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strategic apex must
not lose sight of this accountability
. All managers have a 
duty of faithful service
to the external purpose 
of the organisation and this lies most heavily on the shoulders of those at the strategic apex. 

 
Ethics and morality are about right and wrong behaviour. Western thinking about ethics tends to be 
based on ideas about 
duty
and 
consequences
. Unfortunately, such thinking often fails to indicate a 
single clear course of action. Ethical thinking is also influenced by the concepts of 
virtue
and 
rights
. 

 
Ethical conduct by all members should be a major concern for management. Inside the organisation, a 
compliance-based
approach highlights 
conformity with the law
. An 
integrity-based
approach suggests a 
wider remit
, incorporating ethics in the organisation's 
values and culture
. Organisations sometimes 
issue codes of conduct to employees. Many employees are bound by professional codes of conduct. 

 
As an accountant, your values and attitudes 
flow through
everything you do professionally. They 
contribute to the 
trust
the wider community puts in the profession and the 
perception
it has of it. 

 
The 
International Federation of Accountants
(IFAC) is an international body representing all the major 
accountancy bodies across the world. Its mission is to develop the 
high standards
of professional 
accountants and enhance the quality of services they provide. 

 
The personal qualities that an accountant should demonstrate are: 
– Reliability 
– Courtesy 
– Responsibility 
– Respect 
– Timeliness 

 
The professional qualities an accountant should demonstrate are: 
– Independence 
– Accountability 
– Scepticism 
– Social 
responsibility 
