Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics Commons^™

A Corporate Ethical Compass Tool To Measure Public Relations Decision Making, Lian Qing Luo

Masters

Corporate Public Relations (PR) Ethics is always a top research topic in theory and practice as PR practitioners often have numerous ethical choices to make when addressing controversial issues. However, how to quantify or measure the ethical alternatives of PR decision making and help public relations practitioners make more ethically correct decisions is an open problem. To address this problem, this thesis proposes the PR "Ethical Compass" as a measuring tool or technique to help corporations justify and evaluate the consequences of their ethical public relations decision making. To investigate the advantages and disadvantages of the Ethical Compass technique, qualitative …

Doing Well By Doing Good? The Case Of Magrabi Foundation, Mohammad Saeed Shalaby

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims at empirically investigating the business case of corporate social responsibility for private hospitals. The study attempts to explore the possible monetary and non-monetary business benefits for the Magrabi Hospital, in the Community Outreach Program carried out by the Magrabi Foundation. In addition, the study further attempts to understand the role of these potential benefits, on the deci- sion-making processes of the top executives in private hospitals. The study uses a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach through a three stages process for examining the qualitative and quantitative roles of CSR, as well as the evaluation of the strategic …

Immersions In Global Equality And Social Justice: A Model Of Change, Kevin Guerrieri, Sandra Sgoutas-Emch

Engaging Pedagogies in Catholic Higher Education (EPiCHE)

In the work for global equality and social justice, how should “change” be understood? Who determines what must change or be changed? In the efforts to carry out social change, what is the academy’s relationship with the community, society at large, and the broader world? This article parts from these and other key questions and then proposes a model of change that can be used as a lens for examining any project, program, or organization with the aim of creating positive change that is meaningful, sustainable, and holistic. The article provides both an explanation of the underlying interdisciplinary theoretical framework …

Public Corruption: Causes, Consequences & Countermeasures, Victor Hartman, Sridhar Ramamoorti

Accounting Faculty Publications

The article discusses the cause and consequences of public corruption in the U.S. It mentions several countermeasures against public corruption which include strengtening the organizational commitment, behaviour, and emphasizing code of ethics. The article also mentions the conflict of interests, challenges on law enforcement, and asset misappropriation.

Aligning Strategic Interests: Business Perspective On Partnership Dynamics With Nonprofit Organizations In The Context Of Corporate Social Responsibility In Egypt, Reem Bassem Fouad Mikhail

Theses and Dissertations

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) gained considerable hype both on practical and academic plateaus in recent decades. While, nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in specific have been active in their quest to offer alternative or complimentary services to the public, especially at times when governments fall short in delivering adequate social duties. CSR as a research arena remains untapped in a country like Egypt despite the potential of business and NPOs partnerships as one aspect. In spite of the common perception that CSR is philanthropic in nature in Egypt, this research aims to seal this gap through studying partnership mechanisms and dynamics of …

The Evolving Role Of Electric Cooperatives In Economic Development: A Case Study Of Owen Electric Cooperative And Jackson Energy Cooperative, Whitney Prather Duvall

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

In recent years, there has been a shift in among Kentucky rural electric cooperatives in regard to their stance on economic development. With this has been the employment of electric cooperative staff to help attract new industries and forge relationships with other local economic development-geared groups to facilitate growth. Cooperative businesses have historically proved their resilience and deep-rooted connections within the communities they serve. In exploring two similar-sized electric cooperatives in Kentucky located in two very different regions of the state, considering socio-economic status, and interviewing key informants with local affiliated economic development groups, it becomes evident that electric cooperatives …

Promoting And Supporting Effective Organizational Governance, Sridhar Ramamoorti, Alan N. Siegfried

Accounting Faculty Publications

Internal audit’s role in organizational governance has become increasingly important in the wake of the recent global financial crisis and the continuing spate of governance failures in both financial and public sectors throughout the world. Informed observers and commentators have asked initially, “Where were the external auditors?” then “Where was the audit committee?” and finally, “Where was internal audit in all this?” This report draws on survey responses from internal auditors in 166 countries to take stock of the current role of internal audit in the governance process and learn how internal audit can better position itself to contribute to …

Huntington Coin Collection And Donation Protection, Zhengcheng Li

MA Projects

Mr. Archer M. Huntington (1870-1955) was one of the greatest collector and donor in American history at the early 20th century. He was the founder of Hispanic Society of America and the president of American Numismatic Society. During his lifetime, he set up one of the most important Hispanic coin collection and donated all these coins to Hispanic Society of America in the meanwhile loaned to American Numismatic for study and research purpose. After he passed by, at 2008 Hispanic Society of America sued against America Numismatic Society for getting back the Huntington coin collection with other related documents and …

