You were previously an auditor with a large accounting firm that had very clear policies to guide staff in relation to interactions with clients. You have, however, embarked on your own auditing firm and are currently in the process of building, although slowly, your own client base. This has not been as easy as you thought it would be. While you are technically very experienced, you underestimated the time and skills required to build up you client base. Essentially you are not really a sales person and have difficulty getting access to potential clients and then winning them over. The result so far is that your income is not as good as you hoped. You could probably live with this for a while, but your parents have been putting a lot pressure on you to get married in the next year and to settle down. This of course includes buying a house. Recently a personal contact of yours has been able to secure a meeting with a young, and very successful, entrepreneur. He is about your age and, when you met in person, you found that you got on really well and shared similar sporting interests. You are both interested in football and your contact has invited you twice to the VIP’s stand of King Fahad stadium, sending you work after each occasion. It is now 2 weeks before the UEFA Champions League Final, and you have received an invitation to fly to Madrid on his private plane and attend the Final. Also included is accommodation in one of Madrid’s most luxurious hotels. You know you would have a really good time and are keen to go and meet new people. 1. Why is this a tricky situation and what ethical principle might be eroded? 2. Of the five threats to independence described in this chapter, which threat does this situation pose? 3. What guideline would you use for determining whether to accept the invitation to Madrid?