...Ethics in Accounting | Managerial Accounting Q1 | | | Instructor: Nikolaos Kourkoumelis, Ph.D. | Student: Marija Lukic | 11/14/2012 | | Table of Contents The Ethics in Accounting case and the plan…………………………………………….4Incidentals of Authorization and Submittal…….………………………………………………………………..4Objective………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4 Use of Observational Techniques…………………………………………………………………………………….4 An overview of the Report……………………………………...……………………………………………………….4Introduction………………………………………………...…………………………………………5The importance of Ethics in Accounting…….……………………………………………………………………..6 Creative Accounting…………………………………………………………………………….…7 Accounting Scandals..……………………………………………………………………………………………………10 The Enron Scandal……………………………………………………………………………………..10 The WorldCom Scandal………………………………………………………………….…………..12The consequences of Creative Accounting……………………..…………………………………13Measures of Prevention……………………………………………………………………………………15Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….…………………..17Bibliography……………………………………………………………...…………………………18 | Table of Figures Figure1. A proposed framework for understanding accounting manipulation practices…….……...9 The Ethics in Accounting case and the plan Incidentals of Authorization and Submittal This report is submitted to Dr. Nikolaos Kourkoumelis , professor of “Managerial Accounting” , on November 14th 2012, as authorized on the second Week of Q1 classes, 2012. The research and report...
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...Onyebuchi, Vincent. "Ethics In Accounting." International Journal of Business and Social Science. 2.10 (2011): n. page. Web. 6 Apr. 2013. . Purpose of Reading: My purpose of reading was to find out more about what comes into play in the accounting world ethics wise. I wondered if they used moral principles or if accountants are more strictly business without thinking ethically. Title: Ethics In Accounting Author: Vincent N Onyebuchi Qualified Because: He has written for the International Journal of Business and Social Science. He also has written other scholarly journal articles. Date of Publication: June 2011 Date Accessed: April 9, 2013 Name of Journal/Publication: Centre for Promoting Ideas, USA Volume/Issue Number: Volume 2, Issue 10 Database Used: Proquest Central Author is Arguing: The author is arguing that ethics need to be more important and come into play in the accounting industry. Saying New: The author is saying that ethics need to be of a higher priority in accounting. He gives the example of the Enron and how they did not act ethically by stealing all of that money. Draw On Previous Research From: He cites other sources in his work but he does not have a list of his works cited at the end so I am not sure where he got his previous work from. Previous Research Covers: The author previously researched a good bit about ethical behavior giving definitions and how it is basked on moral principles and such. He also must have researched...
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...ETHICS IN ARISTOTLE’S PHILOSOPHY Kaplan University AC504-01 Professor Sandra Gates Introduction In this paper I am going to discuss the philosopher Aristotle. I will also talk about Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics philosophy, why it is important, and how it potentially connects to accounting and business. Aristotle was born in Stagiros, Macedon, in 384 B.C. He was educated by a guardian after his father had died. At the age of seventeen his guardian sent him to the centre of intellectual and artistic life in Athens. While he was there “he entered Plato’s Academy where he stayed for about twenty years as a student and then later as a teacher” (no author, n.d, page 1, paragraph 1). After teaching for a number of years, Aristotle sailed for Assos in Asia Minor; he lived there for three years while he gained interest in biology, anatomy, and began work on his book the Politics. Aristotle was a tireless scholar, whose scientific explorations were as wide ranging as his philosophical speculations were profound; a teacher who inspired and who continues to inspire generations of students; a controversial public figure who lived a turbulent life in a turbulent world. He bestrode antiquity like an intellectual colossus. No man before him had contributed so much to learning. Aristotle offers a business ethic intent on advancing the attainment of personal happiness. He defines happiness in the universalistic terms, and insists upon the priority of exercising...
