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Worldcom Case

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1. What are the pressures that lead executives and managers to "cook the books?"

In the 1990’s WorldCom was a growing and successful telecommunications company, involved in may acquisitions, and had made some ‘Mega Deals” in the telecommunications industry. The Company was becoming very profitable, but in 1999 revenue growth had stopped causing the price of stock to fall. This was due to the down turn in telecommunications industry, an increase in competition, the overcapacity in the telecommunications market, the effects from the dot com bubble collapse, and the onset of the economic recession. This major loss in revenue, current market conditions, and a large amount of liabilities from all the companies they had been acquiring led WorldCom to their involvement in accounting fraud.

2. What is the boundary between earnings smoothing or earning management and fraudulent reporting?

The boundary between income smoothing and fraudulent reporting seems to be more of a blurred line than a distinct one. Both actions will inhibit investors and creditors from making accurate and informed decisions. Investors and creditors rely on the company’s financial information to be consistent and reliable in order to achieve projected results. I think engaging in earning management or fraudulent reporting would result in the same misleading of information, and thus both should be avoided.

3. Were the actions taken by WorldCom managers not detected earlier? What process or systems should be in place to prevent or detect quickly the types of actions that occurred in WorldCom?

The reason why the actions taken by WorldCom managers were not detected sooner is due to the fact top management had an arrangement with the auditors to conceal the acts of fraud. The damaged company culture, the attitudes and mindfulness of employees, accompanied by lack of communication were

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