Tagged: Ethics

The Microeconomic Perspective on Bribery Incentives

I always enjoyed economics – understanding “rational” behavior and applying it to business situations can be very productive. Of course, there were many detractors who argued that economics is filled with assumptions that take the discipline away from reality, but I find those arguments unpersuasive. There has been a fair amount of research on corruption and the impact that bribery has on a functioning market....

Employee Surveillance and Monitoring

To state the obvious (and this shows my age), we are way past George Orwell’s 1984. Yes, I know 30 years past it. But we are way past the privacy concerns expressed in Orwell’s book; we are in a new era where technology and instant communications have collided with new privacy concerns. Companies are fast becoming enamored with quick and easy detection systems for employee...

Crossing a New Bridge: Compliance Officers and Financial Controls

Compliance officers face plenty of challenges. The list of close allies always includes the General Counsel, Internal Audit, Human Resources and Procurement officials. In two recent surveys (here and here), CCOs reported that they do not have a strong working relationship with the CFO and typically do not get involved in the design and implementation of financial controls. That is a real significant problem. Lets start...

Warning: Keeping Compliance Simple

If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself. — Albert Einstein Compliance professionals are in a heady state these days. Their stock is rising; they are gaining influence and authority, and even some additional resources. When given the time, compliance professionals can come up with new and innovative strategies for compliance programs. But I see a danger lurking in the...

Announcing Volkov Law TV — Webinars On-Demand

Watch What You Want and When You Want It!! Check Out Site Here The Volkov Law Group is pleased to announce the launch of Volkov Law TV, a subscription-based service that provides immediate access to 50 webinars on a variety of enforcement and compliance topics.  New webinars will be added each month — at least 20 new webinars each year. Monthly subscription fee for unlimited...

Parallel Prosecutions and U.S. Jurisdiction: Looking Beyond the Bribes in the FIFA Scandal

Lauren Connell from The Volkov Law Group joins us again for a posting about the implications of the FIFA Scandal.  Her profile is here and she can be reached at [email protected]. Everyone is talking about the latest corruption scandal, this one with world-wide impact. The scandal engulfed FIFA as seven organization officials were recently arrested in Switzerland. Charges include a range of money laundering, racketeering,...

Wall Street and Ethics

I have to confess that there is a part of me that was skeptical about a new survey released last week finding that banks and other financial institutions have not embraced a culture of integrity.  (Survey Here).   Indeed, the survey found that numerous individuals continue to operate with the idea that illegal or unethical behavior is a necessary part of succeeding in the financial markets....

The New Role of the CCO: Good News and Bad News

There is no question that the compliance profession is on the rise. My colleague, Donna Boehme and I, frequently advocate on behalf of the compliance profession. See here for our latest – 4 Steps Every Board of Directors Should Take Toward Compliance. With the rise of the CCO in corporate governance circles, there are adjustments that have to be made in other areas. What do...

4 Steps Corporate Directors Need to Take Toward Compliance 2.0

Donna Boehme (profile here) and I recently wrote an article — 4 Steps Corporate Directors Need to Take Toward Compliance 2.0 – which is available here. I have written about the need for corporate boards to embrace a “new reality,” reflecting the increased risks and the importance of ethics and compliance.  Corporate boards can no longer rely on prior legal models to satisfy governance standards;...

Diggin’ Your Company’s Culture

Some things are hard to define and measure in compliance. Culture is the prime example often cited by commentators. I do not share that opinion. Whether it is quantified or not, there is one unmistakable truth – you know when you have a positive culture and you know (but often try to ignore) when your company has a poor culture. When I work with companies...