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The Great Escape: The Unaddressed Ethical Issue of Investor Responsibility for Corporate Malfeasance

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  • Wesley II, Curtis L.
  • Ndofor, Hermann Achidi

Abstract

Corporate governance scholarship focuses on executive malfeasance, specifically its antecedents and consequences. Academic efforts primarily focus on prevention while practitioners are often left to hold firms and executives (including directors) accountable through a variety of sanctions. Even so, executive malfeasance still occurs even in the face of the vast resources used to monitor, control, and penalize firms and executives. In this paper, we posit equity markets do not adequately penalize firms for inaccurate earnings reports. Using a sample of 129 firms identified by the U.S. General Accounting Office for reporting fraudulent earnings in 10K filings, we found support for our assertion. Consequently, the one party who may benefit but escape accountability is firm shareholders. Moreover, we find little empirical evidence that the subset of firms sanctioned by the SEC is penalized more heavily than the full sample by markets at the time they report and correct their 10K filings. Our results raise serious questions whether such managerial opportunism can be eradicated given the apparent lack of consequences in equity markets for investors. We also question whether the SEC is able to discern between fraud and error in financial reporting and its implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Wesley II, Curtis L. & Ndofor, Hermann Achidi, 2013. "The Great Escape: The Unaddressed Ethical Issue of Investor Responsibility for Corporate Malfeasance," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(3), pages 443-475, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:buetqu:v:23:y:2013:i:03:p:443-475_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Jonathan A. Batten & Igor LonČarski & Peter G. Szilagyi, 2022. "Financial Market Manipulation, Whistleblowing, and the Common Good: Evidence from the LIBOR Scandal," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 58(1), pages 1-23, March.
    2. Alina Beattrice Vladu & Barcelona Spain, 2013. "Machiavellianism And Short-Term Earnings Management Practices," Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, Faculty of Sciences, "1 Decembrie 1918" University, Alba Iulia, vol. 2(15), pages 1-12.
    3. Curtis L. Wesley & Gregory W. Martin & Darryl B. Rice & Connor J. Lubojacky, 2022. "Do the Right Thing: The Imprinting of Deonance at the Upper Echelons," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(1), pages 187-213, September.
    4. Hu, May & Tuilautala, Mataiasi & Yang, Jingjing & Zhong, Qian, 2022. "Asymmetric information and inside management trading in the Chinese market," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    5. Dan Dacian Cuzdriorean, 2013. "Students Attitudes Regarding The Ethics Of Earnings Management Activities: An Empirical Investigation," Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, Faculty of Sciences, "1 Decembrie 1918" University, Alba Iulia, vol. 2(15), pages 1-6.

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