Beyond a Code of Professional Ethics: A Holistic Model of Ethical Decision-Making for Accountants

Most accountants do not realize—until it is perhaps too late—that virtually all aspects of their work have an ethical dimension. They often lack the knowledge and skills to analyse issues effectively, and when confronted with conflicting ethical problems cannot choose the way to move forward that is consistent with their own values and/or the profession's code of professional conduct. This article proposes that the accounting profession worldwide has simply attempted to prescribe simplistic solutions to often complex ethical problems. It endeavours to provide an alternative approach based on the process of 'ethical knowing' ( Melchin, 1998 ). Such an approach turns the acquisition of understanding away from a focus on the external world of rules, concepts and exemplars, to the interior world of how accountants, as people, arrive at an understanding that is consistently ethical. To achieve this, the article relies on Lonergan's seminal (1957 ) examination of the internal processes of decision-making and the critical roles played by developing skills in data retrieval and insight in the exercise of judgment.     

The mystery of the missing members: the first 600 chartered accountants in England and Wales

There are a number of factual errors within the authoritative literature on the history of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and of its five founder bodies. The aim of this article is to outline some of these errors, explain how and why they arose, and attempt to correct them. Its primary concern is to establish the membership of these early professional accountancy bodies at the time of the granting of a royal charter in May 1880.     

Auditing Standards in China—A Comparative Analysis with Relevant International Standards and Guidelines

The continuing and deepening economic reforms in China have brought many changes both socially and economically to the society. The primary function of auditing in China has begun to shift away from the traditional tax compliance assessment towards the credibility lending to financial statements. The economic reforms and the development of the Accounting Standards for Business Enterprises have necessitated the parallel development of auditing standards in China. While some significant differences exist, the new Chinese auditing standards are, in a number of important aspects, similar to the professional standards promulgated by the International Federation of Accountants. The development of a comprehensive body of standards, auditor independence, the role of certain auditing techniques, and certified public accountant (CPA) population are the major areas that China needs to improve. Opening up the Chinese accounting industry will trigger significant advances in the implementation of Chinese standards and the development of the Chinese accounting profession.     

The unethical practices of accountants and auditors and the compromising stance of professional bodies in the corporate world: Evidence from corporate Nigeria

Investors in Nigeria have lost several billions of dollars through the collusion of accountants and external auditors with companies’ management and directors to falsify and deliberately overstate companies’ accounts. As a consequence of unethical practices by accountants and auditors, which have resulted in the distress or occasionally the closure of companies, some indigenous Nigerian Managing Directors of multinational corporations such as Lever Brothers Nigeria Plc and Cadbury Nigeria Plc have been sacked and replaced with expatriates. Some companies placed under receivership have also lost billions of dollars due to professional misconduct by their official receivers. Contrary to the claim of ‘protecting the public interest,’ accountants and auditors may be partly responsible for cases of distress and closure of companies and banking institutions in Nigeria. However, the various Statutory Provisions and Acts relating to companies and professional bodies all place the responsibility on the accountants and auditors to detect and report to the regulators cases of suspected fraud and accounting malpractice. Through detailed consideration of cases of fraud, falsifications and deliberate overstatement of companies’ accounts, this paper examines the claim that the professional bodies are capable of protecting the public interest. It utilizes archival documents to provide evidence that suggests professional misconduct by accountants, particularly the members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). The paper provides further evidence that ICAN has been reluctant to either investigate or sanction its erring members. The paper posits that the reluctance or inability of the ICAN's “Investigation and Disciplinary Machinery” to either investigate or discipline the erring accountants and auditors suggests that whether by design or default, the ICAN's “Investigation and Disciplinary Machinery” operates to shield the activities of its erring members in accountancy firms from critical scrutiny.     

破解会计诚信的二难命题

会计诚信事关保护投资者利益和社会经济健康发展,意义重大,国内外的众多法律法规以及会计行为准则中均有强制性要求,尽管如此,惊天财务舞弊案却屡屡曝出,原来会计在实际工作中遭遇了二难命题,出于利益考虑,他们选择了诚信无为的行动。如何破解该命题,以重塑会计诚信呢？根本的就是要解放会计人员,构建一个敢言敢为的环境,另外会计师事务所也应诚信地承担起相应的审计签证责任。成立独立的会计管理机构,统一向需求者配置会计人员;定期更换会计机构负责人和会计师事务所;给予会计人员揭露舞弊贪腐赦免权等措施直击会计失信失真乱象,必将会起到拨乱反正的效果。     

Alternative Hypotheses Concerning Depreciation of Buildings

Ball, Walker and Whittred (1979) reported that companies receiving audit qualifications for non-compliance with the requirement to depreciate buildings earned higher than expected returns at the time of the release of the qualification. This paper examines the possibility that this result could be due to cash-flow effects related to the decision not to comply with the depreciation requirement. The results generally support the view that there are cash-flow effects associated with a company's decision not to depreciate buildings.     

