CPA Ethics and Governance 3rd Edition – 2020 (HD) Notes

These CPA Ethics and Governance 3rd Edition notes were updated in 2020. I’ve originally created these in 2018. But updated in 2020 according to the CPA Ethics and Governance 3rd edition following the study guide. These E&G notes are exam targeted. I’ve included an index at the beginning that includes module names and 4 depth sub headings. These index items are linked to the corresponding page. You can also use the module numbered headings to easily identify pages while reading.

All the modules and topics are covered. They are:

• Module 1 – Accounting and Society 1
• PART A: ACCOUNTANTS AS MEMBERS OF A PROFESSION (P.3) 1
• 1.1 – Public interest or self-interest? (p.3) 1
• 1.2 – Enlightened self-interest (p.6) 1
• 1.3 – Ideals of Accounting – Entrepreneurialism and Professionalism (p.6) 1
• 1.4 – What is a profession? (p.8) 1
• 1.5 – What is a professional? (p.10) 3
• 1.6 – The Accounting Profession – The ‘traditional view’ and the ‘market control’ view (p.11) 3
• 1.7 – Trust and professions (p.11) 3
• 1.8 – Attributes of a profession (p.12) 3
• 1.9 – The profession’s regulatory process (p.18) 5
• PART B: INTERACTION WITH SOCIETY (P.24) 9
• 1.10 – Accounting roles, activities and relationships (p.24) 9
• 1.11 – Social Impact of Accounting (p.31) 12
• 1.12 – Credibility of the profession (p.34) 12
• 1.13 – Capability Considerations (p.37) 13
• Module 2: Ethics (p.42) 15
• PART A: PROFESSIONAL ETHICS (P.43) 15
• 2.1 – Impact of Ethical or Unethical Decisions (p.43) 15
• 2.2 – Ethics – An Overview (p.44) 15
• 2.3 – Ethical challenges within the accounting profession (p.46) 15
• 2.4 – The Accounting Work Environment (p.48) 16
• PART B: ETHICAL THEORIES (P.51) 16
• 2.5 – Normative theories 16
• 2.6 – Teleological (consequential) theories (consequential) (p.52) 16
• 2.7 – Deontological Theories (Duty Based) (p.56) 18
• 2.8 – Virtue Ethics (p.58) 19
• PART C: APES 110 CODE OF ETHICS FOR PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANTS (P.60) 19
• 2.9 – The Public Interest – Ethics in Practice (p.61) 19
• 2.10 – APESB Code of Ethics (p.62) 20
• 2.11 – Examples of ethical failures by accountants (p.95) 30
• PART D: ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING (P.99) 30
• 2.12 – Factors influencing decision-making (p.100) 30
• 2.13 – Ethical Decision-Making Models (p.105) 32
• Module 3: Governance Concepts (p.114) 35
• PART A: CORPORATIONS (P.116) 35
• 3.1 – Key features of corporations (p.116) 35
• 3.2 – Directors and other officers (p.119) 35
• 3.3 – Nature of corporations and division of corporate powers (p.129) 37
• 3.4 – Theories of Corporate Governance (p.131) 37
• PART B: CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (P.148) 37
• 3.5 – Importance of governance 37
• 3.6 – Corporate governance framework (p.141) 37
• PART C: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (P.158) 37
• 3.7 – Global push for improved governance (p.158) 37
• 3.8 – Alternative international approaches to governance (p.161) 37
• PART D: CODES AND GUIDANCE (P.171) 37
• 3.9 – OECD Principles of Corporate Governance (p.171) 37
• 3.10 – UK Financial Reporting Council (FRC) Corporate Governance Code (p.176) 37
• 3.11 – ASX Corporate Governance Council’s Principles and Recommendations (p.178) 37
• PART E: NON-CORPORATES AND GOVERNANCE (P.187) 37
• 3.12 – Family-owned business and small to medium-sized enterprises (p.187) 37
• 3.13 – Not-for-profit organisations (p.190) 37
• 3.14 – Public sector enterprises (p.191) 37
• 3.15 – Significance of the non-corporate sector (p.195) 37
• Module 4 – Governance in Practice 37
• PART A: CORPORATE GOVERNANCE SUCCESS FACTORS (P.208) 37
• 4.1 – Mitigating the risk of financial failure 37
• 4.2 – Diversity – Fairness and Performance (p.216) 37
• 4.3 – Improving corporate governance (p.229) 37
• 4.4 – Governance issues in the non-corporate sector (p.231) 37
• PART B: OPERATIONAL OBLIGATIONS AND OVERSIGHT (P.237) 37
• 4.5 – The legal system (p.237) 37
• 4.6 – Obligations to employees 37
• 4.7 – Protecting the goods and services Market (p.247) 37
• PART C: PROTECTING FINANCIAL MARKETS AND VALUE IN CORPORATIONS (P.264) 37
• 4.8 – Role of Markets (p.265) 37
• 4.9 – Protecting financial markets (p.268) 37
• 4.10 – Representation (p.277) 37
• Module 5: Corporate Accountability (p.293) 37
• PART A: FINANCIAL REPORTING AND ITS LIMITATIONS (P.294) 37
• 5.1 – Scope of reporting (p.294) 37
• 5.2 – Elements of financial reporting (p.294) 37
• 5.3 – The practice of discounting Future cash flows (p.295) 37
• 5.4 – Relevance and faithful representation (p.296) 37
• 5.5 – Focus on short-term results (p.296) 37
• 5.6 – The entity assumption (p.297) 37
• PART B: THE CHANGING REPORTING LANDSCAPE (P.297) 37
• 5.7 – Global Financial Crisis (p.298) 37
• 5.8 – Incentives tying sustainability issues to maximising the value of the organisation and shareholder wealth (p.299) 37
• 5.9 – Socially responsible investments (p.302) 37
• 5.10 – Perceived corporate responsibilities and accountability (p.305) 37
• 5.11 – Corporate social responsibility 37
• 5.12 – Externalities, Potential Government Intervention and the role of Accounting (P.309) 37
• PART C: THEORIES LINKED TO CSR (P.313) 37
• 5.13 – Enlightened self-interest (p.313) 37
• 5.14 – Stakeholder Theory (p.314) 37
• 5.15 – Organisational legitimacy (p.315) 37
• 5.16 – Institutional theory (p.316) 37
• PART D: THE EMERGENCE OF CSR (P.319) 37
• 5.17 – Environmental sustainability (p.319) 37
• 5.18 – Social sustainability (p.320) 37
• 5.19 – Economic sustainability (p.321) 37
• 5.20 – Linking environmental, economic and social sustainability (p.322) 37
• 5.21 – The board’s responsibility for sustainability of the organisation and organisational initiatives (p.323) 37
• 5.22 – Introduction to the key concepts (p.324) 37
• 5.23 – What is measurable? (p.325) 37
• PART E: CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND CSR REPORTING (P.330) 37
• 5.24 – What is required? (Mandatory reporting) (p.330) 37
• 5.25 – Guidelines and non-mandatory reporting (p.336) 37
• 5.26 – Other initiatives (p.347) 37
• 5.27 – Surveys of Current Reporting Practice (p.352) 37
• 5.28 – Examples of best practice and innovative reporting 37
• PART F: CLIMATE CHANGE REPORTING (P.355) 37
• 5.29 – The International Response to Climate Change Risk (P.355) 37
• 5.30 – Climate change accounting techniques (p.356) 37
• 5.31 – Accounting for the levels of emissions (p. 357) 37
• 5.32 – Corporate governance and climate change (p.359) 37