By Joan Abaasa
Communications Intern, ICPAU
CPA Arnold Ahereza, a partner at Ardenfield has emphasised the significance of organisational culture as a strategic priority for accounting firms.
“Culture should be a strategic priority for all firms, as audit quality gaps cannot be addressed by training and standards alone,” CPA Ahereza noted.
He was delivering a presentation on Culture, Challenges, Trust & Transformation at the Practitioners' Forum held on 26 October 2023 at the Imperial Royale Hotel.
CPA Ahereza defined culture as an intangible factor that guides the actions, communication, and tools used by a group of people to achieve a common goal. He addressed the challenges faced by accounting firms, primarily the challenge of manpower and the critical issue of employee retention and
emphasised the importance of building a culture that encourages employees to speak up when things are not right, fostering an environment of accountability and information sharing rather than guilt-tripping.
“Employers should establish a culture where staff can confidently voice their concerns and grievances,” he noted.
“The culture should be collaborative, results-oriented, and focused on independence and expertise,” he added.
According to CPA Ahereza, there is a need for comprehensive training, focusing on critical thinking and the art of asking questions. Accounting firms should balance standardised audit procedures with critical thinking and judgement. The culture of accounting firms should prioritise love, trust, fairness, humility, and fundamental moral values.
Furthermore, he discussed the role of the regulator, emphasising the importance of engagement with firms to improve culture and behaviour. He advocated for a just culture that focuses on understanding the root causes of issues rather than assigning blame, and challenged firms to learn from their mistakes.
The Forum was organised by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda and it gathered practitioners and staff of licensed accounting firms.
