Week 1 discussion
Review the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to
address the accounting scandals in the late 1990s and early 2000s (Enron,
WorldCom, etc.). Identify the provisions that you believe made the most
significant impact. What other provisions could have been included in the Act
to strengthen the responsible stewardship and integrity of the accounting
profession? Conversely, what existing provisions in the Act do you believe (if
any) are unnecessary or over-regulate the profession?
Week 2 discussion
Summarize the events of a recent accounting scandal.
Identify how the illegal or unethical act was detected and describe the
punishments that resulted (fines, prison terms, etc.). Consider what could have
been done to detect this act earlier or to prevent it from happening in the
first place. Select a different example than those listed in previous posts.
Week 3 discussion
US GAAP follows the Historical Cost Concept in valuing the
cost of long-term assets. Explain this principle and how it compares to the
standards used in the reporting of long-term assets under International
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). If there is a convergence of standards,
which method do you believe should be used and why?
Week 4 discussion
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the following
types of financing:
1. Issuing bonds
2. Borrowing from the bank
3. Equity financing
Provide an example of how a public company has relied more
on one method of financing than the others and why it has done so.
Week 5 discussion
Discuss the differences between the indirect and direct
methods of preparing the statement of cash flows. What do you believe are the
most significant advantages and disadvantages of using each method? Explain
your reasoning.
Week 6 discussion
Discuss the efficient market hypothesis. Explain why
financial statement analysis can or cannot be performed in a way that provides
significant advantage to an investor.
Week 7 discussion
Identify a real-life outsourcing decision that has been made.
Identify the specific reasons for the outsourcing. If information is available,
discuss the results of the outsourcing decision (jobs lost, cost savings,
etc.). Cite sources as deemed necessary.
Week 8 discussion
Identify the costs and benefits to a company of gathering,
reporting, and disclosing non financial information (e.g., balanced scorecard,
corporate social responsibility reporting, sustainability reporting, etc.).
