I truly enjoyed our class and delving into the many concepts and theories
associated with accounting ethics. a Everyone knows or has heard of the
"golden rule" yet I am reminded again and again how many people in business
do not practice what should be considered commonplace. a Treat others with
fairness, integrity and honesty as you would also desire to be treated. a
However, in our analysis of case-after-case, we see how people become
distorted in the way they should think due to immense greed, the desire to
advance in their career by taking shortcuts, or they need an ego boost and cheat
their way to the top. a I have become more aware of ways in which people or
companies can commit accounting fraud and the red flags that are present to
"tip one off" to the potential of ethical violations or fraudulent activity. a I'm
pleased the landscape has changed with the SEC having more power to
investigate and penalize those companies committing fraud. a I believe
Sarbanes-Oxley has had a positive impact on financial transparency and
helping to ensure financial statements are fairly represented. a For me, it was
challenging attempting to tie-in or choose relevant, moral and philosophical
theories to a case study. a Many of them would be relevant to a case and
choosing the most representative one was challenging. a Being a CPA, the
AICPA Professional Code of Conduct is most relevant. a Carrying out our
duties as professional accountants in the right manner is critical to public trust
and confidence. a We must all continue to do our best in carrying out the
principles outlined in the "AICPA Code" in order to continue to maintain (and
grow) public trust in our profession! a
