The Effect of Accounting Ethics on Multiple Ethical Frameworks

The purpose of the present study is to enhance understanding of ethical frameworks and professional behavioral codes as well as how to use them in moral decision making. This practical research is a descriptive survey. The data collection tool was a questionnaire and the population under study were higher education students at universities in the province of Golestan from October to November 2021. 239 questionnaires were received from the population under study. First, the data were recorded in Excel and then, the relation between variables of the two hypotheses were analyzed by Smart PLS (version 3) and structural equation models. Regulations of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants, as professional codes for accountants, and Cheating Diamond, as decision making power of the accountants, are significantly effective in multiple ethical frameworks of accounting. In the accounting profession, moral issues are of great importance so that sensitivity level to active groups in this field, from the view of ethical and professional-behavioral codes, is doubled. Mutual relationship between society and profession creates a condition that should inevitably be obedient to accurate regulations to raise awareness of both groups to each other's rights. Since accountants are more exposed to professional codes and frameworks, they should behave as if they are observing global ethical laws. Therefore, accountants are obliged to obey some basic principles such as honesty, objectivity, professional qualification, required accuracy, confidentiality, and professional behavior.