Ethical Modelling of the Accounting Profession Based on the Value Judgements of Romanian Accounting Professionals

Abstract

There is a great contrast between the real role of accounting and its public perception. Accounting can be regarded as the language of business operations, but it is also the representative and manipulator of corporate operations and culture. The major challenge of accounting is whether it allows the most honest and knowledgeable managers to make outstanding reporting decisions while preventing the others at the other side of the honesty competence scale from distorting what they know about their company. This study presents the results of the authors' empirical research about the opinions of accounting practitioners in Romaine on the values, career opportunities and ethical behaviour of the profession. The findings are interpreted at the various levels of accounting professions (administrators, accountants, auditors) by the number of years spent in accounting and groups of internal and external colleagues, focusing on the causal relations. The conclusions are drawn through structural-equations based causal models by qualification of accounting professionals and time spent by them in their jobs. Implications for Central European audience:The paper is examining the role and ethics of accountants within the small and medium sized sector. In Central Europe, we have a similar cultural and historical background which might be touchable even the business environment. Accountants influence how business works and what is disclosed about it. For the aim of clear view, accountants must behave ethical, and they have to learn about business ethics, and professional ethic topics.