MyCIMA

Is 'integrity' at the core of professional behaviour?

Posted: Thursday 21 January 2010 by Danielle Cohen
Replies : 5
Keywords: code of ethics, ethics, integrity

The European Federation of Accountants (FEE) believes integrity is the core principle of professional behaviour. Their latest discussion paper seeks to promote a debate about the importance of integrity in the accountancy profession - and business in general. Let us know what you think here.

 

Danielle

Posted by Cliff Moggs on Thursday 21 January 2010 19:30
Would you like me to post the submission I have made to the FEE? Is there enough 'file' space. Let me know, thanks CM

Factual approach

Posted by Cliff Moggs on Friday 22 January 2010 19:31
Management accountancy thrives on the factual approach.(Organisations perform more effectively when all interrelated activities are understood and systematically managed and decisions concerning current operations and planned improvements are made using reliable information). An essential attribute in the answer to any question is the truth. Integrity: honesty, principle, honour, virtue, goodness, morality, purity, righteousness, probity, rectitude, truthfulness, trustworthiness, incorruptibility, uprightness, scrupulousness, reputability (Opposite = dishonesty). CIMA’s motto is ‘honesty accuracy justice’. Amplifying ‘justice’, fairness, equity, reasonableness, justness, rightfulness, right (Opposite = injustice). Professional bodies in being the representatives of its members must demonstrate this expectation.Failings occur and apologies are acceptable but even this requires truthfulness. Regards Cliff Moggs

This could be the way to go...

Posted by Adrian Rutter on Wednesday 03 February 2010 12:06

Danielle, after reading your piece in FM this month, along with Aubrey's on a similar theme, I'm beginning to think that this might just be the core of the profession not just of professional behaviour.

You may be aware that George Osborne (the Shadow Chancellor) suggests we should have an "Office for Budget Responsibility" to keep an independent eye on government fiscal reporting and forecasting. Robert Chote (of the Institute for Fiscal Studies) and Lord Turnbull (former Cabinet Secretary) both back the plan.

When so many of the world's economic disasters and pratfalls come from dishonesty at worst and the use of unreliable data at best, perhaps it's time to give "honesty accuracy justice" a much higher profile in our syllabus, exams and professional lives. (The formal motto doesn't seem to be anywhere on cimaglobal.com, I had to go right back to my membership letter to confirm Cliff's translation, and perhaps "impartiality" is a better translation of the modern sense of 'Justitia'.) Granted the first two are much easier (and less subjective!) than the third, but they're a pretty good start.

BTW isn't it a little unfortunate, or maybe slightly Freudian, that the European Federation of Accountants call themselves "FEE"? They should have stuck with EFA, perhaps ...

The theme?

Posted by Cliff Moggs on Thursday 04 February 2010 19:11
In April 2007 the ICAEW released a (free) paperback “Reporting with integrity” followed in June 2009 with a pamphlet “Instilling integrity in organisations”. This latter issue can become the ‘requirements’ within a management system to ‘instil integrity’. Personally both of the ICAEW publications are fine and if coupled with the requirements of ISO 9001, which is founded on principles including openness and transparency, tell the truth etc. achieves ‘one system’ for all levels of the hierarchy. There are no exceptions. (Note pursuit of IS0 9001 does not require seeking ‘certification’ anyone can apply the standard for only the purchase of the standard – cost say £80). The framework of the standard being principled base makes it a comprehensive guide for example, establishing the requirement within ‘strategy’ of ‘the promotion of integrity to be an integral part of our strategies’; ‘strategy should not be interpreted in short-term performance targets which may encourage behaviour which lacks integrity’.We have the ICAEW promoting, ‘Report with integrity’ and CIMA with ‘Report leadership’…..looking forward to CIMA’s Annual Review for 2009. Cliff Moggs

CIMA's motto

Posted by Cliff Moggs on Thursday 04 February 2010 19:12
Following the highlight of CIMA’s motto, ‘honesty accuracy justice’ if one has kept the Sept 2008 edition of FM page 65 contains a ‘report’’, “The CIMA award of arms explained”. Cliff Moggs