The understanding of accounting ethics is a very important topic in
the coursework as it provides study and knowledge of judgments and
moral values as they apply to accountancy. Accounting ethics is part
of human ethics and business ethics, as well as the field of applied
ethics. At the beginning of learning accounting ethics, I was only
having some basic knowledge of the topic. But after the completion
of the coursework, I have come to know different concepts related to
accounting ethics that can help me in my future. This course taught
me about the five fundamental principles of ethics such as integrity,
confidentiality, objectivity, professional behavior, and professional
competence and due care. It is considered to be a conceptual
framework for all professional accounts to make sure compliance
with the five fundamental principles of ethics (Revised code of ethics -
completed. IFAC, 2019). For instance, I am currently working as an
assistant accountant in a private healthcare company where I have to
deal with many clients. Once a new client asked me to share some
information about the patient details; he said the information would
be used for a healthcare program. He tried to convince me to share
the information; I carefully listened to his voice, which was quite
convincing. However, I used my conscience and thought about the
five fundamental principles of accounting ethics that do not allow me
to share any kind of crucial information with clients. After that, I
decided not to share information and told him that he did not have
the authority to access the data of the patient. My course of learning
about accounting ethics has changed my life as I was able to save
myself and the organization by maintaining the confidentiality of the
data. However, it was quite challenging for me as he kept on telling
me about the benefits of the healthcare program that could benefit
our organization's patients, but I was unable to stop him. He took
hours to convince me to share data. Here, the understanding of
confidentiality of accounting ethics is most relevant as it made me
realize that going against the rules and regulations can be problematic
for the organization and me.
References
Revised code of ethics - completed. IFAC. (2019, September 30).
Retrieved October 25, 2022, from
https://www.ethicsboard.org/projects/revised-code-ethics-
completed
