Abstract
Companies play a role in society that clearly goes beyond mere economic interest. Their contribution to social development and to the sustainability of the territory where they are located seems unquestionable. However, after the great financial scandals of companies such as ENRON, WorldCom or AHOLD, interest groups require accurate and transparent financial information. The development of more demanding financial reporting standards seems, however, not to have been up to scratch, since accounting fraud continues to be detected all over the world. The search, therefore, for possible causes that may induce companies to act unethically was the main motivation behind this research. To do this, a review of the literature in high-impact journals that has dealt with accounting fraud, covering the main lines of research, was carried out. The findings of the literature review highlight the importance of responsible corporate governance and good accounting practices, as well as the importance of certain psychological characteristics of managers and employees as enhancers of the lack of ethics. It is clear that the social cost of accounting fraud should be minimized, and governments should develop specific policies that combine responsible corporate governance in companies with the sustainability of their environment.
Highlights
In an increasingly commercialized world, the drive of companies directs social development and determines the evolution of sustainability in society and the environment
The auditing role continues to represent a greater guarantee against accounting fraud, especially when there is such little research work related to dissuasive measures, despite the enormous costs involved in this type of fraud [44]
This article contributes to the literature on accounting fraud through a review and analysis of 156 articles published in high-impact journals during the period 2000–2018
Summary
In an increasingly commercialized world, the drive of companies directs social development and determines the evolution of sustainability in society and the environment. A negative relationship has been found between the sustainable practices put in place by companies and fraudulent behavior [8] Following this approach, and as fraud is a very serious global, social and economic problem [9], the present document reviews the latest research related to accounting fraud, shedding light on the factors that induce managers to act unethically and other aspects on which the studies have focused. This literature review aims to help researchers better understand cutting-edge research trends in this area and can be used as a starting point for future research It allows the identification of personality traits that induce fraud, as well as knowing the most innovative detection technologies. The conclusions and lines of future research are provided
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