Business Ethics: From Enron to Lehman Brothers (Live Webinar)
Overview
The course will explore personal and cultural factors which influence ethical behavior through the lens of three business and accounting ethics case studies: the collapse of Enron Corporation, the dissolution of the accounting firm Arthur Andersen and the bankruptcy of the Lehman Brothers. In comparing these cases, research on moral psychology will be discussed, and there will be an opportunity to reflect upon what lessons may be learned and how they might be applied in our current business environment.
Course Description
Applicable for
Learning Objectives
- explain what contributed to the rise and fall of Enron Corporation, Arthur Andersen and Lehman Brothers
- explain the similarities and differences between the rise and fall of Enron Corporation and Lehman Brothers
- explain the psychological process for individual moral decision making
- explain some of the cultural factors which influence individual moral decisions
- consider how these psychological and cultural factors may influence their own ethical behavior
Content
- The collapse of Enron
- deregulation of the natural gas industry
- role of McKinsey & Company and creation of the “Gas Bank”
- expansion into other commodities
- accounting use of commodity derivatives and “special purpose entities”
- financial bankruptcy
- The dissolution of Arthur Anderson
- formation of Arthur Andersen
- growth of competition, consulting and conflicts of interest
- Arthur Andersen’s role at Enron
- dissolution
- The collapse of Lehman Brothers
- role of US Government and the Federal Reserve
- creation of credit derivatives
- accounting use of “Repo 105” and “special purpose entities”
- financial bankruptcy
- Personal moral failure
- moral decision-making process
- exercise: Identification of moral situation
- Corporate culture/moral psychology
- Milgram experiment
- Asch lines
- routinized behavior and pressure to perform
- time pressure – Princeton Theological Seminary
- role of fear
- compliance programs
- Synergistic corruption
- what synergistic corruption is and the role it played at Enron/Lehman
- Conclusion
- exercise: what should I do?
Advisory: No course materials will be made available for this seminar.
Course Dates & Registration
Improving Your Virtual Learning Experience
Live webinars have varying levels of expected interaction, with some requiring microphone and camera capabilities to support a proper learning experience – please email pdreg@bccpa.ca if you have concerns.
In general, we encourage participants to have their cameras turned on to enhance their virtual learning experience. This practice promotes a stronger connection with the instructor and fellow participants, and fosters improved communication and collaboration.
Live Webinar FAQs can be found here.
Registration terms and conditions, including the cancellation policy can be found here. If you require further assistance, please contact the PD Department.
- 4
- CPD Hours
- 4
- Ethics Hours
- 0
- AML Hours
- 5
- Credits
Starting April 1, 2026, a 2.1% fee will be applied to all credit card transactions. Learn more about this fee and how it relates to PD registrations.
Business Ethics: From Enron to Lehman Brothers (Live Webinar)
- 4
- CPD Hours
- 4
- Ethics Hours
- 0
- AML Hours
- 5
- Credits
Overview
The course will explore personal and cultural factors which influence ethical behavior through the lens of three business and accounting ethics case studies: the collapse of Enron Corporation, the dissolution of the accounting firm Arthur Andersen and the bankruptcy of the Lehman Brothers. In comparing these cases, research on moral psychology will be discussed, and there will be an opportunity to reflect upon what lessons may be learned and how they might be applied in our current business environment.
Course Description
Applicable for
Learning Objectives
- explain what contributed to the rise and fall of Enron Corporation, Arthur Andersen and Lehman Brothers
- explain the similarities and differences between the rise and fall of Enron Corporation and Lehman Brothers
- explain the psychological process for individual moral decision making
- explain some of the cultural factors which influence individual moral decisions
- consider how these psychological and cultural factors may influence their own ethical behavior
Content
- The collapse of Enron
- deregulation of the natural gas industry
- role of McKinsey & Company and creation of the “Gas Bank”
- expansion into other commodities
- accounting use of commodity derivatives and “special purpose entities”
- financial bankruptcy
- The dissolution of Arthur Anderson
- formation of Arthur Andersen
- growth of competition, consulting and conflicts of interest
- Arthur Andersen’s role at Enron
- dissolution
- The collapse of Lehman Brothers
- role of US Government and the Federal Reserve
- creation of credit derivatives
- accounting use of “Repo 105” and “special purpose entities”
- financial bankruptcy
- Personal moral failure
- moral decision-making process
- exercise: Identification of moral situation
- Corporate culture/moral psychology
- Milgram experiment
- Asch lines
- routinized behavior and pressure to perform
- time pressure – Princeton Theological Seminary
- role of fear
- compliance programs
- Synergistic corruption
- what synergistic corruption is and the role it played at Enron/Lehman
- Conclusion
- exercise: what should I do?
Advisory: No course materials will be made available for this seminar.
Course Dates & Registration
Improving Your Virtual Learning Experience
Live webinars have varying levels of expected interaction, with some requiring microphone and camera capabilities to support a proper learning experience – please email pdreg@bccpa.ca if you have concerns.
In general, we encourage participants to have their cameras turned on to enhance their virtual learning experience. This practice promotes a stronger connection with the instructor and fellow participants, and fosters improved communication and collaboration.
Live Webinar FAQs can be found here.
Registration terms and conditions, including the cancellation policy can be found here. If you require further assistance, please contact the PD Department.
Starting April 1, 2026, a 2.1% fee will be applied to all credit card transactions. Learn more about this fee and how it relates to PD registrations.
KEN LEWCHUK, CPA, is a Chartered Professional Accountant (British Columbia) and a Certified Public Accountant (Texas). He graduated with an MBA from the Edinburgh Business School and an MA in Applied and Professional Ethics from the University of Leeds (Distinction). His career has spanned technical accounting, risk management, internal audit, and corporate compliance, working in public accounting (PwC) and for corporations in the United States and Canada. He has taught technical accounting and finance classes to corporate employees in several countries, been a conference speaker, university lecturer, and currently teaches courses on accounting ethics, business ethics, and the ethics of artificial intelligence.