Unethical Practices and Behavior in Accounting Essay

The Sarbanes-Oxley Work of 2002 (SOX) is made to prevent deceptive financial activities, and to give investors with an increase of accurate money on corporations. Under SOX, companies are organised accountable if they fail to maintain the requirements that were set forth in the action. The work requires businesses to maintain sufficient internal control measures, give responsible financial reports, disclose periodic studies, and set up rules intended for annual confirming. (Hazels, 2010) These requirements are all portion of the Generally Acknowledged Accounting Guidelines (GAAP). Businesses and accounting firms should have already been practicing these concepts to uphold ethical patterns.

However , the governing systems charged with monitoring of corporate budget as well as all their practices had been outdated which necessitated the reforms layed out in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act’s Effect on Economic Statements The Sarbanes-Oxley Work of 2002 has several sections that effect financial statements, confirming of budget, and other requirements that are placed on organizations. Section 302 offers corporate responsibility for economic reports.

It requires the fact that principal executive officer or perhaps officers plus the principal monetary officer or perhaps officers, or persons performing similar capabilities, certify in each annual or sydney filed or perhaps submitted the fact that signing expert reviewed the report, that based on that officer’s understanding, the statements contain not any fraudulent or perhaps misleading details, that the economic statements and also other financial details fairly present all material aspects of the financial conditions and benefits of operation and that the affixing your signature to officers include disclosed any kind of fraud, material or not, to auditors and the audit committee. (Hazels, 2010) There are additional sections of SOX that handles establishing rules for organizations in regards to their annual reporting and routine reporting. Economic statements and reporting would be the backbone of communicating the financial overall health of a firm to investors, creditors, and the general public.

This is exactly why there is a higher level of importance on the effect the Sarbanes-Oxley Action has on economical statements and reporting. The Brooke Firm The Sarbanes-Oxley Act continues to be under much deliberation. Actually many create the question in the event that SOX is usually even effective in creating ethical patterns and ethics in businesses. One example is to look at The Brooke Corporation, who have so far prevented having virtually any SOX violations raised against them although they clearly violated several parts of the act. The corporation knowingly falsified and manipulated documents, misappropriated money, and did not have adequate internal control methods set up.

The BNY case might appear more apparent as one of the accusations clearly made is the case is that Brooke and its elderly management knowingly manipulated monetary statements. Additionally , Mr. Orr could be liable in his personal case in the event he would, indeed, misappropriate funds through the company as he would be putting your signature on financial transactions knowing that they can be false as they has considered funds in the company. (Hazels, 2010) All of these circumstances led to dishonest practices and behavior inside the corporation’s accounting practices. The situations that led to underhanded practices and behavior might have been prevented if the company got the proper inside controls in place. The company did not create and foster a control environment.

The managing of the firm did not set up a culture by which unethical tendencies will not be tolerated, and they would not place a top quality on sincerity. This is illustrated by the simple fact there are allegations against Mr. Orr, the proprietor, for misappropriating funds. The corporation also did not properly make use of risk assessment, control actions, information and communication, and monitoring techniques.

If the firm had the proper checks and balances in position, then Mister. Orr may not have had all the various job headings ranging from owner, CFO, CEO, Chairman with the Board, and Director. They can have also recently had an auditor set up to review the financial transactions and approve them.

It is important that corporations keep adequate inner control methods so that they stop situations that lead to unethical methods and behavior in accounting.