Workplace Behavior

Accounting, Tax, and Regulatory Issues in the Cannabis Business

Keys to Operating a Successful Cannabis Business State legislation that permits the sale and distribution of marijuana is on the rise. Thirty-three states allow it for recreational and/or medical purposes, including the District of Columbia. Cannabis sales were estimated to be $15 billion in 2018 and projected to be about $73.6 billion by 2027. Given […]

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KPMG Sanctioned by the SEC for “Stealing the Exam”

Actions Constitute an Act Discreditable to the Profession On May 18, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced settled charges against three former KPMG LLP audit partners for improperly sharing answers to internal training exams. The exams were administered to determine whether its audit professionals understood certain accounting and auditing principles that are essential

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What is Cyber Culture in the Workplace?

The Ethics of Operating in Cyberspace Culture, in any form, is the way things get done. Underlying the culture is a set of values and goals that define the personality of an organization and the link between members of the organization. A company’s organizational culture broadly influences employees and business performance through values, customs, and

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Workplace Ethics and AI Systems

Accountability and Trust Must Be Built Into the System Ethical issues in artificial intelligence (AI) exist because rules of the road are needed to guide what is appropriate behavior in processing data against a set of algorithms to make decisions about individuals, communities, and society. Algorithms cannot think for themselves and are, therefore, morally neutral.

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Audit Firms Should Not Be Allowed to Perform Nonaudit Services for Audit Clients

The Lost Art of an Independent Audit The time has come to revisit the issue of whether all nonaudit services should be prohibited for audit clients. The accounting profession continues to struggle with independence issues when both services are provided. The threats and safeguards approach in the AICPA Code does not seem to have reduced

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The Cancel Culture on College Campuses

Is Free Speech in Jeopardy? What does it mean to “cancel” someone? No, it’s not to cancel a transaction you did online. Today, it means to diminish someone’s significance as an influencer by personal boycott, public shaming, or simply shunning them. We call it the “cancel culture,” or” call-out culture.” Last week, President Obama said,

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How Should You Handle Cyberbullying in the Workplace?

Protecting Yourself Against Cyberbullies In my last blog, I addressed the cyberbullying of young children and teenagers. In today’s blog, I look at the cyberbullying of employees. This isn’t the first time I’ve addressed the problem of cyberbullying in the workplace. The problem persists, and revisiting the issue now will shed additional light on the

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Is Free Speech on College Campuses Still a Concern?

The Role of the First Amendment  Free speech on college campuses has been under attack during the past several years. The alleged offenses seem to have declined this past academic year. Does that mean limitations on free speech on college campuses are no longer of concern? The answer is ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ Let’s not forget

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Ethical Considerations of Office Politics

Playing the Game I first blogged about office politics this past February. Today’s blog repeats some of that information and adds new perspectives. Office politics affects virtually everyone in the workplace, so it is important to understand the scope of behaviors and best ways to deal with the challenges of working in a political environment

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