“Enron, The Smartest Guys in the Room” analyzing cases

MGT 3680

Professor Lindsey Gibson

Homework 3 Instructions

40 points

The purpose of analyzing cases is to apply concepts from class lectures and readings to real

problems faced by real people. These cases require you to put yourself in the shoes of the

protagonist, analyze situations, and make decisions despite uncertainty, risk, and limited

information.

“The Smartest Guys in the Room” Film

In your case write-up answer the following questions:

1. In the case of Enron, what behaviors and attitudes within Enron set the groundwork for employees to act unethically?

2. Do you see examples of how putting a financial incentive on behavior undermined other goals that most people would have, or changed the perception of behavior from

something that most would consider very unethical to something that those within Enron

evaluated favorably?

3. Think of the behavior of executives like Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, and Andy Fastow, but also of those in the middle of the organization such as the traders, managers, and

accountants. Do the Milgram experiments shed any light into their behavior? Thinking

about the course content we have discussed so far, what concrete action might you take to

mitigate the dangers of financial incentive crowding out ethics?

General Submission Instructions and Grading Criteria:

You will submit each homework assignment via Canvas. Assignments are due before the

beginning of class on their respective due dates. Write-ups should be at most 2 pages long

double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins. As always, your answers must be your own (not

plagiarized from another source). Please let me know if you have any questions about plagiarism

or academic honesty. All references and in-text citations need to be in APA format.

You will be graded on substance, not on page length; if you can effectively communicate your

points in less than 2 pages then by all means do so.

Homework assignments are worth 40 points. Your write-ups will be graded according to their:

(1) accuracy, (2) depth and breadth (3) strength of argument, and (4) style and grammar. Each

area is worth a possible 10 points.

• Accuracy reflects the extent to which you demonstrate comprehension of the material through the correctness of your answers.

• Depth and breadth reflect the extent you apply course concepts, theories, etc. to explain issues or reflection from multiple perspectives. Analysis is based on fact and supported

by theory. Your opinion without supporting analysis will not be given credit.

• Strength of argument reflects the extent to which you bolster your answers, assertions, and points with relevant evidence from the readings and from class.

• Style and grammar reflect the extent to which your write-ups are free from errors, and awkward or confusing writing. APA style is used for references and in-text citations.