An Application Of Social Media Marketing For Community Sustainable Development, Lei Huang, Amelia Clarke, Wen Tian, Natalie Heldsinger

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

Though the social marketing approach has been developed from commercial marketing, it is a holistic approach from various social sciences disciplines like marketing, psychology, sociology, mass communication and economics. It is basically an art to explore new ways of analyzing problems and solving them effectively. For instance, social marketing influences sustainability through the use of marketing principles to increase awareness, understanding, change attitudes, and motivate the society to change, adopt, or sustain a particular behavior. This paper attempts to explore a framework of social media in light of disseminating the knowledge of a community-wide sustainability plan among various stakeholders. Policy …

A Research Agenda For Advancing The Marketer's Understanding Of Ethical Consumption In A Post-Modern World, Julie M. Pharr

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

The attribution of moral significance to the choice of everyday consumer goods may well mean that personal consumption is increasingly viewed as an ethical exercise and not simply an economic transaction.

Consumer behavior has emerged as an important moral battleground in the 21^st century. Those in doubt of this statement need look no farther than their local Catholic church. In a church encyclical released 06.18.15, Pope Francis called for radical transformation not only of global politics and economics but of individual lifestyles in the battle to confront the environmental deterioration of Earth. An encyclical is a document that serves …

An Exploratory Investigation Of The Public's Attitude On The Effects Of Global Warming: The Media's Role In Influencing Opinions As Moderated By Having Lived Through A Major Storm, George W. Stone, Percy Willians, Britney Hamilton

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

While the debate over changing global weather patterns and the negative role mankind plays in altering the earth’s climate continues to rage, there appears to be no real movement in the views of entrenched participants on either side of the argument, or, for that matter, in the culture at large (Whitmarsh 2011). Even though global warming advocates claim the debate is now “settled science” and that a consensus of climatologists has emerged indicting mankind as one of the prime culprits in changing global climate patterns, an equally compelling argument has been made that naturally occurring phenomenon (e.g., such as volcanic …

Lost Opportunities: The Underuse Of Tax Whistleblowers, Sarah J. Webber, Karie Davis-Nozemack

Accounting Faculty Publications

Legal literature on whistleblower programs often assumes an agency’s ability to effectively use a whistleblower tip. This article challenges that assumption in the context of tax enforcement by exposing the Internal Revenue Service’s dismal performance. The article uses Fourth Amendment jurisprudence, taxpayer privacy law, as well as whistleblower and tax enforcement literature to propose a new approach to using information from tax whistleblowers.

Adapting An American Non-Profit Model To An International For-Profit Model: A Case Study Of Clean The World Business Model In Hong Kong, Yun Guan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The non-profit sector in the United States had grown at a fast pace in the recent decades, partially as a result of the economic development and the influence of social and political factors. By pursuing mission rather other bottom line, nonprofit organizations faced fierce competition for government grants and private donations. Limited financial resources constrained their efforts to create social and environmental value. The emerging hybrid nonprofit business model offered a new approach for nonprofits to pursuing self-sustainable development both domestically and internationally. However, adapting a unique American nonprofit model into an international for-profit model could be challenging because of …

Should Religious Organizations Worry About Irs Audits?, Sarah J. Webber, Janet S. Greenlee

Accounting Faculty Publications

A great deal of media attention has focused on recent perceived financial abuses of churches and religious organizations. Cases of fraud within religious organizations have fueled the public perception that churches require some form of monitoring to prevent financial abuse. However, the IRS has limited authority to audit religious organizations under section 7611, and the results of such audits are generally unavailable to the public.

Through a Freedom of Information Act request, we obtained the outcomes of all section 7611 IRS audits of religious organizations conducted between 2001 and 2010. We found that although the number of both churches and …

Standard Costing Variances: Potential Red Flags Of Fraud?, Cecily A. Raiborn, Janet B. Butler, Lucian Zelazny

Accounting Faculty Publications

This article focuses on how standard cost variances can be used in detecting potential fraudulent activities. Each primary type of variance (material, labor, and overhead) is addressed with a discussion of possible inappropriate causal factors. Additionally, internal controls, graphic techniques, and other methods that can be implemented to combat fraud are provided.

Corporate Evolution: From Ngos And Social Enterprises To ‘Good Companies’, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Frequently seen as an alternative to the realities of hardcore corporate life, social entrepreneurship and its emphasis on giving back to society after a life of abundance, may well become a thing of the past, along with Non Government Organisations (NGOs), which often act as watchdogs of corporate and government policy and practice. Both will likely transition into and underpin new ‘good companies’. At least that’s the view of leading Singapore social entrepreneur, Jack Sim, the founder of the World Toilet Organisation (WTO).

