As the financial controller of Trustova, you are responsible for preparing the annual financial reports of the company. The company has not performed well this year. The directors of the company have approached you with the suggestion that you use creative accounting practices to dress up the financial performance and position of the company so that the shareholders are kept happy. The directors point out that it is important that your role as financial controller of the company is not compromised by the provision of an unfavourable annual report for the Annual General Meeting of the company. You take this as a directive that you must show in the annual reports that the company is in a better financial position than it really is in. What should you do?

Required: Use the ethical decision-making model to critically evaluate the appropriate ethical action that should have been taken in the above case.