Associate Level Material
Appendix A

Final Project Overview and Timeline

Final Project Overview

The final project enables you to demonstrate problem-solving and decision-making skills developed throughout the course. The “Qualify or Not” Ethics Case on pp. 288-290 (Ch. 4) introduces an accounting professional who faces an ethical dilemma.

Your task is to apply your understanding of philosophical approaches to ethical decision making and stakeholder impact analysis to resolve the ethical dilemma detailed in the Ethics Case. Decide upon an ethical course of action the accountant could take and support that action with critical thinking and argumentation.

Analyze the case using the concepts involved in stakeholder impact analysis and the philosophical approaches to ethical decision making. Explain what you think the accountant should do. You might also refer back to resources from your Critical Thinking class to refresh your memory on topics such as structuring arguments that will help your write a persuasive paper.

Final Project Timeline

You should budget your time wisely and work on your project throughout the course. As outlined below, some assignments in the course are designed to assist you in creating your final project. If you complete your course activities and use the feedback provided by the instructor, you will be on the right track to successfully complete your project.

□ Suggested in Week One: Read The Dilemma of an Accountant Ethics Case, which is the focus of the final project, on pp. 288-290 (Ch. 4) of the textbook.

□ Suggested in Week Two: Reflect on the lessons that can be learned by studying the unethical practices of Arthur Andersen. How can you apply them to the scenario in the final project? Consider what you have learned about the ultimate duty of an accounting professional.

□ Suggested in Week Four: Reflect on the three philosophical approaches to ethical decision making: consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. Think about the possible course of action that you might recommend for the scenario in the final project. Does one of the three philosophical approaches support your decision? Which approach does it match? Do you need to modify your decision to match one of the approaches?

□ Suggested in Week Five: Start to think about the stakeholders involved in the case. How will they be impacted by the course of action you have chosen for the final project? Would you want to modify your decision slightly after applying the techniques for conducting a stakeholder impact analysis? Does your decision adversely impact any stakeholders? The tables and figures in Ch. 5 of the textbook may help you organize your thoughts.

□ Suggested in Week Six: Make a Stakeholder Analysis Table of your own to help you think through the case. Use Appendix C as a model. Adapt it for your own purposes by adding or modifying the columns.

□ Suggested in Week Eight: Outline your final project. Relate the questions in the outline to the final project scenario.

□ Due in Week Nine: Finalize and submit your final project.