Resisting Corporate Corruption, 3rd Edition

Foreword

I first met Stephen Arbogast in 2006, when he was doing research on the first edition to Resisting Corporate Corruption, an in-depth study focused solely on the Enron scandal. The case studies included those of the key players, the well-known names of Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling and Andy Fastow, but it also delved into the lesser known executives at Enron whose actions or lack thereof became critical to the success of the accounting and legal fraud that took place at the company. Arbogast’s extensive research in these case studies revealed the subtleties of corporate opposition to the truth and the difficult options middle level executives and managers faced, including me. Careful study of these cases can help young professionals spot ethics issues early enough to address them, and also furnish tactical options for promoting ethical outcomes and protecting themselves.

The second edition of Resisting Corporate Corruption retained the valuable lessons from Enron, but was updated to include real life examples from the corporate and financial scandals that continued throughout the decade of the 2000s, culminating in the financial collapse of large Wall Street institutions in 2008. This third edition to Resisting Corporate Corruption is a must read for all students of American capitalism and specifically anyone considering a career on Wall Street or in public company finance and M&A. The new case studies on Goldman Sachs’ conflict of interest in the El Paso transaction as well ...