Why Didn’t KPMG’s “Speak-Up” Culture Work? The recent scandal between KPMG and the Australian government centers around the firm’s solicitation of audit clients subsequent to receiving insider information about the bids from other firms to gain audit contracts. KPMG violated independence because of the conflict of interest emanating from ties of firm partners to board […]
KPMG-Australia Scandal: A Case of Decision Drift Read More »
Introduction The recent scandal between Big-Four firm KPMG and the Australian government centers around the firm’s solicitation of audit clients subsequent to receiving insider information about the bids from other firms to gain audit contracts. KPMG violated independence because of the conflict of interest emanating from ties of firm partners to board members at the
KPMG-Australia Scandal: A Cautionary Scandal Read More »
Public Interest, Ethics, and Sustainability Section of the American Accounting Association Sunday, August 2 in Las Vegas, NV Speakers Kathleen M. Hamm Kathleen M. Hamm was appointed a Board Member of the
30th Annual Ethics Research Symposium Read More »
Reflecting on My Career as an Accounting Professor, Educator and Researcher I have been reflecting on my past accomplishments and current views of the state of the accounting profession for a while now, a function of getting older I suppose. In this blog, I will share some of my experiences and thoughts during my lifetime
What I Have Learned from My Lifetime of Experiences in Accounting Read More »
Federal Loan Limits for Students Studying Accounting Will Be Reduced as of July 1, 2026 Perhaps you heard that the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) plans to reclassify accounting degrees as ‘non-professional.’ What’s the big deal, you might ask? Well, if you have a son or daughter who chooses to study accounting and enter what
Is the Accounting Profession a Profession? Read More »
ACCOUNTING FIRMS’ ETHICS SHOULD BE CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZED Having taught both millennials and Gen Z, I’ve always wondered the extent to which values and ethics are considered in the job search decision. Even if they want to consider it in their decision-making process, the question is how to do so. Candidates for positions can’t ask straight
DO MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z CARE ABOUT THE ETHICS OF POTENTIAL ACCOUNTING EMPLOYERS? Read More »
Who Do You Trust…Or Mistrust? According to a Gallup poll during December 2-18, 2024, three in four Americans consider nurses highly honest and ethical, making them the most trusted of 23 professions rated in Gallup’s annual measurement. Grade-school teachers rank second, with 61% viewing them highly, while military officers, pharmacists and medical doctors also earn high trust
Honesty and Ethics of Professions Read More »
Is it Time to Break Up Professional Services Firms, aka CPA Firms? I can remember years ago when I was studying accounting that the form of ownership of CPA firms was a partnership with all partners being licensed CPAs. Over the years, the forms of ownership have broadened, in part to limit the liability of
Changes in Ownership Structure for CPA Firms Raises Conflict of Interest Questions Read More »
Is it a Personnel Issue? Recently, a reporter from the Wall Street Journal, Mark Maurer, asked to interview me about the question: “Are companies picking a new finance chief after detecting a material weakness in their financial reporting controls, at least in part due to a shortage of skilled accounting staff?” The idea is that the two
Undetected Material Weaknesses in Financial Reporting Controls: Who is to Blame? Read More »
Measuring Sustainability Performance I have previously blogged about the link between ESG reporting and sustainability. In this blog, I will briefly address the question of whether gathering and reporting ESG data really matters. ESG reporting provides a specific framework for evaluating and measuring a company’s sustainability performance. It assesses a company’s ESG-related risks and opportunities by providing
Does ESG Reporting Matter? Read More »