2022 Symposium - The Impact of Global Pandemic, Specifically COVID 19, on Ethics, Professionalism and Judgement in Accounting and Financial Reporting
Toronto, April 28-29tj
The global pandemic, COVID 19, is having a significant impact on the global economy, society, social welfare and governments. Governments are implementing welfare programs for individuals and business. Business is responding with layoffs in some sectors and retooling and increased production in others. The crisis presents the opportunity for corporations to trade off ethical and societal outcomes against financial loss and/or gain. Firms may take significant ethical actions that enhance social welfare and/or they may undertake significant unethical actions given little possibility of detection (e.g., misreporting to government assistance programs and hiding underperformance and write-offs in financial reports). Not only will the effects of the crisis be felt in financial reporting but also in the weakening of managerial control systems, where working remotely without observation and employee absences may result in lapses in controls, decreases in data security and increased opportunities for fraud and misreporting. Both internal and external audit functions may be impaired by the new work environment and possible delays. All of these factors lead to a broad range of research questions focused on the effects of this crisis or future pandemics on corporate ethical practices faced by accounting during and after the pandemic encompassing management control, audit and financial reporting.
Guest speakers included:
José R Hernandez, Chief Executive Officer, Ortus Strategies
Zain Raheel, Partner, National Leader Forensics & Integrity Services
EY Toronto
Douglas Johnson, Chief Risk Officer (CRO) at Haventree
Papers Presented:
The Effect of Firms’ Information Exposure on Employee
Health: Evidence from COVID-19
Authors: Lisa Yao Liu, Columbia Business School and Shirley Lu, Harvard Business School (virtual attendance)
Academic Discussant: Jingjing Zhang, Associate Professor, Desautels School of Business, McGill University
Practitioner Discussant: Dennis Bonney, Alstom Canada
Exploring Improvisation in Audit Work through Auditor's Responses to COVID-19
Authors: Yi Luo, Bertrand Malsch, Queens University
Academic Discussant: Sara Wick, Assistant Professor, Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, University of Guelph
Practitioner Discussant: Tim Wilson CPA, CA Partner, Audit & Assurance, Deloitte
The Inherent Conflict Between Progressive Tax Rates and Income Inequity: Lessons from COVID-19 Restrictions
Author: Nathan Goldman, North Caroline State University, Stephen J. Lusch, Texas Christian University and Gil Sadka, University of Texas at Dallas
Academic Discussant: Jillian Adams, PhD student, University of Waterloo
Practitioner Discussant: Taylor Cao, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Technology during the Pandemic: Ethical Issues and Impact on Professional Accountants
Authors: Emilio Boulianne, Concordia University, Mélissa Fortin, UQAM and Annie Le Compte, UQAM
Academic Discussant: Regan Schmidt, Professor, Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan
Practitioner Discussant: Bryant Bamdoo, Partner KPMG LLP
2019 Symposium - The Impact of Technology on Ethics, Professionalism and Judgment in Accounting
Toronto, April 25-26th
Historically accounting researchers analyzed accounting decision making in terms of two distinct components (Gaa and Thorne, 2004): the technical and the ethical/professional. Increasingly technology is being adopted in order to enhance the effectiveness and accuracy of accounting decision making. While forecasts in this regard may well be exaggerated, some reports in the media and by PWC have suggested that by 2030 between 40 and 90 percent of all accounting functions will be replaced by technology (Newsweek, 2016; Fortune, 2017). This Thematic Symposium seeks to identify the extent to which technology influences both technical and ethical/professional decision making in accounting. What are the threats and the advantages of relying upon technology for the accounting profession and the public whose interest it is intended to protect?
Guest speakers included:
Jeff Lui, Director in Deloitte’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Practice; Jerrard Gaertner, Managed Analytic Services, Ryerson University, University of Toronto; Eric Cohen, Audit Data Standards, Blockchain, Continuous Audits; Brian Friedrich, International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA); Cathy Cobey, Ernst & Young, Global Trusted AI Advisory Leader.
Papers presented:
Complex Estimates and Auditor Reliance on Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Benjamin Commerford, Sean Dennis, Jennifer Joe, Jenny Wang
Academic Discussant: Tim Bauer, University of Waterloo
Practioner Discussant: Glenn Ives, Deloitte
How do Intelligent Agents Impact Managers’ Aggressive Reporting and Ownership of Responsibility?
Authors: Peter Kipp, Mary Curtis, Ziyin Li
Academic Discussant: Brian Shapiro, University of St Thomas
Practioner Discussant: Jerrard Gaertner, Managed Analytic Services, Ryerson University, University of Toronto
Black Box Analytics and Ethical Decision Making
Authors: Michael J. Davern, Pujawati Mariestha (Estha) Gondowijoyo, Pam Murphy
Academic Discussant: Leslie Berger, Wilfrid Laurier University
Practioner Discussant: Greg Shields, CPA Canada
Are Individuals More Willing to Lie to a Computer or a Human? Evidence from a Tax Compliance Setting
Authors: Ethan LaMothe, Donna Bobek
Academic Discussant: Jonathan Farrar, Ryerson University
Practioner Discussant: Bruce Ball, CPA Canada
2017 Symposium - Accounting Ethics and Regulation: SOX 15 Years Later
Toronto, April 20-21st
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is widely argued to be the most important piece of security legislation since the Securities and Exchange Commission was created in 1934. This symposium explored SOX 15 years later looking back at the effectiveness of this important regulatory change and asking whether the imposition of regulation such as this one actually promotes ethical behavior, especially given the events leading to the financial crisis of 2008. Accepted research papers with discussants’ comments will be published as a Thematic Symposium of an issue of the Journal of Business Ethics (JBE).
