Suchergebnisse

AbstractCOVID‐19 hit the United States in January 2020, quickly resulting in stay‐at‐home orders that sent the U.S. economy into a major recession. The federal government leveraged fiscal, regulatory, and monetary policies to provide relief. Decisions had to be made in a complex environment wrought with difficult choices, complicated by the federalist governing system in the United States. Myers (2016, p. 202) asserted, "If an event like the [1918 influenza] pandemic were to occur in the United States, it is important that the government be prepared, not only in terms of material, but ethically." We analyze the ethical choices of the initial responses by reviewing early U.S. government responses and the impact of culture, federalism, and justice. We conclude that utilitarian analyses of balancing infection rates and economic impacts must be supplemented with Kantian principles of not treating people as means to an end, balancing the protection of individual freedoms with the good of society, and protecting vulnerable groups. As governments prepare for future crises, ethical considerations should be built into those plans as guardrails to guide decision‐makers.

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focus on business responses to the pandemic through an ethical lens and to make recommendations for future research in this unique environment. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents many ethical implications for businesses' responses in balancing individual health and firm risks during the initial and recovery stages. What decisions are businesses making in this pandemic environment? What ethical foundations most align with these decisions?


Design/methodology/approach
The authors review recent business actions taken in response to the pandemic in light of models of motivation for corporate social responsibility (CSR).


Findings
Businesses have engaged in a wide range of philanthropic CSR actions during the pandemic, likely motivated by both utilitarianism and deontological factors in response to the needs of internal and external stakeholders. The pandemic has disparate impacts, generally hurting lower-income individuals more, likely increasing inequality.


Research limitations/implications
There are many questions for future research to determine where pandemic-related CSR has different effects for businesses over the long term compared to the pre-pandemic environment.


Social implications
Businesses must act to benefit society, protect employees and maintain the trust of their stakeholders during the pandemic.


Originality/value
Existing models have examined corporate disaster philanthropic responses that were localized and acute. Business responses to the COVID-19 virus are unique given the severity, the widespread nature and the duration of the crisis.

ABSTRACTThe real-life failures of others provide opportunities to learn. Audit failures and rule infractions stemming from Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) inspections represent the few instances for which detailed information about financial statement audits is made publicly available. The PCAOB enforcement reports contain key information and offer greater transparency in regard to the audits of SEC registrants. This project uses these reports to teach real-life lessons in the context of the complex regulatory environment in which registered audit firms operate. Students examine the information from these enforcements, and craft and present stories of the related audit failures. This approach has a proven impact on learning, and students who completed the project reported enhanced knowledge of the regulatory process and audit standards. The student presentations can be used in a professional environment for CPAs to earn CPE. We provide advice to faculty who wish to pursue a similar option.