Is Ethical Education for Accounting Undergraduates Achieving its Goals - Research Proposal Example

Ethics Proposal: Student Name: Name of institution: Lecture; Date: 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Title Is ethical education for accounting undergraduates achieving its goals? 1.2 Introduction This study investigates the effectiveness of ethical education offered to undergraduate accounting and business students in the UK. It seeks to find out whether ethical competence can be gained through ethical education in the university setting. It also seeks to gain insight on how education influences the intention of accounting and business students to act ethically or unethically. Accounting ethics is a field that is concerned with ethical issues that are encountered in the business and accounting profession. Many of the ethical challenges faced by accounting professional come about because of an increasingly competitive and changing business environment. Accounting ethics are just a small part of business ethics, but accounting ethics issues include many of the issues in business ethics. Although accountants face many ethical challenges and dilemmas, they are still obliged by society to provide accurate and reliable financial information, fulfil their fiduciary relationships and safeguard the public from corporate greed. According to Senaratne (2013), for business and accounting students to deal effectively with ethical dilemmas they should be ethically competent and have adequate skills to handle ethical dilemmas. Therefore, ethical courses/modules should be an essential part of accounting curriculums in UK universities. Despite the importance of ethical courses, some scholars have claimed that ethical courses are unnecessary in accounting and business curriculums. Indeed ethical education is dispersed across other accounting modules and rarely is ethics taught continuously throughout an accounting student’s under-graduate or postgraduate course. This study seeks to show that courses and modules in information technology are essential in producing ethical accounting and business graduates. 1.3 Problem Statement Academic institutions, in particular business and accounting departments are obligated to educate accounting students on ethical issues and expected ethical standards. Students need clarification and description of ethical issues such as fraudulent financial reporting and theft. According to Yarahmadi and Bohloli (2015), ethical courses/modules within accounting undergraduate studies are underrepresented despite the importance of ethical conduct in the profession. Very few studies have been carried out to illustrate the importance of ethical modules and courses in promoting ethical competence among accounting and business students. The ethical issues and dilemmas that confront accountants demand critical reflection and well established ethical standards for the accounting profession. It is the responsibility of educational institutions to create an ethical framework and instill ethical competence among students. This will ensure business and accounting graduate will be trusted by society. This study will investigate how successful the present ethical modules/courses have been in instilling ethical competence. It will also seek to gauge the adequacy of the modules and course time set aside for teaching ethical education. 1.4 Aim of the Study The main aim of the proposed research is to investigate the efficacy of ethical education in UK universities and its effect on the ethical competence and awareness of students 1.5 objectives 1. To investigate whether ethical education is succeeding in imparting ethical competence and awareness among accounting students studying in UK universities. 2. To find out whether accounting and business departments of UK universities treat ethics as a core module in accounting and business studies. 3. To investigate whether ethics is taught as part of other accounting modules or as an independent module. 4. To determine the number of lecture hours dedicated to ethical education in business and accounting curriculums. 5. To investigate the teaching methods used to study ethics in UK universities. 4. To determine whether lecturers and students of accounting in UK universities understand the importance ethical education. 6. To determine whether they support the quest to make ethical education a core module/course in the accounting curriculum. Chapter Two: Literature Review This chapter reviews the works of various authors who have written on ethics and in particular the subject of ethical education in business and accounting schools. The literature review will present an account of previous research and theoretical perspectives on the subject of ethical education. This review begins by discussing the ethical issues and dilemmas faced by accounting professionals. It links these dilemmas and issues to the critical need for prioritization of ethical education in the accounting curriculum. The second part suggests how some of the aims of the research can be achieved in a higher educational setting. The review addresses some of these questions: How can ethical competence be nurtured and enhanced through education? Which methods should be used to deliver ethical education in institutions of higher learning? Can ethical education at the undergraduate level influence the ethical attitudes of accounting graduates? Why should ethic be taught? What are the challenges of teaching ethics to accounting undergraduates? 