At the time, it seemed like employees had little need to worry. PGE assured its employees with sunny words that Enron was doing well, and employees saw their investment portfolios growing. hey felt assured that their futures were secure. After all, in August 2000, Enron's stock was $90.56. All of that changed in 2001.
he creators of Enron's house of cards were punished, but that is of little comfort to the individuals whose fates and futures were unwittingly ground under the wheels of history. hey did everything right except trusting the wrong people, people who smiled and told them the stock was high, and to pay no attention to the men telling lies behind the curtains of accounting shenanigans. But no matter how harshly the perpetrators of the Enron fraud are punished, it is PGE employees will never recover what they lost.
Recently, I read of a New Jersey high school…...
mlaThe ordinary employees had no idea that PGE had joined the fortunes and the future of every employee with what would become one of the most notorious, fraudulent companies in American business history. At the time, it seemed like employees had little need to worry. PGE assured its employees with sunny words that Enron was doing well, and employees saw their investment portfolios growing. They felt assured that their futures were secure. After all, in August 2000, Enron's stock was $90.56. All of that changed in 2001.
The creators of Enron's house of cards were punished, but that is of little comfort to the individuals whose fates and futures were unwittingly ground under the wheels of history. They did everything right except trusting the wrong people, people who smiled and told them the stock was high, and to pay no attention to the men telling lies behind the curtains of accounting shenanigans. But no matter how harshly the perpetrators of the Enron fraud are punished, it is PGE employees will never recover what they lost.
Recently, I read of a New Jersey high school valedictorian whose acceptance to Harvard had been rescinded because of evidence she had plagiarized while a student. How could she have thought she could have gotten away with it, asked the newspapers? I knew it was arrogance -- the arrogance of assuming that because you have a little knowledge, even if it is only the knowledge of how to cheat, you are above the law and that your actions have no consequences.
Ethical Violations - Politics
Unethical political behaviors include: breaching the public trust by manipulating facts; favoring a policy that harms the public interest; profiting personally when public tax dollars are in play; or using one's political position for personal gain.
The Union of Concern Scientists (UCS) issued a report in 2004 that accuses the George . Bush Administration of conducting a "…well-established pattern of suppression and distortion of scientific findings by high-ranking Bush… political appointees across numerous federal agencies." (Over 5,300 scientists signed a statement agreeing with the UCS findings.)
For ONE example, the following scientific studies were either censored or had key facts removed by the Bush Administration prior to release to the media and the public: air pollution; "heat-trapping emissions"; "reproductive health"; "drug resistant bacteria"; "endangered species"; "forest health" and "military intelligence" (UCS). This is an enormously unethical policy. hy would the Bush Administration censor science on heat-trapping emissions? Likely because…...
mlaWorks Cited
Cornell University. (2004). The way the Bush administration operates. Retrieved December 28,
2012, from http://www.cs.cornell.edu .
Google. (2010). Investor Relations / Code of Conduct. Retrieved December 28, 2012, from http://investor.google.com .
Lillis, Mike. (2011). Hill Poll: Politicians, Congress unethical -- and getting worse. The Hill.
Lessons from Ethical Violations in Public AccountingPublic accounting is a field faced with ethical issues similar to any area of practice. Unethical practices in accounting are often motivated by management greed, incentives, bonus, management pressure, and more. These practices only lead to short-term gains (Finn, Chonko & Hunt, 1988). The long-term impacts are usually negative consequences. Ethical behavior and practices are critical aspects of good accounting. Accounting regulations and rules exist to ensure that users stay objective as they make decisions by utilizing accurate financial statements at the end of business operations and practices. The AICPA is the primary body that guides accountants in the public sector. The IIA and the IMA govern accountants and auditors in the private sector. This paper is a case study of a South African firm involved in a scandal due to ethical violations, and the impacts of the negative publicity were detrimental. The case…...
mlaReferences
Finn, D. W., Chonko, L. B., & Hunt, S. D. (1988). Ethical problems in public accounting: The view from the top. Journal of business ethics, 7(8), 605-615.
Holtzblatt, M. A., Foltin, C., & Tschakert, N. (2020). Learning from Ethical Violations in Public Accounting: A South African Audit Scandal and a Firm’s Transformation. Issues in Accounting Education, 35(2), 37-63.