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...Reporting Practices and Ethics Megan HCS/405 30 June, 2014 Reporting Practices and Ethics The accounting staff is a very large part of the healthcare industry. Accounting staff code and bill products and different services that are offered at that location and maintaining an ethical culture is imperative. There are accounting principles and standards and procedures that are part of the General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The GAAP principles have four key elements: Planning, Controlling, Organizing and Directing and Decision Making. Ethical Components and GAAP Accounting is the backbone of any medical organization because of it enormous impact on running as a cost effective organization. Every organization runs on its own set of principles and goals, but most are certainly guided by different federal, state, and government laws. There are accounting principles and standards and procedures that are part of the General Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The GAAP principles have four key elements: Planning, Controlling, Organizing and Directing and Decision Making. The GAAP principle of Planning includes ways of setting goals and guidelines for the future of the organization. The principle of Controlling involves ensuring that planned goals are on track with previous goals and also that there is room to fix any issues that may arise. Organization and directing is to make sure that the organizations full potential is being provided...
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...In recent years financial accounting and reporting in the United States health care organization has revolved. Currently health care organizations that includes public and private, for profits and non for profits adhere to generally accepted accounting principles. The generally accepted accounting principles are a mixture of respected criteria that govern the field of accounting, which consist of rules that accountants must comply by. In this paper first it is going to explain the principles of accounting. Next, give an aspect to the value and important of corporate compliance when using generally accepted accounting principles. In addition, address the importance of cooperate compliance and its relationship with ethics, fraud, and abuse The general accepted accounting principles (GAAP) is a set of accounting principles, standards, and procedures that health care organizations uses to compile financial statements. The general accepted accounting principles also steers health care organizations in recording business transaction. However, general accepted accounting principles are not rules, but are six sets of principles for a health care organization to follow for recording. .The first principle is economic entity, which allows accountants to keep the sole proprietors business transaction separate from the owner’s personal transactions. The second principle is accrual basis, which is a method of book keeping that accountant uses to record financial events on the bases of cash...
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...Accounting ethics is primarily a field of applied ethics and is part ofbusiness ethics and human ethics, the study of moral values and judgments as they apply to accountancy. It is an example of professional ethics. Accounting introduced by Luca Pacioli, and later expanded by government groups, professional organizations, and independent companies. Ethics are taught in accounting courses at higher education institutions as well as by companies training accountants and auditors. Due to the diverse range of accounting services and recent corporate collapses, attention has been drawn to ethical standards accepted within the accounting profession.[2] These collapses have resulted in a widespread disregard for the reputation of the accounting profession.[3] To combat the criticism and prevent fraudulent accounting, various accounting organizations and governments have developed regulations and remedies for improved ethics among the accounting profession. ------------------------------------------------- Importance of ethics The nature of the work carried out by accountants and auditors requires a high level of ethics. Shareholders, potential shareholders, and other users of the financial statements rely heavily on the yearly financial statements of a company as they can use this information to make an informed decision about investment.[4] They rely on the opinion of the accountants who prepared the statements, as well as the auditors that verified it, to present a true and fair...
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...practices and Haslam (2007) reported that teachers are being pressured to help students cheat to help meet league table grades. Ethics is becoming increasingly important in business practice as well as academic and professional education. The accounting scandals in the past which involved the former energy company, Enron and former “big five” accounting firm, Andersen (Comunale et al, 2006); have led to the need to develop ethical standards in students which could then be transferred to their employment life. There is a need for ethical awareness and education for current and future accountants, as there can be serious consequences for unethical behaviour in business (Pollara 2008). The accounting scandals in the past have been a major setback for the accounting profession and confidence in the profession has been lost. Ethical behaviour is seen as a way to improve the negative perception of the profession and the information provided. Some writers have advocated the inclusion of an ethical module in academic degree programmes. According to Bampton and Maclagan (2005, p. 298) “universities should aim to produce graduates who are ethically aware and capable of making ‘right’ decisions. Thus it is essential that ethics is included in university courses including accounting and business.” It is no surprise that many universities are now offering an ethics module as part of their degree programmes. The Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) has...
