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Financial Reporting and Ethics - The Institute of Chartered ...

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ETHICAL FRAMEWORK, CONCEPTS AND VALUE6.15 IMPORTANCE OF ETHICAL COURAGE AND ETHICAL LEADERSHIPTo be courageous means to be brave, it is the quality <strong>of</strong> not giving way to feareven when faced with danger. Courage is required for every pr<strong>of</strong>essionalaccountant that wishes to be ethical, to apply his knowledge in ethics. Nowonder that <strong>The</strong>odore. Roosevelt, a past President <strong>of</strong> the United States <strong>of</strong>America once stated:<strong>The</strong> law <strong>of</strong> worthy life is fundamentally the law <strong>of</strong> strife. It is by grimstruggle <strong>and</strong> resolute courage that we move on to better things.A Nation without ethical, courageous <strong>and</strong> effective leadership is a rudderlessship which will capsize in the ‘rough <strong>and</strong> tumble’ <strong>of</strong> human life <strong>and</strong>governance.According to Koontz, O’ Donnel <strong>and</strong> Weihrich (1980), ‘leadership’ is theinfluence or the art or process <strong>of</strong> influencing people so that they strive willingly<strong>and</strong> enthusiastically towards the achievement <strong>of</strong> group goals.An ethical leader can simply be regarded as a virtuous leader; he operateswith high ethical st<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>and</strong> pursues the good for the benefit <strong>of</strong> the society.He is a person <strong>of</strong> honesty, integrity <strong>and</strong> trust. <strong>The</strong> ethical leader is mindfulthat the needs <strong>and</strong> realistic expectations <strong>of</strong> others in the society must be satisfiedif his own needs <strong>and</strong> realistic expectations are to be met.An ethical leader, is one who underst<strong>and</strong>s his responsibilities, duties <strong>and</strong> rights<strong>and</strong> those <strong>of</strong> others <strong>and</strong> hence he seeks ways to uphold them. Such a leader iscommitted to upholding the social contract that guides the co-existence <strong>of</strong> allcitizens.An ethical leader therefore would influence people ethically to willingly <strong>and</strong>enthusiastically strive towards the achievement <strong>of</strong> ethical group goals. Everyaccountant occupies a reasonable position <strong>of</strong> authority <strong>and</strong> can indeedinfluence people ethically. And therefore must courageously disassociatehimself actively <strong>and</strong> passively from every form or unethical practice.6.16 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS<strong>The</strong> chapter examines the concept <strong>of</strong> ethics, nature <strong>and</strong> framework forpr<strong>of</strong>essional accountants, “rules-based”/ “principles-based” approaches toethical behaviour. Among others, it also discusses the foundation <strong>of</strong> theaccounting pr<strong>of</strong>ession, accountants <strong>and</strong> their stakeholders <strong>and</strong> theories <strong>of</strong>moral behaviour.Refer to Comprehensive Questions <strong>and</strong> Suggested Solutions in Appendix II,page 269.143

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