Effects of personal values on ethical judgments in an auditor-client conflict scenario: The case of Kenya

This study examines the effects of personal values on ethical judgments of auditors in Kenya in relation to an auditor-client conflict scenario. It utilizes Schwartz’s (1992) personal value theory and measures ethical judgments by using both single-items and the Multidimensional Ethics Measure developed by Reidenbach and Robin (1988, 1990). The results show some significant differences in the ethical judgments of auditors in Kenya when exposed to an auditor-client conflict scenario. Specifically, auditors who rank high on values such as universalism are likely to not resolve auditor-client conflicts by acceding to clients’ wishes because they perceive such behavior as unethical. In addition, auditors who rank low on power also perceive such behavior as unethical. As such, the results provide support for a relationship between specific values and ethical judgments in the context of auditor-client conflict scenarios.