Discussion and conclusion
In this study we introduce the construct of ethical
commitment and examine through an online survey
of professional accountants the relationship between
their ethical commitment towards auditor independence
and features of their work and cultural
environment. We conceive of independence commitment
as the extent to which the individual
accountant considers auditor independence as a key
attribute of the profession, and believes that regulatory
standards of auditor independence should be
rigorously binding and enforced in the public
accounting domain. The results indicate that, at the
time of data collection around the end of 2002,
respondents’ independence commitment was, on
average, relatively high, thereby suggesting that
professional accountants were then considering
independence as a key feature of public accounting
and also quite receptive to its regulation through
control mechanisms.
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.
Most of the relationships that we hypothesized
about work (H1a to H1e) were found to be statistically
significant, in accordance with one of the
study’s underlying themes, namely, that work
constitutes an inescapable feature of accounting
ethics. Our research therefore points to a need for
researchers to focus more heavily on the concept of
work in research endeavors aimed at developing a
better understanding of professional ethics in the
accounting domain.
Several other features of the results are noteworthy.
The data indicates that not only is public
accountants’ independence commitment lower than
that of non-public accountants (H1a), with a mean
independence commitment value of 14.5 versus 16.3, but
also it is resistant to the influence of the individual’s
involvement in accountancy’s core areas of work
(H1d), as indicated by the non-significant coefficient
for proportion of time spent in current job in accounting/
auditing in Table V. These results are consistent with
segments of auditing research that point to the significance
of the influence of commercialism within
public accounting, exerted through a variety of
institutional and organizational mechanisms having
powerful disciplining and self-disciplining effects on
public accountants (e.g. Covaleski et al., 1998). The
results are also in accordance with Wyatt’s (2004)
Discussion and conclusionIn this study we introduce the construct of ethicalcommitment and examine through an online surveyof professional accountants the relationship betweentheir ethical commitment towards auditor independenceand features of their work and culturalenvironment. We conceive of independence commitmentas the extent to which the individualaccountant considers auditor independence as a keyattribute of the profession, and believes that regulatorystandards of auditor independence should berigorously binding and enforced in the publicaccounting domain. The results indicate that, at thetime of data collection around the end of 2002,respondents’ independence commitment was, onaverage, relatively high, thereby suggesting thatprofessional accountants were then consideringindependence as a key feature of public accountingand also quite receptive to its regulation throughcontrol mechanisms.With higher independence commitment indicatinga higher preference for more rigorous regulatorycontrol, the results suggest a viewpoint in which theindividual accountant is to some extent unsure abouther/his peers applying appropriately, on their ownwithout regulatory coercion, the profession’s independencestandards. This viewpoint is in contrast toan ethical philosophy centered on character andidealism that assumes that the moral strength ofmembers of the profession, forged through a properupbringing และการศึกษาจริยธรรม ทำให้พวกเขาน่าเชื่อถือ และน่าเชื่อถือ (เปรสตันและ al., 1995)ความมุ่งมั่นเป็นอิสระค่อนข้างสูงยังแนะนำบัญชีละมีบางความกังวลเกี่ยวกับประสิทธิภาพของฟรีตลาดตรรกะใน disciplining ไม่สนับสนุนการกำกับดูแลสมาชิกที่ให้บริการบัญชีสาธารณะวิจัยเพิ่มเติมเป็นสิ่งจำเป็น อย่างไรก็ตาม ในการสั่งการที่อยู่ผลกระทบทางระบบมากขึ้นปริญญาที่สูงขึ้นของความมุ่งมั่นความเป็นอิสระที่สุดของความสัมพันธ์ที่เราตั้งสมมติฐานว่าเกี่ยวกับการทำงาน (H1a กับ H1e) พบทางสถิติจะอย่างมีนัยสำคัญ ตามหนึ่งตัวรูปแบบพื้นฐานของการศึกษา คือ ที่ทำงานถือเป็นคุณลักษณะที่ไม่พ้นบัญชีจรรยา วิจัยของเราจึงไปต้องนักวิจัยมากกว่าเน้นแนวคิดของทำงานในความพยายามของการวิจัยที่มุ่งพัฒนาความดีกว่าความเข้าใจของจรรยาบรรณวิชาชีพในการบัญชีโดเมนหลายแห่งผลนั้นน่าสนใจบ่งชี้ว่า ข้อมูลที่ไม่เป็นสาธารณะบัญชีเอกราชมั่นกว่าที่สาธารณะไม่ใช่ภาษี (H1a), มีค่าเฉลี่ยการมูลค่า 14.5 เทียบกับ 16.3 เอกราชมั่น แต่นอกจากนี้ยัง จะทนกับอิทธิพลของของแต่ละบุคคลมีส่วนร่วมในพื้นที่หลักของบัญชีงาน(H1d), ตามที่ระบุ โดยค่าสัมประสิทธิ์ไม่สำคัญสำหรับสัดส่วนของเวลาที่ใช้ในงานบัญชี /auditing in Table V. These results are consistent withsegments of auditing research that point to the significanceof the influence of commercialism withinpublic accounting, exerted through a variety ofinstitutional and organizational mechanisms havingpowerful disciplining and self-disciplining effects onpublic accountants (e.g. Covaleski et al., 1998). Theresults are also in accordance with Wyatt’s (2004)
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