Csr: Good Intentions And Wild Dreams Are Not Enough, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

When Mariam Al Foudery graduated over a decade ago, the people recruiting aggressively on campus were from investment banking and management consulting firms. But that’s changed, giving rise to more opportunities in corporate social responsibility and social entrepreneurship.

The Importance Of Information Integrity: In A Data-Driven World, Unreliable And Inaccurate Information Can Lead To Bad Decision-Making, Sridhar Ramamoorti, Madhavan K. Nayar

Accounting Faculty Publications

What is information integrity? It is the trustworthiness and dependability of information. The credibility of information depends on whether we are getting it from sources we can trust. After all, the value of information to the decision-maker and problem-solver consists first in its integrity, and then in its usefulness and usability. Why? Because, even the best chef knows that you can't make a good omelet out of bad eggs! Consider the emerging trend of big data (see" Big Data" on page 34). According to IBM, people create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day (a quintillion is 1 followed by …

Nol Poison Pills: Using Corporate Law For Tax Purposes, Sarah J. Webber, Karie Davis-Nozemack

Accounting Faculty Publications

Hundreds of thousands of corporations report net operating loss (NOL) carryovers every year.1 Corporations, with the benefit of NOL rules, may turn disappointing losses into favorable tax results. During economic recovery, corporations are in better position to fully utilize the benefits of NOLs generated in prior years. NOL usage is not without peril, however. Corporations should carefully monitor corporate ownership changes to ensure that NOLs are not lost to the NOL trafficking rules. Under the NOL trafficking rules, excessive shareholder turnover triggers substantial NOL limitations. Unfortunately, corporations are not in control of their shareholder turnover, and therefore not in complete …

Paying The Irs Whistleblower: A Critical Analysis Of Collected Proceeds, Karie Davis-Nozemack, Sarah J. Webber

Accounting Faculty Publications

Congressional changes to the IRS Whistleblower Program were intended to induce more participation in the program by allowing larger incentives and greater certainty that whistleblowers would be paid. Since the Program was amended, tax whistleblower tips have increased 76 percent1 and revenue collected due to whistleblowers has increased 79 percent.2 Despite a rise in tips and revenue collected, whistleblower payments have not increased. In fact, the number of tax whistleblower awards paid has decreased 44 percent.3 We hypothesize that this trend is due to the administration of the program but also to the interpretation of “collected proceeds.” Collected proceeds are …

The Corporate Ethics Audit: To Prevent And Detect Management Fraud, Internal Auditors Must Have A Sound Understanding Of Human Behavior, Sridhar Ramamoorti, R. Luke Evans

Accounting Faculty Publications

In theory, management is responsible not only for designing and implementing strong systems of internal control but also confirming their continued effectiveness over time through monitoring activities. Yet, management override of these monitoring activities — -Soften described as the Achilles' heel of internal controls — is a growing trend at the executive level, as indicated by both of The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission's fraud studies of 1998 and 2010. When the “overseer” becomes the perpetrator of fraud, how do shareholders protect themselves? Indeed, as the Roman satiric poet Decimus Juvenal wrote, “But who will guard the …

Don’T Burst The Bubble: An Analysis Of The First-Time Homebuyer Credit And Its Use As An Economic Policy Tool, Sarah J. Webber

Accounting Faculty Publications

In 2008, faced with a looming real estate crisis, Congress hastily acted to stabilize the economy by offering a first-time homebuyer credit. This tax credit was trumpeted as a solution to the excess inventory of homes for sale and to stop the free-fall in home values. The credit, however, failed to deliver on its promises. By analyzing the first-time homebuyer credit, its creation, its implementation and its economic impact, this Article concludes that, when compared to alternative policy solutions, Congress erred in using the tax code to implement a first-time homebuyer credit.

The Abcs Of Communicating Results, Deborah S. Archambeault, Morgen Rose

Accounting Faculty Publications

Communicating results is an integral part of the internal auditor's job, and The IIA's International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing recognizes its importance by specifying in Standard 2420 that communications should be "accurate, objective, clear, concise, constructive, complete, and timely." In its 2009 survey. The Biggest Internal Audit Challenges in the Next Five Years, Protiviti, a global consulting firm, ranked communication with management and the audit committee as one of the biggest challenges facing internal auditing through 2012. Their subsequent 2010 Internal Audit Capabilities and Needs Survey identified presentation skills as the top "need to improve" personal …

Carrots And Sticks: By Auditing Executive Compensation And Benefits, Auditors Can Help Their Organization Move From Risk To Rewards Management, Sridhar Ramamoorti, Usha R. Balakrishnan

Accounting Faculty Publications

Although the focus of risk management traditionally has been on downside risk, the time is right to focus this dialogue on upside risk — the management of value-creation opportunities through "rewards management." After all, rewards such as bonuses and stock options are typically greater for those who identify and leverage new value-creation opportunities. For-profit organizations favor those individuals who are well-connected and leverage their relationships to bring in clients and attract customers. Their selling ability, revenue-generating strategies, and overall modus operandi quickly earn them the coveted title of "rainmakers."

