Note: The questions are not weighted equally, but they are in order of importance. (You should know my grading by know, I hope.) BRIEFLY RESTATE THE QUESTIONS in your copy to me. Understand that I expect an answer on every item I ask within a question. Write well and pay attention to grammar. Don’t even think of giving me less than five single spaced pages. There is no upper page limit, but do be reasonable! I EXPECT YOU TO THINK CRITICALLY AND ANALOGIZE WHERE NEEDED!
1. Something for you to consider, we only briefly touched on it in class. Should we abandon privacy online? Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” But if Franklin were alive today, where would he draw the line?
• For example, but not limited to the following, is the freedom to send an encrypted text message essential?
• How about the right to keep your browsing history private?
• What is the sweet spot between our need to be left alone and our desire to keep potential criminals from communicating in secret?
• Why does Apple think privacy is so important and others seeming don’t? (recall the fight to have Apple unlock an iPhone as an example)
• Should universities require that students submit to live video cams watching their every move while taking an online exam in the supposed privacy of their home (versus a college classroom setting)? Notwithstanding the prior argument, how would you feel if I watched you taking this exam?
• What makes a business setting so different than a private setting visa vie privacy? Businesses always cry they can impose upon us their views. Isn’t your privacy as important as businesses? Are you sure? Why?
Please explain your positions but then provide contra arguments and rationale.
2. In a careful, thoughtful, deliberate, and organized fashion, compare the Parable of the Sadhu with the overall Enron “debacle.” For example (and certainly not limited to), what were the similarities of the key “players” [individuals/organizations/places/things etc.?] in the cases and analogize and discuss whether they had similar experiences and/or choices? Don’t forget about characters or things that might easily be overlooked. You are not limited to the Enron materials I provided or discussed in class.
3. We enjoyed a viewing of the classic movie “Wall Street” in class. Some of you stayed awake, and even paid attention! So, in a careful, thoughtful, deliberate, and organized fashion, compare it to the Parable of the Sadhu case, once again comparing the key players/events/places/things/etc. and analogize them between the case and the movie. Yes, this is similar to the first question, but yet it is (amazingly but) significantly different. If you didn’t see the movie in class, it is usually a free view on Amazon’s Prime and on Netflix, etc.
4. Based on your required reading of the materials up until now, including, but not limited to Final Accounting, various cases, outside sources, other classes, Sammy cases, and/or our discussions in class, please explain how and why you feel AA fell from being what appeared to be the premier accounting firm to “nonexistence.” Incorporate into that discussion how, in your opinion, they could have avoided such a fall (assuming it could have been averted). Explain briefly how and why has SOX either helped (or hindered) such a disaster from happening again?
5. We didn’t discuss in class the three ladies’ (Cooper, Rowley, and Watkins) professional situations and the handling of their situations and Whistleblowers in general. So now I leave it to you… (yeah, you have to read it now!) What striking thing(s) [if any] have you taken away from these ladies’ experiences? Briefly explain. Why are whistleblowers often up the creek without a paddle, despite SOX? Explain. If you would be so kind, please explain to me- in your opinion- which of the three ladies displayed the most courage and why? Don’t be shy.
6. Which one of the cases and/or materials and/or Sammy cases and/or classroom/ online discussion that we have talked about to date (from day 1) has made the biggest personal impact on you (and/or that made you really take pause and think), and please succinctly explain why?
And that’s the exam!