Police Use 'Fake News' in Sting Aimed at California Gang," ABC news reporter Melley (2016) describes a recent and unusual tactic used by Santa Monica Police Chief alph Martin. The story details how Police Chief Martin issued a press release that was picked up by the Santa Monica Sun. The press release said that two gang members had been arrested. It later turned out the press release was false, issued by the Police Chief in order to entrap other members of the gang. Investigators later deemed the fake press release legal, even if it does raise serious ethical issues about the behavior of the Chief of Police. "There was nothing illegal about what police did, but it could raise questions about the department's future credibility," said one journalism professor interviewed for the story (Melley, 2016). Harming the credibility of the police could in itself be considered a significant ethical…...
mlaReferences
Grant, J.K. (2002). Ethics and law enforcement. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 71(2): 11-14.
Melley, B. (2016). Police Use 'Fake News' in Sting Aimed at California Gang." ABC News. 3 Dec, 2016. Retrieved online: http://abcnews.go.com/U.S./wireStory/police-fake-news-sting-aimed-california-gang-43949543
United States Department of Justice (2016). Ethics and integrity. Retrieved online: https://cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=2469
Ethical Violations - South African Audit ScandalIntroductionBrowning, Levin, & Wolod is interested in expanding accounting and auditing services to Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, and south Africa. The introduction of international operations into the organization creates new opportunities that can be leveraged by the organization to generate revenue and new risks that can be mitigated by training the recruits accordingly (Minh Duc et al., 2019). The KPMG case is recognized internationally for the egregious violation of accounting and auditing professional codes of conduct. The training process of the auditors and accountants who will be involved in the international operations will focus on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Code of Professional Conduct, South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Code of Professional Conduct, and International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (Schilder, 2017). The KPMG SA was selected since it encompasses comprehensive auditing and accounting professional…...
mlaReferencesAbdullah, Z., Almsafir, M., & Al-Smadi, A. (2015). Transparency and Reliability in Financial Statement: Do They Exist? Evidence from Malaysia. Open Journal Of Accounting, 04(04), 29-43. I. (2018). The audit profession needs a New Dawn. Daily Maverick. Retrieved 25 October 2021, from https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2018-03-19-audit-profession-needs-a-new-dawn/ .BBC News. (2017). B.T. Italy scandal prompts auditing probe. BBC News. Retrieved 26 October 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/business-40441128 .Dimitriu, R. (2017). Auditor Independence: Lessons from KPMG South Africa & Other Scandals. sustainalytics.com. Retrieved 25 October 2021, from https://www.sustainalytics.com/esg-research/resource/investors-esg-blog/auditor-independence-lessons-from-kpmg-south-africa-other-scandals .Erah, D., Izedonmi, F., & Onwuchekwa, J. (2012). Mandatory Audit Rotation and Audit Independence: Survey of Southern Nigeria. Research Journal Of Finance And Accounting, 3(7). Retrieved 25 October 2021, from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/234629325.pdf .Fildes, N. (2017). B.T. warns on profits after Italian accounting scandal worsens. Ft.com. Retrieved 25 October 2021, from https://www.ft.com/content/f1027f38-e207-11e6-9645-c9357a75844a .Henderson, R. (2021). Bloomberg - Are you a robot?. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 25 October 2021, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-15/kpmg-to-end-consulting-services-for-south-african-listed-clients .Holtzblatt, M., Foltin, C., & Tschakert, N. (2020). Learning from Ethical Violations in Public Accounting: A South African Audit Scandal and a Firm’s Transformation. Issues In Accounting Education, 35(2), 37-63. https://doi.org/10.2308/issues-19-062KMPG. (2017). KPMG opposes Mandatory Audit Firm rotation (MAFR). KPMG. Retrieved 25 October 2021, from https://home.kpmg/za/en/home/insights/2017/01/kpmg-opposes-mandatory-audit-firm-rotation.html.KPMG report signals firm’s renewal. KPMG. (2019). Retrieved 25 October 2021, from https://home.kpmg/za/en/home/media/press-releases/2019/03/kpmg-report-signals-firm-s-renewal.html.Minh Duc, L., Thi Hoang Yen, N., Hoang Ngoc Thuy, V., Hoang Tien, N., & Hung Anh, D. (2019). Enhancing auditors’ independence in auditing enterprises in Vietnam. Cogent Economics & Finance, 7(1), 1602240. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2019.1602240Pang, J. Acceptance and Continuance Of Client Relationships And Specific Engagements. Embracing Quality For Sustainability. Retrieved 25 October 2021, from https://isca.org.sg/media/775266/elements-of-ssqc-1_acceptance-and-continuance-of-client-relationships-and-specific-engagements.pdf.Rapoport, M. (2018). KPMG Acts Globally but Keeps Scandals Local. WSJ. Retrieved 25 October 2021, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/kpmg-acts-globally-but-keeps-scandals-local-1520418601.Schilder, A. (2017). Professional Skepticism in an Audit of Financial Statements [Ebook]. Retrieved 26 October 2021, from https://www.ifac.org/system/files/publications/files/IAASB%20Professional%20Skepticism%20QandA-final.pdf .Shawver, T. (2020). A practitioners’ guide to the new AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. The Journal Of Finance And Accountancy, 20. Retrieved 24 October 2021, from https://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/162407.pdf .Triodos Investment Management. (2020). Why Integrated Reporting (I.R.) is a powerful tool towards sustainability. Triodos-im.com. Retrieved 26 October 2021, from https://www.triodos-im.com/articles/2018/integrated-reporting---a-powerful-tool-towards-sustainability .Wolfe, J., & Stanley Sterna, J. (2020). Managing the Risks of Client Acceptance and Continuance - The CPA Journal. The CPA Journal. Retrieved 25 October 2021, from https://www.cpajournal.com/2020/02/12/managing-the-risks-of-client-acceptance-and-continuance/ .Writer, S. (2019). KPMG announces new leadership team for South Africa. Businesstech.co.za. Retrieved 25 October 2021, from https://businesstech.co.za/news/finance/203860/kpmg-announces-new-leadership-team-for-south-africa/. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojacct.2015.44004 Abedian,
Best Ethical Approaches and Alternatives
Frankly, the Satyam case is not one that requires splitting the proverbial hairs sometimes associated with more complex ethical analyses. Virtually every known ethical system other than egoism would condemn aju's conduct (osenstand, 2008; Shaw & Barry, 2007). Unfortunately, the magnitude of the harm caused and the vast numbers of individuals detrimentally affected by aju's subterfuge absolutely defies any conceivable ethical solution that relies on restitution or compensation to the victims.
In the Satyam case, aju would not benefit from any of the ethical systems considered. Act utilitarian ethical analysis would condemn aju's actions simply by virtue of their consequences on the countless victims of his conduct. ights-based ethical analysis would reach the same conclusion regardless of whether the system relies on objective or conventional ethical rules. Justice-based ethics would condemn aju's conduct because it violated both objective ethical principles and the formal rules governing financial industries…...
mlaReferences
Halbert, T., and Ingulli, E. (2007). Law & Ethics in the Business Environment.
Cincinnati, OH: West.
Rosenstand, N. (2008). The Moral of the Story: An Introduction to Ethics. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
This is dangerous for both clients and workers. When this becomes an issue in the human service field is when an organization is charged with a client that cannot be left alone. At this point in time, certain managers may desire to force employees to stay on the clock or to work while off the clock, but making such workplace violations can lead to an unsafe environment in which both client and worker are at risk. In addition, safety and OSHA workplace violation are an ethical problem that put many at risk, especially when one is working in a dangerous or medical field. Thus, workplace violations on the part of both workers and managers can be dangerous for all involved.
In conclusion, the field of human services is reserved for those who wish to provide care to others. Although this field is the perfect fit for those who genuinely have…...
mlaReferences
Department of Transportation. (2001). Preventing Sexual Harassment: A Fact Sheet For
Employees. Retrieved July 12, 2009, from http://www.dotcr.ost.dot.gov/Documents/complaint/Preventing_Sexual_Harassment.htm
National Organization for Human Services (1996). Ethical Standards of Human Services
Professionals. Retrieved July 12, 2009, from http://www.nationalhumanservices.org/%5Btitle%5D-22
J. Simpson or John Gotti. In both cases, the defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence only in court; but there is no such "presumption" in the intellectual "court" of one's mind.
A lawyer with integrity would refuse to represent any defendant he believed was probably guilty of horrendous crimes and simply let that defendant be represented by a court-appointed attorney who is obligated by law to represent any defendant who cannot afford a private attorney. If all criminal defense lawyers had high personal ethical standards, the Simpsons and Gottis of the world would find it impossible to retain any defense counsel other than those obligated by law to take their cases.