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...When someone says accounting the thought of the definition seems to be universal. What many don’t realize is that there are different kinds of accounting and different uses with those types. One major and different type of accounting other than the well-known financial accounting is managerial accounting. In the following paper I will discuss what managerial accounting is and how it’s used, the difference between managerial and financial accounting, the users of this accounting, ethics in accounting, and careers in managerial accounting. Managerial accounting is “the process of identifying, measuring, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating information for the pursuit of an organization's goals” (Managerial Accounting Definition, 2003). Managerial accounting is also known as cost accounting (2003). Managerial accounting provides an organization with the financial data to perform descriptive analytics. The numbers don’t tell anything about the future, but they can be used to make decisions about the future. Without the numbers that managerial accounting provides no appropriate and good decision making would be being made. Managerial accounting is not like other accounting and major differences exist between managerial accounting and financial accounting. Although they work side by side, managerial accounting concentrates on helping people inside the organization, such as managers, make decisions while financial accounting focuses on providing information to people outside...
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...Practices and Ethics Erica Bolden May 5, 2013 HCS/403 Marcia Smith Practices and Ethics Two major necessities needed to manage a health care organization financially are outstanding ethical standards and reporting practices. Reporting financial data reports is important and information must be accurate and factual. Organizations obtain and maintain financial data to aid in the audits of the amounts, control, and potential uncertainties of cash flows. Keeping the financial data current is important because majority of the time the data contains information about the organization’s equity and economic resources. Developing and analyzing ethical standards carefully allows organizations to stay in compliance with those standards formed for the health care community. Poor ethics and financial planning sometimes effects consumers. According to Nelson (2011), “Basic ethics principles that make up our common morality, including respect for patients, acting in patients’ best interest, avoid bringing harm to patients and treating patients in a fair and equitable manner, serve as the foundation for healthcare values.” This paper will contain a summary of the four elements associated with financial management, generally accepted accounting principles, and general financial ethical standards. The reader will explore Examples from two articles “Ethical Decision making for healthcare Executives” and “Ethics: A foundation for quality” that reflect ethical standards of conduct, financial...
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...Abstract Over the past ten years, public trust in the accounting profession has been diminished due to financial scandals brought on by poor decision making, dishonesty and a move away from morals, values, and ethics. With the perception of accounting at an all-time low, there is a need to reinvent the profession. The following pages of this research paper will examine the Model of Organizational Trust, and its three elements of ability, benevolence, and integrity. The three elements will be defined and explained using support from peer-reviewed articles. The report will also discuss the ways in which the elements are incorporated in the AICPA’s Code of Professional Conduct. The elements will be examined to learn the ways in which they help to promote trust in the accounting profession and finally, suggestions will be proposed to help improve public trust in the accounting profession. Introduction An essential component every profession must possess in order to garner satisfaction and commitment from clients and customers is trust. Trust cannot be gained quickly; it is developed over time through interactions, observations, and an understanding of another’s beliefs and values (Mayer, Davis, Schoorman, 1995). However, a person’s stated beliefs do not often dictate their behavior. In pursuit of professional goals, individuals often set aside what they know to be right and act in a manner that benefits them either financially, with recognition, or in some other manner (Six...
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...The standard setting process The recent, high profile accounting scandals shook the foundations of the capital markets. Financial reporting furnishes investors and other stakeholders with reliable and relevant information. In the short term unethical financial reporting resulted in loss of billion dollars, but in the long term the impact was even more severe: loss of confidence in financial reporting as reliable source of information. The following reforms aimed to restore investor confidence in financial reporting and accounting profession. They reinforced the importance of ethics in financial reporting and provided recommendation on accounting standard setting process. The following paper provides a brief discussion on standard setting organizations and process and the authoritative sources of accounting. This study also covers the objectives of financial reporting and its role in today’s economy and concludes that ethics will remain cornerstone of the accounting profession. Table of Contents Abstract 2 The standard setting process 4 Standard setting process and authoritative sources of accounting information 5 Objectives of financial reporting 6 Ethics’ role in financial reporting 6 Conclusion 7 References 10 The standard setting process The dawn of the new century brought an economic downturn. The tragic events of 9/11 and the burst of the dot.com bubble accelerated the general decline. Investors kept corporate managements under constant pressure...
