With higher independence commitment indicating
a higher preference for more rigorous regulatory
control, the results suggest a viewpoint in which the
individual accountant is to some extent unsure about
her/his peers applying appropriately, on their own
without regulatory coercion, the profession’s independence
standards. This viewpoint is in contrast to
an ethical philosophy centered on character and
idealism that assumes that the moral strength of
members of the profession, forged through a proper
upbringing and moral education, renders them
trustworthy and very reliable (Preston et al., 1995).
A relatively high independence commitment also
suggests the individual accountant having some
concerns about the effectiveness of the free-market
logic in disciplining, without any regulatory support,
members who offer public accounting services.
More research is needed, however, in order to address
more systematically the regulatory implications
of a higher degree of independence commitment.