회계부정방지를 위한 교육의 필요성과 교육방향

Abstract

The recent accounting scandals of Busan Savings Bank and Korea Post have drawn public attention to accounting fraud as a social issue. Corporate accounting scandal not only causes enormous damages to the stakeholders of the corporation, but also it undermines the effectiveness of the capital market. Many accounting systems have been improved and relevant laws have been enacted and amended to prevent accounting frauds. Nevertheless, accounting fraud is being blamed as a major factor that undermines the effectiveness of the capital market until now. There are three main causes of corporate accounting fraud; first, the institutional mechanisms designed to prevent accounting frauds is inadequate; second, legal punishment for accounting fraud is mild; and third, participants of the capital market lack awareness of accounting fraud. Lack of awareness about accounting fraud not only increases the possibility of accounting fraud, but it also decreases the possibility of exposure of the accounting fraud. Against the backdrop of the foregoing reality, this study examines if university students who are the potential participants in the capital market agree on the need for accounting fraud education to prevent accounting frauds by conducting a survey. Also, it analyzes the causes and the methods of accounting frauds by reviewing the previous studies and related materials on accounting scandals. In addition, it investigates how well the university students are aware about the methods of accounting irregularities. Furthermore, this study suggests the direction for the accounting fraud education by examining the signs of the accounting scandals and the methods of preventing accounting fraud. In other words, the purpose of this study is not only to confirm the need for accounting fraud education, but also to suggest specific details to be learned through the accounting fraud education. According to the result of the survey, the university students agreed on the need for accounting fraud education, and they believed that the accounting fraud education would be helpful in improving the reliability of accounting information. Also, the university students were willing to take the accounting fraud education, and they thought the accounting fraud education would be helpful to them in finding an accounting-related job. Lastly, the university students assumed corporate accounting scandals would highly likely happen, but the accounting scandals would be unlikely exposed. This survey result implies that the fraud accounting education should not only teach the detailed methods of accounting irregularities, but also should teach how to prevent and uncover corporate accounting scandals. University students are the primary targets of the accounting fraud education. Therefore, examining how well the students are aware of corporate accounting scandals will be a useful material in determining the direction of the accounting fraud education. In other words, the direction of the accounting fraud education suggested by this study can be used by the government and the university as reference material in making policies for the accounting fraud education. Based on this study, further discussion and additional studies are expected to be conducted for implementation and settlement of the accounting fraud education.