The CFO'S Perspective

When it comes to ethics in accounting the data is in and the numbers aren’t pretty! According to a global study on ethics by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), 55% of accounting professionals surveyed said they have witnessed unethical behavior at some point in their careers and 25% said they have previously experienced pressure to act unethically. It’s no surprise then that 41% of respondents reported that ethical leadership and culture were top priorities at their organizations.

Sarah Lane, Head of Ethics and Assurance at ACCA responded to these findings in saying, “These insights underscore the need for robust ethical leadership and culture in organizations, and ongoing learning and development to support professional accountants in navigating these challenges.”

So, how can accounting and finance leaders combat these kinds of ethical challenges more effectively? Addressing today’s increasingly complex ethical issues requires strong leadership!

“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.”
- Alan K. Simpson

Originally published: 6/30/2021
Updated: 5/10/2024

Integrity in finance should be the foundation of a lasting bond between a business and its clients. Everyone wants to believe the promises that a company makes to them with respect to safeguarding their interests. But how many organizations can follow through on those promises? 

In an ideal world, we would have absolute trust in our financial institutions, advisors, and government regulators. Unfortunately, history and public sentiment tell us a different story. Sure, ethics and integrity still exist in finance. And those organizations are the ones that will consistently find success. 

Whenever I read about a company embroiled in accusations of fraud, my first thought is, "Where was the CFO?" As I've written, risk mitigation is a critical element of the CFOs' responsibilities. What could be riskier than being an officer of a company engaged in fraudulent activities?

Much is written about embezzlement or malfeasance, generally carried out by a single individual with access and need. While these cases can run into significant amounts of money, they are nothing compared to systemic fraud that the entire executive team of a corporation may carry out.

The success of an organization rests largely on the trust it creates with employees, customers, and the general public. According to a recent Gallup poll, “68% of adults globally and 60% of U.S. adults believe corruption is widespread among businesses in their country.”

It’s a bit disheartening to learn that over half of Americans might think poorly of your business, even if you’re one of the “good guys.” But how can you tell if your business really has integrity or if you just think it does? 

Just like with everything else, you figure out how to measure it. Getting a read on the integrity of your business might be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Here’s how you can measure the integrity of your business and why you should invest in the practice. 

Trust is like the air we breathe — when it’s present, nobody really notices. When it’s absent, everyone notices.”  — Warren Buffett

Integrity in business is an essential ingredient for sustainable, long-term, business growth and success. It can be hard to define and difficult to measure, but you know it when you see it, and it’s clear when it’s not there.