Accounting in crisis : a story of auditing, accounting, corporate governance and market failures

Recent accounting scandals are the product of multiple failings of auditing, accounting, corporate governance and of the market. In discussing the many factors that led to failure, this paper attempts to provide insights on regulatory inadequacies that contributed to these problems. At the centre is human failure – in particular greed and weakness. Reforms in progress are briefly examined, with the caveat that no reforms will ever fully cater for human weakness.