An Example of Hubris, Incompetence, and Greed I always tell my students that the best way to learn about ethics, or the lack thereof, is through a case study. What follows is a mini-case study of the FTX fraud. Last week Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty of misappropriating and embezzling billions of dollars of his […]
The Story of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried Read More »
Dealing with Age Discrimination We are facing economically turbulent times, which may include layoffs and companies downsizing. Unfortunately, older workers often bear the brunt of these cutbacks because employers use the opportunity to get rid of older workers who sometimes command the highest salaries or prevent the business from projecting a “younger” image. I have
Senior Rights and Protections in the Workplace Read More »
Who Will Defend the U.S. in Case of War? A new poll from Echelon Insights shows the alarming result that 72% of American voters would not be willing to volunteer to fight for their country if the U.S. faced a major conflict. Twenty-one percent said they are willing to volunteer. These results are staggering and raise so
Have Americans Grown Too Soft? Read More »
Harmful Effects of Bullying: A Perspective on Protected Groups Last Tuesday, I blogged about how to combat bullying, the first of a two-part blog on this important issue affecting society. In today’s blog, I look at bullying against various groups of people, including tweens, students with disabilities, students of color, and students who identify as
How to Combat Bullying Behavior Part II Read More »
I first posted this piece on my “Workplace Ethics Advice” blog and received so many comments and inquiries that I decided to post on my “Ethics Sage” blog as well. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects us from the government interfering with our speech – meaning we can typically express opinions (even if
Rules of the Road on Using Social Media Read More »
Objectivity and Impartiality Replace the Strict Application of Independence Rules In June 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) made amendments effective for certain rules regarding auditor independence requirements (known as Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X). The intention behind these amendments is to modernize the SEC’s rules governing auditor independence and more effectively focus the
Do “Modernized” Independence Rule Changes Protect Investor Interests? Read More »
Can a Conflict of Interest Be Avoided? Should members of Congress be prohibited from owning and trading in stocks? This question is receiving a lot of attention on Capitol Hill and in the press. The answer to the question seems to be a no-brainer – Yes! The simple reason is that members of Congress may be
It’s Time to Ban ALL Stock Trades for Members of Congress Read More »
Examining the POGO Report and Other Matters It’s been twenty years since the Public Company Oversight Board (PCAOB) was created by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). This is a good time to evaluate the mandate given to the board, its work during that period, and whether it protects the public interest. One way to
Is the PCAOB Protecting the Public Interest? Read More »
Implications of the Supreme Court Decision After a long battle in the courts, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the NCAA rules that limit educational benefits for athletes are not reasonably necessary to distinguish between college and professional sports. Under current NCAA rules, athletes cannot be paid or profit from their name, image, or likeness. The
Implications of the Supreme Court Decision After a long battle in the courts, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the NCAA rules that limit educational benefits for athletes are not reasonably necessary to distinguish between college and professional sports. Under current NCAA rules, athletes cannot be paid or profit from their name, image, or likeness. The