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...Review of Accounting Ethics Ethics is a very important aspect of accounting and should be taken very seriously as accountant. Shareholders, potential shareholders, and other users of the financial statements rely heavily on the yearly financial statements of a company as they can use this information to make an informed decision about investment. The opinions of the accountants who prepared the statements, as well as the auditors that verified it, to present a true and fair view of the company. Knowledge of ethics can help accountants and auditors to overcome ethical dilemmas, allowing for the right choice that, although it may not benefit the company, will benefit the public who relies on the accountant/auditor's reporting. “As part of the largest financial fraud in U.S. history involving mega thief Bernard Madoff, a New York auditor, David Friehling is facing jail time for deceiving investors by signing off on fraudulent financial statements. Mr. Friehling, 49 years old, worked for Mr. Madoff from 1991 to 2008, running his storefront operation out of an ordinary office in New City, a suburb of New York City, N.Y. Mr. Friehling is to convicted of charges including aiding and abetting investment adviser fraud, securities fraud and four counts filing false audit reports to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. It was also found by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission that Friehling and his family had $14 million invested in the Mr. Madoff‘s...
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...future accountant in the professional public firm, some of the most important characteristics are ethical values and their practices within the company. I am very interested in learning how ethical values promoted by professional accountants’ impact organizational culture, how organizational culture affects accountants’ ethical judgments and how espoused organizational cultures influence public accounting firms. To analyze and look deeper into these issues, I evaluated and studied the following articles: Daniela, Ţogoe Greti, Mateş Dorel, and Mănescu Dragotoiu Mileva Valentina. Impact of Ethical Values Promoted by Professional Accountants on the Organizational Culture. Annals of the University Of Oradea, Economic Science Series 22.1 (2013): 1280-1285. Douglas, Patricia Casey, Ronald A. Davidson, and Bill N. Schwartz. The Effect of Organizational Culture and Ethical Orientation on Accountants' Ethical Judgments. Journal of Business Ethics 34.2 (2001): 101-121. Holmes, Scott, and Stephen Marsden. An Exploration of the Espoused Organizational Cultures of Public Accounting Firms. Accounting Horizons 10.3 (1996): 26-53. Ethical values and organizational culture In the article "Impact of Ethical Values Promoted by Professional Accountants on the Organizational Culture" authors Ţogoe Greti Daniela, Mateş Dorel, and Mănescu Dragotoiu Mileva Valentina look and analyze what impact...
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...Financial management is very essential for health care organization’s to succeed and accomplish goals. As a financial management has a major aspect on how it incorporates the ethical standards and proper reporting practices. To report practices and ethical standards in health care finance assist financial managers in conducting. They conduct effect analysis of the organization’s revenues, expenses, assets, and much more. In the next few paragraphs in the paper will be discussed is the four elements of financial management, the accepted accounting principles, and a few general financial, ethical standards will conduct. Plus, there would be examples of conduct and financial reporting practices in the health care organizations from other articles that will be discussed. The four elements of financial management are planning, controlling, organizing and directing, and decision making. The first element, planning is to set up the health care organization goals and objectives. Then to see what steps have to take and which steps would be more effective to achieve the goal. The second element is controlling; as a financial management will need to consist of verifying whether the department is following the plans, instructions issued, and the principles established. The third element is organizing and directing; which this can be a process that follows planning and controlling element in the health care organizations. While organizing established how resources can be effective...
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...EthicHow to Be An Ethical Accountant? About eleven years ago, Enron, one of the world’s largest energy companies with 21,000 employees (Enron Corporation, 2012), collapsed. The whole nation was shocked as the investigation went on. “Ten years ago this week, the accounting firm Arthur Andersen sealed its fate when a few partners in its Houston office decided to shred documents related to the collapse of one of its clients, Enron” (Agnes, 2011). Found out that Enron scandal had close relationship with the fraud of the accounting firm Arthur Anderson, “another problem whose effects are becoming apparent today — moral hazard in the audit industry” (Agnes, 2011). Business and society take into serious consideration about ethics and integrity standard among today’s accounting firms and their accountants. Meanwhile, how to become an ethical accountant is drawing widespread concern. The first thing to figure out is why ethics are so important to every single accountant. To start with, accountant is actually a third party job working with clients and their private information. This information includes personal bank account number, social security number, and other information about their personal properties. Who would give all these sensitive data are to someone they don’t trust? Citizens will suffer if people who want to harm them get their private information. What’s worse, organization may face unfair competition due to the leak of company core data. Clients would like to trust...
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