Abstract
This study investigates the judgments made by accounting majors when confronted with selected ethical dilemmas that pertain to accounting practice. Drawing upon literature in philosophy and moral psychology, it then examines these judgments for potential gender differences. Five case studies, each involving a specific ethical dilemma that a practicing accountant might face, were administered to 151 acounting majors (males = 67; females = 84), in four sections of intermediate accounting II at a large, state university. The results suggest that although the vast majority of participants wouldnot engage in unethical behavior, a reasonable opportunity exists to improve the participants' ethical awareness. The results do not, however, support the existence of gender differences in ethical judgments.
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Keith G. Stanga is Distinguished Professor of Accounting at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His most recent publications include a book, Intermediate Accounting(3rd edition, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1989, 1486 pp.), and articles published in the Journal of Accountancy, Accounting and Business Research, Accounting Horizons,and Advances in Accounting.Professor Stanga's teaching and research interests are in financial accounting. His most recent research topics have included the relevance of segment cash flow reporting, the Financial Accounting Standards Board's conceptual framework, and the last-in, first-out method of inventory costing.
Richard A. Turpen is an Assistant Professor at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His primary teaching interest is in financial accounting, while his research focuses mainly on competitive issues in the market for audit services. Professor Turpen has published most recently in Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory.
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Stanga, K.G., Turpen, R.A. Ethical judgments on selected accounting issues: An empirical study. J Bus Ethics 10, 739–747 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00705708
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00705708