2.1 Defining Ethics A definition of ethics is a major starting point for a research project that deals with ethical education. According to Smith (2005), ethics is a reference to the practices, values, virtues and principles that distinguish what is wrong from what is right. Ethics basically set boundaries between what should be done and what should be abstained from. Zimbardo (2007) defines ethics as set of rules and practices that guide the conduct or individuals. On the other hand, Prasad (2013) refers to ethics as standards of morality and conduct. Prasad (2013) points out that individuals and society prescribe codes of behavior that are based on principles of determining what is wrong or right. Arguably, ethics is a reference to moral standards that are grounded in the notion of responsibility. Ethics maintain that individuals are responsible for the consequences of their actions and decisions. Ethics also emphasizes accountability; individuals, institutions and groups are held accountable for their actions. To a large extent ethical rules are codified to provide a mechanism for responsible conduct. However, individuals do not always act within the codified rules while some ethical rules and principles are hard to codify. This anomaly makes it necessary for ethical education to be taught in the education system of most countries. 2.2 Importance of ethics Ethics is important to human society as it serves several purposes. It is generally agreed that ethics is an effort to promote fairness and achieve human good. Ethics also enables the maintainace of order in the world. A world without rules would be too chaotic to support human existence. Arguably, a world where everyone is free to act as their wish would be full of war and chaos. Ethics also ensures that human flourish in their environment without overexploiting their resources. According to Zimbardo (2007), ethics has the following purposes: To reduce human suffering. To enhance human flourishing. To ensure society does not disintegrate. To ensure justice and order in conflict resolution. To assign reward, blame, praise, guilt and punishment. 2.3 The role of education in nurturing and enhancing Ethics Accounting and business professionals face many ethical challenges and dilemmas in their daily work. These professionals need to be exposed to ethical education to assist them to develop personal frameworks for ethical decision making. Very few studies have examined the impact ethical education has on the ethical orientation of business professionals. Most of these studies show that business courses are beneficial in nurturing ethical competence among business professionals. Unfortunately, one study presented findings that vindicated business students as being non-ethical than other classes of students. Other studies have indicated that ethical education has no effect on the ethical orientation of business students. However, most studies support the view that ethical education can influence the ethical orientation of business students. A study in 2006 found that exposure to ethical education changes the way people approach ethical situation and led to heightened awareness of what is wrong or right (Yu and Zhang 2006). Lunthar and Karri (2005) presented study results that indicate that ethical education help students link business outcomes to ethical practices. Students can change their ethical orientation if they regard ethical practice as having positive correlations to business outcomes. Unfortunately, some literature reports that ethical education only impact ethical decision making for a relatively short time. It has been argued that ethical competence and the likelihood to make ethical decisions fades with time after completion of the course. These findings are supported by Weeks et al (2005) which reported that exposure to unaddressed and uncorrected unethical conduct desensitizes people to ethical violations in the workplace. This may explain why business professional likelihood to address unethical practice weakens as time passes since leaving school. Weeks et al (2005) also reported that a person’s ethical orientation is unlikely to change with time. Instead, people become less ethically sensitive and are more willing to accept the unethical conduct of others. Can business schools teach ethical education that can influence the ethical decision making ability of business professionals throughout their careers? 2.4 Which methods should be used to deliver ethical education in institutions of higher learning? The argument on the most effective methods to effectively deliver ethical education has been explored by many authors. Allen et al (2005) presented findings that discourage emphasis on ethics in business textbooks as this has no effect on the ethical orientation of affected students. These findings support the view that incorporating ethics into other business courses is ineffective. Bodkin and Stevenson (2007) argue that educators should use the most effective methods to enable students understand the importance of ethical/unethical conduct and its impact in the society. Ethical education can therefore be said to be a course aimed at developing ethical competence and nurturing moral maturity. However, ethical competence is a complex context that needs more than theoretical education to impart. According Allen et all (2005), the most effective methods are those that factor in the cognitive, affective and social development of the student. Yu and Zhang (2006) argue that ethics can only be taught effectively by combining several teaching methods. These methods include group discussions, team education, case studies and role modeling (Fallis, 2007). However, the ultimate success of the above methods is dependant in the instructor. Yu and Zhang (2006) argues that instructors of high moral integrity are more effective teachers as students can look up to them as role models. The instructors must also use the teaching methods to cater for the social, cognitive and affective development of the student. 