94% of CAs believe spotting ethical failing is part of role, ICAS finds

Some 94% of chartered accountants believe calling out ethical failings is part of their role, according to findings from ICAS’ new ethical leadership insights series. 

It comes as the profession has an increasingly critical role to play in setting the standard for ethical behaviour in business.

The institute conducted interviews with a selection of high-profile chartered accountants across a range of business sectors and surveyed a cross-section of over 700 ICAS members to inform the report. 

Results highlighted that 42% of CAs think there has been a recent increase in ethical issues, as new technologies and changing societal attitudes reshape the modern business landscape. 

Alarmingly, a skill gap remains, with 39% admitting that they are somewhat or not very well-equipped to deal with these growing challenges. 

It was also found that the most common ethical issues faced by CAs are conflicts of interest (45%), workforce/employee issues (37%), and pressure to provide/accept misleading or false information (36%). 

However, younger CAs are slightly more confident tackling ethical dilemmas in the workplace, with 64% of those with less than 10 years qualification feeling extremely or very well equipped, compared to 61% of those with 10 to 30 years of experience – and 60% with over 30 years.  

The insights indicates that there is still work to be done to improve institutional support, with only 61% of CAs believing their organisations provide a supportive environment for raising ethical concerns.  

Alongside these statistics, the anecdotes shared in conversation with the series’ participants offer valuable wisdom to support CAs with managing discomfort, distinguishing ethics from legality, guidance for disclosures, and ethical leadership in the boardroom.  

Bruce Cartwright, chief executive of ICAS, said: “Ethical leadership is not just about knowing the rules, it’s about having the courage to do the right thing when it matters most. In line with the ICAS motto, ‘seek the truth’, we’re committed to empowering the accountancy profession to cultivate trust and act as ethical leaders. 

“One of the key themes emerging from our new ethical leadership insight series is the importance of seeking the perspective of others. We hope that by bringing together leading voices from across the profession to explore these issues, we can provide real-world perspectives that equip CAs to navigate challenging professional situations with confidence and purpose.”