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The impact of perceived ethical intensity on audit-quality-threatening behaviours

Author

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  • Breda Sweeney
  • Bernard Pierce
  • Donald F. Arnold

Abstract

Although there has been significant interest among researchers in audit-quality-threatening behaviours (QTBs), the decision process through which staff auditors engage in those behaviours has received relatively little attention. It seems likely that the ethical intensity of the behaviours perceived by auditors may play an important role in that process; to date, this has not been tested. This study examines the mediating role of perceived ethical intensity in the relationship between perceived ethical culture of the firm and the auditors' ethical evaluation of, and intention to engage in, three different forms of QTBs. A multi-item measure of ethical intensity is developed and the findings provide the first empirical evidence of a direct relationship between perceived ethical intensity and ethical decision-making regarding QTBs. Moreover, the findings show that perceived ethical intensity fully mediates the relationship between perceived ethical culture and ethical decision-making. Implications of the findings for accounting firms and for researchers are discussed and areas for future research on the mediating role of perceived ethical intensity are suggested in the paper.

Suggested Citation

  • Breda Sweeney & Bernard Pierce & Donald F. Arnold, 2013. "The impact of perceived ethical intensity on audit-quality-threatening behaviours," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(2), pages 112-137, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:acctbr:v:43:y:2013:i:2:p:112-137
    DOI: 10.1080/00014788.2013.771571
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    Cited by:

    1. Laurence Daoust & Bertrand Malsch, 2020. "When the Client Is A Former Auditor: Auditees' Expert Knowledge and Social Capital as Threats to Staff Auditors' Operational Independence†," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(3), pages 1333-1369, September.
    2. Agarwalla, Sobhesh Kumar & Desai, Naman & Tripathy, Arindam, 2017. "The impact of self-deception and professional skepticism on perceptions of ethicality," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 85-93.
    3. Philmore Alleyne & Mohammad Hudaib & Roszaini Haniffa, 2018. "The Moderating Role of Perceived Organisational Support in Breaking the Silence of Public Accountants," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 147(3), pages 509-527, February.

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