There are several theories regarding business ethics, and many
different types can be found, but what makes a business stand out are
its corporate social responsibility practices, transparency and
trustworthiness, fairness, and technological practices. Fostering an
environment of ethical behavior and decision-making takes time and
effort it always starts at the top. Most companies need to create a
code of conduct/ethics, guiding principles, reporting procedures, and
training programs to enforce ethical behavior. Once conduct is
defined and programs implemented, continuous communication with
employees becomes vital. Leaders should constantly encourage
employees to report concern behavior.
I do not feel that my understanding of accounting ethics has changed,
I was just amazed that after the Enron incident, there are still
companies that are not doing anything different. In the cases that we
researched the top executives were that ones that initiated the fraud
and forced their employees to keep silent or continue with the
discrepancies. I was glad to see that the SEC is paying more attention,
but companies are not really making a lot of changes when it comes to
transparency or applying ethical standards.
I work for a small company, and I have not encountered any ethical
issues, but I would not continue to work for anyone that would force
me to do something unethical. Since I was young my parents taught
me right from wrong and the decisions that we make have
consequences. I have worked hard through out my career that I would
not like to be part of a company that is doing something unethical. The
class just reinforced what I already knew with the cases and the laws.
