THE EFFECTS OF UNETHICAL ACCOUNTING PRACTICE ON FINANCIAL REPORTING QUALITY IN NIGERIA {CASE STUDY: AFRIBANK PLC, CADBURY PLC}

line-height:150%">

line-height:150%">ABSTRACT

line-height:150%">The continuing influence and impact which personal and professional ethics exerts upon individuals, organizations and society, and the factors which influence organizational ethics, has been thrust into the headlines of the American populous. The ethical issues faced daily by organizations and their employees are neither always straightforward nor easy to resolve. Results of unethical behaviour by accounting/audit professionals, and the impact of ethics upon organizations, is a topic of growing concern in corporate board rooms around the world. This paper will examine the timely and important ethics and its relevance and importance to overall corporate wellbeing. In particular, what factors influence the likelihood that an individual will act ethically or less than ethical, and what this means to management, the organization, and internal controls in general. This paper is designed to help educate people on unethical accounting practices, why they occur, and how we as a nation can promote ethical behaviour

line-height:150%">Abstract This study examined unethical accounting practice and financial reporting quality in Nigeria. Behaving ethically is an essential and expected trait for professional accountants. The society places high premium of trust and expectation from the professional accountants and auditors as such people need to have confidence in the financial reports being prepared/audited by them in making an informed decision. It’s imperative therefore, that the information being provided by accountants and auditors should be meaningfully efficient, reliable, and realistic and are unbiased. An explanatory case study approach was used for the study complemented by archival data, newspaper reports and regulatory report. One of the key issues in our findings is that extended audit tenure could impair auditor’s independence and ability to employ professional skepticism on matters at their disposal. Non adherence to the spirit and letter of corporate governance was also responsible for the corporate scandals. We recommend therefore that the composition of the board of Directors and audit committee members should be made up of people of proven integrity and corporate experience. Also the tenure of external auditors should have a terminal frame and not be too long to as to affect their ethical conduct.  

line-height:150%">

line-height:150%">

line-height:150%">CHAPTER ONE

line-height:150%">INTRODUCTION

line-height:150%">1.0 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

line-height:150%">1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS

line-height:150%">1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

line-height:150%">1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION:

line-height:150%">1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

line-height:150%">1.6. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

line-height:150%">1.7. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

line-height:150%">1.8. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

line-height:150%">1.9. DEFINITION OF TERMS

line-height:150%">1.10. BRIEF HISTORY OF CASE STUDY (AFRIBANKS PLC, AND CADBURY PLC.)

line-height:150%">

line-height:150%">CHAPTER TWO

line-height:150%">LITERATURE REVIEW

line-height:150%">2.1. Conceptual Framework

line-height:150%">2.1.1. DEFINITION OF UNETHICAL ACCOUNTING PRACTICES

line-height:150%">2.2. TYPES OF UNETHICAL ACCOUNTING PRACTICE BY FINANCIAL REPORTERS 

line-height:150%">2. 3. REASON FOR UNETHICAL PRACTICE

line-height:150%">2.4. UNETHICAL ACCOUNTING PRACTICES BY ACCOUNTANTS

line-height:150%">2.4.1. TYPE OF UNETHICAL PRACTICES BY ACCOUNTANTS IN BUSINESS 

line-height:150%">2.4.2. CAUSE OF UNETHICAL PRACTICES BY ACCOUNTANTS IN BUSINESS

line-height:150%">2.5.0. UNETHICAL ACCOUNTING PRACTICES BY AUDITORS

line-height:150%">2.5.1. DEFINITION OF AUDITOR

line-height:150%">2.5.2. AREAS OF UNETHICAL ACCOUNTING PRACTICES BY AUDITORS

line-height:150%">2.5.3. THE CAUSES OF THESE UNETHICAL ACCOUNTING  PRACTICES BY AUDITOR

line-height:150%">2.6.0. UNETHICAL ACCOUNTING PRACTICES BY DIRECTORS

line-height:150%">2.6.1. Definition of Directors

line-height:150%">2.6.2. UNETHICAL ACCOUNTING PRACTICES BY DIRECTORS

line-height:150%">2.6.2. CAUSE AND REMEDY OF UNETHICAL ACCOUNTING PRACTICE BY DIRECTORS

line-height:150%">2..7. CAUSES OF UNETHICAL BEHAVIOUR IN THE NIGERIAN BANKING    INDUSTRY 

line-height:150%">2.10.1. IMPORTANCE OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS 

line-height:150%">2.10.2. NEED FOR PROFESSIONAL CODE OF ETHICS FOR ACCOUNTANTS

line-height:150%">2.10.3. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF PROFESSIONAL CODE OF ETHICS:

line-height:150%">2.11.2. SAFEGUARD OF THE THREATS:

line-height:150%">2.14.1. IMPORTANCE OF FINANCIAL REPORTING

line-height:150%">2.14.2. THE QUALITY OF FINANCIAL REPORTING 

line-height:150%">

line-height:150%">CHAPTER THREE

line-height:150%">RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

line-height:150%">3.1    INTRODUCTION

line-height:150%">3.2  RESEARCH DESIGN

line-height:150%">3.3  METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION 

line-height:150%">3.4   TECHNIQUES OF DATA ANALYSIS.

line-height:150%">3.5.  AREA OF THE STUDY 

line-height:150%">3.6.  POPULATION OF THE STUDY

line-height:150%">3.7.  VALIDITY TEST

line-height:150%">

line-height:150%">

line-height:150%">CHAPTER FOUR

line-height:150%">PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

line-height:150%">4.0 INTRODUCTION:

line-height:150%">4.2 DATA ANALYSIS 

line-height:150%">4.3. DATA PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION

line-height:150%"> 

line-height:150%">CHAPTER FIVE

line-height:150%">SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

line-height:150%">5.0 INTRODUCTION

line-height:150%">5.1. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

line-height:150%">5.2. CONCLUSION

line-height:150%">5.3. RECOMMENDATIONS 

line-height:150%">REFERENCES

line-height:150%">