Answer the following questions on ethics by conducting research using the library and/or internet and reflecting on your knowledge of ethics, your life experiences and beliefs. 

(a) What does the word ‘ethics’ mean and what is its origin (e.g. does the word come from a Latin or Greek word)?

(b) Now that you have a definition of ethics, explain in your own words what is considered ‘ethical behaviour’.

(c) List five criteria you feel would indicate that an accountant was behaving ethically. Two examples of criteria are (i) the accountant has respect for the law and (ii) the accountant acts with discretion, i.e. not revealing private business affairs to outside parties.

(d) What are the ‘costs’, both personal and financial, of unethical behaviour?

(e) Provide an example from your own life experiences to illustrate how someone has behaved unethically in relation to you or with someone you know.