4. Define and briefly explain ethical dilemma. Of the four categories of dilemmas: discretion, duty, honesty and loyalty, which one applies best to the following situations? Explain your rationale. Also, explain how an officer might analyze the situation from…...
BRIBERY AS AN ETHICAL ISSUE
Bribery is fundamentally unethical because it is inherently unfair. Regardless of the situation, bribery means that someone is transferring some form of compensation that is not permitted and that necessarily undermines the fair efforts of competitors or the purpose of rules and regulation. Where bribery occurs in connection with gaining an unfair advantage over others (such as bribing a college professor for a good grade), the ethical violation is a function of the fundamental right of others competing for the same goal to achieve it through only legitimate means. The student who bribes a college professor and receives a grade for it harms the other students by lowering the grading curve for everybody. In the long run, many instances of bribery of this kind would also diminish the value of the educational degree from an institution whose reputation as lowered by unqualified graduates who perform less…...
Going on vacation or taking a day off resulted in coming back to a flood of emails about "mistakes" she had uncovered while you were away, so time off was not even seen as an incentive any more.
As shown, there was really very little in comparison between my classroom and this department. One was a toxic environment due to poor leadership, while the other was a positive and nurturing environment due to leadership. Another writer states, "Successful leadership -- and the trust of those led -- demands a true partnership between leader and followers to create a team that advances our society toward the common good" (Erickson, 2006). In my experience, there was no team with the unethical leader, the staff was divided into "us" against "them," and the leader had no clue that her actions were causing such dissension in the staff.
In conclusion, comparing these two leaders has…...
mlaReferences
Ciulla, J.B. (Ed.). (2004). Ethics, the heart of leadership (2nd ed.). Westport, CT: Praeger.
Erickson, a.L. (2006). Ethical leadership and the public trust: The winner of the 2006 ASPA Wallace O. Keene Conference Scholarship shares her thoughts on four important characteristics of leaders. The Public Manager, 35(1), 62+.
Reilly, E.C. (2006). The future entering: reflections on and challenges to ethical leadership. 163+..
Did he have the right to make such promises knowing that the company may be moving to Mexico? The simple answer is no. It was unethical to make such promises knowing full well that the company may be moving to Mexico. However, it is not always simple. He made the promises knowing that the company MIGHT move to Mexico. The negotiations are still ongoing so at the time the promises were made he had no concrete knowledge that a move would be taking place. Because he had no knowledge of an actual move being planned, and only knew it was being negotiated he was under no legal obligation to not make those promises. Luckily ethical obligations and legal obligations are often two different things. Ethical obligations are not as concrete nor do they require proof beyond the shadow of a doubt. It is without question that the promises this…...
mlaReferences
ERWIN, WESLEY J. Supervisor Moral Sensitivity. Counselor Education and Supervision; 12/1/2000;
Kensicki, Peter R. 'Utmost Good Faith' Implies Good Ethics. National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management; 7/31/2000;
Reamer, Frederic G.,the Social Work Ethics Audit: A Risk-Management Strategy.
Social Work; 7/1/2000;
Ethical and Legal Considerations when Conducting esearch and eporting esultsToday, millions of peer-reviewed articles are published in tens of thousands of journals of all ilk around the world, and the pace of publication continues to accelerate corresponding to innovations in technology and communications that facilitate meaningful research. Against this backdrop, it is important to note that, depending on the venue of publication, practitioners in every field must conform to multiple ethical and legal considerations when conducting their studies and subsequently reporting the results that emerged from their research. To determine the facts, the purpose of this paper is to examine the various ethical and legal considerations that are involved when conducting research and reporting the results today, followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.eview and DiscussionConducting research and reporting results requires careful attention to ethical and legal considerations according to Herlihy and emley (2021). Perhaps the most…...
mlaReferencesHerlihy, B. & Remley, T. (2021). Ethical, Legal, And Professional Issues in Counseling. Pearson. ISBN.13: 978-0-135-18381-6.
Their reputation suffered, although it did not seem to make a dent in their passenger traffic, something that indicates how complacent and compliant the American people have become. Most people did not even seem to care that Southwest had endangered them and only a few spoke out in blogs or in other areas when the news broke. Southwest has a serious responsibility to keep its passengers and crews safe, and they lost the trust of at least some people because of their callous disregard for safety. That is a huge moral responsibility, and Southwest has never really acknowledged their failure, which is an even larger ethical concern, it seems. In a statement before Congress, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said, "Our compliance with certain specific Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness directives has been called into question. We have committed to a thorough review and to make any changes necessary to…...
mlaReferences
Goodwyn, W. (2008). FAA whistleblowers: Southwest probes stymied. Retrieved 29 Nov. 2008 from the NPR Web site: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89328997 .
