2.1 Ethical sensitivity of accountants
A chronological overview of some pertinent studies on accountants’ ethical sensitivity
will be provided. The interrelation of personal attributes with ethical sensitivity will
then be alluded to with specific reference to the South African context. This overview
will indicate the progression in the research of this construct as well as possible
research gaps.
The first study on the ethical sensitivity on accountants was done by Michael Shaub
in 1989 as part of a doctoral thesis in America – “An empirical examination of the
determinants of auditors’ ethical sensitivity”. He focussed on the effects evaluation of
auditors’ individual ethical orientations, professional commitment and organisational
commitment on their ability to recognise ethical issues (ethical sensitivity) and on the
level of their cognitive moral development. A valuable outflow of his research was the
development of an ethical sensitivity measurement instrument. This instrument was
later used in the study by Shaub et al. (1993) who used a path analytical approach to
examine the ethical orientation, commitment and ethical sensitivity of auditors in a big
six firm. Karcher (1996) built on the research by Shaub by examining the severity of