Australia's divided accounting profession: The 1969 merger attempt and its legacy

The Australian accounting environment is dominated by two competing brands – Chartered Accountant (CA) and Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) – which signal that the profession has been unable to achieve full unification. Focussed on 1969, this dual theory-informed, in-depth study examines the first of four unsuccessful attempts to merge the two professional accounting associations from which the two brands originate: The Australian Society of Accountants (the Society) and The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (the Institute). Primary data from public archives and oral history interviews, combined with secondary sources, are drawn upon to explain the failure of this proposed merger and to consider its legacy. The complementary theoretical perspectives of “boundary-work” and “institutional work” are applied. Amidst other challenges, corporate collapses during the 1960s precipitated a legitimacy crisis for the profession and raised the prospect of there being sufficient commonality of purpose to enable a merger. While there was overwhelming support from Society members, the merger proposal was defeated by a comprehensive “no” vote from Institute members. This pattern of voting was repeated in three subsequent merger attempts, leading to the persistence of the curious binary structure of the Australian accounting profession and associated ongoing differences and tensions.     

区域性会计师事务所行为研究——来自中国市场的经验证据

利用2007～2009年沪深两市上市公司样本,以国内\"十大\"为比较对象,对区域性事务所的行为进行研究。结果发现,相对于国内\"十大\",区域性事务所提供了更高质量的审计服务。经验证据表明,在脱钩改制以后,随着审计环境的变化,区域事务所重塑了自身的独立性,并且利用自身的地域优势,形成了地域专门化竞争能力。     

和谐生态伦理的经济学思考

随着世界生态环境危机的日益加剧,传统生态伦理观的经济学缺陷越来越明显.和谐生态伦理作为使经济社会可持续发展的新的生态伦理观念,它的存在是有经济学依据的.这种经济学依据可以从和谐生态伦理的内涵以及和谐生态伦理与实践的关系两个方面解读出来.和谐生态伦理的基本主张所蕴涵的经济学内涵使我们对它的存在不仅不能怀疑,而且要对和谐生态伦理发展的经济学思路作认真的思考.     

Increasing the number of black chartered accountants in South Africa: an empirical review of educational issues

South Africa has a shortage of black chartered accountants. This situation has arisen due to a combination of political, socio-economic and related educational reasons during the four decades of apartheid rule. In recent years, numerous academic ventures have commenced in an attempt to increase the number of black chartered accountants. This paper reviews and identifies, through an empirically-based exploratory study, the educational issues potentially inhibiting the development of black chartered accountants in South Africa, as well as the academic support structures which have arisen in response to these perceived educational barriers. Both academic support organizations and recently qualified black chartered accountants in South Africa were surveyed through in-depth interviews and structured self-administered questionnaires. This study found, inter alia, that role models, as a motivational factor for black accounting students, were extremely important. Cognitive factors, such as writing skills and the interpretation of numerical data, were identified as areas of primary concern, whilst issues with respect to certain study needs, such as assistance with study skills and examination techniques, also warranted attention. This study also found that the overall approach of academic support organizations to programme structure and design appears to be addressing student needs adequately. Certain improvements, however, are recommended. Of particular concern, is the general lack of studies on the effectiveness of academic support programmes.     

Effects of exposure to the International Education Standards on perceived importance of the global harmonization of accounting education among Japanese accounting academics

This exploratory study empirically examines the degree to which the Japanese accounting academics is exposed to the IESs and explores their perception of the importance of global harmonization in accounting education in terms of ensuring quality global control of the accounting profession. Responses from 76 questionnaires found that accounting staff, particularly in the post graduate Accounting Schools, have a basic understanding of the IESs and view this global harmonization as favorable whereas staff who teach at undergraduate level or at ordinal postgraduate level in tertiary schools have a much lower understanding and perception. This is of concern to the accounting profession as it is in these undergraduate schools and ordinal postgraduate schools from where the majority of successful CPA examinees graduate each year. The findings also indicated that the IESs can be effectively used as a benchmarking tool within the Japanese accounting academics.     

国际四大与高审计质量——来自中国证券市场的证据

本文采用2007—2009年沪、深两市A股上市公司公开披露的3874份年报数据,基于盈余管理的视角,对施行新会计准则和新审计准则后国际四大会计师事务所提供审计服务的质量进行了实证研究。结果表明,国际四大与非国际四大在审计质量上并不存在显著的差异,某些年度国际四大甚至比非国际四大更差。最后,借鉴Basu(1997)的思想,构建关于盈余管理的稳健性模型,进一步验证了本文的结论。