Homework: Corporate Governance and Ethics
Consider the roles of government, shareholders, the board of directors, and management in your answers to the following questions:
• What is the primary function and ethical responsibility of each of the above-mentioned roles in corporate governance?
• What is the primary function and ethical responsibility of each of the above-mentioned roles toward society?
• To what extent are your answers to each of these questions congruent and aligned? In other words, to what extent are your answers to these consistent and reasonable, and in what ways are these roles and ethical responsibilities tied to each other?
Corporate Goals, Ethics, and Governance
INTRODUCTION
In this unit, we will explore organizational decision making and its effect on stakeholders within and outside the firm. We will consider the competing demands of shareholders, employees, and society at large, within the context of internal and external governance of the firm. We will also examine the effects of government regulations on society and corporate performance, as well as decision-making perspectives of the board of directors and management.
OBJECTIVES
To successfully complete this learning unit, you will be expected to:
• Examine the effects of government rules and regulations on corporate goals, performance, and decision making.
• Examine the structure of corporate governance and the roles of the government, board of directors, and management.
• Examine ethical perspectives and their influence on corporate decision making.
Course Project Preparation
In the discussion, you will post a draft of your proposal of the topic you wish to develop for your course project peer feedback and instructor approval. At this time, read the project description and the Unit 3 discussion instructions, and start thinking about possible topics for your research paper.
Preparation
For your homework, Financial Statement Analysis, you will review the 10-K reports and financial statements of General Motors Company and Ford Motor Company, and write an analytical narrative in which you compare and contrast the two companies in five different ways. Read the homework instructions and scoring guide and take some time this week to work on your analysis by exploring these documents.
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
• The answer must be using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, typed, with one-inch margins on all sides.
• The response also includes a cover page containing the student's name, the title of the homework, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
• Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
Reference
a) Goodman and Arenas' 2015 article, "Engaging Ethically: A Discourse Ethics Perspective on Social Shareholder Engagement," in Business Ethics Quarterly, volume 25, issue 2, pages 163-189.
b) Ryan, Buchholtz, and Kolb's 2010 article, "New Directions in Corporate Governance and Finance: Implications for Business Ethics Research," in Business Ethics Quarterly, volume 20, issue 4, pages 673-694.
c) West's 2015 article, "Quantitative Method in Finance: From Detachment to Ethical Engagement," in Journal of Business Ethics, volume 129, issue 3, pages 599-611.
d) Burks' 2015 article, "Accounting Errors in Nonprofit Organizations," in Accounting Horizons, volume 29, issue 2, pages 341-361.