Ethical Challenges of Creative Accounting Practices in Nigeria
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Date
2016
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Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Maiduguri
Abstract
This study is an empirical investigation into creative accounting practices in Nigeria. It examines the debilitating effects of the practices on the truthfulness and fairness of financial statement and the quality of investment decisions. It also investigates the various motivations behind the practices, ranging from undue upward movement in share prices to improvement of debt rating, reduction of cost of borrowing, boosting of profit-based bonuses and avoidance of high taxes. The population comprised firms of chartered accountants and accountants in academic. The sample consisted of one hundred and ten respondents (accountants). The major instrument used for generating the data was a questionnaire, which was designed based on a jive-response option of Likert type scale. The data generated were analyzed through Generalized Least Square Technique (GLST). The study revealed that creative accounting practices have adverse effects on the quality of financial information. Based on the findings, it was recommended that corporate institutions should comply with the new International Financial Reporting Standard in order to reduce creative accounting practices. The introduction of punitive measures could also assist in curbing the act of creative accounting in Nigeria.
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Keywords
Auditing, Creative Accounting, Forensic Accounting, International Financial Reporting Standards