2.5 Why Teach Information Ethics? Accounting is one of the professions where high moral integrity is a critical requirement. Members of the accounting profession are obligated to maintain high moral standards as regard their relationship with employers, the public and their clients. In particular, accountants must desist from engaging in fraud and other dishonest practices. Indeed, accountants have been identified as culprits in corporate fraud, tax evasion and occasional theft (Staubus 2005). Accountants have also been found guilty of the unethical practice of assisting their companies to present misleading financial statements. The public places immense trust in members of the profession to deliver accurate and reliable financial statements regarding their companies. Accountants have a duty to their profession to act to the highest standards of integrity so that their profession can earn the respect of the public. Accountants are also fiduciaries who are authorized to act on behalf of clients. In fulfilling their fiduciary duty, accountants are obligated to observe the ethical values of honesty, objectivity, integrity and due care (Clarke and Dean 2015). According to Stephens, Vance and Pettigrew (2012), the accounting profession needs ethical standards that cannot be achieved by only staying within the legal limits of the profession. This level of ethical competence can be partially realized by exposing accountants to ethical education. Accountants have been adversely mentioned in connection to several world famous accounting scandals. According to Staubus (2005), accountants act unethically and fail to live up to the ethical obligation established by the public. Senaratne (2013) points out that the frequent cases of misconduct in the accounting profession can be linked to ethical incompetence among accounting professionals. Senratne (2013) argues that ethical education can assist accountants in coming up with a framework to apply when they face ethical dilemmas. He argues that ethical education should seek to influence the professional ethics, values and attitudes of undergraduate accounting students. Stephens, Vance and Pettigrew (2012) argue that undergraduate ethical courses are not enough to impart ethical competence. The authors argue that ethical education should be part of an accountant’s life-long learning. Indeed, a few hours of ethical courses will not enough to impart ethical competence. The rationale for lifelong learning comes from the fact that ethical awareness and positive ethical disposition ted to fade with time after completion of ethical education courses. Effective ethical education will impart business professionals with an understanding of the moral implication of unethical conduct (Stephens, Vance and Pettigrew 2012). One of the strongest arguments for ethical education is set out by Mastracchio, Jiménez-Angueira and Toth (2015). The three authors argue that man is born with no intrinsic values and needs ethical education to act ethically and gain values. He argues that true ethical action can only results from making individuals think and act ethically. Cumbo (2009) supports the view that people acquire values by learning and practicing the values. According to Binns (2009), students can be taught to think without bias. He notes that objective thinking and the absent of bias is the foundation of ethical decision making. Ethical education is crucial requirement in enabling students recognize the types of bias that affect ethical situations and dilemmas. In the views of Hartner (2015), ethical maturity can be achieved through adequate and effective ethical education. Ethically mature individuals can easily maneuver through the many complex moral dilemmas they are likely to encounter in their lives and careers. According to Binns (2009), ethically mature individuals make unbiased decisions and do not prioritize self-interest when making decisions. 2.6 Who should receive ethical education? The question of who should be taught ethical education is important. Carbo (2002) argues that ethical education should be taught to all undergraduates students. He argues that a change in ethical attitudes should be across all disciplines. Carbo (2002) indicates that effective ethical education should begin in the first year of study and last for the entire duration of studies. Carbo (2005) notes that people from all profession need to go through continuous ethical education during their undergraduate studies. In particular, undergraduate students need to learn information ethics which is a pressing issue in contemporary business environment. Chapter Three: Research Design 3.1 Methodologies This research will employ both qualitative and quantitative methodologies in achieving the desired research objectives. Content analysis will be used to gather the qualitative data for this research while a survey will be employed for the quantitative part of the research. 