New development: The ethics of accounting information manipulation in the political arena

IMPACT: While both the academic literature and practice suggest that the use of accounting information is often not neutral, the factors behind a manipulative use of accounting information are under-researched—especially in the public sector context. This article is intended to stimulate the debate about ethical questions related to accounting information manipulation that are often neglected. The authors aim to increase awareness among politicians and public managers about the disputability, or even inappropriateness, of the accounting information they receive.