically, professional accounting bodies.Design/methodology/approach – The study assesses the perceptions via an online survey of66 professional accounting bodies worldwide in respect of ethical issues, potential causes of ethicalfailure and the need for ethics education.Findings – Respondents identified a number of important challenges including conflicts of interest,earnings management and whistle-blowing. The findings also demonstrate strong support forparticipation in prescribing the nature of ethics education by members of professional accountingbodies.Research limitations/implications – The results of this study are based on feedback from41 per cent of member bodies of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). Despite a numberof follow-up reminder notices, some regions are under-represented in the responses to the surveydistributed to the (then) 160 member bodies of IFAC. Geographic isolation and language limitationscontributed to the failure to gain a higher response rate.Practical implications – The findings demonstrate that professional bodies support ethicseducation at the pre- and post-qualifying levels of education and a willingness to take an active role inpromoting ethics education to their members.Originality/value – By addressing member bodies’ attitudes to ethics education, this paper fills agap in prior literature that has been restricted to addressing the attitudes of academics, students andbusiness organisations.
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