Guest speakers included:
David Brown, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Formerly the Ontario Securities Commission; Lori Holder-Webb, Western New England University; Neil Rostant, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers; Gordon Richardson, University of Toronto.
Papers Presented:
How Do Investors Respond to Restatements? Repairing Trust through Managerial Reputation and the Announcement of Corrective Actions
Presenter: Steve Kaplan, Arizona State University
Academic Discussant: Errol Osecki, York University
Practitioner Discussant: Pam Fowler, Ernst & Young
The Effects of Clawbacks on Auditors’ Risk Assessments and Propensity to Propose Restatements
Presenter: Jonathan S. Pyzoha, Assistant Professor, Miami University
Academic Discussant: Regan Schmidt, University of Saskatchewan
Practitioner Discussant: Jim Kopperson, CPAB
Do Executives Behave Better When Dishonesty is More Salient?
Presenter: David C. Cicero, Auburn University
Academic Discussant: Robin Roberts, University of Central Florida
The Impact of Sarbanes-Oxley on the Ethical Governance of Nonprofit Organizations
Presenter: Gregory D. Saxton, Schulich School of Business, York University
Academic Discussant: Tammy Waymire, Northern Illinois University
Practitioner Discussant: Richard Olfert, Deloitte
2015 Symposium - Accounting Professionalism
Toronto, April 16-18th
The Symposium explored both the core values and the continued status of the accounting profession. Since the financial crises of the first decade of this century, there has been increasing debate in the academic literature about the threats to accounting professionalism and questioning of what the expression professionalism itself now means. Accepted research papers with discussants’ comments were published as a Thematic Symposium of an issue of the Journal of Business Ethics (JBE).
Guest speakers included:
Ian Binnie, C.C., Q.C., Counsel at Lenczner Slaght, Toronto, retired Supreme Court of Canada judge; Stephen Zeff, Professor of Accounting, Rice University and member of the Accounting Hall of Fame; Allison Christians, Associate Professor, H. Heward Stikeman Chair in the Law of Taxation, McGill University; Peter van Dijk, Senior Vice President, Tax, TD Bank Group
Papers Presented:
Encouraging Professional Skepticism in the Industry Specialization Era
Presenter: Jonathan H. Grenier, Miami University
Academic Discussant: Helen Brown-Liburd, Rutgers University
Practitioner Discussant: Glenn Ives, Deloitte
Recognizing Ethical Issues: An Examination of Practicing Accountants and Accounting Students
Presenter: Krista Fiolleau, University of Waterloo
Academic Discussant: Dawn Massey, Fairfield University
Practitioner Discussant: Louise Lalonde, Magna International
A Theoretical Framework of Professional Accountant Identity Formation and Directions for Future Research
Presenter: François Brouard, Carleton University
Academic Discussant: Linda Thorne, York University
Practitioner Discussant: Jose Hernandez, Freeh Group
Does the Accounting Profession Discipline its Members Differently After Public Scrutiny?
Presenter: Regan Schmidt, University of Saskatchewan
Academic Discussant: Irene Gordon, Simon Fraser University
Practitioner Discussant: Jeremy Justin, CPAB
An Examination of the Public and Private Interest Rationales for the U.S. Public Accounting Profession’s Political Activity
Presenter: Robin W. Roberts, University of Central Florida
Academic Discussant: Vishal Baloria, Boston College
Practitioner Discussant: Mike Garvey
2013 Symposium - Tone at the Top
Toronto, April 18-20th
The Symposium brought together thought leaders from academia and business to explore and discuss the impact of "tone at the top" - the role of managerial values and intent in influencing governance issues. This event provided an opportunity to interact and share ideas throughout the symposium and discuss the challenges of accounting ethics and maintaining an appropriate tone at the top. Papers that were presented were published in a special issue of the Journal of Business Ethics, January 2015.
Guest panelists included:
Thomas Caldwell, Founder and Chairman, Caldwell Securities Ltd.;
Chris MacDonald, PhD, Philosopher and Ethicist, Ryerson University; Alan Broadbent, Chairman and CEO, Avanana Capital Corporation; James Appleyard, Chairman and CEO, Artez Interactive.
Papers presented:
Is Tone at the Top Associated with Financial Reporting Aggressiveness?
Presenter: Lorenzo Patelli, University of Denver
Academic Discussant: Greg Saxton, York University
Practitioner Discussant: Upkar Arora, Illumina Partners Inc.
The Influence of Regulatory Approach on Tone at the Top
Presenter: Bradley Lail, Baylor University
Academic Discussant: Don Finn, University of North Texas
Practitioner Discussant: Kam Grewal, CPAB
Ethical Climate, Social Responsibility and Earnings Management
Presenter: Will Shafer, Lingnan University
Academic Discussant: Mary Curtis, University of North Texas
Practitioner Discussant: Glenn Ives, Deloitte Canada
The Organizational Expression of Espoused Humanizing Values in Ethical Business and Financial Accounting Practices
Presenter: Brian Shapiro, University of St. Thomas
Academic Discussant: Ron Strauss, Montclair University
Practitioner Discussant: Louise Lalonde, Magna International
Bystander Effect, Wrongdoer Power Status, Reporting Channel Administration and Whistle-blowing Intentions
Presenter: Jingyu Gao, Washington State University
Academic Discussant: Steve Kaplan, Arizona State
Practitioner Discussant: Marion Kirsh, Ontario Securities Commission
An Examination of the Effect of CEO Social Ties and CEO Reputation on Non-Professional Investors’ Say-on-Pay Judgments
Presenter: Steve Kaplan, Arizona State University
Academic Discussant: Regan Schmidt, University of Saskatchewan
Practitioner Discussant: Mike Garvey