CJ403 Final Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

CJ403 Final - Research Paper Example In this paper, the author examines the Enron Corporation scandal by looking at some ethical principles and theories. By using such frameworks, it is hoped that a deeper analysis of business practices can be arrived at, one that clearly outlines the need for asking pertinent questions about moral conduct in a sector of society that is undeniably susceptible to unethical behavior. The Enron Corporation initiated various corporate means that, at the time, were seen as bold and perhaps even revolutionary. This was especially true when Jeffrey Skilling, former Enron CEO, came on board upon impressing founder and deregulation advocate, Kenneth Lay, with his consultancy capabilities. Prior to the Skilling phase of the company, Enron’s traders had been gambling without restraint using company funds, but with the knowledge of Kenneth Lay. Even with investigations and reports of misappropriation of funds, Lay intimated to traders to further continue generating money for the company. However, as is the nature of â€Å"gambling†, luck is bound to change. Enron’s traders soon gambled all of the company’s reserves. Nevertheless, the company survived and went on to employ Skilling. It was Skilling’s idea to utilize mark to market accounting, that is, the use of future projections to book earnings on deals that actually never made anythin g. This idea essentially opened up the company to unscrupulous practices, paving the way for fraudulent profit reports. Enron was also one of the first companies to form what they called, a Performance Review Committee, whose job it was to ensure that all employees were delivering the results that the company expected from them. This had the effect of pressuring employees to perform well, but had the unsavory consequence of pushing employees to adopt and utilize â€Å"less than ethical† conduct. By positioning itself as a kind of energy broker, Enron put up a number of businesses that, in reality,