An investigation of ethical climate
in a Singaporean accounting firm
Abstract
Purpose – The primary objective of this study is to examine the moderating influence of professional
commitment (PC) on the associations among ethical climate, organizational-professional conflict (OPC)
and organizational commitment (OC) among public accountants. It aims to replicate recent findings on
the relationships among ethical climate, OPC and OC. It also aims to extend prior research by
investigating the association between ethical climate and both functional specialization and
organizational rank in an accounting firm.
Design/methodology/approach – The authors surveyed all professional employees in the
Singapore office of an international accounting firm.
Findings – Significant associations were found between ethical climate, OPC and OC. Participants’
degree of affective commitment to their profession moderated the relationship between the public
interest (benevolent/cosmopolitan) climate and perceived conflict and OC. Specifically, professionally
committed employees reported less conflict and greater commitment when they felt the firm placed
more emphasis on the public interest. These relationships were not present for employees with lower
levels of professional commitment. It was also found that taxation specialists perceived the least
emphasis in the firm on serving the public interest.
Originality/value – No prior study has documented the moderating influence of affective
professional commitment on the association between ethical climate and accountants’ OPC or OC.
This finding has important implications, suggesting that accounting firms’ ability to retain
professionally committed employees will depend in part on the degree to which the firm upholds
professional ideals such as serving the public interest. The fact that tax specialists perceived less
emphasis on serving the public interest than other functional areas implies that tax practices may be
overemphasizing client advocacy at the expense of public service.
Keywords Ethical climate, Professional commitment, Organizational-professional conflict,
Organizational commitment, Singapore, Job commitment, Continuing professional development,
Professional ethics
Paper type Research paper