Kelly, G. (2008). Southwest Airlines provides testimony to U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Retrieved 29 Nov. 2008 from the Southwest Airlines Web site: http://www.southwest.com/swamedia/trust_in_southwest.html .
Levin, a. (2008). Inspectors: FAA officials gave Southwest a pass on safety checks. Retrieved 29 Nov. 2008 from the USAToday Web site: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-03-09-safety_N.htm .
Wilber, D.Q. (2008). Airlines, FAA under fire on the hill: Lawmaker links safety lapses to 'cozy relationship,' will hold hearing. Retrieved 29 Nov. 2008 from the Washington Post Web site: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/01/AR2008040102696.html
Abstract
Counseling is a highly sensitive profession that depends on maintaining boundaries and solidifying trust. The establishment of clear ethical codes helps counselors to understand their roles and responsibilities to clients and to their colleagues. Laws at the state and federal level may provide additional protection to both clients and counselors and determine penalties for ethical violations. However, counselors inevitably encounter ethical dilemmas. Ethical dilemmas can arise when there is a conflict between two or more moral standards, or between the law and an ethical standard. Likewise, a counselor’s personal moral code could sometimes conflict with the law or the ethical code guiding their professional practice. This paper outlines some of the most common ethical and legal dilemmas counselors are likely to face, and how counselors can rightfully and safely resolve those conflicts.
Introduction
The counseling profession is governed by a set of ethical standards similar to those used in the healthcare profession…...
Ethical Dilemma: Comparison to Behavior of Abramoff in Washington Circles
The objective of this study is to consider the work of Jack Abramoff, which was illegal although the company for whom he worked was completely satisfied with his work. Abramoff was a lobbying and had the ability to get laws passed. In addition, this study will detail an ethical dilemma the writer has faced at work or home and consider the decisions that were made that resulted in one part being hurt or offended regardless of the choice made. The situation will be described and the choice that the writer was faced with and why the course of action taken was chosen. The situation described in this study involves an ethical dilemma in the family, which was experienced by the writer of this work.
Introduction
Following the death of the writer's mother, the youngest sister of the writer, upon having her birthday forgotten…...
Organ donation is a process that allows a person to donate their organs to another person. Most organ donation is done after death and can be accomplished either through a person choosing to be an organ donor or by survivors choosing to donate the organs. However, there are some organ donations from living donors, such as kidney transplants. To some people, organ donation is an ethical issue, however the ethical perspectives vary. For some, it is an ethical violation to donate organs and may go against religious norms. For others, it is unethical not to....
1. A comparison of President Trump's and President Biden's responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
2. Analyzing the impact of President Trump's immigration policies versus President Biden's immigration policies
3. Evaluating President Trump's approach to foreign policy in comparison to President Biden's foreign policy stance
4. The role of social media in the presidency: A look at how President Trump and President Biden use platforms like Twitter
5. Examining the economic policies of President Trump and President Biden and their effects on the middle class
6. A deep dive into the environmental policies of President Trump and President Biden, including their views on climate change
7. The....
Thesis Statement:
Poor leadership is the primary factor contributing to business failures.
Introduction:
Begin by establishing the significance of leadership in business success. Highlight statistics or research demonstrating the correlation between effective leadership and organizational prosperity. State the thesis statement clearly, emphasizing the detrimental impact of poor leadership on business outcomes.
Body Paragraph 1: Lack of Vision and Strategic Direction
Explain how poor leadership can hinder the establishment of a clear vision and strategic direction for the organization.
Discuss the consequences of having a leader who fails to inspire and mobilize employees towards a common goal.
Provide examples of businesses that failed due to....
Key Principles and Values for a Code of Ethics in Accounting
A robust code of ethics for accounting professionals serves as a cornerstone for maintaining the integrity, credibility, and public trust in the profession. It provides a framework of principles and values that guide accountants in their professional conduct and decision-making. Here are some key principles and values that should be outlined in such a code:
1. Integrity
Adhere to the highest ethical standards and maintain impartiality in all professional activities.
Act with honesty, fairness, and transparency in all dealings.
Be truthful and accurate in reporting financial information and avoid any intentional....
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