Attending the course and successfully completing the post-assessment, will grant you
3 hour/s verifiable CPD, recognised by the various
professional bodies (SAICA, SAIBA, ACCA, IACSA, IRBA & etc). Please note that the
CPD certificate will only be issued once the post-assessment has been completed.
The presentation deals with general principles of ethics, and why it is important to reinforce these concepts for professional accountants every year. The presentation will look at the Enron / Arthur Andersen and Fidentia cases as the reason why we should not underestimate the importance of ethical conduct by professional accountants. Looking at some recent research on why good people sometimes do bad things and the effect a number-crunching culture can have on ones view of ethics, the presentation will then deal with how the profession seeks to keep professional accountants off the ethical slippery slope, by re-examining the fundamental principles contained in the accountantsCode of Professional Conduct. Guidance will be given as to how professional accountants can reinforce their prevention focus to minimise the chance of ethical transgressions by looking at the practical application of the fundamental principles of the Code of Professional Conduct by means of case studies and recent disciplinary matters.
The aim of this session on the ethics fundamental principles is to provide a refresher to all accountants on the importance of ethical behaviour by professional accountants, of their ethical responsibilities as professionals, as well as provide some guidance on how to deal with ethical issues. The accountant should be able to identify ethical dilemmas and threats, and be able to apply appropriate safeguards to reduce the threats or eliminate them completely.
What is ethics?
The Enron and Fidentia case studies
Why is ethics important for accountants?
Why do good people do bad things?
The Ford Pinto case study
The accounting professions Code of Professional Conduct
o General application of the Code (fundamental principles, threats, safeguards)
Application of the fundamental principles to three case studies
Disciplinary matters and the application of the fundamental principles
Lessons to be learned
Six pillars of character
Solving ethical dilemmas
Any accountant requiring an update on the ethics fundamental principles, or seeking some guidance on how to deal with ethical dilemmas.