3.2 Data Gathering 3.2.1 Content Analysis Data about the content of ethical courses taught at sampled UK universities can be gathered using the content analysis method of data collection. Content analysis will enable the researcher to easily collect such information as number of hours dedicated to ethical courses, the teaching methodologies and course objectives. Content analysis is defined as a systematic and detailed analysis of written materials or other data sources with the aim of identifying themes, patterns or biases (Leedy and Ormrod 2005). Typical sources of data for contents analysis include newspapers, books, films, television, video tapes, music, and transcripts of conversation among other human forms of communication. According to Neuman (2006), content analysis is a non-reactive source of data as the author of the material that is analyzed is not aware of the analysis. Content analysis can provide a researcher with an in-depth understanding of the research question and help in the development of the quantitative part of the research study. 3.2.2 Survey Survey is a method of data collection used for explanatory, descriptive or exploratory purpose in research where individuals are the unit of analysis (Babbie 2005). In survey research, individuals serve as informants or respondents. Survey research is used to explain the relationship between the variable identified on the research (Zechmeister and Zechmeister 2006). In this research, surveys will be used to gather information about the ethical disposition, attitudes and values of undergraduate accounting students and members of business schools faculties. In this study, the survey will be used to gather both qualitative and quantitative data. The following procedure will be followed to make the most value out of the survey method of data collection: 1. A research problem(s) will first be identified and defined; 2. A carefully review of literature on the same problem will be undertaken; 3. The research will be design guided by insights obtained from the literature as regard sample, methods of data collection and data analysis; 4. A pilot study will be undertaken to test the adequacy of the research instruments employed in the research. The survey in this study will be executed using questionnaires which will be distributed to the sample of students and faculty members selected for the research. Sample The study will takes place in selected universities in the greater London and greater Manchester areas. Ideally, the study should have included all the universities that offer undergraduate accounting courses in the UK. However, time and cost limitations mean that only a small sample of universities from the two areas will be used for this study. Conclusion This research proposal clearly indicates there is need for ethical education for accounting undergraduates in the UK. The study seeks to provide evidence that such courses/modules are able to change the ethical orientation and awareness of students who enroll for them. Several studies provide evidence as to the effect of exposure to ethical education for business students. However, few studies seek to link ethical courses to changes in student’s attitudes and dispositions as regard ethical issues. This research is necessary to examine whether ethical education is achieving its desired goals in accounting undergraduate programs. It also seeks to explore the teaching methods employed in ethical education courses in sampled UK universities. References Allen,WR, Bacdayan, P, Kowalski, KB, & Roy, MH 2005, Examining the impact of ethics training on business student values. Education and Training, 47, 170-182. Babbie, ER 2005, The basics of social research, Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth Binns, J 2008, The ethics of relational leading: Gender matters, Gender, Work & Organization, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 600-620. Bodkin, CD, & Stevenson, TH 2007, University students’ perceptions regarding ethical marketing practices: Affecting change through instructional techniques. Journal of Business Ethics, 72, 207-228. Carbo, T 2005, "Information ethics education: A brief overview of current issues”, Computer Society of India Communications, Vol. 28, No. 12, 25-26. Clarke, F., & Dean, G 2015, A business ethos ‘par excellence’. The Routledge Companion to Financial Accounting Theory, 472. Cumbo, LJ 2009, Ethical leadership: The question for character, civility, and community,Current Reviews for Academic Libraries,vol. 47, no 4, pp. 726-726. Fallis, D 2007, Information ethics for twenty-first century library professionals. Library Hi Hartner, DF 2015, Should Ethics Courses Be More Practical?.TeachingEthics,vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 349-368. Leedy, P.D. &Omrod, JE 2005, Practical Research: Planning and Design 8th Ed. New Jersey Pearson Education Inc Luthar, HK, & Karri, R 2005, Exposure to ethics education and perception of linkage between organizational ethics behavior and business outcomes. Journal of Business Ethics, 61, 353-368. 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