Nevertheless, rewards and incentives can encourage undesirable behaviors. Executives quickly learn …

Maximized Monitoring, Constance M. Lehmann, Sridhar Ramamoorti, Marcia Weidenmier Watson

Accounting Faculty Publications

During the last few years, global financial companies and investment banks have taken billions of dollars in write-downs owing to exposure in the subprime lending market. Lack of risk function visibility, insufficient communication of risks to top management, and siloed risk approaches have been cited as reasons for these failures. New York University finance professor Nouriel Roubini, one of the few who predicted the crisis, famously observed at the World Economic Forum's 2009 Davos Summit that risk cannot be priced correctly "when the opacity and lack of transparency of financial firms and new instruments lead to unpriceable uncertainty rather than …

Uncovering The Dirty Secrets Of A Food Paradise: Young Journalists Go Undercover, Estelle Low, Miak Aw

Social Space

Singapore is universally known as a food paradise, but far less is known about the enormous amount of waste generated daily by individuals, supermarkets, food outlets and hotels. 20-something investigative journalists Miak Aw and Estelle Low go undercover to shed light on how much we waste as a nation and why this needs to change.

Storytellers As Philanthropic Champions: An Interview With Claire Chiang, Lien Centre For Social Innovation

Social Space

Singapore’s charity sector is undergoing significant changes to enhance management quality, accountability and transparency. But despite these positive changes, Ms Claire Chiang, entrepreneur and philanthropist, argues that Singapore also needs to cultivate a more visionary and global approach to philanthropy. She shares with Social Space her thoughts on storytelling and the need for mentors to champion the most urgent causes of the day.

Bringing Freud To Fraud: Understanding The State-Of-Mind Of The C-Level Suite/White Collar Offender Through “A-B-C” Analysis, Sridhar Ramamoorti, Daven Morrison, Joseph W. Koletar

Accounting Faculty Publications

In this paper we use a primarily “behavioral lens” (cf. Ramamoorti, 2008; Ramamoorti & Olsen, 2007) to try to understand the state-of-mind and motivations of the C-level suite/white collar offender before, during, and after the perpetration of management fraud. We offer a useful conceptual approach called “A-B-C Analysis” to understand the incidence of fraud from individual and group perspectives, as well as more macro-oriented, cultural/contextual levels. It is our hypothesis that fraud occurs either because of an individual criminal’s calculated/intentional betrayal of trust, a duo or team of “bad boys” who push ethical envelopes, and/or an organizational/social/national culture of passivity, …

Is Something Missing From Your Company's Satisfaction Package?, Deborah S. Archambeault, Richard Burgess, Stan Davis

Accounting Faculty Publications

Conventional wisdom suggests that salary, benefits, and other monetary factors are important aspects of keeping employees satisfied. But which factors have the biggest impact on overall satisfaction? While companies focus on the monetary factors, there are other components of the overall “satisfaction package,” that are just as important, yet often overlooked.

It comes as no surprise that satisfied employees are important to the success of any organization. In short, higher satisfaction increases productivity, improves service levels, and positively impacts a company’s bottom line. While keeping employees satisfied should be an important goal for any organization, a recent job satisfaction survey …

Engineering Value Into Enterprise Risk Management; Six Sigma Techniques Can Improve The Quality Of Erm Processes And Enable Organizations To Manage Risks More Successfully, Sridhar Ramamoorti, Marcia Weidenmier Watson, Mark Zabel

Accounting Faculty Publications

Organizations should not only recognize and minimize traditional downside risks, but also embrace upside risks, or opportunities, as a strategy for success. According to a 2005 survey by management consulting firm Booz Allen, 87 percent of the market value lost by large companies with market capitalizations over US $1 billion was the result of strategic and operational blunders. Compliance failure, typically the focus of downside risk, destroyed only 13 percent of market value during the five-year study. Faced with this counter-intuitive finding, companies may wish to pursue a more balanced and positive approach to risk management. Enterprise risk management (ERM) …