INTHEBLACK December 2023/January 2024 Special Edition - Flipbook - Page 19
POST-TRUTH ERA
SKILLS FOR
ACCOUNTANTS
As the workplace and society are reshaped by
both technology and the notion of “post-truth”,
accountants need the right skills to navigate the
changing landscape.
WORDS MEGAN BREEN
I
n the “post-truth” era, objective facts can be
overshadowed by misinformation, manipulation
and personal beliefs. More than ever, accountants
need skills in three key areas – ethics, critical
thinking and trust.
Developing skills in each of these areas has long been
fundamental to the accounting profession. However,
new challenges are emerging alongside technological
advancement, which indicate that they should be
front-of-mind when acting as trusted advisers.
1. TRUST AND TRUSTWORTHINESS
Globally, public trust is on a downward trend. Each
year, communications firm Edelman surveys 32,000
people from 28 countries, to gauge their level of
trust in governments and institutions.
The 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer report for
Australia shows that 45 per cent of respondents trust
the government to do the right thing – a 7 per cent
drop since the previous year. In addition, only
54 per cent trust businesses and 53 per cent trust
non-government organisations, with the figures
trending downwards in both categories. Australia’s
overall trust score for 2023 is 48 per cent, down from
53 per cent in 2022.
The picture is similar in Malaysia, where overall
trust dropped from 66 per cent in 2022 to 62 per cent
in 2023. Likewise, in South Korea, overall trust
dropped from 42 per cent in 2022 to 36 per cent
in 2023.
Accountants rely on trust and credibility to perform
their roles effectively, says Dr Simon Longstaff AO FCPA,
executive director at The Ethics Centre.
To gain trust, it is important to publicly declare the
standard by which conduct is going to be judged,
and act accordingly, he adds.
STRATEGIC UPSKILLING intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au 19
