Enron case study

Your assigned case is Enron. You will use this case to complete this assignment, which is a series of essay questions (given below), worth a total of 85 points.

To get started, see the case of Enron that I have published as four separate pages in Module #5. You will also need to conduct some independent research on your own. To do so, rely on sources of record based on investigative journalism. Such online sources include Forbes, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times, The Economist, Investor’s Business Daily, Washington Post, state and local newspapers of record, and other online sources of good repute. You might also find relevant information about Enron by looking at the index in your textbook.

It would be ideal for you to watch “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” on Netflix. Alternatively, you could watch video clips of this documentary film on YouTube.

Three examples of required formatting:

Here is what formatting for your paper should look, using question parts 1.a, 1.b., and 1.c. as three examples:

1. a. In terms of Figure 1-4, what is the main problem associated with your case? State this problem in two or three words (as in “employee safety,” for example). Explain briefly why you picked the label you did. (3 points)

Place the above statement of Question 1.a. (single spaced) directly above your answer (which should be double spaced.)

1. b. List or create a table of the stakeholders in your case in terms of primary social and secondary social stakeholder classifications. In doing so, assume that the problem that you identified in 1.a has not yet become apparent to the public. Be complete in your accounting and give specific names. For instance, if labor unions, regulatory agencies, NGOs, and activist groups are part of your case, give their exact names. (Your list or table may be single spaced.) (8 points)

Place the above statement of Question 1.b. (single spaced) directly above your list or table (which may be single spaced.)

1. c. Did any secondary social stakeholders become primary social stakeholders after the problem became apparent to the public? Explain: Why or why not? [Hint: Read the paragraph about this on p. 76.] (2 points)

Place the above statement of Question 1.c. (single spaced) directly above your answer (which should be double spaced.)

(This is the end of the three examples of required formatting)

The Assignment

There are 11 question categories, worth a total of 85 points

1. a. In terms of Figure 1-4, what is the main problem or issue associated with your case? State this problem in two or three words (as in “consumer safety,” for example). Explain why you picked the label you did. (3 points)

b. List or create a table of the stakeholders in your case using primary social and secondary social stakeholder classifications. In doing so, assume that the problem that you identified in 1.a has not yet become apparent to the public. Be complete in your accounting. For instance, if labor unions, regulatory agencies, or activist groups are part of your case, give their specific names. (For instance, an example of a regulatory agency is the Food and Drug Administration.) (8 points)

c. Did any secondary social stakeholders become primary social stakeholders after the problem became apparent to the public? Explain: Why or why not? [Hint: Read the paragraph about this on p. 76.] (2 points)

2. Pick three stakeholders from your list that are germane to your case. Consider the four aspects of the pyramid of CSR. Describe the responsibilities that your firm had to each of these three stakeholders before the public became aware of the problem. Be as specific as you can in each case. [For instance, do not simply put “ethical.” Instead, describe the specific ethical responsibilities that are salient, given the facts of your case and the stakeholders at hand.] (6 points)

3. Pretend that your firm was chartered as a benefit corporation during the time of the case. Devise a mission statement specifically for your firm that reflects its purpose according to the benefit charter. This mission statement should be no longer than a paragraph. (6 points)

I should be able to see how this mission statement reflects (a) the purpose of a benefit charter and (b) the key stakeholders that managers and the board will take into account to run this benefit corporation. (To answer this question, you need to read the description of the benefit corporation in Chapter 5 and here https://benefitcorp.net/businesses?gclid=Cj0KCQjws_r0BRCwARIsAMxfDRjbK5fS0zmuQ9Pds_MfOSAJDNagdZbxAvTjggOAFLyXyhxcYHxE7esaAj-REALw_wcB.)

4. Use either the issue development life cycle model (figure 6-5) or the four stages in a management crisis model (figure 6-7) to explain the progression of events related to your case. Be specific in terms of dates (years, days, or months) and the facts of your case. Be sure to explain why the model you selected to use is best suited to the analysis. (9 points )

5. Pick three concepts or models from chapters 5 and/or 6 that are not reflected in your answers to questions 1 through 4 above and explain their relevance to your case. Be specific in each instance. (9 points)

6. Pick one of the main decision makers in your case (e.g., the CEO or another senior manager, the board chair, an engineer, an accountant, a whistle-blower, or a regulator).

a. Using the facts at hand, speculate about his or her stage of moral development. Explain your reasoning. (Remember that individuals do not always “stay” at one stage of moral reasoning. Moral reasoning may depend on the decision-making context and, therefore, be situational.) (5 points)

b. Using the facts at hand, speculate about whether this person’s approach to ethics was immoral, intentionally amoral, unintentionally amoral, or moral. Explain your answer. (3 points)

7. In terms of your case, consider the types of justice and rights given in Chapter 8.

a. Pick a stakeholder group and discuss a type of justice relevant to this group. Explain your reasoning. (4 points)

b. Discuss a type of right relevant to this stakeholder group. (4 points)

8. Consider utilitarianism.

a. How is utilitarianism relevant to your case from society’s point of view ? Explain your reasoning. (3 points)

b. How is utilitarianism relevant to your case from management’s point of view? Explain your reasoning. (3 points)

9. Consider the categorical imperative(a duty-based ethic).

a. How is it relevant to your case from society’s point of view? Explain your reasoning. (3 points)

b. How is it relevant to your case from management’s point of view? Explain your reasoning. (3 points)

10. Your text is replete with ways to improve ethical performance in organizations (see especially Chapters 8 and 17). Pretend that you were a consultant who was hired to improve Enron’s ethical performance after its problems became apparent. (For this question, assume that Enron was not going to end up in bankruptcy court). Using your text (and perhaps another resource), identify three organizational methods that you would have used to try to bring about such improvement and explain why you picked them. (9 points)

11. Given what you have learned in this course, pick one model or concept that stands out as particularly important to practicing managers — or to your career goals. Describe this concept and explain why it is important. In doing so, do not simply repeat your answers to previous questions. (5 points)

(If you need the textbook, the link is here: https://www.chegg.com/reader/9781337514477/167/ you can sign in with this accountyirong1@ksu.edu password: 960516Yrlyy)