Professional accountants' perceptions of ethical issues, causes of unethical behavior and ethics education: a study of professional accountants in Kumasi

Abstract

This study aimed at examining professional accountants' perceptions of ethical issues, causes of unethical behaviour and ethics education using professional accountants in Kumasi as case study. The objectives of the study were to: examine the incidence, prevalence and forms of unethical behaviors among accounting professionals, examine the extent of accountants‟ professional behavior and the cause of unethical behaviors, examine the ethical orientation of professional accountants, and examine the effectiveness of instruction in accounting ethics education. Data was collected using questionnaires which were administered to 50 professional accountants in Kumasi. These instruments were piloted and tested for validity and reliability. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21 was used to aid in generating a summary of results which were represented in tabular form. Findings of the study indicated that majority of professional accountants demonstrates unethical behaviors with time and there are several cases of unethical behaviours been displayed in organizations. Moral standards were found to be the basis of ethical orientation of accountants. The study recommended that accounting bodies and stake holders should investigate why Accountants‟ ethical behavior is not congruent with their professionalism