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The Influence Of Perceived System Of Justice, Magnitude Of Consequences And Social Consensus On Ethical Decision-Making Among Professional Accountants In Nigeria

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The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences of the perceived system of justice, the magnitude of consequences, and social consensus on the ethical decision-making (EDM) process of professional accountants in Nigeria. This is aimed to provide empirical evidence on the moral imperatives of dilemmatic ethical situations that will guide appropriate actions towards improving the EDM process of professional accountants. The study uses a structured questionnaire containing four pre-tested vignettes of ethical dilemmas and measurement scales to obtain data from professional accountants, which are analysed using Pearson correlation matrix and multiple regression techniques. The results show that perceived system of justice (which is perceived to be less efficient as it should be) has a negative influence, while the magnitude of consequences and social consensus have positive influences on professional accountants' EDM process. The evidence provided in this study can be integrated into the ethics code for professional accountants. Professional accounting bodies such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) can use the findings of this study to enhance ethics instructions and training in educational settings. This study represents one of the first empirical attempts to relate professional accountants' perception of the Nigerian system of justice to their EDM processes, which has some implications for future theorisation on EDM.

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  • Sankay Oboh, Collins, 2020. "The Influence Of Perceived System Of Justice, Magnitude Of Consequences And Social Consensus On Ethical Decision-Making Among Professional Accountants In Nigeria," International Journal of Contemporary Accounting Issues-IJCAI (formerly International Journal of Accounting & Finance IJAF), The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), vol. 9(2), pages 46-73, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:ijafic:0040
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