A. Mitchell et al., ETHICAL STATEMENTS AS SMOKESCREENS FOR SECTIONAL INTERESTS - THE CASEOF THE UK ACCOUNTANCY PROFESSION, Journal of business ethics, 13(1), 1994, pp. 39-51
The UK accountancy industry has traded upon its professional status as
a means of expanding and legitimating its activities. Extensive appea
ls are made to ethical codes and disciplinary arrangements as part of
its claim to professional status. This study examines some recent even
ts relating to audit failures and alleged unprofessional conduct by ac
countancy firms and their partners in the UK with a view to assessing
the validity of the claims to professional status. it concludes that t
he rhetoric of the claims is belied by the failure/inability of the pr
ofessional accountancy bodies to take effective action against the off
ending firms or their partners.