ACCOUNTING ETHICS AND ITS ROLE IN THE REDUCTION OF ACCOUNTING FRAUD

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to examine the role of accounting ethics in the reduction of accounting fraud. This study was guided by the following objectives: Analyze the effectiveness of existing accounting codes in the accounting practice today, Determine whether accounting ethics play an important role in the reduction of accounting fraud, Examine the effectiveness of accounting ethics education taught in universities, Investigate the effectiveness of the punishments served to offenders who commit accounting fraud. Data were primarily sourced through the administration of one hundred (100) questionnaire out of which same number (100) were found usable for the empirical analysis. The descriptive (frequency, mean and percentage) and inferential statistics (independent sample t-test) were adopted for the study’s analysis were applied in order to collect the required data. The findings revealed that robust ethical standards in accounting significantly aids in the reduction of accounting fraud. Furthermore, the study highlighted the crucial role of existing accounting codes in maintaining professional integrity among accountants.