Whistleblowers
One topic that continues to draw a great deal of attention are whistleblowers. Through unit 5 and the entire course we are learning the importance for the enterprise to have a strong reporting mechanism and whistleblower protection program. Sherron Watkins, former Enron Vice President, was the primary whistleblower leading to the collapse of Enron. IT Academic Technologies published a presentation delivered by Sherron Watkins. Please watch this presentation located at
Directions:
Write a response paper that summarizes the main points and analyzes/critiques the main points. What were the strong points and the weak points of this film? What was interesting, relevant, and connected to our readings in unit 5, what are the advantages and disadvantages to reviewing this presentation, and finally who should be an audience for this presentation? Your paper is required to be written in APA format including a cover page and reference page. Your paper main content must be at least two full typed written pages, not including the cover page and reference page.
Reference:
Moeller, R. R. (2011). COSO enterprise risk management: Establishing effective governance, risk, and compliance processes. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Answer preview
Interestingly, it was worth noting that organizations like Enron, where leaders engaged in fraud schemes, treat employees well by offering good pay and treats. This can be termed as a bribing strategy to gag them from asking questions. Regardless, it is relevant to note that employees have the right to whistleblower protections. According to Moeller (2011), employees and leaders should know about whistleblower processes to reduce the vast risks that emerge once the fraud scheme becomes public. Overall, the presentation was of significant benefit since it raises the importance of reinforcing whistleblowing protection policies in a company. Such measures give stakeholders the confidence to report a strange practice in the organization without fear of intimidation. However, a downside regarding this speech is that Watkins talks of poor leadership in Enron and fails to consider that she could have ordered a risk investigation to save the firm (Moeller, 2011). Overall, this presentation best suits top executives and employees in different organizations. The illustration of Enron’s collapse is an excellent example of how these people should learn about the diverse consequences of poor whistleblowing practices.
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