ETHICAL ACCOUNTING PRACTICES AND FINANCIAL REPORTING QUALITY: EVIDENCE FROM LISTED FIRMS IN NIGERIA
Incessant widespread of corporate financial scandals have been matters of concern among corporate stakeholders. This has been largely attributed to unethical accounting practices across the globe in the last decade. This study examines the effect of ethical Accounting practices and financial reporting quality of listed manufacturing companies in Nigeria. Primary data were collected through self-administered questionnaire, the population of the study is two hundred and fifteen (215) practicing accountant of those listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria of which they have at least minimum of five (5) engagement partners in each firms from the totality of forty three (43) manufacturing companies, sample size is one hundred and forty (140), random sampling technique was employed and statistically analyzed using Multiple regression analysis Results of the study show that; integrity of accountants has positive significant relationship with financial reporting quality of the listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria; objectivity of accountants has positive significant relationship with financial reporting quality of the listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria; professional behavior was statistically significant and positively related with financial reporting quality of the listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The study concluded that, ethical Accounting practices affect financial reporting quality of the listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The study therefore recommended that professional Accountants should design more strategy that would encourage their members to continue abide by the ethical standards; and that the professional value system must be devoid of familiarity threat addressed to ethical standards.
